Customer Reviews

Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 (London: 1600-1700)

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This was one of the earliest efforts to collect and in some way attempt to bring to life the folk tradition of England that would then within a few years jump start the English folk (and folk rock) tradition. What makes this specific collection of most interest is instead of reinterpreting known folk songs, folk ballads that would have been common in the historical time frame are unearthed, many of which portray an unnervingly real depiction of life at the time. Topics such as the chilling depiction of the great fire of London, the death of a midwife and the humurous jibe at the emergence of tobacco and its condemnation as part of a drinking song open the listener, in some ways to life at the time (in a way that a revisionist documentary could not). Clearly for many (perhaps myself included) the English folk scene such as Fairport Convention and classics that go in and out of print such as: Anthems in Eden may be receive more listens. However the authenticity of this compilation clearly cannot be found in later releases none of which would have existed without the dedicated efforts of early folk musicians to revive a musical tradition that had in many ways,other than preserved song lyrics gone extinct and bring it back to life.