> Leon Rosselson > Records > A Laugh, a Song, and a Hand-Grenade
A Laugh, a Song, and a Hand-Grenade
![]() |
A Laugh, a Song, and a Hand-Grenade Transatlantic Records TRA 171 (LP, UK, 1968) |
Recorded in 1967 at concerts at the Universities of Bradford and Lancaster;
Recorded and produced by Bill Leader;
Cover photo and design: Brian Shuel
Musicians
Leon Rosselson: vocals and guitar [1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14];
Adrian Mitchell: spoken words [2, 4, 6-7, 9, 11, 13]
Tracks
Side 1 | Side 2 |
---|---|
|
|
Tracks 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14 Leon Rosselson;
Tracks 2, 4, 6-7, 9, 11, 13 Adrian Mitchell
Review
Aisnia Cswica's review is from Gramophone, December 1968:
By complete contrast to the Topic offering is a record that inherits the tradition in a quite different way: as the source of an idiom, and an audience, for a new popular poetry. Where Topic records faithfully the exact detail of traditional song, Leon Rosselson, with as great integrity, re-invents the forms of popular sung poetry in a modern urban style close to Brassens. Here (on A Laugh, a Song and a Hand Grenade, Transatlantic mono TRA171) he joins Adrian Mitchell for 45 minutes of contemporary poetry, half to the guitar, half to a renegade jazz instrument, Mitchell's voice. This is poetry for the ear more than for the page: the timing, delivery and (in Rosselson's case) the excellent guitar accompaniments are part of the pleasure. The performance is as good as the material, but the material has a wider value than this performance alone.