Home Service - Live 1986

Home Service enjoyed a short, sweet life as one of Britain's leading folk-rock bands of the 1980s, with a brass section an integral part of its very English sound and bringing that Salvation Army goodness to the proceedings. They were a very political group; in fact, it was a very vital part of their makeup, as exemplified in songs like "Alright Jack" and "Walk My Way." This live recording, made at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 1986, shows them at the height of their powers, whether on the intricate folk-prog of "Battle Pavanne/Peatbog Soldiers," which showcases the excellent work of lead guitarist Graeme Taylor or the instrumental "Galliard/Bramsley," which kicks with real Anglo fire. Yet they're at their best on the songs where everything coalesces around John Tams' singing, with its warm, compassionate majesty. His songwriting easily matches traditional material for its loveliness and feeling for the working class and the underdog; his heart is very much worn on his sleeve, with anger at the rich and the rulers simmering under the surface. A quarter of a century hasn't diminished the power of these pieces; if anything, it proves that little has changed as the years have passed. The sentimental "Rose of Allendale" (actually composed in the 1840s and not a traditional piece) provides sweet release before diving back into the intensity, culminating in an epic workout on "Sorrow/Babylon" as a climax. There's real magnificence here in the passion behind the tale of the country as is stood in 1986, and how it remains. It's a reminder of how good Home Service was and. given their re-formation in 2011, how they might be again.