British Folk-Rock Thread

SinginSumo · September-26th-2004, 01:40 AM

I was in a pop/rock mood yesterday as I browsed the possibilities in my collection. Though I don't play it often, I always enjoy Steeleye Span's best-of, Spanning The Years. I'm also quite fond of Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief. I have recently seen Sandy Denny's and Bert Jansch's names mentioned in one thread or another here on JC so I know there are others who enjoy this genre.

Comments? Recommendations?

BFrank · September-26th-2004, 02:07 AM

Pentangle is always a good choice - especially their first album. Of course, from that group came both Bert Jansch & John Renbourn as well as bassist, Danny Thompson.

From Fairport came Sandy Denny as well as Richard Thompson. Thompson has a very rich catalog of recordings

Yet one more hybrid from this group is Fotheringay. They only released one album, but it's one of Sandy Denny's better recordings.

Cem · September-26th-2004, 02:07 AM

I'm a Richard Thompson fan, but haven't got into FC or Brit Folk-Rock much, yet, for some reason. I really like RT's world, but not sure whether he'd even qualify as a BFR'er these days.

Sand · September-26th-2004, 04:01 AM

john williams · September-26th-2004, 06:23 AM

Sandy Denny!!!!!

HenryMc · September-26th-2004, 06:31 AM

Oh June Tabor

For a really wonderful new (ish) folkie I highly recommend Kate Rusby - She is clearly very talented and has a great voice.

Richard Thompson's 70's and 90's output is worth investigating

Sand · September-26th-2004, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand

If you mix folk musicians with rock musicians, you'll end up with rock music.

Richardo Caerleoni · September-26th-2004, 06:53 AM

NICK DRAKE!.. sadly long past/now "rediscovered", and could be a bit "hippy dippy" (apologies to hippies!)...

But for someone like me who hated/hates this sort of music at the time & now ....Incredible String Band, Strawbs, et all their "Fair Maidens" Dipsy Crap...sorry again...No, not really...

Nick Drake is surprisingly addictive..."River Man" now seems to be a Jazz Classic...and a lot of UK Jazz muscians played on his tracks - Chris Mcgregor (OK, SA!), Ray Warliegh, Danny Thompson etc.

And his final album is very moving...Black Dog etc.

john williams · September-26th-2004, 07:02 AM

I'm a big Drake fan and don't find any of his stuff hippyish but think Bryter Layter is a little saccharine.

Five Leaves Left is my favorite. He was mature beyond his years IMO.

Richardo Caerleoni · September-26th-2004, 07:11 AM

Drake contd....JBW...Agreed ( I withdraw "Hippy!...Sugar is the word)...but a very good guitarist...out of Davy Graham etc. but with his own take and interesting chords for that music.. a lot of Maj7s...

Besta! RC.

saltwatersnow · September-26th-2004, 07:36 AM

i guess if drake counts than i can nominate syd barrett post floyd music,, one of my huge inspirations. brillant. always liked a million times more than drake.

Pete C · September-26th-2004, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richardo Caerleoni

NICK DRAKE!.. sadly long past/now "rediscovered"

& discovered by the world of advertising. Over the past several years Drake tracks have been featured on at least 2 U.S. TV commercials, though I couldn't tell you the products or tunes offhand.

john williams · September-26th-2004, 08:40 AM

Volkswagon featured Pink Moon iirc.

AntManBee · September-26th-2004, 09:33 AM

There are so many good UK folk/folk rock bands that never got even half the recognition Fairport or Steeleye Span got. Not all of them were technically as skilled as, say, Pentangle, but a lot of them are never the less worth lending an ear to. TREES (one of my favourite UK folk rock bands ever), DANDO SHAFT (acoustic, sometimes in the vein of Pentangle), SPRIGUNS (especially "Time Will Pass", Mandy Morton's Sandy Denny influences are easy to ignore IMO), TICKAWINDA (one album only, the rare private pressing "Rosemary Lane", also with a Pentangle vibe, but a little more grainy, reissued on CD a couple of years ago), COMUS (I mentioned them earlier in the prog thread, not quite folk rock in the Fairport sense, but should appeal to people with a taste for the darker shades of folk), "Battle of the Field" which was ALBION BAND'S debut LP... the list could go on forever...

steve(thelil) · September-26th-2004, 09:53 AM

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Nick Lowe live Friday night in Northampton. While Nick's renown is based more on his pure pop (for now people) , his songwriting in more recent years is really classifiable as folk music. And he's British.

So I wrote this, even if it doesn't really belong here.

Thank you.

AntManBee · September-26th-2004, 10:03 AM

This one too is brilliant:

lazarus · September-26th-2004, 10:26 AM

SinginSumo, if I´m gonna recommend only one english folk-rock group to a jazz-fan the obvious choice is Pentangle. Start with their first two albums:
the selftitled debut and their second "Sweet Child".

Richardo Caerleoni · September-26th-2004, 12:36 PM

OK, got Nick Drake in under the wire!

Would Alexis Korner count? ..Started off singing folk and blues...formed Blues Incorporated...and from there came the Stones and many many others...

