If you love good guitar, you'll love Francis Doughty
author: Rog Gibbons
Francis Doughty's first CD was good, this one is excellent. The deep rich tone of the 12-stringer played well is a pleasure, and Francis Doughty's music is always varied and easy to listen to. As enjoyable the first time as the 20th time of hearing
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author: Minor 7th (November/December 2002)
On his sophomore effort, Francis Doughty maintains the widely recognized excellence he displayed on his first outing. He has often been compared to Leo Kottke, and his version of Kottke's "Busted Bicycle" demonstrates why: he attacks the tune with his 12-string guitar, choosing to burrow through the base of the mountain rather than taking a meandering road around it (his analogy). He again reaches for the 12-string for Geoff Muldaur's "Mole's Moan" and for Carolan's "Sheebeg Sheemore". His choice of the 12-string for the Carolan composition is inspired (as is his arrangement of this Celtic chestnut) and suggests that the full sound of the 12 string is a natural stand in for the Irish harp. The balance of the album is devoted to ten of Doughty's compositions (he studied classical composition at University of Massachusetts). On these pieces, Doughty demonstrates that he has moved far beyond the influences of John Fahey and Leo Kottke to find his own voice, especially on "Pearl-Streaked Morning", "Steve's Pain", "Star Spangles on the Pond", and "Embers" (you can almost see the embers flickering when you hear the harmonics on this tune). This CD is exceptionally well recorded and produced, right down to the cover art, photography and liner notes. Highly recommended. (© Patrick Grant)
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author: The Daily Hampshire Gazette (May 2002)
"Under the Sky" is a big place. When he gave that title to his new CD, Francis Doughty awarded himself lots of wandering-around room. He sets off into it with energy, focus and imagination in this lovely album of instrumental guitar pieces. He maps and takes possession of a big piece of ground, in songs that demonstrate great range and tone.
It takes a large talent to keep people listening when the only voice to be heard is that of a single instrument, even if it has six or 12 strings. Doughty, who lives in Wendell, brings a virtuosic handling of his instrument to his task here, sounding out many moods and adventures under that big sky. This is music that promotes reflection, as it teases moods from listeners.
By turns, the notes in "Under the Sky" come slowly with feeling, or they come in torrents. Either way, they come beautifully through in Doughty's deft handling of each composition, whether they are his own or borrowed. He follows the "Sheebeg Sheemore," a tip-toeing 18th-century Irish harp tune, with the luscious jangle of "(We're) Getting Closer," a song pent up with anxieties of arrival.
Fans of Leo Kottke have been known to venture that Doughty - who grew up listening to that 12-string master - can play just as well. Both leave a clear mark of authorship. What prompts a musician to advance and retreat across the long neck of a guitar? What moves him to tickle loose a harmonic note? Answer: artistry.
Doughty honors Kottke by playing his "Busted Bicycle." The song races, climbs and slides with grace. In his note on it, Doughty writes, "Likening guitar-playing styles to paths up a mountain, songs like this one ... point to another way: bore a tunnel through the base and run through it to get to the other side."
It figures that Doughty imagines himself traveling across, and through, these lands. In other hands, the ability to play this well might lead to works that glorify the orb of the guitar itself. Doughty uses his strings to get where he's going. Bring your disordered thoughts. Hs notes will comb them free.
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author: Indie Music.Com (April 2002)
Francis Doughty is a Massachusetts farmer of sorts, tending large vegetable gardens and several animals when he's not playing music. After listening to his second release "Under the Sky," it's hard to imagine him doing anything BUT playing music.
"Under the Sky" is a 13-song CD of guitar instrumentals where Francis basically puts on a clinic. His fingerstyle melodies are flawless and the sound is amazingly clean and clear thanks to his co-producers: Laura (his spouse) and Bruce Kahn.
Francis composed 10 of the tunes. Of the other three he didn't write, two make it to the "best of" list: Geoff Muldaur's "Mole's Moan" (done by other instrumentalists, most notably by Tom Rush back in the '60's) and Leo Kottke's "Busted Bicycle." Francis' treatment of each is superb and you don't even care who wrote them. "Mole's Moan" is lush, flowing and rich in texture (done on 12-string) while he goes to the ultra-fast lane for "...Bicycle," written by of one of his greatest influences. In fact, if you didn't know this wasn't Kottke, you'd almost swear it was him. (But ol' Leo probably would use a slide on the tune and Francis doesn't do much if any of that on this CD).
Of his original tunes, the opener "Pearl-Streaked Morning" and the playful "We're Getting Closer" are the two best. In fact, the CD would be worth having just for those songs alone.
Most instrumental works have extensive liner notes and this CD is no exception. They are insightful and thoughtful. No amount of guesswork would match the exact interpretation of the artist's original intent, so this reviewer won't even try it. Each piece brings to mind different things to each individual and that is how it should be. (© Les Reynolds)
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