Penguin Eggs

A sunny Sunday but too cold to go out for me. I sat in the kitchen listening to music. Today I was playing Game, Set & Match by Nic Jones. A great album of live tracks. I bought it at the Village Pump Folk Festival a few years ago and Nic kindly signed it for me. Just in case you haven't heard of Nic Jones I'll just tell you quickly about him. Nic was born in 1947 in Kent. He played in a folk group called The Halliard from 1964 to 1968 and when they split up Nic decided to pursue a solo career. He released five solo albums the last of which was Penguin Eggs. This is the only other Nic Jones album I own other than the one I played today. I'm not a Nic Jones expert by any means, but I rate him as one of the greatest singers and guitarists in British Folk Music history. Up there with Richard Thompson and anyone else you care to mention.

Nic Jones & Joe Jones At Village Pump Fest 2013

In February 1982 fate played a cruel trick on Nic. He was involved in a serious car crash whilst driving home from a gig. This happened just outside my home town of Peterborough. He suffered permanent injuries and brain damage and was hospitalised for eight months. His career seemed to be over. Nic now lives in Devon where he was nursed back to health by his wife Julia. She also set up a label called Mollie Music which has issued four live albums of Nic's early music.

Nic didn't fade away into obscurity because his fame gradually began to spread and new fans began to follow his music. This is largely I suspect based on the brilliance of the Penguin Eggs album. Radio 2 listeners voted it the second best Folk album of all time. Second only to Liege And Lief by Fairport Convention. Kate Rusby said it is her favourite album of all time and I can see why. I discovered it through listening to Mike Harding's show. The first song I got acquainted with was Canadee-i-o.The guitar playing on the album is quite superb and apparently Bob Dylan recorded this song and although it is a traditional song Bob also stole Nic's guitar arrangement as well. Every single track on this album is great. I particularly like The Little Pot Stove,The Humpback Whale and Barrack Street, but it is silly picking out particular tracks because all nine of the songs grab the listeners attention. I urge you to listen to this album.

Against all the odds Nic started performing again In a trio which his son Joe also played in, and Nic's son is a great guitarist as well, as we witnessed at the Village Pump Folk Festival. I think Nic might have retired from performing live since then because I haven’t heard any news of live gigs in the last couple of years, but his place in the history of Folk Music is assured.