British Folk (and Revival)

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I heard a piece on NPR today about the revival of British Folk. They also spoke of the older original British Folk bands. Does anyone know of a list or website that has all the info about this? You know, lists the bands, shows a tree, and the revival bands as well as the original ones... Let me know! Thanks, Jay

― Jay Boucher, Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's suprisingly hard to find good Brit folk revival (and folk revival revival etc) info... partially bcz folkies generally don't like to think too hard about their music bcz it wld disrupt some of their foundational myths.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tricky one, I've no idea about a 'revival' of British folk - it seems to have been going pretty strong since the popularisation of folk clubs over the last half-century. It's interesting what Raw Patrick says about folkies' "foundational myths"... I often find that most folkies actually have quite a narrow minded approach to folk-ish music that does not fall within certain boundaries. A friend of mine who runs a local folk club sees 60s 'psych folk' type bands as some kind of hideous embarassment and not something to be imitated at any cost! Then again, he's quite happy to listen to the vomit-inducing Jim Moray's cheesy electronic folk excursions, since he's somehow endorsed by the folk "establishment" (Radio 3?).

FWIW - a few of my favorite original British folkies:
Shiley & Dolly Collins
John Kirkpatrick (early 70s stuff is great)
The Watersons
Andy Irvine & Paul Brady
A L Lloyd
Nic Jones (criminally unsung!?)
...and many more...

― Rombald, Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

From the top of my mind, a British folk revival would include:

- Espers
- the return of Vashti Bunyan

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Perhaps:
- Feathers
- Faun Fables
- In Gowan Ring
- Colossus

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

The English folk revival proper covers pretty much the whole of the 20th C., but I presume that what they were talking about on the radio is stuff a lot more modern than early Topic records recordings on 78. From the late 19th C. people begin trying to write down folk songs that are being lost as systems of local oral transmission are breaking down (even then the only people who knew some of these songs were the oldest people in the village.) But try discussing w/folkies that maybe there isn't a system of oral transmission anymore, or that folk, as is any music, is a social construct and not something that has existed forever, unchanging. They tend to get pissy, put it that way.

I would recommend these records as a way of getting into folk, or just for any reason whatsoever bcz they're fucking amazing:

Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief (Tam Lyn is amybe my favourite song ever.)
Steeleye Span - The Lark in the Morning (a two CD comp. of their first 3 LPs which is all you need by them - includes a transcendent version of When I Was on Horeseback. These LPs are also a big fave with Simon Reynolds)
Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band - No Roses (the only folk album to feature someone to have played on a damned LP)

They should all be able to be found cheaply.

Alasdair Roberts - Farewell Sorrow is an excellent modern LP and on Drag City/Rough Trade so easy to find for indie kids.

The show might've been talking about Spiers and Boden or Eliza Carthy, who're more part of folk music 'proper' or anyone though, so this may be of no help.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

This would be a good book about the folk revival if the author could write, wasn't thick and it wasn't shit.

If anyone can point me toward good books on this subject I'd be very happy.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also, Summerisle by Momus and Anne Laplantine is fucking great.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

"As a long-time Momus fan I can hardly bring myself to utter these next few words - this album is by far his worst piece of work to date and I will not be listening to it again - EVER!!! I have never begrudged handing over my cash for a Momus album but this one will be going straight back to where I bought it for a refund." sez one satisfied Amazon reviewer!

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

I dunno what Robald's talking about though bcz Jim Moray sounds groovy:

"English-rose front-man, Moray, laces the lyrics of folklore with powerful Matrix-styled guitars, film-score piano and a backing band which grinds together electric double bass and thundering drums. His presence on stage is something to behold. He looks scruffy on his website but he's beautiful in person.

Don't confuse this fresh indie approach with the folk rock of Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span, but rather be surprised to sense impressions of Ben Folds greets Depeche Mode greets Evanescence. It's all here, whichever musical genre ticks your box, Moray can offer it up without confusion or the awkwardness of musical experimentations. He even played the piano with his arms crossed at one point."

