‘It is very difficult to stop listening to this CD, each track is better than the last. The material is superbly put together. There is a welcome change of pace from track to track, and a nice mixture of traditional and modern. There is a broad variety of accompaniment. Alistair has made good use of his network of friends to assemble an impressive array of musicians helping out on different tracks.
It is impossible to single out highlights. The worst that can be said of any track is that it is not the interpretation we would have chosen. It is also difficult to write comments on every track without being repetitive - the thesaurus only has so many synonyms for excellent. The following are therefore singled out with some misgiving. The Rose of Allendale has a perfect blend of voice and accompaniment. The Pleasure Will Be Mine is a beautiful new setting of an old theme which Alistair really brings to life. His phrasing in Rambling Irishman is lovely. Having heard him perform Ceilidh in the Kitchen live but solo, it is remarkable how much the instrumental accompaniment on the CD adds. The best is undoubtedly left to the last. A superb version of Shipyard Apprentice is followed by The Ship in Distress sung a-capella; the effect is tremendous.
Be careful where you listen to this CD. When it finishes, you'll shout for more..’           Folkmag UK

‘Alistair has one of the most distinctive and finest voices in Folk Music..…the whole recording exudes class and the repertoire is top notch… all sung with that superb voice….The A19 is A1, all the way, to my ears!’            Buzz UK

‘Excellent warm singing and guitar…. The arrangements are full and deep… a warm, lush sound created by musicians doing what they do best… the CD works as a whole… even songs that are extremely familiar…have something new to say when given the Russell treatment. The quality of recording and production is excellent.’     Shreds & Patches UK

‘He has an excellent voice which the album shows off well…. No frills here, but it’s good quality and you really get in touch with the feel of the songs. I particularly liked his version of Rambling Irishman…. fine powers of interpretation. This is an album that grows on you…’  Shire Folk UK

‘A skilled musician with a proven pedigree.. a most listenable collection…that never fails to entertain and satisfy….. Although Alistair’s own musical identity is stamped through the album….the guest contributions are extremely well judged and to Alistair’s eternal credit, these never overwhelm his own passion and commitment….
Real highlights… such as The Pleasure will be Mine…. excellent versions of Archie Fisher’s timeless The Shipyard Apprentice and Ed Pickford’s Farewell Johnny Miner.’  Stirrings UK

‘Maybe Rage in the Cage, Ceilidh in the Kitchen (Russell originals both) and Never Tire of the Road were just more boisterous than I was feeling when I listened to them – but he does an excellent job on Archie Fisher’s majestic Shipyard Apprentice and Ed Pickford’s Farewell Johnny Miner…. With a supporting cast too numerous to list and too distinguished to precis.’   fRoots UK

‘His 14th album.. and it’s a cracker. …Alistair is a good enough lineup on his own, but the quality of his backing is incomparable…. There are classics like The Rose of Allendale, which is classic and Alistair’s own Rage in the Cage, inspired by all the travelling he’s done, is inspired…. The quality of recording is superb, the CD is totally delicious.’
Tykes’ News UK

'This man has a wonderful voice and has put together a very good album. .....something to please everyone here.'       Folk on Tap UK

'Sometimes along comes a solo offering from someone you've known and loved as part of a well-known band. It's possible that you can be a bit disappointed because it fails to live up to your expectations, but I shouldn't have worried with this one.....   It says a lot for the popularity of the guy that there is an absolutely stunning line-up of backing musicians - but none take over from Alistair.......    "Shipyard Apprentice" is just stunning.....   Long may he keep travelling that A19.'         Living Tradition UK
 

Best of all, this one from the BBC Radio 2 website, printed in full here:

'To get the measure of ex-Battlefielder Alistair Russell, play the last track on this album first. The emotionally-charged Ship In Distress states Russell's case in a trice: here's a man passionate about the songs he sings, fuelled by a love of a music scene in which he's been ubiquitous for over three decades.

Named for a road that's figured large in the life of this well-travelled north-easterner, A19 is Alistair's first solo outing for eighteen years, though his total discography (via Battlefield Band and duo partners Tom Napper and Chris Parkinson) now stands at fourteen albums. Here, solid traditional staples - Rose of Allendale, Rambling Irishman, Bogie's Bonny Belle - are given the warm, committed Russell treatment alongside a selection of well-chosen contemporary numbers - John Hiatt's You Must Go, Archie Fisher's timeless Shipyard Apprentice, a tender rendition of Alan Reid's beautiful The Pleasure Will Be Mine. A couple of Russell's own songs, Rage In The Cage and Ceilidh In The Kitchen, reflect on his journeyings with affection and humour and point up his musical raison d'être - the sharing of life's quiddities through the power of song.

