Anne Beverly Brown
aka Brownie!
A Creative Spirit Inspired by Nature Fueled on Love
Music
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Purchase at: https://annebeverlybrown.bandcamp.com/
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Keyhole & the Eternal Kiss
"We dance on the shore in our summer shoes safe in the lap of God knowing it's music that takes us home"
- excerpt "The Rivers of Eden
Anne Beverly Brown's first full-length 1993 release 'Keyhole & the Eternal Kiss' is a fusion of ethereal Celtic folk-pop with metaphysical leanings and much metaphor. Her original songs wind lyrically through England's Glastonbury onto Cleopatra's barge and to the tin pan alleys of roaring twenties Chicago. This CD takes its name from one small subterranean room in Calsbad Caverns, New Mexico, which Brown uses as a symbol for the unconquerable wellspring of Spirit.
"Once there was a man who planted trees
An ordinary man
Not a man known for parting seas...."
- excerpt 'The Man Who Planted Trees
"I recite psalms on my erotic rosary
I pray for release daily
In paradise afraid of cruel consequence
Rachmaninoff bring me into the present tense
of love...."
- excerpt 'Send Me Rachmaninoff'
"With a fear of penetration
I reached the point of entry
Into the real world of cold hard fact...."
- excerpt 'The Church Door'
"There are others lost in the Old Soldier's Wood
With good taste but bad timing
Thrown from the musical ride
With a hint of madness shining...."
- excerpt 'Keyhole & the Eternal Kiss'
"Drawing blood from a singing stone
In the search for Merlin's music...."
- excerpt 'Indigo Blue'
"On the winter road I meet the wolf
Strangely
I feel almost brave...."
- excerpt 'Quiet Heart'
(click image to enlarge cover art and song lyrics)
The Landlord's Daughter
"Better than music, better than poetry...." - excerpt 'Roll Me'
There are few excursions more enchanting than those taken in the imagination of an inspired song-writer, and once again this experience is offered by Anne Beverly Brown's 1996 release, 'The Landlord's Daughter'. Here is an intriguing collection of colour, romance, grace and pulse - immediate and intimate.
"I'm a burning woman with enough
Coals to start a mighty big fire
A caged dream grows dangerous and mean
So I let it out, stand back
Let the flames leap up higher
Like the night of the Guy Fawkes bonfire...."
- excerpt 'Days of England'
"I walked through the rain for you
I forgot you are a stranger
Now I'm all wet and aching
And I smell danger...."
- excerpt 'Ask Me No More'
"I'm weak from battles with ghosts and dragons
Won't you sound your Holy bell?
Meet me in the Akashic Records
Call me through a seashell...."
- excerpt 'King David'
"Take us back before the dreamtime
Hypnotize us with the swaying
Rhythm of a wailing wall
As we watch Mamma Emu playing...."
- excerpt 'Red Dust'
"Father Confessor
It's written too large across my heart
Drink deep from the drug of experience
Is now is the time to start?"
- excerpt 'I Threw the I Ching Tonight'
(click image to enlarge cover art and song lyrics)
Music Reviews
USA. - Dirty Linen Magazine, Vol. 48, 1993 - Keyhole & the Eternal Kiss - "....Brown is a singer-songwriter who has combined wonderfully poetic lyricism with fine musicianship to create a wholly enjoyable album...."
JAPAN - Marquee - belle musique d'aujourd'hui Vol. 068, Oct. 1996 - The Landlord's Daughter - "The Celtic-flavoured singer-songwriter from Canada produces a clear and sophisticated atmosphere supported by harp, piano, flute, and melody lines sung with a beautiful voice both sweet and nostalgic. There is an exquisite blend of country and Celtic at times which is unique and makes the listener very comfortable. The songs remind of the best era of Dougie MacLean. The 13- minute track 'The Highwayman' is brilliant but the whole album worth many plays."
CANADA - The Canadian Music Bulletin, Vol.30.4, 1996 - The Landlord's Daughter - "....if this is New Music, well, then I'll take it!"
USA. - Dirty Linen Magazine, Vol. 68, 1997 - The Landlord's Daughter - "Canadian singer-songwriter Anne Beverly Brown has created on her second album a spellbinding collection of songs that merge poetic lyrics with beautiful music, offering a lush, romantic tapestry of folk-inspired songs. The arrangements are examples of focused melody with supporting instruments with well-thought out economy. The spiritual centerpiece of this recording is an interpretation of the Alfred Noyes poem 'The Highwayman', a colorful but grim romance that provides the inspiration for the album's title. The tale reminds one of the best of the English folk tradition with the heroine giving her life for her love, but of course in vain as the highwayman meets his demise. The interplay between harp, guitar and violin is as engaging as the lyrics and the throbbing baseline by Diane Couch is particularly fascinating, especially in this style of song. The remaining eight songs are equally arresting and well-performed, from the instrumental piece 'Yellowknife', an aural painting for guitar, flute and accordion with Enya-like vocals, to the moving 'King David', a song of strength and courage. Most effective were the brief impressionistic pieces like 'Ask Me No More' and the lovely 'Angel Walking' with the atmospheric uillean pipes by Steafan Hannigan. Myron Szott's violin work caught my attention quite often as did the accordion passages of Ron Casat. Brown's fine vocals do justice to her equally fine song-writing. Her soaring, inspirational poetry combined with Celtic-influenced music make 'The Landlord's Daughter a must."
CANADA - Natural Life Magazine, Nov/Dec 1997 - The Landlord's Daughter - "....a well-produced, good-sounding collection of songs. With a host of talented supporting musicians and a professionally packaged and presented CD, I'm sure this music can make the trip.
ENGLAND - Folk Routes Magazine, Dec. 1997 - included 'The Landlord's Daughter' on The Albums of '97 list of definitive selections of the finest folk, roots & world music releases.