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

There is no doubt that British Folk from the 60s/70s is having a large influence on the Freak Folk/Free Folk/New Weird America scene.
No?

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

No doubt at all.. the new stuff doesn't measure up though, it's mostly pretty wussy. A lot of the 60s/70s stuff is rhythmically pretty hot and heavy in a way that the newer stuff isn't.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Raw Patrick - good call on Spiers & Boden, I've seen them live a few times - always a pleasure.

Re: Jim Moray - I suppose the artists that provoke the strongest reactions are the most interesting... I like the idea that folk can be moved in new and strange directions, but what I've heard of Jim's music does nothing for me - the beats and sounds seemed a little clichéd and it all felt a bit MOR to me, I'm afraid. Shame, because I'd really like to like him! :(

― Rombald, Thursday, 15 December 2005 08:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

As an addendum - perhaps JM will cut loose a bit more on his second album? IIRC his first was done as part of a university music course, so he may have had to play a bit safer?

I don't know how helpful it will be to the original poster, but http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/ might turn up some interesting stuff, although it's more concerned with psychedelic, odd and abstract folky stuff (oldies like Incredible String Band, Comus, Forest and new stuff like the 'New Weird America' thing).

― Rombald, Thursday, 15 December 2005 08:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

this is a pretty gd bk on the english folk revival:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747553300/qid=1134640482/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-1867087-2774036

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

These LPs are also a big fave with Simon Reynolds

... and this is significant in what way exactly?

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

I really like the Karine Polwart album.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

The thing I don't really get is that the stuff which the young people seem to be calling new folk or wyrd folk or whatever doesn't really sound like folk to me, it sounds like folk-tinged singer songwriter material. Not that there's anything at all wrong with that, I like some of the stuff (especially King Creosote and some of his Fence mates). (NB this is an observation adapted from a theme taught to me in a pub one evening by Dadaismus, who knows a lot more about this stuff than I.)

The Eighteenth Day of May come closer than anyone else I've heard to that late 60s / early 70s British folk-rock sound. They're good.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

Folkies aren't generally very hip people, no matter what age they are. That's just the way it seems to be. That's in Britain of course.

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lucky Luke and Espers are both rockin' the actual britfolk thing, Pentangle and Fairport Convention style, but the latter suck.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

I heard a song by each and wasn't enormously taken with eiter. I had it in my head that Espers were real actual Americans. Am I wrong about that?

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think they're Americans, but they totally sound exactly like Fairport Convention, only with the occasional (disappointing) freak-out and much, much weaker songs.

Lucky Luke (from Glasgow) are great, though... go see them live and/or anticipate the next record.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

A lot of the 60s/70s stuff is rhythmically pretty hot and heavy in a way that the newer stuff isn't.

Okay, so we're talking about folk rock here right,rather than straight-up trad folk, which can hot and heavy enough in its own addled way? I would love it if I could stumble on some decent bands that were ploughing the same sort of furrow as peak-era Fairport or Trees or whatever and that didn't suck outright. I know it's sort of backwards looking of me, but there's a certain clanging and organic feel and texture and god damn guitar sound that I never really feel I can hear enough of. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. All I can think of right now that fit the bill in any way are Ghost and Acid Mothers Temple ca. La Novia. Certainly no British bands that I've come across.

X-posts: I don't mind Espers, but they seem rather too gentle for me. Lucky Luke I've heard of, but am yet to hear.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

this is the place to go: http://www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk/

for all your brit-folk needs!

also worth looking out for, a new compilation called Strange Folk, with tracks from the aforementioned Vashti, Tyranosaurus Rex, Donovan, Espers, Incredible String Band, Lucky Luke (iirc) and loads of other ace people I can't remember cos i left it at home.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

To play that sort of stuff you have to be a really shit hot musician - I mean, Richard Thompson, Swarbrick, Dave Mattacks, Martin Carthy etc etc. Prime time Fairport are like the Mahavishnu Orchestra in Arran sweaters.

