''Ridgeriders'' is a 1999

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

based on music from the TV series '' Ridge Riders''. The album is a collaboration album between

Phil Beer Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Biography Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst still at school in Teignmout ...

Ashley Hutchings Ashley Stephen Hutchings (born 26 January 1945), MBE, sometimes known in early years as "Tyger" Hutchings, is an English bassist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founding member of three noteworthy Engli ...

and Chris While. It also guest features

The Albion Band The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, is a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. An important grouping in the genre, ...

and Julie Matthews. The musicians later toured much of the album in January 2001, with one concert subsequently released as '' "Ridgeriders" In Concert'' in November 2001. The album is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, as it is a "journey" album that would be played on a journey around Southern England, making it similar to another of Beer's albums,

Show of Hands Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/ folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mando ...

' '' The Path''. Similar to Beer's older album ''The Works'', the album's release is of question. Whilst the TV series began in 1994, the album was released in September 1999, and mostly recorded the same year in Preston and

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

. The album was re-released in June 2001 by Talking Elephant, who would release the aforementioned live album later that year. "Close Your Eyes" was actually recorded in 1995, and appeared on The Albion Band's album ''Albion Heart'' that year.

Critical reception

In their positive review, Living Tradition said the album is an "interesting concept album with enough interest for those who never saw the series, but for those readers north of the Border, it is very English in feel."

Album track listing

#"Shapes of the Landscape" - 2:22 #"The Work of the Devil" - 2:10 #"Along the Downs" - 2:29 #"The Drover's Song" - 2:03 #"Turnpike Reel" - 2:24 #"Close Your Eyes" - 3:11 #"Low Southern Slopes" - 1:54 #"What Celia Sees" - 2:43 #"Never Without a Thief or Twain" - 2:12 #"Along the Pilgrim's Way" - 3:58 #"Michael Morey's Hump" - 1:58 #"Mossing We'll Go" - 2:43 #"Up on the Ridgeway" - 2:24 #"Smuggler's Road" - 2:58 #"Betteshanger Treasure" - 2:39 #"Dorset Cursus" - 3:41

Personnel

- vocals, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, mandocello, fiddle, mandolin *Chris While - vocals, acoustic guitar *

- vocals, acoustic bass, electric bass ;with *Joe Broughton - fiddle, mandolin *Neil Marshall - drums, percussion *Julie Matthews - keyboards, backing vocals *Ken Nicol - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals * Simon Nicol - acoustic guitar on "Close Your Eyes" ;Technical *Engineered by Ken Nicol except for tracks 1, 3, 10 & 12, engineered and mixed by Julie Matthews *Executive producer: Ashley Hutchings *Mastered by Andy Seward *Photography by Jeff Wright

''"Ridgeriders" In Concert''

''"Ridgeriders" In Concert'' is a

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

released in 2001. It was the first album by Phil Beer to be released on the Talking Elephant label.

Track listing

#"Shapes of the Landscape" - 2:37 #"Row of Pines" - 3:47 #"The Cursus of Bignor" - 2:00 #"Mossing We'll Go" - 3:05 #"Tan Hill Fair" - 4:11 #"All Seing Stour" - 3:42 #"What Celia Sees" - 3:26 #"Rosa" - 3:12 #"I Am a Humble Bridge" - 3:28 #"Close Your Eyes" - 2:54 #"Robber's Roost" - 3:23 #"Smuggler's Road" - 2:21 #"Michael Morey's Hump" - 2:22 #"To Be a Pilgrim" - 3:02 #"Along the Pilgrim's Way" - 3:43 #"Up the Crooked Spire/GeneralWard"