Meic Stevens, Love Songs, Sain SCD2571

Meic Stevens, Love Songs

Recorded throughout 2009, Love Songs is the album from the much loved Welsh singer-songwriter Meic Stevens. All in English, the songs were written between 1959, when Meic was just 18 years old and had just begun writing songs and poetry, and 2009 when some songs were written during the recording sessions. Most of the material, however, was originally written in the 1960s but never recorded at the time.

As the recording sessions progressed it became apparent that the strongest songs happened to be love songs so this is how the eventual album came about.

The inspiration behind all the songs has been true life experience, covering the many different aspects of love. Each songs has its own story, such as Stargirl about the ghost of a girl who was murdered by her lover or Bound for the Baltic Sea, the story of a much-loved uncle, killed in the second world war before Meic was born. Sing a Song of Sadness was originally written for Marianne Faithfull although she never got to sing it. Instead, it got into the last five from which the British entry for the Eurovision song contest was selected in 1969 – Meic is happy to report that it didn’t make it! A newer song, Deep in my Heart was inspired by Meic’s close friend and rising star, Welsh vocalist Lleuwen who also provides backing vocals on Love Songs.

Often described as “the Welsh Dylan”, Meic Stevens has enjoyed enduring popularity since the1960s. A native of Solva in Pembrokeshire he has always been an integral part of the Welsh music scene and writes and performs in Welsh as well as English. His 1972 song, the irresistibly catchy Y Brawd Houdini (The Brother Houdini) later became a live staple for Super Furry Animals and his psych-folk influence can indeed be heard in contemporary Welsh groups such as the aforementioned and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci.

Over the years this gifted composer, lyricist and guitarist has recorded many albums, mostly on SAIN and its sister label CRAI. In 2002, coinciding with his 60th birthday, Sain released Disgwyl Rhywbeth Gwell I Ddod, a triple CD anthology of his songs recorded between 1968 and 1979, now recognized as one of the true treasures of the Welsh rock scene. Meic still performs regularly throughout Wales and the rest of the UK and occasionally in France, particularly in Brittany where he is very popular and where he once lived, inspired by the food and wine and music of his Celtic cousins.

Tracks -

01. Deep in my Heart - I Do Believe

02. Bound for the Baltic Sea

03. Stuck in the Middle

04. Country Boy

05. Still Waters

06. Stargirl

07. Big Black Betty

08. Blue Sleep

09. Talkin' to Myself

10. Song of Sadness

11. Ghosts of Solva

12. I Don't Understand at All

13. She Does Not Know I Have to Go

Mae Meic, y canwr bytholwyrdd o’r Solfa, wedi casglu ynghyd eu hoff ganeuon Saesneg ar gyfer yr albym hon. Bu’n recordio yn ystod 2009, ac wrth weithio ar y caneuon, sylweddolodd mai serch oedd y thema a godai dro ar ol tro, a phenderfynodd mai casgliad o ganeuon serch fyddai’r albym. Cyfansoddodd y gyntaf o’r rhain pan oedd yn 18 oed, newydd ddechrau ysgrifennu barddoniaeth a chyfansoddi caneuon, a’r olaf yn ystod y sesiynau recordio yn 2009. Ond mae’r rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw yn dyddio o’r 60au, ac heb eu recordio yn Saesneg tan yn awr.

Daw’r ysbrydoliaeth i’r caneuon o brofiadau bywyd Meic, yn cyffwrdd pob agwedd o gariad, a phob cân yn cynnwys ei stori ei hun. Mae Stargirl yn sôn am ysbryd ffrind iddo a lofruddiwyd gan ei chariad, a Bound for the Baltic Sea yn codi o hanes ei ewyrth a laddwyd yn yr Ail Ryfel Byd cyn i Meic gael ei eni, ac a anfarwolwyd yn ei gampwaith Cymraeg Cân Walter. Cyfansoddwyd Sing a Song of Sadness yn wreiddiol i’w chanu gan Marianne Faithfull, ac fe gyrhaeddodd y pump olaf ar gyfer cystadleuaeth Eurovision; mae Meic yn falch erbyn heddiw nad aeth ymhellach! Ysbrydolwyd Deep in my heart yn fwy diweddar gan ei ffrind agos Lleuwen sydd hefyd yn canu llais cefndir ar yr albym hon.

Mae’r modd y mae Meic wedi cadw’i boblogrwydd ers y 60au yn wybyddus i bawb sy’n siarad Cymraeg, ond mae’n werth cofio mai yn Saesneg y recordiodd ei albym gyntaf, ar label y Warner Brothers, ac y mae wedi cyfansoddi sawl un o’i glasuron yn Saesneg cyn ei throsi i’r Gymraeg. Yn ddiweddar, mae diddordeb o’r newydd yn ei ganeuon ymhell y tu hwnt i ffiniau’r Gymraeg, ac i grwpiau fel y Super Furry Animals a Gorky’s, mae caneuon Meic yn rhan o’u cefndir a’u hysbrydoliaeth.

Mae gan Meic gyfres faith o albyms i’w enw, y rhan fwyaf ar labeli SAIN a CRAI, ac yn 2002, casglwyd ynghyd 57 o’r traciau a recordiwyd ganddo rhwng 1968 ac 1979 ar becyn 3xCD sy’n cael ei ystyried yn un o drysorau’r byd roc Cymraeg. Ac er ei fod bellach yn nesau at ei ben-blwydd yn 70 oed, mae Meic yn dal i berfformio led-led gwledydd Prydain, ac y mae ei boblogrwyd yn dal i ledu yng Ngogledd America, a gwledydd fel Llydaw, lle bu’n byw am gyfnod, wedi ei ysbrydoli gan y gwin, y bwyd a’r gerddoriaeth.

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