Nothing great as a singer or a guitarist, but a great "fixer" , some good bands, a big fan of Bird, and without him...a lot would NOT have happened...Folk, Blues or Jazz... I rest my... National Steel...

AntManBee · September-26th-2004, 03:28 PM

Davey Graham must be mentioned as well, as an originator of the "folk baroque" guitar playing that reached new heights with Bert Jansch. Graham's style is sometimes a little bit too precious to my taste, but what an innovator he was, mixing jazz, folk and blues.

Richardo Caerleoni · September-26th-2004, 04:38 PM

My "claim to fame" on guitar at 14 ...only (apart from my amazing Lightnin Hopkin's licks) ! Is that I could play "Angie" as per Davy Graham note for note...As good as Bert J.

It used to be a "test piece" for folk people (yeah,well) ...Then I discovered an Alto Sax...

The rest is joy, sadness and failure and hope. Life really!

OK, I bloody hate 60's English folk music. Give me Doc Watson anyday.

HenryMc · September-26th-2004, 05:06 PM

There are two things here. When people talk about English folk I think they mean that Steelye Span/Pentagle late sixties folkish rock not you're hard core Davey graham/Ewan Maccoll etc

Anyway

what about

Horslips - A irish band from the 70's "The Tain" and "Book of Invasions" stand out for me

The Oysterband - a punk/folk band of some intensity - I'd recommend the "Granite Years" compilation

Goats Don't Shave - The Rusty Razor from '97 is all you'll need

Dr Dave · September-26th-2004, 05:48 PM

You know, this guy was in Pentangle, too. And he can play some very serious guitar:

Sand · September-26th-2004, 06:10 PM

The CD cover is entirely different from the LP cover of my "Hermit" LP. I've been thinking about this one from time to time, irritated that I no longer have it.
On "The Black Balloon" he's joined by tabour and flute on some tracks. A favorite of mine. There seem to be three covers available for this one - these are the two I've owned:

AntManBee · September-27th-2004, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenryMc

There are two things here. When people talk about English folk I think they mean that Steelye Span/Pentagle late sixties folkish rock not you're hard core Davey graham/Ewan Maccoll etc

Well, sorry then. But I just can't see why Graham should be outruled if Jansch and Drake is OK. Neither do I see any obvious parallels between Graham and MacColl.

Graham's influence on British folk(rock) guitarists can't be underrated and he's a relevant enough part of the of the folk(rock) scene of the times.

Richardo Caerleoni · September-27th-2004, 06:44 AM

.....As Eric Clapton once said...

walto · September-27th-2004, 07:24 AM

My own personal (irrelevant) ranking is:

Incredible String Band (I think they count here, anyhow)
Pentangle
Fairport Convention

HenryMc · September-27th-2004, 07:34 AM

Anti - Im not saying Davey G is not influential (of course he was, ((esp in the 60s)) hughly so) merely pointing out that for many it is the more populist side that draws.

I guess I was trying to say we'll talk about the usual suspects, Richard Thmpson, Swarbrick, Pegg, Denny etc and not discuss Waterson Carthy or that wonderful Kate Rusby. Has anyone mentioned Dick Gaughan yet?

Richardo Caerleoni · September-27th-2004, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenryMc

Anti - Im not saying Davey G is not influential (of course he was, ((esp in the 60s)) hughly so) merely pointing out that for many it is the more populist side that draws.

I guess I was trying to say we'll talk about the usual suspects, Richard Thmpson, Swarbrick, Pegg, Denny etc and not discuss Waterson Carthy or that wonderful Kate Rusby. Has anyone mentioned Dick Gaughan yet?

No, but a good call.

But PLEASE get real? It was a horrible era for Uk music (early sixties) ...I was a mod (called "modernist"), hung around Ronnies and the Flamingo...and these clowns - one finger in the ear - sang "deep" songs about maidens, Scotland and bloody druids...It really took Dylan to shake them up!

(If you were around at that time - God, they were........ bloody awful)

Meanwhile Zoot Sims and Lucky Thompson were playing at Ronnies...

Nuff said!
RC.

AntManBee · September-27th-2004, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenryMc

Anti - Im not saying Davey G is not influential (of course he was, ((esp in the 60s)) hughly so) merely pointing out that for many it is the more populist side that draws.

Why on earth should we stick to the populist side? I thought we were talking about good music, not just well-known music. The Fairports and Steeleye were both great up to a certain point, so were many of the other "popular" bands. But there were a whole lot of other great bands too (although Richardo wouldn't agree!

) so why shouldn't they be mentioned? I just don't understand the argument. The original post called for recommendations and I wanted to share some, but it's all right, I don't have to.

Richardo Caerleoni · September-27th-2004, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntManBee

... But there were a whole lot of other great bands too (although Richardo wouldn't agree! ) so why shouldn't they be mentioned? I just don't understand the argument.

AMB...True enough , but to each their own!

I just remember that era...and when I had the choice of seeing Zoot Sims, Lucky T. ,Bobby Jasper et al at Ronnies...or some clown singing about cotton workers in Lancs in the 19C...Well, No competition!

And there was always Georgie Fame at the Flamingo...who really was from Lancs!/...playing Jimmy Smith and Mose Allison folk music ..