Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase

Before we headed out for a session at our local tennis club, my friend Chris would want to play an album. Our pre-exercise ritual. His brother was an enthusiastic and talented acoustic guitarist. We weren’t but wished we could pick the strings. We were better than him at tennis though – can’t have everything. I am certain this album came courtesy of Chris’s brother’s collection. He certainly aspired to play like Ralph. We were captivated by this early album by McTell, although as 16-year-olds maybe we wouldn’t have mentioned it to the ‘cool’ glitter and the rouge kids. Happily, I have never grown tired of this album or Ralph as a performer over these last fifty years. Despite having a loyal following and being a national treasure as they say, I still feel Ralph is seriously underrated in the world at large. Take his guitar playing. Is there a more beautiful player that picks every note with such wonderful clarity and distinctiveness? Only a couple of notes are needed for me to know it is Ralph playing on a track. It was this crisp, atmospheric playing that caught the attention of our young inquisitive minds.

I first saw Ralph in concert on February 10^th, 1974, at Preston Guild Hall – guest stars Prelude. It was far from the last time, in fact, I have seen Ralph perhaps more times than any other performer. That night was magical, the first solo performer I had seen. The standout quality was just how comfortable he seemed on stage, holding us in his hand with just his guitar, vocals and a gentle easy wit. After the show we sat for a while as the hall emptied, lost in our thoughts, reflecting on the joy of seeing this man in the flesh. By the stage a small cluster of people had gathered. Slowly we made our way down to find out why. By the time we got there only a doorman remained. He said Ralph was letting a few into the dressing room if they wanted a moment or two with him. We certainly did. After a couple of minutes, we were welcomed in by this extremely affable ‘hero’ or ours. I suppose there were about eight of us, but Ralph didn’t seem to mind. Only problem for me was that I was somewhat star struck and I believe absolutely that I made a complete fool of myself, barely able to get an intelligent word out. I have thankfully met him several times over the years and hopefully finally seemed like a normal human being to him. The girls in our party got signed posters from him – I didn’t get anything having slunk behind everyone and out the door. Well – he was a big star to us back then, that’s my excuse.

Back to the album. Apart from the music it was the cover that captivated us even though I am sure Ralph would agree it is not the most slick or professional enclosure of a vinyl record. It was the few words on the rear that got our imagination going. Ralph busking in Paris and around Europe sounded so romantic. I suspect the reality was somewhat different but young minds can wander and dream. The liner notes conclude with ‘his second chance to prove it’. We first listened to this album about three years after its release, so by then he had already proved any early promise they felt was still to come.

Listening to it again now fifty years on it still has that feel to it that attracted and intrigued us back then – it sounds so English. Not in a finger in the ear over a pint sort of ancient English folk but writing that was resonant of a time. Somehow Ralph allows in his genius writing to let yourself be transported to a period of your choosing but one that is distinctly England. It seemed the perfect backdrop to our plans to go to the old, faded tennis cub, a place fixed in time – Edwardian England. This album took my mind back at that last summer before the war, an idyll that existed only in the imagination. Ralph conjures up for me that early pre-war and mid-century periods of the 20^th Century on this album and also of course in other later songs, particularly on ‘Easy’.

McTell has a wonderful skill as a writer in that the depth of his writing is complemented by the palatable way he puts across some quite deep and thoughtful material. Some may feel that a song such as ‘Streets of London’ is a lightweight sing a long song, pleasant – but there you go. It is not. If you are feeling in the least bit sorry for yourself then this song will shake you out of that, a lesson learned of showing compassion and discarding our self-pity. It is as, if not more, relevant today, such a classic piece of writing. Like many of Ralph’s songs it is cinematic, best listened to in peace and undisturbed. It can be London of any time period you wish but the message shines through. Just listen but don’t sing a long for a change.

Mrs Adlam’s Angel is a joyous piece of writing. I am back to those innocent early primary school days with my ‘Mrs Adlam’. Don’t we all have one in our memory bank. How life was so simple then. It may not be now, but it is wonderful how a short piece of writing transports us. He follows this with ‘England 1914’, another time travel song, but again deeper than you may feel from a young writer of exceptional maturity.

Ralph is often writing from experience, there is an autobiographical elements to many of his songs. He can do this with such sensitivity even if the memories will not be comfortable to revisit. ‘Daddy’s Here’ is the best example of this on here. His own early issues with an absent father are atmospherically dealt with on this track. With some beautiful poetry he conveys the fears and hopes of a young child being brought up and loved by a single mother. A warm relationship with his brother is a great comfort. Such a delightful and moving word picture of a song. Poignant also in that he has recently lost his brother.

We can go on but let us leave you with plenty to discover on this treasured piece of vinyl. I must conclude though by mentioning the final track, one of my especially favourite songs of all time, from anyone – ‘Terminus’. Clocked at just 1 minute 54 seconds he somehow constructs a vivid full film experience that in the right script writers hands a full-length movie will emerge. Where are they? – I put them at Euston Station, but this could be a ‘Brief Encounter’ moment with an irredeemably sad ending. Here they stand on the platform, plans made have all gone, words no longer can pass between them. Yet only the previous night these lovers were close. He finds a piece of paper blowing in the wind to be a needed distraction from the reality that cannot be faced. We have all been there – who hasn’t found reading a crisp packet so terribly interesting. But she is gone, the words that could have helped are so clear but too late. A brief encounter on the platform has him confirming he is ok, but clearly he is not. He fools himself into thinking that these sad scenes happens all around him, life must go on. Will he be alright, we don’t know but there must be a sequel surely – Terminus 2 on the big screen. A truly great song – gorgeously written.

This album is an early one in McTell’s career, it is by no means perfect. There are a couple of lightweight songs on here. There are though such wonderful, melodic, moving songs on this vinyl that a couple of fillers do not detract from the overall experience of one of the finest albums from any British songwriter. Back on the turntable it goes.

‘Streets’ of course was McTell’s one massive hit. Not that fame sat comfortably with him. His tour following his chart success in 1975 I remember well even if he would perhaps rather forget it. Clearly ill at ease with a band, he played his way through some of his strongest material to date but to an audience that must have seemed alien to him. I caught his show at Southport and the audience appeared to have shed about 10 years on average. In fact, I had the feeling that the last record many had bought was a Bay City Rollers offering. I genuinely thought they might start screaming and that would have freaked him out. He bailed out after this and regrouped. We can be thankful he did to continue back on the path that made him one of our most loved performers.

TAKEN FROM MY MUSIC MEMOIR ON AMAZON

My other ‘reviews’ from my Vinyl collection can be read by this link

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