Quite different to A Wonder Working Stone and Spoils, the ten songs here are ‘sparse, intimate and concise. The focus throughout is on Alasdair’s deft acoustic fingerstyle guitar and his voice. The songs are variously elliptical and gnomic, direct and personal, romantic and tender.’ With sparing, decisive contributions on clarinet and tin whistle — and from Crying Lion.

A treat for those of us who like their Alasdair Roberts straight-up and hardcore. A pointed, deep selection of mainly Scottish folk songs, recorded live in the studio; beautifully sung, with minimal, exquisite accompaniment by acoustic guitar, or sometimes piano. Sexual oppression, Scottishness, political resistance; stray cows, mystical horses, waterbird royalty. Stiff shots of rapture, fighting talk, heartbreak, and tragedy. Terrific.

Great early-eighties Channel 1 excursion on the same version of DEB’s Revolution rhythm as Barrington Levy’s Black Rose.

Killer deep ska, superbly led by Roland A. Backed with the Black Brothers’ rude boy anthem, Born To Rule.

Crucial version of the Horace; with a nice minor-key flip.

Two all-time ska masterpieces: back-to-back fire.

Tremendous, previously-unreleased takes of ska instrumentals by the Soul Brothers.
Rolando Al luxuriating in jazz; a Tommy McCook cha cha cha.