Although
Kid on the Mountain's main focus is traditional Celtic material -- both Irish and Scottish, along with some Welsh songs -- this album is hardly oblivious to non-Celtic influences.
Duck Baker is an acoustic guitarist who was born and raised in the U.S., and the influence of Anglo-American folk asserts itself on all of his interpretations of Celtic and British songs. Further, he plays unaccompanied acoustic guitar on traditional Celtic classics like "Morgan Magan," "Blind Mary," and "Lament for Limerick" -- not fiddle or harp, but acoustic guitar. Add all that up, and you've got an album that is hardly the work of a Celtic purist. But it's certainly the work of an artist who isn't afraid to take risks, and
Baker's chance-taking spirit makes for an interesting, unorthodox project that can hardly be called generic. Recorded in 1979 and originally released as a vinyl LP in 1980,
Kid on the Mountain was finally reissued on CD in 1999 with four bonus tracks from 1977-1978. ~ Alex Henderson