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The Widdershins
where formed by Greg Appel and Juliet Ward in 1987 after the The Lighthouse
Keepers disbanded early 1986, The Widdershins added James Cruickshank,
Peter Timmerman and Barry Turnbull (ex-John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong).
Three years of sporadic playing to a devoted following and 4 releases
on vinyl earned them the respect of critics throughout the country. After
a final performance on 30th March 1990 at Sydney University, Widdershins
called it a day. Juliet Ward and Peter Timmerman continued with a floating
personnel as Hammerhead. Greg Appel formed One Head Jet with Stephen Appel
and James Cruickshank joined The Cruel Sea. |
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"Juliet Ward
has a uncommonly wonderful voice. Sensual, husky, plaintive. Even (dare
I say) more than a little sexy. And utterly, utterly unique.
The first time I saw them they performed, as an encore, a song that made
everything else that night seem almost clumsy by comparison. It was, I
knew at once, nothing less than a manifestation of that rarest of beasts
the perfect pop song. It was Return Of The King.
Now “Ascension”, the record the Widdershins has always been capable of,
a collection of eleven songs, not one of which is perceptibly weaker than
any other. And for those who believed Appel had written his allotment
of pop "classics" in Ocean Liner and Gargoyle, the sheer perfection
of a song like Demons will come as no small surprise". - RAM Magazine
(Aus)
"The Widdershins are a peculiar taste but certainly one of the most
interesting acts. Their songs are a wistful wail glorifying the beauty
of everyday life and do so without falling over the clichés of
sentimentality or cuteness. The Widdershins play to the ears and mind
rather than foot or pelvis. Songs are more often than not thoughtful and
sad, the aural equivalent of that melancholy afternoon of daydreams by
the fire. The songs weave together around Juliet’s soft and distinctive
voice and lyrical melodies, beautiful stuff not a million miles away from
Natalie Merchant and Co but a million miles better". DO IT FOR FUN
Magazine (Uk)
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