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

That is a fucking good way of putting it.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I wish more bands were interested in causing a ruckus rather than dancing round the bong like doe-eyed gnomes. I'm afraid we've left the bacchnalian part to Julian Cope and I think that's a fucking travesty.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, way too much coffee.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

ISB are easier to do than Fairport/Steeleye... I know, I've tried

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

These LPs are also a big fave with Simon Reynolds
... and this is significant in what way exactly?

-- We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (dadaismu...), December 15th, 2005 9:56 AM. (Dada) (later)

I just thought it was ILM law to mention Reynolds whenever possible.

I wish there were more songs like Tam Lyn by Fairport, i.e funky Black Sabbath. Swedish doom band Witchcraft get there sometimes.

most of the the wyrd-folk stuff is only surface level weird. The second Steeleye recording of The Blacksmith is so much more bizarre than any of them, and that isn't even what it's trtying to do - what an amazing arrangement it has. Modern wyrd-folk types too much like Colin Hunt types... "You do have to be mad to work here but it doesn't help" etc.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just thought it was ILM law to mention Reynolds whenever possible.

You're right

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Who was it who came up with the term "Wyrd Folk" in the first place? What a shit genre term! It stinks of a decal job - of someone imposing their bullshit meaning/issues or wtfe on something that already existed. Fuck that shit. I mean really. Fuck it.

The message I'm getting from this thread is that newer musicans aren't up to the standard of older musicians in folk music? Obviously ppl like mattacks, dransfield, guys from gryphon, thompson etc are hard to follow (evidence on eg Fairport's ROCKING live album "House Full") but I had kind of thought folk would be a genre where powerful/expressive musicianship/group playing would still be at some sort of premium. Dissapointing if not so.

Anyway, "No Roses" by Shirley Collins/Albion band is fucking great, and should get more props, basically.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also, little known album is the comp of Etchingham Steam
Band recordings - Shirley C and Ashley H's "unplugged" ensemble from the early 1970's. Unplugged so they could still do gigs even when there power cuts! Worth picking up, anyway, as is anything w/Shirley C singing on it, TBH.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yer right there Pash, "No Roses" is the fucking business

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

For me "The Murder of Maria Marten" is a strong contender for the best piece of music ever recorded. I ration myself, not listening to it too often because it's TOO POWERFUL.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pashmina - No Roses is great, but don't you find the bass and drums on Albion Band and related albums (such as Morris On) somewhat... plodding and uninspired? Especially compared to Span or Fairport...
That said, I'll agree Maria Marten is absolutely incredible!

AFAIK the terrible term wyrd-folk was coined by Stone Breath's Tim Renner.

― Rombald, Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Errrrrrrrrrrrr, bass and drums on "No Roses" - Hutchings (definitely) and Mattacks (probably)? Or Gerry Conway at least?

But, before I begin to sound like a prog rocker, you don't have to be a brilliant musician to play folk music - in fact, one of the reasons I got sick of that whole scene was its muso-ishness (especially, fiddle players who only want to play as fast and as twiddly as possible!). To play like Fairport you have to be pretty good tho of course!

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pash, you have "Rise Up Like the Sun"?

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's how I got into liking folk music! John Peel playing "Poor Old Horse" after he'd finished playing siouxsie and the banshees etc back in the late '70's.

Morris On I like, other Albions stuff I'm not mad on, really. Perhaps the drums are why? I haven't listened to any for a while.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Another album not much talked about but which I'm very fond: "Storm Force Ten" by Steeleye, 1978 edition

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Pash, you have "Rise Up Like the Sun"?

That's a good record that is. 'Lay Me Low' or whatever it's called just kills me. Totally tramples over any sort of aesthetic barriers I might have erected against that sort of soppy twaddle and stomps all over my jaded old heart. Sniffle.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, it's a heartbreaker that one... especially in conjunction with the "Ampleforth" tune. Then there's the "Gresford Disaster"! (Sniffles turned to floods by now)

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 11:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also search Bert Jansch, Roy Harper.

