Ralph McTell
The Streets Of London

THE REVIEW

In London at the turn of the '60s and '70s, the folk scene was particularly rich with interesting artists, all excellent songwriters and skilled in mastering the fingerpicking technique: Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Donovan, John Martyn are all names that come to mind thinking of that period.

A bit less known is perhaps Ralph McTell, who is mainly remembered for his "Streets of London," a song about the "homeless," the tramps of London, covered by numerous other artists over the years and to which McTell, who owes his stage name to Blind Willie McTell, practically owes his entire popularity.

This album is nothing but "Spiral Staircase," a 1969 work, re-released in 1975 with a different title to capitalize on the appeal derived from the aforementioned "Streets of London" and with the addition of two bonus tracks.

Besides "Streets of London," objectively of rare beauty, there are other very interesting pieces, in which McTell demonstrates excellent songwriting abilities, capable of ranging between different styles, moving from the country influences of "Country Boys," to the Latin sounds of "El Progresso," to more reflective pieces like "Grande Affaire" or "Lunar Lullaby."

The songs revolve around his voice and his guitar, but they aren't as sparse as one might expect from an artist of this type; on the contrary, the arrangements are varied and very pleasant, achieving the result of not making the listening too flat, a risk that is always around the corner in these cases.

If you are already familiar with the English folk scene of the '60s and know some of the artists mentioned at the beginning, with Ralph McTell you are on safe ground, and this album will certainly not disappoint you.