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Ian & Sylvia

The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings

The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings Tracks
1. Rocks And Gravel
2. Old Blue
3. C.C. Rider
4. Un Canadien Errant
5. Handsome Molly
6. Mary Anne
7. Pride Of Petrovar
8. Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad
9. Rambler Gambler
10. Down By The Willow Garden
11. Got No More Home Than A Dog
12. When First Unto This Country
13. Live-A-Humble
14. Jesus Met The Woman At The Well
15. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
16. Katy Dear
17. Poor Lazarus
18. Four Strong Winds
19. Ella Speed
20. Long Lonesome Road
21. V'la L'bon Vent
22. Royal Canal
23. Lady Of Carlisle
24. Spanish Is A Loving Tongue
25. The Greenwood Sidie (The Cruel Mother)
26. Every Night When The Sun Goes Down
27. You Were On My Mind
28. Moonshine Can
29. The Jealous Lover
30. Four Rode By
31. Brave Wolf
32. Nova Scotia Farewell
33. Some Day Soon
34. Little Beggarman
35. Texas Rangers
36. The Ghost Lover
37. Captain Woodstock's Courtship
38. Green Valley
39. Swing Down, Chariot
40. Come In, Stranger
41. Early Morning Rain
42. Nancy Whiskey
43. Awake Ye Drowsy Sleepers
44. Marlborough Street Blues
45. Darcy Farrow
46. Travelling Drummer
47. Maude's Blues
48. Red Velvet
49. I'll Bid My Heart Be Still
50. For Lovin' Me
51. Song For Canada
52. Short Grass
53. The French Girl
54. When I Was A Cowboy
55. Changes
56. Gifts Are For Giving
57. Molly And Tenbrooks
58. Hey, What About Me
59. Lonely Girls
60. Satisfied Minds
61. Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa
62. Friends Of Mine
63. Play One More
64. Circle Game
65. So Much For Dreaming
66. Wild Geese
67. Child Apart
68. Summer Wages
69. Hold Tight
70. Cutty Wren
71. Si Les Bateaux
72. Catfish Blues
73. Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies
74. January Morning
75. Grey Morning
76. The Mighty Quinn
77. Wheels On Fire
78. Farewell To The North
79. Taking Care Of Business
80. Southern Comfort
81. Ballad Of The Ugly Man
82. 90 Degrees x 90 Degrees
83. She'll Be Gone
84. London Life
85. The Renegade
86. House Of Cards
87. Every Time I Feel The Spirit
88. Keep On The Sunny Side
89. Rocks And Gravel
90. Je T'aime Marielle
Ian & Sylvia - The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings
The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings Review
Of all the young lovers smitten by folk music in the '60s, Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker cut the most striking couple, and--as a couple--many of the most striking sides. Over seven Vanguard albums, recorded between 1963 and 1968, Ian & Sylvia lent their vibrato-heavy voices to traditional folk and country songs with strenuous and studied results. However, on indisputably classic Tyson tunes such as "Summer Wages" and "Four Strong Winds," and well-chosen (and, at the time, obscure) ballads by peers such as Bob Dylan ("Tomorrow Is a Long Time") and Steve Gillette ("Darcy Farrow"), their ethereal harmonies and uncluttered acoustic arrangements go a long way towards explaining the duo's popularity and influence. Hard-core fans may frown over the sole previously unreleased track (a toss off called "Je T'aime Marielle"), but they will also cherish Vanguard's sparkling remastering and packaging (a delightfully written appraisal by Colin Escott is included) of this much-needed collection. No better overview of Ian & Sylvia's art can be located. Although you won't find their best album (1970's country-rock gem Great Speckled Bird) here, you will find a cache brimming with the strengths and weaknesses of the folk revival. --Roy Kasten


Users's Reviews
Feel free to add your comments about The Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings
An Appalachian Spring, Courtesy of Two Canadians
5
Listen to their ascending harmonies at the end of the southern folk classic "Old Blue" and you'll hear two parallel lines of even tone that perfectly express the paradox of loss: the simultaneous joy and sorrow inside the aching arc of remembering an animal companion.

They sing folk songs they way they were meant to be sung: purely, but without affecting a "traditional" (whatever the hell that was, or is) stance and without pandering to then-contemporary musical tastes.

From old-time music to gospel, French-Canadian chanson, work songs, cowboy laments and more, their readings of these tunes have stood the test of time.

Posted by Anonymous, on 2001-09-26
Five Stars, But Flawed Neverthteless
5
It is indeed a pleasure to have all of Ian & Sylvia's Vanguard albums in one neat box set as well as the handsome booklet with notes by Colin Escott (though many of them are derived from his 1994 Ian Tyson Auto/Biography "I Never Sold My Saddle"). While, for the most part, this set is a welcome alternative to my well-worn vinyl versions, at times the digital transfers reveal limitations not apparent in the analog versions. The album Play One More, for instance, sounds thin (on disc 3) in a back-to-back comparison with the vinyl. And the "previously unreleased" track "Je T'aime Marielle" turns out to be a version of disc 3's "Si Les Bateaux" without the strings. On the other hand, the 20-bit transfer of Nashville (a much-underrated album and the duo's last for Vanguard)is far superior to the CD version issued previously by the label.

Of course, I'm a big Ian & Sylvia fan, and the set brings back many fond youthful memories of listening to the duo on my parents' living room stereo and of seeing them perform live at the legendary Cellar Door in Washington, DC. With the availability of this set, and (either domestically or as imports) both MGM albums, the first Great Speckled Bird, and the first Columbia album, perhaps someone can be persuaded to reissue 1972's You Were on My Mind, so we can have a complete record of Ian & Sylvia searing and soaring harmonies, as well as their quirky innovations in both folk and country-flavored rock.

Posted by Anonymous, on 2001-09-27
Diamond That Still Sparkles
5
This box set is a special treat for fans of folk music & those who have well-worn vinyl recordings. The book in itself makes fascinating reading. Hearing the stories of Bob Dylan before he started writing as a singer who'd hit on women just to have a place to sleep rather than for romance gives a feel for the scene that spawned this great era. Then hearing what surprise Sylvia had when Dylan's songs were so good brings the legend some humanity. The bickering between the ex's is also pretty good with Sylvia talking about Ian's claim that he did songs just to please her, "That's a crock!"

The main attraction is the music, a diamond that still sparkles these nearly 40 years later. Some of my favorites are "C.C. Rider" where Bill Lee's bass runs gleefully amok over the arrangement. "Un Canadien Errant" has such a sad, lovely melody. Of course, "You Were On My Mind" and "Some Day Soon" are classic tunes. "When I Was A Cowboy" is one great folk boogie, bursting with energy. "Lonely Girls" is a strong song, nice to revisit. I loved the Bacharach/David "24 Hours from Tulsa" even though I often recall Gene Pitney as I hear it. (The book lists the author as "David" Bacharach!?!) Ian & Sylvia's recording of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game" helped launch that legendary career. Sylvia's "Hold Tight" has a melody that pops like a jack-in-the-box while Ian sounds Dylanesque on vocals. "Cutty Wren" has been one of my favorite folk tunes since college, and one of the most violent since "3 Blind Mice." "How will you cut her up? said Millner to Mollner..." I love Ian & Sylvia's rendition of Dylan's "This Wheel's On Fire"; it has energy and strength that propel the melody. Sylvia's dramatic "Southern Comfort" is wonderful, "Didn't I lie, lie, lie, didn't I?" The amazing thing about this music is that it is aging so well; it still sounds vital and relevant these decades later. Vanguard's done a wonderful job with this box set. Enjoy!

Posted by Anonymous, on 2002-01-26

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