Tell My Sister

( 2 )

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Mark Deming
Kate McGarrigle lost her battle with cancer on February 18, 2010, ending one of the more remarkable partnerships in contemporary music. Kate and her sister Anna were both gifted songwriters who created gentle but emotionally powerful melodies and lyrics that were witty, clever, pithy, and honest without losing their awe for life's mysteries. But just as importantly, the McGarrigle Sisters harmonized with a rare beauty that added new colors to any song they sang; their sad songs drew an extra tear through their voices, and the jokes gained a new twist in their telling. Producer Joe Boyd was an early champion of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's music and produced their first two ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Mark Deming
Kate McGarrigle lost her battle with cancer on February 18, 2010, ending one of the more remarkable partnerships in contemporary music. Kate and her sister Anna were both gifted songwriters who created gentle but emotionally powerful melodies and lyrics that were witty, clever, pithy, and honest without losing their awe for life's mysteries. But just as importantly, the McGarrigle Sisters harmonized with a rare beauty that added new colors to any song they sang; their sad songs drew an extra tear through their voices, and the jokes gained a new twist in their telling. Producer Joe Boyd was an early champion of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's music and produced their first two albums in tandem with Greg Prestopino, and Boyd pays tribute to their early years of record making with Tell My Sister, a three-disc set that features remastered versions of 1975's Kate & Anna McGarrigle and 1977's Dancer with Bruised Knees, as well as a bonus disc of previously unreleased demos. Kate & Anna McGarrigle comes remarkably close to being a perfect album, and considering the limited experience the sisters had in the studio at the time, the ease and confidence of their performances is extraordinary, and Boyd and Prestopino teamed them up with a session crew capable of swinging from the heady joy of "Kiss and Say Goodbye," the abject sorrow of "Go Leave," and the wonder of "Jigsaw Puzzle of Life" and making it all sound rich and immediate. In the liner notes, Boyd says of Dancer with Bruised Knees, "its only problem was the album it had to follow," and indeed, it's a lovely record that suffers only in comparison to the triumph of the McGarrigle's debut. Dancer was a riskier album, opening with the eccentric title tune, featuring three numbers in French and reveling in the snarkier humor of "Southern Boys" and "Walking Song." But the craft is every bit as strong as the debut, and even if the pieces don't fall together with the same precision, it's a wonderful set of tunes that improves with repeated play. The set of unreleased recordings -- some from a solo demo Kate recorded in 1971, others cut in pre-production for the first album -- is short on major revelations, but presents spare but lovely recordings of some of the sisters' best early songs, with their voices sounding just as inspiring with only minimal accompaniment. And there are a few treasures here, including some otherwise unrecorded songs (most notably the excellent "Saratoga Summer Song") and versions of some tunes with alternate lyrics. The remastered albums sound excellent, and the notes by Boyd, Prestopino, and Anna McGarrigle are fine and reflect a certain awe at just how wonderful this music is. Tell My Sister is a superb tribute to the McGarrigle Sisters' formative years, and while this was doubtless created with serious fans in mind, there are few better introductions to the magic they created than the music included here.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 5/3/2011
  • Label: Nonesuch
  • UPC: 075597977080
  • Catalog Number: 527267
  • Sales rank: 9,649

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Kate & Anna McGarrigle Primary Artist
Tony Rice Guitar
John Cale Organ, Marimbas
Warren Smith Conga
Richard Davis Bass
Plas Johnson Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Grady Tate Drums
Amos Garrett Guitar
Lowell George Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Electric Guitar
Andrew Gold Guitar
Roma Baran Guitar
George Bohannon Horn
Red Callender Bass
Andrew Cowan Acoustic Guitar, Guitar
Nick DeCaro Accordion
Dimmy Dimbuster Vocals
Ron Doleman Violin
Pat Donaldson Bass
Gordie Fleming Accordion
Floyd Gilbeau Fiddle
David Grisman Mandolin
Bobby Keys Tenor Saxophone
Russ Kunkel Drums
Densil Lang Percussion
Scot Lang Guitar
Dane Lanken Trumpet, Vocals, Background Vocals
Tony Levin Bass
Gilles Losier Bass
Dave Mattacks Drums
Hugh McCracken Guitar
Janie McGarrigle Organ, Vocals
Anna McGarrigle Banjo, Bass, Piano, Accordion, Recorder, Vocals, Background Vocals, Button Accordion
Tommy Morgan Harmonica
Greg Prestopino Guitar, Piano
Chaim Tannenbaum Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Recorder, Vocals, Background Vocals
Joel Tepp Clarinet, Harmonica
Peter Weldon Banjo, Harmonica, Vocals, Background Vocals
Kate McGarrigle Organ, Banjo, Guitar, Piano, Accordion, Vocals, Background Vocals, Button Accordion
Susan Evans Percussion
Stephen Gadd Drums
Jay Unger Fiddle, Violin
Mike Visciglia Bass
David Spinoza Guitar
Kenny Pearson Organ, Electric Piano
Technical Credits
Loudon Wainwright III Composer
John Wood Engineer
Galt MacDermot Composer
David Bither Executive Producer
George Bohannon Horn Arrangements
Joe Boyd Producer, Liner Notes, Reissue Producer
Steve Ham Engineer
Trevor Lawrence Horn Arrangements
Anna McGarrigle Arranger, Composer, Liner Notes, Adaptation
Greg Prestopino Producer, Liner Notes
Michael Small Orchestral Arrangements
Chaim Tannenbaum Composer
Simon Heyworth Mastering
Kate McGarrigle Arranger, Composer, Adaptation
Randy Saharuni Cover Photo
Bill Dumaresq Composer
Philippe Tatartcheff Composer
Traditional Composer
Wade Hemsworth Composer
Tim Hewlings Engineer
Glen Berger Engineer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 2.5
( 2 )
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