Earth Song, Ocean Song (studio album) by Mary Hopkin

From Jboy56 04/12/2023 17:48

This album is too long and her voice does not belong to my favorites. Thank You

I have a copy of the 1971 original pressed LP. This is really a fine album which most of the songs are excellent and this album deserve a better score.
I vote for the 'Ocean song' and 'How Comes The Sun' for the best songs in this album.

From neilgee 11/20/2015 22:56

I'm surprised this album isn't higher in the charts. It's well worth a listen.

Compared with Hopkin's 1968 album "Postcard" this one is working much better as a whole - a true album.

This time, the album is produced by her future husband Tony Visconti, and together they have managed to give the album a much more consistent feel than its predecessor, which seemed somewhat uncertain of direction containing songs from many different periods and in quite different styles.

Here the songs are new / contemporary songs mostly in the folk genre, though in several cases supplemented by strings arrangements.

There are many fine songs, and Hopkin's bright, and somewhat fragile voice fits well with most.

Harvey Andrews has written the beautiful pop-song "There's Got to Be More" ; also "Martha" and bonus track "When I Am Old One Day". The classic "Streets of London" written by Ralph McTell is found here in a fine version and McTell has also written the bonus track "Kew Gardens", which is perhaps best song on the release. Also "Silver Birch and Weeping Willow" is a McTell song.

The unknown Liz Thorsen wrote the two title songs "Earth Song" and "Ocean Song", of which especially the latter is really nice, a song in the best Sandy Denny style.

Too bad Hopkin interrupted career after this album and annoying to some of the fine single tracks from the period has not found their way to the bonus tracks. I wonder why "Knock, Knock Who's There", "Temma Harbour," "Que Sera" and "Think About Your Children" were deselected.