Didn't really know there was any "revival" of British folk right now in terms of new bands playing it. I knew there was a revival of interest in the last few years, otherwise I wouldn't really know who Fairport Convention was, honestly.

I've often thought that 60s British folk revivalists treated folk music with much more respect and subtlty than their American counterparts did (who went for "simplicity" and "rawness"). This might also explain why I find Brit bands better at playing blues than their white American counterparts.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 15 December 2005 15:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Suspect the forthcoming, budget-priced 4 CD Anthems in Eden [An Anthology of British and Irish Folk 1955-1978] should be on your wish list for the new year. From Lonnie Donnegan to Comus is a weird ride....

― ortho_bob (ortho_bob), Thursday, 15 December 2005 16:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not to deny your 'Maria Marten' love, Pash, but I've always found that 'Poor Murdered Woman' slays me even more - it's not as weird, sure, but it genuinely affects me on a mental and physical level like little else I can think of (ie. it makes me want to cry).

― myopic_void (myopic_void), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm with you on that one, "Poor Murdered Woman", it's so journalistic and unsensational

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

And I might as well declare that I prefer the first Steeleye album to Liege and Lief. And Full House is also superior imo. S: 'Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman', there's little better. And I've really been getting into those Richard & Linda albums. 'Calvary Cross', ... whoah.

― myopic_void (myopic_void), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Espers sound NOTHING like Fairport Convention.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 15 December 2005 17:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

so wait, Espers are trying to sound like Fairport Convention who were trying to sound like Jefferson Airplane?

search: Shirley and Dolly Collins "Plains of Waterloo."

and sweet heavens, some forty posts in let me be the first to say the hallowed name of Davy Graham.

― imbidimts, Thursday, 15 December 2005 18:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Espers sound NOTHING like Fairport Convention.

Have you seen them? Because they fucking do. Or did when they opened for Devendra in Edinburgh. But crap.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 15 December 2005 18:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 210 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Actually it's not like that at all! What I've read so far has been a lot of good straightforward history and anecdotes, Leech knows her stuff but also how to write about it well.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 15 January 2011 20:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Electric Eden was available from the Book Depositary for about 1/2 price from the time it was released last August. Free delivery worldwide if you don't want to wait until May.
Largely a rewarding read, I didn't really like The wind in The willows take off bit though.

& I found Seasons They Change a little too listy. Kept changing to a new subject just as i was getting into reading about things. I think its an interesting read though.

Not sure what else to reccommend, certainly that stays on folk as opposed to including non-folk psych & prog. Seems most countries' take on prog tend to include large amounts of influence from local folk traditions. Maybe that's not so much UK/US noot sure though, certainly seems noticeable in continental European stuff.

― Stevolende, Saturday, 19 February 2011 23:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Essential Acid Folk -not all British
I've just gone back to the original Bruton Town list after getting Shide & Acorn's Princess Of The Island, looking for more information on the band since i wasn't finding much elsewhere.
This has led me to reading through a thread there talking about records people thought wwere essential in the genre. People were making lists of essential artists, this being back in 2004. Thought I'd stick a few of them up here and see what you thought

1)Comus: First Utterance
Extradition: Hush
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief
Gallery: The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Gryphon: s/t: & Midnight Mushrumps
John Renbourn: The Lady & the Unicorn, & The Hermit
John Renbourne: A Maid in Bedlam
John Renbourne: Sir John A lot of
Linda Perhacs: Parallelograms
Mellow Candle: Swaddling Songs
Midwinter: The Waters of Sweet Sorrow
Mr Fox: Mr Fox, & The Gipsy
Oberon: A Midsummer's Night Dream
Paul Giovanni: The Wicker Man
Pentangle: Cruel Sister
Pentangle: Solomon's Seal
Perry Leopold: Christian Lucifer
Richard & Linda Thompson: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Shide & Acorn: The Princess of the Island
Shirley & Dolly Collins: Anthems in Eden
Shirley & Dolly Collins: Love, Death & the Lady
Shirley Collins: The Power of the True Love Knot
Shirley Collins & the Albion Band: No Roses
Silly Sisters: s/t
Spirogyra: Bells: Boots and Shambles
Steeleye Span: Below the Salt
Steeleye Span: Parcel of Rogues
Steve Ashley: Stroll On Revisited
Stone Angel: s/t
Sweeney's Men: Sweeney's Men, & The Tracks of Sweeny
The Albion Band: Rise Up Like the Sun
The Albion Country Band: Battle of the Field
The Albion Dance Band: The Prospect Before Us
The Watersons: Frost and Fire
The Woods Band: s/t
These Trails: s/t
Tim Hart & Maddy Prior: Summer Solstice
Trees: The Garden of Jane Delawney
Trees : On the Shore
Tudor Lodge: Tudor Lodge
Vashti Bunyan: Just Another Diamond Day

