Gibb Todd – Going’Home

“Gibb Todd is a Scotsman who has
been in the folk circuit for many
along year and has toured extensively around the world. This however is only his second album, international in many respects, nicely recorded in Nashville USA, comprising a cohesive mix of songs from Australia, UK and North America. Gibb even changes his accent according to the origin of the song.
What first impressed me immediately about this recording is the high calibre of studio musicians from around the world. Gibb didn’t muck about. Besides his own guitar, his deep mellow baritone voice is accompanied by luminaries like John Doyle on guitar, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Alison Brown on banjo, Danny Thompson on bass, and Tim 0′ Brien on vocals. The sound is warm and nicely rounded.
The album opens with two rambling original ballads based on Gibb’s Australian experience, “The Belle of Byron Bay” and “Where the Bangelows Are”, followed by an attractive rendition of the classic And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” by Scots-Australian Eric Bogle. From Scotland there’s Davy Steele’s ‘The Last Trip Home”, Brian McNeill’s “Strong Women Rule Us All”and the ever-popular traditional “Norlin
Wind”. On the American side there’s a mellow self-pennecrCanada”about
migration there from overseas, and a
very plain version of “Fair and Tender Ladies”. There’s also a comic traditional “Don’t Put Taxes on the Women”, reminiscent of something Chris Smithers would sing, and a variation on “Bound for South Australia”, called “Cape Cod Girls”. His own title track”Goin’Home”has a country feel.
Rolling along at a very even keel, this fairly laid-back album is easy to
digest. Remarkably, the cover has
an unmistakably Australian scene, so Gibb obviously has a strong affinity downunder. Indeed, the album will strike a chord with those frequenting the Aussie folk scene.” Review by Julius Timmerman.