Customer Reviews
pure, subtle and fragile song writing - By: Jon, 12 Oct 2006 
this is musical & literary art. there is no other way to describe it. each track is a tiny masterpiece & Jake Thackray's performances are genuinely remarkable on each.
and that's the whole review. you've either heard this man & appreciated his brilliant talent or you haven't. there is no way to do justice to himin 1000 words so 66 will have to do.
Thanks a lot jake! - By: A. Dunford, 04 Sep 2006 Well, thanks you jake Thackray.
I was on the second leg of a long sydney to london flight, about an hour away from landing. Bored with all the movies i had already seen, i spent a bit of time flicking through thein flight radio stations. I came across this slightly odd sounding northern chap singing a song called "Jolly Captain". Thank god it was a noisey flight, otherwise i think i may have got a few odd looks had anyone notice me burst into almost hysterical laughter at one particular line!
First thing upon my return, i bought this collection of Jake Thackray & i am very glad i did. These songs *always* cheer me up. If you have never heard of Jake Thackray you should give him a try. At first i simply found joyin the clever & very funny (and very English) witin his lyrics. After i while, i realsied just how good some of the actual music is too; Lah-Di-Dah is very sweet, & Sophie is a beautiful, if rather odd, love song.
Pithy! - By: , 07 Mar 2005 Jake Thackray is sadly no longer with us & there are only a few CD's around to remind us how good he was/is.
He was a fan of the Frnch singer/songwriter George Brassens & shares a lotin terms of bawdy humour & storytelling. Jakes' songs are full of observation, sly humour & tenderness. his love of words produces some extroadinary rhymes & often hilarious 'punchlines'.
If you like unpretentious, humourous & well-crafted songs then here are some of the best that England has to offer.
The musical backing varies from acoustic guitar with double bass to some orchestrated pieces & some jazz inflections here & there, always with jakes' plummy Yorkshire tones at the forefront.
This CD is one of the few available & contains many of his 'classics'.
The English Tom Lehrer? - By: Mrs. A. C. Whiteley, 03 Nov 2003 I first encountered the songs of Jake Thackray through the covers by amateur singers at Unplugged:Leeds. The originals turned out, however, to be even better than even those excellent renditions. They positively sparkled with humour & hummable, catchy melodies.
Thackray's songs are a subtle blend of folk, blues 'light jazz' & the 'singer-songwriter' tradition, & they are an absolute delight. The comparison with Lehrer is apt, for he is as observant, wry, satirical & affectionate as his American counterpart.
Allin all this is a life-affirming, heart-warming & hysterically funny album which you will want to play again & again. I can't wait until more of his material is transferred onto CD, & once you've heard these glorious songs, I guarantee that you'll feel the same way. Buy a copy today!
A secret talent - By: OwenGlendower, 25 Jun 2003 I'm listening to the cd as I type. What pleasure Jake Thackary has given over the years & this Cd is a worthy tribute to the man. His unique style has always meant he was an aquired taste but what a taste to aquire. The man was brilliant, his use of words fascinating & his humour eternal. I still laugh every time the bantam 'opens up his sly little eye' or when Sister Josephine shows 'her tenderness towards the younger nuns'
Highly recommended
R.I.P. Jake
