Folk Roots New Routes

Davy Graham, Shirley Collins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Topic Records
• ASIN: B00000JKEX
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #517,172 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Nottamun Town

2. Proud Maisrie

3. The Cherry Tree Carol

4. Blue Monk

5. Hares on the Mountain

6. Reynardine

7. Pretty Saro

8. Rif Mountain

9. Jane, Jane

10. Love Is Pleasin'

11. Boll Weevil, Holler

12. Hori Horo

13. Bad Girl

14. Lord Greggory

15. Grooveyard

16. Dearest Dear

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intimate collaboration with some wicked guitar, October 24, 2008

By 

Elliot Knapp (Seattle, Washington United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Folk Roots New Routes (Reis) (Audio CD)

Being a pretty big Davy Graham fan, I've been eyeing this release for quite a while--the one thing that held me back was a fear that Graham's role on album would be one of downplayed, disappointing accompaniment, rather than the inventive, spirited and breathtaking guitar that I've come to love on his later solo albums. After finally taking the plunge, I wish I hadn't waited so long! Rather than existing solely as a side-man for Shirley Collins, this album is really a true collaboration in which each superb artist sits on equal footing, which makes the music slightly greater than the sum of its parts.

For the most part, this is an album of British folk tunes, save a few exceptions. Fans of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Pentangle, Martin Carthy and other major forces in the 60's British folk revival will find a number of familiar folk tunes ("Reynardine," "Hares on the Mountain," "Love is Pleasin'") as well as some that are a bit more obscure. It's pretty clear that this album was an inspirational force in that fledgling folk renaissance (before the real British folk-rock boom that blossomed in the late 60's/early 70's). Collins/Graham's version of "Reynardine" was borrowed from heavily by Fairport Convention, and the more well-known female singers of the aforementioned bands (Sandy Denny, Maddy Prior, Jacqui McShee) all owe more than a small debt to Shirley Collins' crystal clear, gossamer and emotive vocals, which are uniformly superb throughout, including a few endearingly organic flaws.

This is more than just a revival of British folk tunes, though--enter Davy Graham! Folk was never a static thing for Graham, and this album is no different. His lively fingerstyle guitar owes as much to jazz and blues as it does to traditional British music, and it gives these tunes a vibrant, progressive feel. The Indian-influenced raga-folk version of "Pretty Saro" is an album highlight, predicting Graham's later manic Indian-styled guitar workouts, and "Rif Mountain" is one of his most jaw-dropping Eastern-flavored instrumentals (worth the price of admission alone, for me). "Blue Monk" and "Grooveyard" further display Graham's guitar prowess in more of a jazzy vein. It's also worth noting that "Jane, Jane" pretty much lays the blueprint for the groovy, jazzy folk updates that the Pentangle get credit for inventing four years later!

No, this disc is not a disappointment by any standards, and it's the missing link between Davy Graham's debut, The Guitar Player (which featured some good jazz playing but little to none of the wild, genre-fusing and idiosyncratic guitar playing that was really his passion) and his first proper album, Folk, Blues & Beyond..., where his personality really first showed through. I'm also inspired to check out some more of Shirley Collins' work--if it's as good as this, it's definitely worth having.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Seminal Folk Album ., June 29, 2001

By 

P. D. Laffey (Hitchin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Folk Roots New Routes (Audio CD)

When the English folk singer Shirley Collins teamed up with the extraordinary guitarist Davy Graham in 1964 , this remarkable album was the result .

It's a treat to hear Shirley's interpretations of these old English and American folk tunes , but the real revelation is Davy Graham's exquisite and inventive acoustic playing . He brings these songs to life with his incredibly fluent guitar picking , spicing them up with jazz influences , and sounds from the east .

This album was an important catalyst in spawning the folk revival in England , and inspired bands like Fairport Convention , but that aside , it should also be remembered as a sublime showcase for the art of acoustic guitar playing .

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Davy Graham was the man!, May 30, 2009

By 

daniel Hernandez "giant rabo" (miami gardens, florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Folk Roots New Routes (Reis) (Audio CD)

I have heard so much about what a great guitar player Davey Graham was so I had to get this. The guitar playing on here is awesome. I can definitely see how Jimmy Page and a number of other guitar players have been influenced by this guy's playing. Highly recommended for people who love great acoustic guitar playing or all guitar playing aficionados.