Re-recordings of old tunes from gravel-voiced songsmith, John Smith, sheds fresh light on concert favourites.

Release Date: 17th October 2025

Label: Commoner Records

Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital

RARITIES

Making fresh versions of old songs is not solely the purview of Taylor Swift; folk artists from Richard Thompson (Acoustic Classics, 2014) to Jim Moray (Beflean, 2023) have revisited their back catalogues to create not-quite greatest hits collections and introduce new fans to their older material.

The finances of modern day small-scale music doubtless come into play as well, with the economics of CD manufacture meaning that for older discs, once they are gone they are gone. For many artists that means early records are now digital only, and John Smith’s first two studio CDs – The Fox and the Monk (2006) and Map or Direction (2009) – are strictly second-hand shop finds now, while 2013s Great Lakes is increasingly hard to get.

Those early albums, particularly the opening pair, could fairly be described as “low-fi”. Map or Direction in particular was recorded in the back of a van while on tour in the southern USA, with predictable results acoustically. Transposed to a nice cosy Somerset studio, everything sounds much better, with Smith ‘s signature soulful-yet-gravelly voice given the full richness and weight we know from recent albums and live performances, and I suspect his guitars are rather more expensive these days too.

ACOUSTIC CONTINUITY

The re-recordings also give an acoustic continuity to a set of songs originally written and recorded over the best part of a decade, and if you came to this collection unaware that they were not new tunes, you would not be disappointed in what you heard. The album makes a great listen.

These are not, for the most part, radical re-imaginings and certainly not Dolby Atmos remixes – but they are some of the favourite old songs from his live gigs, recorded as the 2025 John Smith sees them now, with some assistance from friends.

Opening track Great Lakes loses the original’s full-on string section and country-and-western backing band in favour of a simpler acoustic guitar arrangement and backing vocals from The Staves. When the strings do finally arrive they are gentler and more subtle.

A Long Way for a Woman is the first of the written and recorded on the road tracks about being on the road, and one of the songs where the richer recording of the vocals really benefits the song. The sometimes intrusive percussion of the original is scaled back in favour of a double bass and just a simple kick drum, giving it a lovely swing.

NEW-FOUND JAUNTINESS

On Freezing Winds of Change Smith is joined by Celtic folk legends Michael McGoldrick and John McCusker and Scottish singer Siobhan Miller which gives the song, from Great Lakes, a new-found jauntiness. Next, Something Terrible – from the first album – is probably the most changed song, and Smith has substantially revised the lyrics and added beautiful electric guitar from Adam Levy. It is much improved.

Closing side one is live favourite Salty & Sweet. This is probably the least typical John Smith song, with its sing-along tune and lyrics about mythical sea creatures rather than heartache! Nonetheless in concert the audience sings a part which is not even on the original studio version, and Smith has given in to the inevitable and added the crowd’s part to this iteration. Lisa Hannigan is upgraded from backing singer to full duet partner on the best track on the record.

SIDE TWO

Opening side two is To Have So Many, another first album track, and it is transformed by the addition of a horn section and backing vocals from The Staves and Lisa Hannigan. Smith has said that some of the tracks felt like they weren’t quite finished when he first recorded them, and this feels like one of those.

Town to Town, from Great Lakes, is a later song song about touring. Smith toured the UK extensively with John Martyn and whether the elder John rubbed off on him sonically, or he was chosen because of his acoustic fit isn’t clear. This track gets a slower pace and a resonator guitar emphasising its bluesy roots over its original.

BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION

The guitar-as-percussion Winter feels more traditional folk with its mythological themes. The re-recording has a better balance of guitars and vocals over the first album version.

Finally, Forever to the End is changed from an upbeat song nodding almost to pop on Great Lakes to a slow tune featuring great harmonising backing vocals from Dan Mangan and gentle horns and strings.

This album is a beautiful celebration of John Smith’s first ten years, brought up to date with his current style and giving today’s audiences a chance to hear these classic songs as he would wish them to heard. Remarkably given its disparate roots, it also works as a coherent album in its own right.

John Smith is touring the record throughout the UK and Europe until December.

John Smith Online: Website / Facebook / YouTube

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