Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
In the blink of an eye, that is how life can suddenly appear to have to slip through our fingers, the sands of Time running unnervingly, mechanically fast, as if spurred on by clockwork, and if we are not careful all we have to show for our lives is empty promises, the empty vessels of what could have been.
To look back on a decade, maybe two, even a third, and realise that life has been a whirlwind consisting of serious highs, artistic pursuits which have given the public hope in time of despair, love in a time of neglect, thought in a period of empty spaces, is to know that your life has been The Best Of your own making, that to touch Time forcibly might leave you with scars and burns, but it is one that cannot be denied by the naysayers and the cynically bored.
John McCusker is the embodiment of legend, he could be pulled from a stone all gleaming and someone would be pronounced King in his presence, and nobody would be surprised, but it is too his own reflection, his own majesty of music that John McCusker -The Best Of leaves its mark on Time, and the burn, the scar, would be Time’s to bear for eternity.
It is a celebration of the collection at hand, 30 years as one of the most formidable fiddle performers to have come the way of the listener, and in the double album release, John McCusker’s time at the tiller is well observed, enjoyed, and given to raising the heartbeat across all who take their own time to add to their delight.
Best ofs do have the tendency to occasionally leave off a track that the listener would insist should be visible by its presence, but as tracks such as The Wishing Tree, It’s A Girl, A Trip To Roma, The Shepherd Lad, and Night Visiting Song welcome the senses into the world, the firm hand and the gentle persuasion working in tandem, so this set of songs appeal with the beauty of the sun after a month of rain and cold; appreciated beyond belief.
A dramatic, pleasurable, outstanding collection of songs, the proof that life is there for the taking, whether as an observer, or as the player of the fiddle, we must all heed the call of taking part, of being the best we can.
John McCusker releases John McCusker – The Best Of on Friday 20th January.
Ian D. Hall