The Bones of All Men

The Bones of All Men Running is an album by Philip Pickett.

The exact credits on the front of the album are "Mr Philip Pickett with Mr Richard Thompson and the Fairport Rhythm Section" - giving a mock-formality to the event, as if it was a classical music concert. All of the tracks on this album are instrumentals. Typically they start with the sound of medieval instruments. Then as the tune is repeated with variations, rock instruments are added. Finally Richard Thompson adds a counter-tune on a loud guitar. The fast guitar runs that were a trademark sound on early Fairport Convention albums are heard here once more. This time it is a contest between Philip Pickett's virtuosity and Richard Thompson's, instead of a sparring match between Dave Swarbrick and Thompson. At first sight eight tracks seems very short, but the last two are very long.

The choice of material is from Pickett's research around the libraries of Europe. Usually he is able to group material according to a theme that then becomes an album title. In this case he had a pile of miscellaneous tunes, mostly with complicated time signatures, that could not easily be put into a category for use with the Musicians of the Globe or The New London Consort. His wife Sharona Joshua plays rare, original renaissance instruments on this album, including two harpsichords at once (due to the magic of studio dubbing). The sound is something like being transported to the sixteenth century and the 1970s, simultaneously.

Running time 45 minutes 29 seconds. Recorded and released in 1998. Produced by Joe Boyd.

Track listing

*1. The Short Mesure Off My Lady Wynfylds Rownde (Trad/unknown c1630)
*2. Chi Passa Per Sta Strada (Trad/unknown 1557)
*3a. Fusi Pavana Piana (Trad/unknown 1551)
*3b. La Canella (Trad/unknown c1520)
*3c. Son Quel Duca de Milano (Trad/unknown c1520)
*3d. La Torza (Trad/unknown c1520)
*4a. La Forze d'Hercole (Trad/unknown 1551)
*4b. Lo Ballo Dell'Intorcia (Trad/unknown 1576)
*5. My Lady Careys Dompe (Trad/unknown c1630)
*6. Tutte Venite Armati (Trad/unknown) 
*7a. Passo e Mezo (Trad/unknown c1520)
*7b. Pavana In Passo e Mezzo (Trad/unknown c1520)
*7c. La Cara Cossa del Berdolin (Trad/unknown c1520)
*7d. El Pomo de lo Pomaro (Trad/unknown c1520)
*7e. El Marchexe de Saluzzo (Trad/unknown c1520)
*8a. Ein Guter Neuer Dantz (Trad/unknown 1577)
*8b. Tedesca Dita La Proficia (Trad/unknown 1588)
*8c. Der Mohren Auftzugkh (Trad/unknown 1598)
*8d. Branle Hoboken (Trad/unknown c1630)

(Sources:
*- London British Library manuscript R.App.58 (track 1)
*- Il Primo Libro de vollette. published Venice 1557 (track 2)
*- Intavolatura nova di dalli. published Gardane, Venice 1551 (track 3a, 4a)
*- Venice Bibl Maraciana. Manuscript Ital IV.1227 c 1520 (tracks 3b, 3c, 3d, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e)
*- Intavolatura de Cimbalo. published Aquila, Naples 1576 (track 4b)
*- London British Library R.App.58 (track 5)
*- Paris Biblioteque National Manuscript Res 1186 (track 6)
*- Einer Neuen Kunstlichen Tabulature auff Orgel, Manuscript Strassburg 1577 (track 8a)
*- Il secondo libro d'intavolatura di balli, Gardane, Venice 1588 (track 8b)
*- Tabulature auff dem Instrument, manuscript Dresden 1598 (track 8c)
*- Dublin, Trinity College TCD manuscript D.3.30 [Dublin Virginal Book] (track 8d))

Personnel

* Philip Pickett - records, crumhorns, shawms, curtals, symphony
* Richard Thompson - lead electric guitar
* Simon Nicol - rhythm guitar
* Dave Pegg - electric bass
* Dave Mattacks - drums
* Pavlo Beznosiuk - medieval fiddle
* Sharona Joshua - virginals, fretted clavichord, regal organ, dulce melos - Renaissance piano