Name: True Stories
Brand: Martin Simpson

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

tscd578

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2009-08-03

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Martin Simpson

Genre GB

Folk

Label GB

Martin Simpson is one of the world's premiere acoustic guitarists and a powerful songwriter with a rich, charactered voice. His playing, which in part defined the English steel string acoustic guitar sound, is idiosyncratic, instantly recognisable, and revered among guitar fans. His body of work is very diverse encompassing all types of traditional and acoustic music, and he has toured with everyone from June Tabor to Steve Miller.

In 1976 he recorded his first solo album "Golden Vanity".

In 1985 Martin married Jessica Ratcliffe, an American singer-songwriter and poet with whom he recorded few albums.

born in scunthorpe in 1953, simpson was a full-time musician and regular on the local folk club scene by the age of 18. after ten prolific years releasing albums predominantly comprised of traditional folk songs between 1976 and 1986, simpson and his then wife jessica moved to new york. simpson lived stateside for 14 years, the last three-and-a-half of which were spent steeped in blues living out one long party in new orleans. but something called him to cross the atlantic again. he released the bramble briar, an album marking a distinct return to his folk roots, in 2001 soon after his homecoming. since then, simpson has recorded the three most compelling and accomplished albums of his career: 'righteousness and humidity' in 2003, 'kind letters' in 2005 and 'prodigal son' in 2007. over the course of his last few albums, simpson has gradually introduced more of his own compositions. the two standout tracks on prodigal son are his own: never any good, penned about his father, and she slips away, written the day before his mother's death. both are haunting in a unique sense, the former for its honesty and imagery, the latter for the tenderness and melancholy of its slide guitar. simpson is confident 'true stories', which features cameos from radiohead drummer phil selway, bellowhead front-man jon boden and folk stalwart danny thompson, will continue in this vein. 'there's actually even more of my own stuff on it. this is a very emotionally heavy record in a lot of ways, and it has some pretty different stuff on it musically' he said. simpson has absorbed so many musical traditions into his playing over the years, but something unique about him has always shone through. now this has truly come to the surface and he has started to sing with his own voice, revealing more of himself through his musical maturity.

True Stories

Music GB