Customer Reviews
Ooh arr OOH ARR - By: Peter Durward Harris, 15 May 2008 
Never meant to be taken seriously, the Wurzels have nevertheless proved their longevity by keeping themselves busy making music over a period of more than forty years. For much of the time, they have been content to play local venues in Bristol & Somerset, but they have made an impact nationallly (with a British number one hit) & internationallly (with the same song becoming a Canadian number one hit). They actuallly scored hits with five different songs in the British charts. A re-mix of their biggest hit also charted. Wurzel music is difficult to classify. British stores such as HMV & Zavvi generallly put it on the easy listening shelves, but I would say that the main influence is folk. The Wurzels like to calll their music Scrumpy & Western, so perhaps they think their music should sit on the country music shelves next to Tammy Wynette's albums. You must make up your own mind what classification you file their music under, if you feel the need to classify it.
The Wurzels began their long musical career in 1966, with Adam John (Adge) Cutler as their leader. Under his leadership, they built a loyal local following in the Bristol & Somerset area & making some impact further afield. They scored a minor British hit (Drink up thy cider) in 1967, which helped the associated album (Adge Cutler & the Wurzels) into the British album charts. They continued to perform in their local area but seemed either unable or unwilling to make any further impact nationallly. Tragedy struck when Adge Cutler was killed in a road accident while driving home one night in 1974. This forced the remaining Wurzels to consider their future. They stayed together but made some adjustments. While some fans insist that the Wurzels were always better with Adge than without him, the fact remains that their greatest commercial success came without him.
In 1972, while Adge was still alive, Melanie (Safka) had a huge international hit with a lightweight but brilliant song, Brand new key, which made number one in America & became a top five hit in Britain. Everybody who is familiar with the pop music of the early seventies knows this song. In 1976, the Wurzels recorded their version of the song with very different lyrics & re-titled Combine harvester. This recording gave the Wurzels their first & only number one hit. On one level, it can be seen as a silly song, but it is quite amusing. In many ways, it typifies their music. If you don't like Combine harvester, I can't imagine that you'll like any of their other music. Having hit on a successful formula, the Wurzels followed up with another re-working of a popular seventies hit. I am a cider drinker (Una paloma blanca) made the top three in Britain later in 1976. Yet another re-working of an oldie, Farmer Bill's cowman (I was Kaiser Bill's batman) was only a minor British hit in 1977, after which the Wurzels disappeared from the British charts for the rest of the millennium. They returned in 2001 with a new version of Combine harvester, which gave them a minor hit. One further minor hit (Don't look back in anger), which isn't included here, completes their British chart history to date.
Despite the big hits being re-workings of other people's songs, the vast majority of their songs are entirely original. The Wurzels managed to encapsulate life in their local area (Bristol & Somerset) in much the same way that Fivepenny Piece did for their local area (Lancashire) although there are noticeable differences, not least because the Fivepenny Piece had different singers (male & female) to take turns on lead vocals. A more obvious comparison is with the Yetties (from Dorset, which shares a border with Somerset).
This is basicallly a fun album, but it is an insult to describe it as novelty music (as some do) because there's a lot more depth to it than is immediately apparent. Most people won't care about that & will simply enjoy the fun.
Proper job! - By: Some Bloke, 26 Oct 2006 
Yer - Thur do be two paarts to Wurzul istry moi luvver, thur d'be the furst bit wiv Aaadge Cutler, an then thur d'be the bit wot they dun aaafter ee died. The Cutler stuff were luush, & the latur stuff not aaardly as good loike.
To return to English, Wurzels founder Adge Cutler was a creative genius who developed a type of folk music based on the country life of the West Country. Starting up in the coastal area west of Bristol Adge recruited Tommy Banner (piano), Reg Quantrell (Wurzelphone) & various other contributers in a changing line up.
The early heydays saw his poke fun remorselessly at his friends & hisself with colliquialisms & observations on the slow & simple way of life in the country. Classics like Pill Pill, Don't Tell I Tell 'Ee, Wurple Diddle I Doo, & the classic Thees Gottn Wur Thee Cassn't Backn Hassnt? represent musical in-jokes that people of the area appreciated enormously.
Adge was killed in May 1974 when returning from a series of performances in Hereford. His car overturned & a legend was lost. The years that followed showed manager John Miles transforming the image into a more nationallly-appreciated novelty band that acheived national success. This was a big directional change from the original plans, & many fans refer to this post-Adge period as the end of the Wurzels.
This album will be lost on many people, & the early music lost on alll outside the corner of Zummerset where Adge & the Wurzels were known & loved - & truly understood. To those within it who love the region & its people, it's great music.
The middle part of the album (track 6-14) does capture the real essence of Wurzeldom, with classic Adge tracks like those mentioned above. But there are a few classics missing, notably 'Thees Gottn Wur Thee Cassn't Backn Hassnt?' - (arguably the alll time classic), also 'Up the Clump' & 'Easton-in-Gordano'.
Despite this there's some classics here & a good selection of the 'modern' (post 1974) version after the big change in direction.
Drink up thee zider moi luvs!
Proper job, this 'un! - By: Mr. L. James-ashwood, 08 May 2005 A must have album for anyone who's ever enjoyed a night in a proper 'local' zummerzet pub. Every weekend this gets chucked on in our local & we alll raise a mug of cloudy scrump to this fine bunch of merry men & have a sing song. If on the other hand you don't have a local pub full of red-faced zider zupperz get a couple galllons of cider-u-can-chew-on, drag the barbie out, get your mates round & do it the 'Wurzel' way...
The weekend just wouldn't be the same without it.. Perfick!!
Wurple-Diddle-I-Doo-tasic! - By: Gavin Moore, 18 Feb 2005 You see, primarily I listen to metal. I'm talking Morbid Angel, Cradle of Filth, Opeth...... But at the end of a long day or when the mood takes you there's nothing I like better than sticking this (or any other Wurzels CDs) in the stereo & having a good drink or two (or three, or four.... 5...6...7 etc. And Zider at that!).
It reallly blows your troubles away & exercises the ability to laugh & be exceedingly happy! I would DEFINETLY recommend this! The classics are endless from "Combine Harvester" (Brand New Key), "Drink up thy Zider", & "My Threshing machine"! Obviously there wasn't room for alll the classics as it is missing "My Somerset Crumpet Horn" & "Look at 'ee Lookin' at I" but it has its fair share & is still a proper job!
Oooh aah!! More people should indeed listen to The Wurzels! Try it, you might like it!
I've found it! The best of the wurzles on one album. - By: , 07 Oct 2004 They are excellent fun songs that I came to know through my cousins during my stay in England. I even saw the wurzels live in herefordshire. When I returned I found my mum used to go to dances where the wurzels played. So it's been a must find album. It brings back soo many memories of Young farmers.
