Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time

1. Railroad Worksong

2. Bewildered

3. Your Own Sweet Way

4. Run Me Down

5. One Way Gal

6. Blues Stay Away from Me

7. Will You Miss Me

8. Please Baby

9. Weapon of Prayer

10. That's Where I Belong

11. Feel Like Going Home

Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time,The Notting Hillbillies,Warner Bros / Wea,Americana,Country & Western,Country-Rock,Rock

Average customer rating:

Essential bluegrass from Knopfler and pals

Notting Hill Billies review

Notting Hillbillies

A rare contrarian view..........

Missed...a real good time.

Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time
The Notting Hillbillies
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Neck and Neck

All the Roadrunning

The Ragpicker's Dream

Golden Heart

One Take Radio Sessions

ASIN: B000002LKU
Release Date: 1990-02-22

Tracks:

Railroad Worksong
Bewildered
Your Own Sweet Way
Run Me Down
One Way Gal
Blues Stay Away From Me
Will You Miss Me
Please Baby
Weapon Of Prayer
That's Where I Belong
Feel Like Going Home

Customer Reviews:

Essential bluegrass from Knopfler and pals.......2007-05-31

The Notting Hillbillies (four pals from England: Mark Knopfler, Guy Fletcher, Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker) was a bluegrass band formed in the late 1980s. In 1990 they released Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time, their first and last album. That fact alone is a shame because Missing is just so good.

The track list is a mixture of old, old bluegrass/blues numbers and original compositions written by the band members - Knopfler's signature guitar work is heard clearly on several of the tracks, especially the mournful "Feel Like Going Home" finale. What makes this CD so special is the unpretentious mood and feel that you get from the songs - it's the perfect album for just relaxing and having a good, easy time.

The liner booklet includes lyrics for each song, and a photo of each band member, and if my memory serves me, I think the lyrics are written down pretty correctly for each song.

It is difficult to pick a favourite song, but the real stand-outs are the atmospheric "Railroad Worksong," bluesy "Your Own Sweet Way" (Knopfler's original), "Will You Miss Me," calypso pastiche "One Way Gal," the wonderful "Weapon of Prayer" and of course the weepy "Feel Like Going Home."

You won't find banjos or fiddles, but you will find plenty of heart and just simply good music. The word for this album is "laid back." It's one of those few CDs that rank on my essentials list, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Notting Hill Billies review.......2007-03-26

This is an outstanding piece of work for Mark Knopfler as just a member of a band. It is well out of the MTV era, which to me was pathetic attempt at creating music. The supporting cast on the disc
"Missing...Presumed having a good time" is excellent. If you are looking for some MTV [....] then this disc is not for you, if you want an eclectic mix of, rock-a-billy, country, folk, and swing, then purchase this disc you will not be disappointed.

Notting Hillbillies.......2007-01-12

Great old album. One of my favorites for long trips in a car. It reminds me of old country radio when I was young. Any fan of Mark Knopfler should enjoy it.

A rare contrarian view.................2006-08-11

I had a bit more trouble enjoying this than did the other reviewers, I guess. Being contemporaneous with the Chet Atkins "Neck and Neck" recordings, the country influence is very clear in this work. Of course, the name of the band tips us off to this. NOTHING wrong with that at all, in itself, my problem lies in the pace. On too many songs, the tempo is slow, along the lines of dreamy country a la Eddy Arnold/Floyd Cramer/Pete Drake etc. Even the opening track "Railroad Worksong" is performed much more slowly than the thumping treatment the song usually receives. I kept waiting for the trademark Knopfler soaring guitar licks to waft me away, but they seldom came. And Brendan Croker is no slouch either - I love his own works with his bands - but here again I was seldom transported. The album was a good idea, a sort of "country Traveling Wilburys," but needed to pick up the pace more often.

Missed...a real good time........2006-06-07

Sixteen years after its release, on the recommendation of a friend, I ordered "Missing...presumed having a good time." As promised by other reviewers, it is a total delight, akin to discovering J.J. Cale's "Naturally" decades ago. Understated tight guitar, the presence of pedal steel, dobro, the occasional accordion or marimba and swelling of strings in the background, the traded-off vocals and resurrection of traditional gems keep this one delivering cut after cut. A 1951 Louvin Brothers-penned "Weapon of Prayer" renders Neil Young's, Natalie Maine's, Bruce Springsteen's and Billie Joe Armstrong's war protests histrionic by comparison. This CD is richly rewarding. A totally safe gamble for you to make.

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