Vision & revision : the first 80 years of Topic Records

"This double album appears an attempt to bathe the Topic heritage in a modern light, with various leading contemporary figures re-imagining an assortment of classic repertoire. It does include a couple of hardy Topic legends (Oldham Tinkers, Martin & Eliza Carthy and a characteristically affecting murder ballad (...) by Martin Simpson to kick it off), but mostly it's those who have never recorded for the label before, from Richard Thompson to Chris Wood, Lisa Knapp and Oysterband. Some of the new versions are sublime. Sam Lee, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Kitty McFarlane, Olivia Chaney and Nancy Kerr surpass themselves ... There's clear sincerity and respect from them all, detailing how, where, when and why they chose their individual tracks, and while the idea of a tribute record to a record label may seem a tad bizarre, the overriding beauty here makes it unexpectedly emotional".