A19 is engineered, mixed, mastered and produced by Alistair himself, but don't let that give you the idea this is one of those amateur DIY deals. Russell's pedigree includes long experience in sound engineering and he puts his skills - and his own studio - to excellent use. Add a top cast of guest musicians which includes (to name just half the list) Maartin Allcock (acoustic guitar/acoustic bass), Mick Doonan (uilleann pipes), John McCusker (fiddle, viola, low whistle), Chris Sherburn (anglo concertina) and Dave Burland, Kieran Halpin and Karine Polwart on BVs, and the result is a well-judged mix of ensemble arrangements which never detract from Alistair's strong core performance. A lovely album from a singer who represents the lifeblood of British folk. Mel McClellan - July 2002'
 

What a great response - I'm flattered. If you set any store by reviews, maybe you might go back to the discography page now and buy the album!

And here are the live reviews:

First, thanks to Kaye McAlpine of the Edinburgh Evening News:
'ALISTAIR RUSSELL
EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB (FOUR STARS)

In terms of musical content, diversity was the name of the game last night. The night began with the six-piece klezmer band Beyond the Pale. Klezmer, the music of the Jewish communities of Eastern European, has the hypnotic blend of European and near-East musical traits.

Some fine clarinet playing held the melody, and created the haunting swooping stops and nuances which typifies the music. Added to this was the heart-turning sound of two violins twisting through the tunes, and held together by a drum beat and some great oompah. It’s dramatic music, turning from sedate wedding waltzes to a kaleidoscope of sound which almost seems to be on the point of losing all control. And it was a great way to start the night

Alistair Russell’s style is rather more sedate, just one man and his guitar, and a voice which is immediately recognisable, perhaps to most through his time with The Battlefield Band. Yet, surprisingly enough, this was Russell’s first gig at this Edinburgh venue.

A performer rather than a composer, though his own songs such as Working Away showed he’s perfectly able in that department, Russell drew on the songwriting talents of the likes of Kieran Halpin, Andy Irvine, and Richard Thompson. The focus swung from the personal, such as Battlefield Bandman Alan Reid’s little vignette The Pleasure Will Be Mine, to Thompson’s soul-draining war vision How Will I Ever Be Simple Again.

Love songs, angry songs and daft songs, was how Russell himself summed up his sets. The daftness came from Irish immigrant comic songs, the love took all forms, but Bogie’s Bonnie Belle was sweet, and the angry songs drew from decimated working cultures.

With songs such as The Fairfield Apprentice and Farewell Johnnie Miner, the potential for politicising was there. But Russell seems just too amenable for that. He presents the song as a record of the act or the times, rather than as an ongoing invective, and in an easy-flowing, relaxed set, it was perhaps the best way to go. Instead of leading the audience in a rant, he led them in song, choosing pieces with some great going choruses  and it was a moment of subtle genius to start the second set with the raucous Salonika - it was impossible not to just let go and join in. And join in the audience did. And that’s all that’s needed for a good night in when it’s a dreich night out.'

Such a nice review deserved printing in full. Now, snippets from previous reviews:

“If you haven’t yet seen Alistair perform solo, I would strongly recommend that you do so at the earliest opportunity…. ask him for his self-penned song “Rage in the Cage”. Both the song and the introduction to it are picturesque, entertaining and memorable… I believe that he has the capacity, aptitude and competence to become one of the country’s leading songwriters.”
FOLK ON TAP, UK

"The show begins with a flurry of reels and one or two slow tunes, with guitarist Alistair Russell and fiddler John Mc Cusker looking about as burdened by their tasks as happy children playing at a favourite game.
Russell is quick on the upbeat.......(he) shares the band's vocal work with Reid and brings with him a marvelously hysterical array of acapella pub tunes, which the audience learns without fail for the purpose of helping with the refrains. Moving between two guitars and the cittern, Russell's talent is what those of us who play guitar wish for every waking minute"
Pop Art Times, USA.

"Alistair Russell is a Geordie with a great sense of fun on stage - he, for me personally, had the best voice of the four"
The Orcadian, UK

"Russell seems to have his own energy generators; if he hadn't been connected to his amplifier, it semed possible that he would have bounded right off stage!"
The Courier-Journal, USA

"the ability to put over the conviction and sincerity of the songs from behind a seemingly so relaxed manner. Highspots were Alistair's version of Kieran Halpin's 'Port of Call'..."          Cardiff Rocket, UK

"Impeccable choice of material coupled with strong, gritty vocals make "Getting to the Border"  such a pleasure to listen to."
North Eastern Evening Gazette, UK

"(Russell's) 'From Here to There' is the track that hit me most, great feeling and vibration"
Davy Magazine, UK

"Reid and guitarist Russell add warm, winning vocals to half of the album's dozen cuts"       Washington Post, USA

"Excellent songs from band members in the form of The Green and the Blue, and Alistair Russell's Working Away.....(he does) an excellent job on Charlie Rich's I Feel Like Going Home."
Edinburgh Evening News, UK

"The Indian Lass is done really well (by Russell) and is a fine end to a fine album"
Living Tradition, UK

"..songs by contemporary writers, foremost of which is Alistair Russell's rendition of Richard Thompson's beautiful song, 'How Will I Ever be Simple Again?'"
Folk In Kent, UK