2)Anne Briggs 'Time Has Come'
Forest - both
Bert Jansch - Jack Orion & Rosemary Lane
Third Ear Band - Fleance (just that song)
Incredible String Band - take your pick
Clive's Own Band (COB) - both albums
Lal & Mike Waterson - Bright Phobus
Tir Na Nog - first
Dulcimer - first
Mark Fry
Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava & The Use Of Ashes
Bread Love & Dreams - all three
Donovon - Gift From A Flower To A Garden (essential!!!!)
Broselmachine
Perry Leopold - both
Eclection
Fortheringay
Tony, Caro & John

3)Sun Also Rises
Northwind
Westwind
Wooden Horse
Young Tradition
A-Austr
Agincourt
Blue epitaph
water into wine band
Heron
Decameron
Spyrogyra

4)Carol Of Harvest,
Witthuser & Westrupp,
Emtidi,
Langsyne,
some Ougenweide,
Emma Myldenberger
Hölderlin's Traum

5)Sallyangie – Children of the Sun
Jan Jukes De Grey – Sorcerer
Fuchsia – ST
The Strawbs – From the Witchwood
These Trails – ST
Water into Wine Band – Harvest Time
Mandy Morton – Magic Lady
Tickawinda - Rosemary Lane
Trader Horne - Morning Way
Jade - Fly On Strangewings

So that was mainly individual's personal choices & 4) was specifically German groups the writer would have chosen over Broselmaschine. I'm not sure if much else has emerged over the last 7 years. I don't think anybody mentioned Pat Kilroy or The New age (&the latter of these wasn't available until a couple years later anyway. Had remained unreleased until RD did it)

Stevo

― Stevolende, Saturday, 19 February 2011 23:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

Sharron Kraus, yeah? didn't look below the fold but she seems to fit in here. She had a 2010 album "The Woody Nightshade" that I just listened to the other day.

― sleeve, Saturday, 19 February 2011 23:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Hey guys, I normally try not to spam ILM but you guys might want to know that Michael Chapman, UK folkie-rocker and guitar wizard, will be playing on my radio show tomorrow evening. 10-midnight (eastern u.s. time) on east village radio--www.eastvillageradio.com

wheeee

― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 18 April 2011 15:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 18 April 2011 16:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

don't think i know this guy! he sounds great.

― tylerw, Monday, 18 April 2011 17:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Tyler, his album "Fully Qualified Survivor" was just reissued on LP (and CD??) by Light In The Attic; he's really fantastic.

― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 18 April 2011 19:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, FQS is pretty essential. Pretty cool, Ian! I got to engineer a radio thing for a him a while back and he's still great.

― GLOWER METAL (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 03:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Looking forward to this!

― housedress? maxidress! (La Lechera), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 23:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hmm, very cool indeed.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 23:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

some incredibly pretty Anne Briggs-style vocals and intertwining acoustic guitar parts on Folkal Point's self-titled album from 1971. it may not be authentically English (at least half of the songs were written but Americans), but I'm not bothered. it's odd that Joan Baez's original recording of "Sweet Sir Galahad" (written about her sister Mimi Fariña after the death of her husband Richard) for the most part leaves me cold, whereas Folkal Point's cover version makes me cry. her delivery of the line, "will I fail at every single thing I try?" just devastates.

