The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Rock Legends > 1980s > Edi Niederlander > Edi Niederlander – Ancient Dust
Tracks
- Ancient Dust Of Africa (3:47)
- The Gypsy Dance (3:16)
- A Woman Is Like An Ocean (5:14)
- Lady Illusion (3:33)
- Mabel (Mahogany Eyes) (2:46)
- Come Wi Goh Dung Deh (3:23)
- The Wheel (3:46)
- Bitter Fruit (4:09)
All songs by Edi Niederlander, except ‘Come Wi Goh Dung Deh’ by Linton Kwesi Johnson
Produced by Edi Niederlander and Paddy Lee Thorp
Recorded by Kevin Shirley
Musicians
- Edi Niederlander: Acoustic guitar, electric guitars, vocals, synthesizers
- Richard Pickett: Drums
- Tim Parr: Lead guitar on ‘Mabel’
- Valda Führ: Piano on ‘A Woman Is Like An Ocean’
- Kevin Shirley: Lindrum programme on ‘A Woman Is Like An Ocean’
Release information
LP: 1985, Mountain Records, MOULP (V)40
CD: 1988, Mountain Records, MI UK CD1
Review
If Johnny Clegg met Annie Lennox in Steve Newman’s lounge, who knows, they may just put on Edi Niederlander’s ‘Ancient Dust’ to listen to. Then again maybe not as I’ve heard that Steve Newman lives in a house with no electricity.
Not the most prolific of artists with only 3 albums in about 15 years, Edi tends to go for quality rather than quantity. Opening with the classic ‘Ancient Dust of Africa’ which peaked at number 16 on the Radio 5 charts, the album contains 8 tracks of beautiful, acoustic led tunes textured with some laid back electric guitar which all belies the undercurrent of anger, sexual tension and political tirade.
The rhythms of this album are exceptional. ‘Ancient Dust of Africa’ ebbs and flows like a calm ocean while the cyclical rhythm of ‘The Wheel’ fits in with its title. The cover of Linton Kwesi Johnson’s ‘Come wi goh dung deh’ features some jerky strums and ‘guitar bongos’ that make it edgy. ‘Mabel (Mahogany Eyes)’ is a rocker somewhat in the Status Quo mould and features some fine guitar work from Tim Parr.
The opening lines to ‘Bitter Fruit’ (‘Bitter be the fruit of an angry land/when bitter be the seed it sow’) are as relevant today as they were in 1986, probably more so. Along with ‘The Wheel’ and ‘Come wi goh dung deh’ these songs form the nucleus of the political content of the album and, despite the changes in the country in the intervening years, all remain pertinent.
But why the reference to Johnny Clegg, Annie Lennox and Steve Newman in the opening paragraph other than a cheeky tipping of the hat to “Brian Currin’s beginner’s guide to writing CD reviews” (see the Mel Botes review in issue no. 118)? Well the guitar work is quite similar to Steve Newman’s style, there is a feel of Johnny Clegg’s rootsy afrorock sound, especially his early Juluka work, to the songs and Edi’s voice has that strong resonance that rocketed Annie Lennox to fame. A quite special album.
~ John Samson, SA Rock Digest #120, September 2001
All info supplied by John Samson, May 2002.