Recording Review

Four Legged Tales
Told by Laura Simms
Lyrichord Special Productions
(1-888-LYRICHO or www.lyrichord.com)
Reviewed by Alan Irvine

At last a storytelling CD that actually deserves to be a CD. Usually when I listen to storytelling on CD, as opposed to tape, I can see no point in going with the more expensive format. Given the fairly basic nature of storytelling (usually a single voice, perhaps with a simple music bridge or effects,) CDs do not offer any great advance in sound quality over tape. (Ok, there is a benefit to the artist/recording company since CDs offer a greater profit margin, but I'm concerned with benefit to the listener.) On Four Legged Tales, however, Simms is beautifully accompanied by the musical group The Real Myth Ensemble. The group (Randy Crafton, Jorge Alfano, Amy Platt, and others) provides an evocative musical backdrop to the stories. The CD format showcases both music and storytelling, keeping each clean and distinct.

Simms presents a collection of 12 stories about, concerning, or starring animals. The stories come from around the globe, which is where the music comes in. The Real Myth Ensemble has composed an accompaniment for each of the stories, music that evokes the culture of origin as well as underscoring the mood and action of the tale. Music and story work well together, with the music framing the stories without overwhelming them, evoking the world of the story without calling undue attention to itself.

The stories are well told. Simms' voice is rich and easy to listen to, remaining calm and even, soothing. She gives the stories a serious, even respectful tone. While many of the stories are humorous, they are not laugh out-loud hilarious, but smile-and-think-about-it humor. This serious tone is maintained by the fact that Simms' is always in the character of the narrator, keeping to a narrative tone and point-of-view even when doing dialogue. This is the first time I've heard one of her recordings, so I do not know whether that is her usual style or a conscious choice for this collection. Either way, it works well.

The only disappointment on the recording was the stories themselves. Many of them are slim, sometimes just bare scraps or outlines. More than once I found myself questioning whether something was even really a story. Even the more full-bodied tales are still pretty slim, with just a bare bones presentation, the essential plot with little to fill it out. Once again, this could simply be Simms' style. I did wonder if it might also be due to the format, with the stories kept stripped down to accommodate the music. None of the stories really struck a chord with me. I was halfway through the recording before I finally found one that I liked. None of the stories stayed with me very long. When I came back to give the recording a second listen, about two months after the first listening, I was surprised to discover that I did not remember any of the stories at all. None of them sounded familiar, not even by the end. However, I did clearly remember the overall effect and mood of the recording, the blending of telling and music.

I did have a quibble with the title. Or rather, the sub-title: Animal stories from Here and Away. In fact, the vast majority of the stories come from Native Americans or the Indian subcontinent (9 out of the 12,) with a couple of African stories and one Bylelorusse to round out the collection. But I suppose, "Stories from North America and India" just does not have the same ring as "Here and Away."

In the end, I would recommend this collection. It is well done, and something a little different. And you may find the individual stories more to your taste than I did.

—published in WIP Winter 2000.