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CD REVIEW - The Witching Hour

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Mike

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Feb 29, 2012, 10:34:51 AM2/29/12
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The Witching Hour CD by Lady Isadora © 1981, 2006, 2010 17 Tracks Total Running Time: 57:18 $22.00 (U.S.)

The Witching Hour 1:58 The Realm of Faerie 2:43
'Tis Halloween 4:49 The Pipes of Pan 3:36
Bittersweet 2:13 Come, Witches to the Dance 4:43
After the Death of Arthur 2:36 Doors of Wonder 2:45
The Knight and the Old Dame 3:00 Witches and Amazons 4:39
Tower of Winds 3:48 Beneath the Silvered Moon 2:54
The Effigy 4:11 The Goddess Sings 3:40
Heartbeat of Creation 1:43 Isis 6:28
The King of Hearts 1:32

This is a 25th anniversary release of one of the early tapes from the formative years of the Pagan music

scene. There were a few other tapes beginning to be released at this time, but it wasn't anywhere near the industry it is today. Lady Isadora and Lord Pan created the original tape under a tight schedule with portable equipment which left much to be desired in terms of how polished the final product would appear. For all of that, it was popular at the time, and has continued to have a devoted following through the years.

There are, however, a lot of people who have never heard this collection of songs since it wasn't released on CD until recently. One of my goals this year is to introduce a new generation of Pagans to what we old-timers experienced at the dawning of the public Pagan movement in the U.S.

To be sure, a lot of the newer folks have grown up in an era of metal/grunge and won't find this style particularly appealing, but then again...if they haven't been exposed to it, they may find themselves surprised by what it has to say. There was a time when story-telling was considered to be vital to success as a recording artist. Although this is not the BEST example of the early days (there were a few tapes which had wider distribution), it is an very good example.

The songs range far and wide among topics dear to the Pagan heart, from Witches to Arthur, from the Pipes of Pan to Amazons, and beyond. If you can't find something here to appeal to you, I feel sorry for you – there must be something missing from your life, and I hope you find it.

Her liner notes are edited and excerpted from the original, which is unfortunate. Honestly, I don't remember the original notes, but I suspect they gave a bit more detail, and given the looming loss of our early history as the first couple of generations of public Pagans cross over to the Summerlands (since many have never committed their memories to more permanent forms of preservation), we can use all the history we can preserve.

Take the time to listen to this album in a variety of situations (mid-day, evening, calm, stormy) and see if it changes how you react to the various songs. I'm betting it will grow on you, and you will find yourself coming back to it.

Glenda Tryan

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Dec 9, 2020, 7:59:42 AM12/9/20
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