― why delonge face? (unregistered), Sunday, 14 August 2011 23:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

("written by Americans," I mean)

― why delonge face? (unregistered), Sunday, 14 August 2011 23:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

4 weeks pass...

finally picked up Electric Eden today! looking forward to digging in (and listening to a bunch of brit-folk along the way)!

― tylerw, Tuesday, 13 September 2011 19:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

I got that recently too but haven't really started it yet. Not sure why, because the few pages I read were very good.

― When I Stop Meming (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 13 September 2011 19:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

this book is so good! i will admit that i have lost steam as i exited the early 70s, but the first 300 pages are SO SO SO WONDERFUL.
you will enjoy it. spotify will be your friend along the way.

― some lady (La Lechera), Tuesday, 13 September 2011 22:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

My favourite Brit-Folk song:

― Yo wait a minute man, you better think about the world (dog latin), Wednesday, 14 September 2011 14:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

I couldn't get on with that album at all when I tried it. It felt like a 'Look Around You'-style spoof of a folk record.

― Geirge Hongriot (NickB), Wednesday, 14 September 2011 14:37 (1 year ago) Permalink

i think that's maybe that's why i like it (although when you put it that way, i can see why it irks you). never heard the full album - just the song on a comp.

― Yo wait a minute man, you better think about the world (dog latin), Wednesday, 14 September 2011 14:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

Recommend add "Handful of Earth" by Dick Gaughan to your searchlist - an album I have never once managed to listen to without crying (tho it helps if you're Scottish or Irish)

Finally got round to following up this recommendation, a mere 6.5 years on. Blimes it's a bit good innit? Haven't started crying yet, poss due to non Scottish / Irish status. Still, thanks.

― Tim, Friday, 3 August 2012 14:30 (9 months ago) Permalink

New database of collected archival material, project launched by Shirley Collins!

Welcome to the Take Six website, a searchable database of the manuscript archives of several of the UK's most prominent folksong collectors.
it's cool if you like to look at moldy old things like this

I recommend looking at the tree view because it's more like browsing than searching blindly for the names of songs

― these albatrosses have no fear of man (La Lechera), Sunday, 12 August 2012 20:19 (9 months ago) Permalink

oops here is the website
http://library.efdss.org/archives/index.html

― these albatrosses have no fear of man (La Lechera), Sunday, 12 August 2012 20:19 (9 months ago) Permalink

Haven't heard the first Fotheringay album, don't know how Fotheringay 2 compares, but I really like it as well as the Denny-Thompson etc Fairport, in its own. kinda folk-country way. Farm and lane and tavern music, without trying to pretend they're recording with coal oil. it's not just one where I have to doze til Denny cuts loose again, it's the whole band. So glad the surviving members came back and finished it, 40 years later or whatever. (oh and speaking of Denny-Thompson FC, the live odds and sods album Heyday is good too, despite sound quality)

― dow, Sunday, 12 August 2012 22:23 (9 months ago) Permalink

thanks for the link la lechera.

and dow, i think you should do yourself a favor and check out the first fotheringay record; it's great! many great songs and great playing.

― one dis leads to another (ian), Sunday, 12 August 2012 23:44 (9 months ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Every time someone on the radio talks about how Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend because he thought she was an intruder, all I can think about is Polly Vaughn, Jimmy, and the swan. Just wanted to put this somewhere, and it doesn't really belong anywhere I have to explain who Polly Vaughn and Jimmy are.

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 01:38 (2 months ago) Permalink

Or Molly and Johnny, depending on your preferred version I guess.

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 01:40 (2 months ago) Permalink

― i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 02:05 (2 months ago) Permalink

La Lechera's springtime thread has got me singing Hal-an-tow under my breath again:

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 15:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

you should belt it loud and proud!
jolly rumble-oh!

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 1 March 2013 15:34 (2 months ago) Permalink

― .... the rest look like Dudley Sutton (Tom D.), Friday, 1 March 2013 16:49 (2 months ago) Permalink

it had never occurred to me that it could be rum below. that would have made more sense, but in my mind it was a jolly rumble-oh. is rumbelows like rent-a-center?

