Lal Waterson/Oliver Knight - Bed Of Roses, A

Personnel: Lal Waterson, Maria Gilhooley (vocals); Oliver Knight (guitar); Jody Stecher (mandolin); Chopper (cello). Although Lal Waterson's recording career stretches back to the '60s, and has subsequently seen remarkable collaborations with sister Norma (A TRUE HEARTED GIRL) and brother Mike (BRIGHT PHOEBUS), greatest acclaim came in 1996 with ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, her first collaboration with son Oliver Knight. Sessions for its successor were cut short by Lal's death. Rather like the posthumous Janis Joplin album PEARL, A BED OF ROSES had to be completed after the singer's demise. This probably explains the inclusion of two instrumentals by Knight and the reappearance of a song from the previous album ("At First She Starts"), albeit in a radically different, solo rendition. A BED OF ROSES can't hope to have the impact of its predecessor, but listeners hoping for more in the same vein won't be disappointed. Lal's voice and lyrics remain remarkable. Accompaniment is sparse. Maria Gilhooley harmonises o... Minimize