I can't believe no one's reviewed this CD yet. I've only heard it once so far - just finished listening to it, in fact - but it gave me goosebumps. I've dropped everything to come write about it, because I'm overflowing with that sense of discovery, the shocked pleasure of receiving a gift I didn't expect. Every single track here is amazing, due in no small part to Boden's voice, but all aspects are superlatively handled. The musicianship is top-notch, perfectly suited to the bleak, transcendent heart's cry of the songs. The atmosphere is shadowy, prophetic, mesmerizing, but streaked with a kind of jubilation. Shining defiance rings out from Boden's singing and the detailed lyricism of his lines, a fierce longing to testify. You can practically feel the electricity of the storm, the shimmer of sun through rain, the rag-picker's and scarecrow's way of life. There's a quality of lamentation here, but the songs aren't dirges; they have stories to tell. They're plaintive, but they stretch upward toward the sky.
I suppose you'd call this folk music, although I'm not sure the genre matters. Boden's a prolific member of the latest creative wave of British folk-influenced exuberance. His flagship band is the carnivalesque Bellowhead, and I recommend them, too, although their sound didn't prepare me for the aching splendor of this CD.
Give this one a try. It's not the least bit depressing, never mind the subject matter. For me, this kind of dark, visionary beauty casts a pretty exhilarating spell. In fact, I'm going to go listen to it again right now.
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Songs from the Floodplain
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Vinyl, Import, April 21, 2009
"Please retry" |
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WARNING:
California’s Proposition 65
Track Listings
1 | We Do What We Can |
2 | Going Down to the Wasteland |
3 | Days Gone By |
4 | Penny for the Preacher |
5 | Dancing in the Factory |
6 | Beating the Bounds |
7 | The Pilgrim\X{2019}S Way |
8 | April Queen |
9 | When the Walls Come Tumbling Down |
10 | Don\X{2019}T Wake Me Up Til Tomorrow |
11 | Under Their Breath |
12 | Has Been Cavalry |
Editorial Reviews
Jon Boden is one half of the famous Folk duo Spiers & Boden, this is Jon's second solo album and a return to his rock roots.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 5.59 x 0.39 x 4.92 inches; 2.12 ounces
- Manufacturer : Navigator
- Original Release Date : 2011
- Date First Available : March 22, 2009
- Label : Navigator
- ASIN : B001PSQFZK
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #426,159 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #23,250 in Folk (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
40 global ratings
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2010
- Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2014Boden's voice is very nice. The songs I did not like. Bought it since loved his songs in the movie About Time. The music in this CD is not to my liking.
Top reviews from other countries
- LenReviewed in Canada on June 19, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Good tunes.
British folk songs well sung. Pleased with my purchase.
- VivReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing, Beautiful, Redemptive
I have to confess to being a fan of Spiers and Boden and of Bellowhead. Having said that I really didn't expect to like this album at all - which is why I brought it off the Amazon website rather than the normal route I usually go of paying full price at the Spiers and Boden website. (Sorry, Jon). It was just that the idea of a concept album by a folk artist about some future world, post-Armageddon, seemed pretentious and silly. Furthermore, I'd heard a couple of tracks on his website and had been left unmoved and not entirely impressed. But there had been SOOO many good reviews...
I brought the album, therefore, expecting to listen to it perhaps once or twice before finding somewhere quiet to leave it so it could gather dust in private. Well, I think I can say that I have never been more wrong in my life.... Perhaps I made the fortunate choice of listening to the album from beginning to end, without interruption or distraction.
Other reviewers who are far more articulate than I will be able to disect the reasons why this album works as well as it does.
For me, the imagery from the words and music are so complete that I can see the deserted motorway, the abandoned factory, the burning pyres, the strange priest and the man in love with the April Queen. All the characters are rounded, fleshed out individuals who have shared a grim history but are nevertheless clinging on in the hope of a better future. But there is enough leeway so that a certain equivocacy is leant to some of the characters - such as the Lawnmover Man, who I intially dismissed as a Little Englander but on reflection have begun to feel huge sympathy for.
I feel I've just read the best book ever, read the most beautiful poetry and heard the most stunning tunes.
Some reviewers have suggested that the voice is weak - it's not weak - it's the voice of a man whose heart is trying not to break. The album may appear to be underproduced but in fact it's totally in keeping with songs that are reflecting a return to a simpler way of life.
Every time I listen to this album, by the end, the tears roll down my face and yet there's a smile on my lips.
If you want larger than life tunes, egomanical craziness, and sheer joie de vivre then keep to S&B and Bellowhead. If you feel like rediscovering the meaning to life, however, you may want to give this a go.
- Mr. John F. NichollsReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars An album that deserves to be up there with the greats
Jon Boden's work with Bellowhead will be known to many folk lovers for its uplifting celebration of English folk music, but his 2 solo albums "Painted Lady" and "Songs from the Floodplain" reveal a different, more reflective, side to his character and music. "Painted Lady" was an extraordinary album, disgracefully neglected - I've never seen a review of it, or heard anyone else mention it - but "Floodplain" is even better. Melodically and instrumentally, it stands right up there with anything, including Dylan and the Beatles, but added to its exquisite melodies are lyrics of lost Englishness, decay and nostalgia that produce a work of art that is nothing short of astonishing. It's even beautifully packaged, so you need to buy it, rather than burn it or download it! It would be sad if Boden becomes another English musical genius (Richard Thompson, Tom McRae et al) who is largely unknown to most people. I would urge people to buy this album (and "Painted Lady") and bring it to the notice of anyone they meet. This is what Englsh music should sound like in the 21st century - distinctive, melodic and drawing on its own heritage. In other countries, where they are more assertive about their own musical traditions, Boden would by now have achieved natioanl treasure status. One thing is for certain, "Songs from the Floodplain" is a treasure to those who have bought it.
- A.P.CottrellReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Folk album of the decade by long chalk
Best Folk album of the decade by long chalk. A frighteningly relevant theme articulately expressed through the poetry of the lyrics, the haunting beauty of the melodies and Jon's singing, unequalled in traditional music - he avoids the appalling, bizarre mannered way of singing that has always seemed to be de rigeur when singing traditional English folk songs and gives full rein to his clear, powerful voice - tells the story accompanied with intuitive flair and, dare I say it, a feel for the groove on every instrument by . . . Jon. This is a unique recording and should be heard across the world.
Arnie Cottrell
- FLUFFYReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2015
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good songs
Needs a few plays - doesn't instantly grab you. Quite dark and hard to get your head round medieval sounding music with modern references of motorways and cigarettes, but worth persevering as there are some really good tracks on this album. Would recommend to anyone suffering Bellowhead withdrawal symptoms. Also check out his other solo record Painted Lady.