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 1 March 2013 16:56 (2 months ago) Permalink

rumblelows is?was? a domestic electrical goods shop. always thought it was rumble-oh, i don't really not what a rumble is though in this context

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 16:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

btw terry-thomas looks like the fat old fox I passed on my way home the other night

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 16:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

WOULD NOT TRUST HIM TO LOOK AFTER MY CHICKENS

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 16:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

it had never occurred to me that it could be rum below

I don't know if it is it just reminded me of Rumbelows, which I assume has gone the way of most high street chainstores. Hey it's folk music, so it's full of hey-nonny-nonsense words that happen to rhyme.

― .... the rest look like Dudley Sutton (Tom D.), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:03 (2 months ago) Permalink

does anyone know much about toni arthur's folk stuff? i know virtually nothing but looked her up at random on youtube and got this:

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:05 (2 months ago) Permalink

some otherworldy shit that imo

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:07 (2 months ago) Permalink

Never heard it but it's supposed to be good stuff

― .... the rest look like Dudley Sutton (Tom D.), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:07 (2 months ago) Permalink

wasn't quite what I expected really given that i only know her from playaway - that one song there is fucking terrifying

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:13 (2 months ago) Permalink

That's so weird I was singing Jolly Rumble-Oh to myself this morning on the way to work! Even though I was listening to a different record!

― multi instru mentat list (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

i looked up the dave and toni arthur stuff after reading electric eden. never been reissued? kinda surprising in this day and age.

― tylerw, Friday, 1 March 2013 17:30 (2 months ago) Permalink

Their Discogs page looks quite incomplete, but as far as I can make out, they had at least three albums:

Morning Stands on Tiptoe (Transatlantic, 1967)
The Lark in the Morning (Topic, 1969)
Hearken To The Witches Rune (Trailer, 1970)

Looks like the first two got reissued on one CD in the 90s, and the second one is available digitally from Topic (also it's on Spotify). Think it's the third one that's the hardest to find though (that title is just collectors' catnip right?) and that doesn't look like it's been reissued at all.

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:50 (2 months ago) Permalink

Hearken To The Witches Rune is supposedly the most out-there musically, has Nic Jones playing in it and is on a label I've never flipping heard of: fat chance of ever finding that.

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:53 (2 months ago) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw9GVgAvCXU

^ good grief wtf is this

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 18:00 (2 months ago) Permalink

^ Mystic Challenge with Paul Ross - Guest Toni Arthur

― acid in the style of tenpole tudor (NickB), Friday, 1 March 2013 18:01 (2 months ago) Permalink

Toni Arthur was about the first woman I ever fancied due to seeing her on things like Playschool and Playaway. I still haven't heard the 60s lps through though.

― Stevolende, Friday, 1 March 2013 23:52 (2 months ago) Permalink

The albums with her husband all sound pretty out-there but they are really just doing pretty traditional English folk-singing in that particular unaccompanied style. They do a number of supposed comedy numbers and even they sound pretty terrifying. One is about a football match and documents the rapidly escalating violence. Supposed to be amusing but it's actually quite unsettling.

― everything, Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:29 (2 months ago) Permalink

I used to have a copy of Harken To The Witches Rune, but I sold it at some point. Had a lot of tap dancing/clogging type stuff on it? I assume there's a proper name for that.

― i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:42 (2 months ago) Permalink

oh MAN! really!? i was already interested but dang, that puts it over the edge. i love percussive dancing!

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Saturday, 2 March 2013 03:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

there's a new official release of an ISB sounddesk from Fillmore East in '68 through Hux. Saw a review in one of the music rags this month. Not sure if it's the same set taht's been in circulaton before. there's one from a Fillmore that year that's definitely been on th etorrent sites.

Review said the sound was pretty good anyway.

― Stevolende, Saturday, 2 March 2013 12:38 (2 months ago) Permalink

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