Sid Kipper, with Gleesome Gimmingham, Ethel Eel and The Elvers, Walter Pardon, and the mysterious Mike, performs songs of the seasons, with a script by Augustus Swineherd.
A trip through the year, with the inevitable fall. Produced by Chris Sugden.
“A wrong for every reason,
For every crime a cause,
For every error some excuse,
So tell me, what is yours?”
Dean Rotting, 1836
Sid, aided by the pointed pen of Augustus Swineherd, evokes the joys and miseries of our rural past and present. The seasons roll by, with all their pains and pleasures, showing that on land and sea people wooed, wed and worked then much as they do now – albeit without marmite. So put out the cat (and anything else flammable), pin back your ears (pins not included), and prepare to spend a year with the strange – yet strangely familiar – folk of Norfolk.
“Rural calendar customs as lived and sung by St Just-near-Trunch’s own bard. Songs and seasonal links full of wily wordplay and inspired connections. Surreal, yet strangely familiar.”
(Radio2 website)
“Another winner. Listen and laugh.”
(Eastern Daily Press)
“Sid Kipper, Trunch’s finest son, has produced a tour de force. As usual, Sid’s humour works at two levels: one of general hilarity and another, subtler swipe at the traditional music world. No matter which camp is yours, this gentle yet pointed set of observations on topics such as townies in the countryside, bride-seeking sea captains and turkeys at Christmas will have you laughing all the way through.
The usual health and safety caveat goes with this CD – don’t play it whilst driving,
as you’ll be likely to crash the car through laughing too much.”
(Living Tradition)
“A ‘concept album’ from the folk megastar of St Just-near-Trunch! Not only does it blend poetry with song but ‘samples’ late great traditional singer Walter Pardon of Knapton for a rural rap track! Loyal Sid fans, however, need not worry. Our song-carrier of all things ‘almost Norfolk traditional’ is back. It may not be his funniest collection, but it is his cleverest. Sid takes us through the year, with tales of lost loves, rural eccentricities and life as perhaps it used to be. The Winterton Wassup Song and A Larling Lullaby prove Sid is still close to his roots – and Arrivederci Cromer deserves to become a (Norfolk) folk standard. Listen and laugh.”
(Eastern Daily Press)
“Sid rides again in a merciless satire of that oldest of folk chestnuts. The Wheeling Year. The old rogue really does turn up trumps in a sure-fire whelter of quips, groaners, puns and one-liners, all drawn-out in that slow, quiet, broad Norfolk dialect as he leads his unsuspecting audience on to January, March, May, the biggest wind-up they are ever likely to encounter.
I really do not like so-called comedy albums, because they aren’t half as good as the performances live. But Sid makes me laugh like a drain. When you think that he’s been in the business for absolute ages and he must dry up, Sid invents humour all over again. He’s inspirational and he’s very, very funny. The tracks only give the slightest indication of what’s in store: Moo Cows Poo, Bed and Bawd, On Wedlock, Edge, The Whaleman’s Complaint, Turkey In The Door, The Winterton Wassup Song and So Tearfully Round. Sid even tries a bit of rap for once and the trouble is that he makes it work.”
(Taplas)
“Rural calendar customs as lived and sung by St Just-near-Trunch’s own bard. Songs and seasonal links full of wily wordplay and inspired connections. Surreal, yet strangely familiar.”
(Radio2 website)
“Sid, of course, pushes the boundaries of folk music as we know it. Introducing rural rap to the world in Rue the Day – even better when seen performed live! Watch out for this man and. if you can’t avoid him. go and see the show.
A turkey may be just for Christmas and not for life, but a Kipper a day keeps the blues away (but maybe not next door’s cat). Listen, enjoy, chortle, laugh out loud, and keep Mr Kipper in the manner in which he would like to become accustomed, buy this CD.”
(Mardles)