Beau - Beau

Twelve strings to Peel favourites Beau’s bow

Beau’s 1917 Revolution was the first release on John Peel and Clive Selwood’s Dandelion label in August 1969. As you might expect, success was pretty much instant, with the single flying straight to No 1. In the Lebanon. The album that followed, which is reissued here with nine bonus tracks, was perfect for a label devoted to swimming against the tide, featuring the thoughtful, personal, political words and exceptional 12-string stylings of Beau, whose daytime alter-ego Trevor Midgley worked for a building society in Leeds. At a time when everyone with a career in folk was sifting in a sneaky flavour of electricity, even psychedelia, Beau kept straight ahead with his gentle industrial protest songs and pastoral reflections. As was the case with labelmate Bridget St John, the long game paid dividends. There are echoes of the inspirational Leadbelly, the odd tone of Drake and Buckley, even the playfulness of Dando Shaft. Among the six or seven genuinely great slow growers, you need to hear Rain, Soldier In The Willow and Morning Sun. Strangely, the Beau jangle that Dandelion entered for the 1970 Eurovision sank without trace.

Cherry Red | CDMRED 333

Reviewed by Derek Hammond
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