BEAU – Shoeless in the Desert (Cherry Red BEAUSITD1)

BeauCDThe second album of new material from Trevor Midgley since he resurfaced last year with Fly The Bluebird and the subsequent reissue of his 1971 Creation album, this too is a download only release and again features just Beau (who, should I need to remind you, launched John Peel’s Dandelion label; back in 1969) and his 12-string acoustic guitar. As with all his work, it’s very much troubadour folk, rooted in the same 70s soil as the early works of Roy Harper, Dylan, Harvey Andrews (whom his voice sometimes recalls) and Country Joe McDonald, his songs offering political observation and commentary as well as more personal concerns.

Immigration and the response to it is the theme of the powerful album opener ‘Storm in The Eye of God’ while, on a vaguely connected note, ‘America For Sale’ (which has a definite air of Jake Thackray) addresses the notion of both selling your heritage and consumer capitalism and ‘The Oyster & The Pearl’ (from whence comes the album title) is a fable about unequal relationships, exploitation, who does the heavy lifting and who gets the rewards.

Religion looms large too, ‘Guardians of Their Own Truth’ speaking of the deep-rooted self-interest of those who preach it, album closer ‘The Atheist Hymn’ is about the right not to believe while, taking a more storytelling bent, ‘The Deacon’s Revenge’ is a good old Gothic yarn.

Elsewhere, subjects embrace faltering relationships (‘Theatre Song’), the instinct to move on (‘Behind The Eye of the Mind’), the nature and purpose of dreams (a delicate fingerpicked ‘This Is Your Dream’), taking credit for just being lucky (the folk-country strum Uncle Joe) and, based on the theme from Sibelius’ ‘Finlandia’, ‘The Tree Of Life’ is a meditation on the frightening image of kids with guns and a hope for a brighter tomorrow. ‘Don’t Let Them Take You Away’ is even an ode to duodenal ulcers, hypertension and heart attacks, and a reminder to slow down and take it easy. Some forty-six years after his debut, although he’s never dropped out of making music, Beau remains very much a cult figure and it’s highly unlikely things are going to much change. Even so, it’s really about time you got his sand between your toes.

Mike Davies

Artist’s website: http://www.trevormidgley.com/

It’s almost impossible to find current videos of Beau but here’s his 1969 recording, ‘1917 Revolution’: