REVIEWS OF THIS ALBUM by Colin Randall; Rock 'n' Reel; EFDSS
Folking.com; FolkCast website; fRoots; Folkwords website; Netrhythms website;
RootsMusic website; Dirty Linen (USA) ................................ (just scroll down)

This album made it into top reviewer Colin Randall's Top Ten Albums of 2007!!!
Look here at the list..... www.salutlive top ten list    and for his actual review, here.... www.salutlive review

'Colin Randall spent nearly 28 years working for the Telegraph and is an admired critic and reviewer.
He has just posted his verdict on Dunc's splendid album: Congratulations Duncan.
To get a verdict like that from Colin Randall is high praise indeed'. Sir Robert Peel – Longdogs Forum

'One of our albums of the year!' - www.rootsmusic.co.uk

A 'Five Star' review from.......Rock 'n' Reel.... Mar/Apr 08 issue - THE DUNCAN McFARLANE BAND - All Rogues & Villains *****
Wearing their musical influence like a badge of pride, The Duncan McFarlane Band proudly proclaim on the back cover of their second album,
All Rogues & Villains, “We class our music as Folk-Rock”. The unreconstructed six-piece from Yorkshire make no bones about or excuses
for their desire to produce memorable, attractive and danceable folk-fuelled rock that offers a knowing nod to the 70s masters.
Consequently traces of Horslips, Fairport, Jack The Lad, Steeleye and the classic folk-rock sound of punchy bass lines and solid, driving rhythms abound.
There’s also a quality of delivery, vocal authority, and some stunning lead riffs, plus neat accordion and fiddle interplay.
Their readings of ‘Botany Bay’, ‘Rakish Young Fellow’, ‘Band O’Shearers’, ‘Lord Franklin’, ‘Lowlands Of Holland’ and ‘A-Begging I Will Go’
provide a real master class in just how to do the folk-rock thing right, while their own songs and tunes, four of each,
sit comfortably amongst the more familiar folk-rock fare. Steve Caseman - Rock 'n' Reel

'efdss' - English Folk Dance & Song Society - Quarterly Publication ‘EDS’ - Spring 2008, page 46 
‘All Rogues & Villains’ - The Duncan McFarlane Band 
This is a band that has taken the strong lyricism of traditional music and has really banged it into rock with style and grace.
Firm and rhythmic drumming, sharp and perceptive fiddling and a keen sense of arrangement throws this music back at you
and screams ‘listen to me’. This, the band’s second album, finds them sounding well rehearsed and polished and Duncan
clearly gets terrific enjoyment out of singing; not always the easiest of emotions to pull off on a record.
It comes from clarity of words, from a strong sense of narrative and from subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – changes of pace.
And there is a jump-up-and-down feel that makes a lot of their music totally infectious.
Following on from their debut The Woodshed Boys, this album contains a similar mixture of traditional songs and tunes alongside
Duncan McFarlane originals. I especially like ‘Bed of Straw’, one of Duncan’s own songs about recruiting – it could easily be mistaken
for a traditional song! As the sergeant presses the money into the travellers’ hands you can ‘hear’ the smile on Duncan’s face.
The addition of Stan Rogers’ ‘North-West Passage’ chorus to ‘Lord Franklin’ is brilliant – it really shows the rocking element of the band
at its best and makes you wonder why no-one has done it before.
Anne Brivonese’s fiddle soars and dives and weaves with Steve Fairholme’s melodeon throughout, and she adds an extra,
slightly understated solo voice on the ‘The Lowlands of Holland’.
The drummer, Nick Pepper, has some great moments, especially on ‘Atholl Highlanders’.
Geoff Taylor on electric guitar and Tony Rogerson on bass provide the steady-as-she-goes rock element.
I know the band’s live performances are a riot of enjoyment; this is a grand replacement until you can actually get to see them.
Dave Eyre - 'EDS' Magazine

www.folking.com
You can almost imagine Duncan McFarlane and his band dressed in 18th century costume, wielding weapons
as they perform on their latest album “Rogues & Villains” such is the authentic feel of the songs as they rip along!
The bass and drums of Tony Rogerson and Nick Pepper, fiddle and vocals from Anne Brivonese, melodeon and vocals from Steve Fairholme
and the guitars of Geoff Taylor create a heady mix with the inimitable Duncan McFarlane on lead vocals and guitar at the helm.
“Botany Bay” the opening track of the album ‘takes no prisoners’ and, like many of the other traditional songs featured here,
benefits from Duncan’s skilful arrangement with tingling electric guitar hooks and driving instrumental sections adding energy and passion.
That’s not to say there aren’t quieter moments on the album as Duncan’s self penned “Mary Read” and the opening of “Band of Shearer’s”,
feature him on solo guitar with Steve Fairholme’s melodeon getting a solo spot in “Cuckoo’s Nest”.
In the other instrumental tracks “Anna Morrison/Karine/Atholl Highlanders” the band as a whole get opportunity to show their versatility
as vibrant melodies are driven with rhythm and infectious fun!
In providing lead vocals to most of the songs, with the exception of “The Lowlands of Holland” where Anne gets a turn in a striking version,
Duncan demonstrates his gift of matching vocal style, and even accent, perfectly to the narration of the song. In his self penned songs,
“Bed of Straw”, “Spadge”, a track lamenting the decline of the UK sparrow population, “Rawford’s Mill” and “Mary Read”,
the lyrics and melodies are so convincingly authentic as for the songs to be mistaken for being traditional;
Although in the trad song “A-Begging I will Go,” added lyrics that make reference to McDonalds and Big Issue give a clever contemporary touch!
The “Rogues & Villains” of the title include Luddites, a sheepstealer, a lady pirateer, a rake and convicts, with each story told convincingly with passion,
‘rocked up’ as Duncan would say! I was instantly blown away by the robust sound the band creates,
and if they can produce this much energy in a recording studio then a live gig should be magic! Hope I get to catch them soon!
Janet M Roe - www.folking.com

FolkCast website
I've now heard All Rogues & Villains - and WOW! I'm absolutely blown away by it
- it's exactly the kind of folk-rock I love, and the sound you've got there is terrific:
Powerful, dynamic, engaging and exciting. Strong guitar, good vocals and a tight, driving band. Excellent selection of songs, too.
I particularly love A-Begging I Will Go and Robin Hood's Bay, which both put a great big grin on my face.
I'm planning to feature a track in January's FolkCast, and will certainly be recommending it to all our listeners.
Phil @ FolkCast.

fRoots - Dec 07
'Still lots of bite, less aggression (good); more even, a balance is in evidence (better);
there’s still no ignoring their party mode. A hoot live, I’ll wager'

www.folkwords.com - Folkwords website review - Duncan McFarlane Band – 'ALL ROGUES AND VILLAINS'

‘All Rogues & Villains’ - a tough leap for others to follow …a new CD from the Duncan McFarlane Band
The Duncan McFarlane Band (DMcF) has raised the bar on folk rock and in doing so has made it a tough leap for others to follow.
With their CD ‘All Rogues & Villains’ DMcF has released a definitive piece of English folk rock. It’s great to hear these guys fulfilling their promise.
It’s also good to hear the band deliver a finely crafted performance mixing traditional songs, incisive lyrics and talented musicianship.
The DMcF package combines Duncan’s distinctive voice, guitar and composing skills, Geoff Taylor’s precise guitar and mandolin, and fine fiddle work from Anne Brivonese. Add to that Steve Fairholme’s ‘on the button’ meticulous melodeon, Nick Pepper's outstanding drumming and Tony Rogerson’s pounding bass.
The opening tracks are vintage DMcF- a rogue and a villain every one. ‘Botany Bay’ a great narrative song, thrives on some seriously up front guitar and
melodeon. It’s followed by ‘Rakish Young Fellow’, which, with a broadside of shattering guitars, hammering bass and ‘Yo-ho-ho’ chorus, conjures pure piracy.
These are traditional songs given the DMcF treatment - roaring guitar riffs, magnificent melodeon breaks and sniping fiddle, with solid drum and bass to power through the songs. This is the DMcF that fans have come to love.
The first Duncan-composed song on the CD, ‘Bed of Straw’ could be a tune from 300 years ago. Indeed, the song describes the unfortunate death of two army conscripts in the 1800’s, but that’s Duncan’s skill - taking tradition and bringing up-to-date. ‘Spadge’ is another great composition bemoaning the decline of house sparrows in our gardens. I’ve always known them as ‘spadgers’ - who cares? It’s a damn fine song with biting lyrics: “Old friends they were familiar, so close to everyone. The widespread once abundant, it seems their time has come.” And if you can stay still during ‘Anna Morrison/Karine/Atholl Highlanders’
you’re either dead-drunk or already dead.
‘All Rogues & Villains’ strikes me as a ‘CD of two halves’ (to paraphrase some sporting pundit or other) but that’s what it is. From the mid-point there’s a
definite step change and it’s a good one too, with a selection of songs telling the stories of Franklin, Mary Read and the Luddite Riots.
Do we need another version of ‘Lord Franklin’ in the folk rock style? If it's this one yes we do. This is the best rendition I’ve listened to for a long time,
and I’ve heard a few. It mixes soulful fiddle and melodeon with a stunning guitar break that few would have the courage to include.
Then Anne gets a chance to show off her voice and a great voice it is too, with lead vocals on ‘The Lowlands of Holland’.
Still in the pirate theme (a clear DM passion going here) ‘Mary Read’ is another finely written DMcF song and sensitively recounts
the story of an 18th century female pirate. ‘Rawfold’s Mill’ has a sharp edge recalling Luddite’s attacking a shearing machine,
the resulting death and destruction – and treats you to more classic guitar work.
‘All Rogues & Villains’ closes with ‘A-Begging I Will Go‘ - yet another rewrite of a first-rate traditional song and ‘Robin Hood’s Bay’ a celebrated drinking song.
And judging by the crowd participation at the end a drunken time was had by all.
DMcF is what English folk-rock deserves to be, combining a keen understanding of tradition welded to cutting-edge rock.
And that’s what’s best about DMcF songs - the depth of tradition driven by modern folk rock treatments.
Of course, some will criticise what they see as ‘messing with tradition’ – well that’s what thousands of folk singers have done for the last few hundred years.
That’s the point of an oral tradition. Folk rock is just another expression. I’ve said before that DMcF deliver folk rock with bite.
There isn’t any part of this CD that doesn’t show its teeth – sometimes it’s a smile, sometimes it’s a snap – whichever, this is a masterpiece of the genre.
Tim Carroll – FolkWords - www.folkwords.com

www.netrhythms.co.uk  - Netrhythms website review - Duncan McFarlane Band – 'ALL ROGUES AND VILLAINS' - Dunx Music CD020

Cripes! I could just cop out and say “another stonking set from Dunc and his merry chums”… But I’m biased of course, for I’m one of the legion of folks
who’ve been avidly following the ongoing strength-to-strength development of the DMcF (Electric) Band as a vital, must-see performing-unit
and the progression of their repertoire as honed through the band’s commitment to seemingly innumerable live performances – for which reason,
if no other, All Rogues And Villains is one of those records for which the phrase “long-awaited” must surely have been coined.
The band’s previous studio offering, 2004’s Woodshed Boys, was great, but whilst it contained some really good performances and material
and fair stormed along in the process it didn’t always quite recapture the band’s essential onstage presence; so this time round Duncan and his band have,
by initially recording this new album live in the studio, brought back the frisson of the “feel of the gig”.

But this new CD really does benefit from the “best of both worlds” in that full advantage has also been taken of the studio environment to sensibly enhance
those details or lines (instrumental or vocal) which inevitably get buried in any live performance environment, while also enabling some creative, intelligent
– and often quite subtle – experiments with texture; credit to engineer Matt, who has furnished this latest recording with an impressive depth of focus.
Individual instrumental lines are well defined, drawing attention all the more easily to instances where the pairing and/or sounding-together of different instruments
(eg electric guitar and fiddle, fiddle and melodeon) form a strong and empathic unison melody line.
The sound-picture is at the same time widescreen and richly detailed (rather like viewing a distant shore through a decent wide-angle telescope, perhaps),
a combination stressing the gutsy unity of the band while helping to highlight the excellence of the individual band members’ contributions.

Duncan’s nominally the band’s figurehead, leading with an iron sporran (!), but he’s quick to give his fellow band-members plenty of chances to shine:
for instance, fiddle player Anne Brivonese takes the lead vocal role superbly on Lowlands Of Holland, and melodeonist Steve Fairholme proves he’s
so much more than a mere jobbing squeezer by leading off the Cuckoo’s Nest tune-set and fair managing to upstage the rest of the band in the process!
Other constant delights include Geoff Taylor’s incandescent electric guitar, either resplendent in full prog-mode or satisfyingly twangy;
the majestic sweep of Anne’s sweet-but-strong fiddle lines; Tony Rogerson’s splendidly versatile bass work (alternately niftily melodic and chunky, solid-state); Duncan’s own firm-but-gloriously-hyperactive acoustic-guitar bedrock; and Nick Pepper’s sparky drumming (not a hint of ploddery, and on the jauntier numbers
a sprightly cross between ceilidh-band and driving rock-band). Oh, and the ever-more-confidently-managed backing-vocal teamwork.

And Dunc’s own singing too has taken a leap forward in stature even since Woodshed Boys, now altogether tougher, grittier and having gained in expressive power (note too his well authentic Scots delivery for Band O’ Shearers!). Another development is Dunc’s increasing tendency to allow the last line of (say) a stanza or verse to lag behind the beat and over beyond the end bar-line; this can be disconcerting on first acquaintance, but you soon get used to it – and in any case, by avoiding an obvious, regimented and too-perfect delivery, this is good ’cos it enhances the off-the-cuff, as-live feel of the performances.

As for the material performed on this well-stocked disc (70-minute, and not one too long – no filler, all killer!), it’s made up of four Dunc-penned ditties
(one’s a revisit of his earliest “hit”, Bed Of Straw), two rollicking instrumental sets and the remainder trad-arr and trad-added-to (imaginatively so, as opposed to
bog-standard rocked-up!) songs. The import of the lyrics of Dunc’s own Spadge and Rawfold’s Mill (sometimes lost in live performance) benefits from the greater clarity of diction that a studio recording affords.

And other particular successes? A supremely thoughtful take on Lord Franklin, which ingeniously yet naturally builds in the chorus of Stan Rogers’ North West Passage; a mighty rendition of Rakish Young Fellow; and a fair share of neck-prickling moments, like the “orchestrated” interpolation midway through Botany Bay
(I don’t know quite what’s goin’ on there, but it sure sounds tremendous!) and the deeply joyous “Anna Goes To Atholl” tune medley that prompts an immediate repeat play just like Dirty Linen or Flatback Caper did the first time you played through Fairport’s Full House (remember?)!
There are lots of really neat extra touches too (like the mandolin on Cuckoo’s Nest), while additionally those all-important little ad-hoc “heys”, “yeps” and “yeuches” have been left in the mix, and the “pub gig” feel of the insidiously catchy singalong finale Robin Hood’s Bay also extends into the disc’s run-out groove with a slice of après-gig roll-down-frivolity (recorded on location at “Letsbe Avenue” at closing-time!).

All Rogues And Villains shares with the best folk-rock that fine balance of being at once rewarding to listen to, good to bop around to and fun to play
(this comes straight from Duncan’s liner-note: “Making music is our hobby and our passion. Long may we love what we do”).
Absolutely! – for Duncan and his band sure keep the feel-good factor going in their robust, dynamic and enthusiastic embodiment of “The Living Tradition”
(living = vital, alive and relevant). It’s a real-live smiley smile from the he-rogues and villains! This is definitely Duncan’s best CD yet, and one of which
he’s every right to be fiercely proud – and so too should every member of his doughty band, without whom Duncan’s vision could never be realised.
For this is more than a vision: you could say it’s the future of folk-rock as informed equally by the past and the present.
Dave Kidman

This came by email....
Hi Duncan, Happy New Year -
Just a quick note to let you know that we have included your album "All Rogues and Villains" in our albums of 2007!
please see at www.rootsmusic.co.uk Best regards - Rootsmusic
Their report makes a couple of slip-ups though (we feel). Part of it reads…..
'Duncan McFarlane plays English Folk Rock, traditional and originals.
Electric guitar riffs are tastefully played by Anne Brivonese and Geoff Taylor adding colour and excitement to intricate folk arrangements.
Recorded live, the songs have a raw energy giving you a glimpse of what a rollicking good live band they are.
Note from the band:
Erm, we believe they edited a slightly more 'full' write-up, chopping it down to fit the space available.
Anne duals & duets with Geoff throughout on her electric fiddle, not on guitar.
We might suggest the original wording may have been.....Electric fiddle & guitar riffs are tastefully played by Anne Brivonese and Geoff Taylor...
Also, whilst the backing tracks were all recorded 'live takes' in the studio, as was 'Mary Read' (almost entirely),
a great deal of time was spent doing overdubs of the lead parts and a few other bits & pieces where needed.
Our aim was to capture our 'live' feel rather than the often more stilted 'studio' versions that can often arise
 - I guess from their assessment, we did a fine job of just that!
We thought the album sleeve notes made that point clear, so perhaps their 'edit' left out the word 'mostly'...ie... Mostly recorded live....

USA’s folk magazine ‘Dirty Linen’ Feb 08 issue
has us as the first-up review on their ‘Reel World’ page ‘Small Label British & Celtic Music’ by Tom Nelligan
‘Starting of this month with something to wake you from the winter doldrums, the Duncan McFarlane Band performs the
sort of timeless English folk-rock that’s all too rare these days, ‘All Rogues & Villains’ (Dunx Music 2007).
The Leeds sextet’s second studio album is a rocking collection of traditional and original songs with a very English feel,
set to wailing electric guitars, fiddle, accordion, bass and drums.
The Transport ballad ‘Botany Bay’ is all snarly and nasty-sounding, full of razor-sharp guitar;
and ‘The Lowlands of Holland’ sung by fiddler Anne Brivonese, crisply updates a very old song.
The band can quiet things down too, as in its medley of the classic @Lord Franklin’ joined with Stan Rogers ‘North West Passage’.
McFarlane is also adept at writing old-sounding songs that draw on traditional stories, like the sailor’s lament ‘Rakish Young Fellow’,
another guitar-fuelled rocker with pulsing accordion; and ‘Bed of Straw’ a jaunty retelling of a young man’s encounter with a recruiting sergeant.’