Customer Reviews

Troubadours of Folk: 60's Acoustic

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first thing you need to know about "Troubadours of Folk The 60s Acoustic Explosion" is that this 2-CD set is devoted entirely to British artists. The most recognizable name in the collection is Donovan, who has three early songs on the first disc, including his cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier." However, the chief attraction of this collection remains the unfamiliar songs by artists chiefly unknown to American audiences. My folk music collection, while pretty extensive, was limited to American artists, and although I recognized Sandy Denny from "The Battle of Everymore" on Led Zeppelin's "ZOSO" album, it was decades before I got around to checking out her work with Fairport Convention and her solo recordings (definitely in the better late than never category). "Troubadours of Folk" is a superb introduction to most of the British folk artists from the Sixties that you need to know about.

There are some familiar songs beyond Donovan's "Catch the Wind," such as Nico's cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'." But more often you will recognize the song but not the artist covering it, as is the case with the Dubliners' doing "The Wild Rover" and "Blackwaterside" a tradition song done by Bert Jansch that Jimmy Page would do on Led Zeppelin's debut album (the flip of this would be recognizing the name Roy Harper but not ever having heard any of his songs before, which is rectified by having both "Goldfish Bowl" and "Big Fat Silver Airplane" on these discs). Not surprisingly there are several covers of various Bob Dylan songs: "The Times They Are A' Changin'" by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, "Farewell (Fare Thee Well") by Lonnie Donegan, "Blowin' in the Wind" by the Settlers, "Long Ago Far Away" by Black Country Three, and "Girl from the North Country" by Josh Macrae. All of these appear on the first disc, and you will note that the forty-one tracks are arranged chronologically, starting with Donegan's "500 Miles Away From Home," which dates all the way back to 1963, and ending with perhaps the most successful English folk song, Ralph McTell's "Streets of London."

The covers of Dylan by obscure English artists is interesting, but it is the original works that are ultimately where your judgment of this album are to be made. You may actually have heard Jansch's "Needle of Death" or Maish Imlach's "Cod Liver Oil nd Orange Juice," but that might be just about this for the rest of this collection. There are several gems, especially on the first disc, where you have Jackson C. Frank's "Blues Run the Game" and "Dirty Old Town" by the Ian Campbell Folk Group. There is something rather quaint about hearing British artists singing American folk songs like the traditional "John Henry," by John Renbourn, and the Ludlows doing "Ev'ry Time (When We Are Gone)." The second disc is not as strong overall and I have to wonder if there were restrictions having to do with getting permission, because there is only one track by Duncan Browne, "Dwarf in a Tree (A Cautionary Tale)," which is not what I would consider a first tier example of his work. I think my suspicions are confirmed by Denny only having a rare solo recording made the year before she joined Fairport Convention. But then, to be fair, that seminal British folk group does not really need the introduction that artists like Matt McGinn, Archie Fisher, and Mick Softley require to an American audience.

The liner notes by Colin Harper provide a brief look at each of the artists and most of the songs included on these 2-CDs. Harper sees the early folk movement in Britain as starting with the broadly American sound of its earlier practitioners and material to was clearly influenced by the skiffle boom of the Fifties (the opening track is by Lonnie Donegan, the king of skiffle). Donovan dominates the liner notes, but there is enough about everybody else to at least give you a sense of their identity as folk artists. Overall, I find the first disc in this collection to be a 5, while the second comes in at a 4. I could easily put together a single disc from this collection that would be the best compilation of British folk music from the Sixties around, but then "Troubadours of Folk" already has that distinction. More importantly, this collection serves as a perfect introduction to that part of the folk movement of the Sixties. After listening to these songs you should not be surprised if you are motivated to track down more work by Ralph McTell, the Incredible String Band, the Ludlows, Duncan Browne, or any group in which Sandy Denny showed up to sing.

These acoustic folk tunes are simply the best of an era.There are many great folkies on this double CD collection.These awesome songs are not like the modern corperate tunes,thrown on the market.This 2-cd package is the ecletic bevy of the 60s folk genre.The best known musical troubadour of knavery presented is the lovable Donovan,with three tracks on the the first Cd.The songs performed span the entire 60s decade.Not just before the electrified invasion by the Beatles and the neo-converted Bob Dylan.These are audio gems that can only be appreciated by true fans of real poetic music.

First, I should probably explain what brought me to purchase this album. I am a huge fan of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn(as well as Pentangle, of course). When I saw they were on here several times, I took a chance that the entire album would be up to parr with their performances. [That, and I paid less than ten bucks for this.] What I found out about the British folk scene was very similar to the American folk scene. In other words, just like there were traditional folk/protest artists in the U.S. (Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, John Baez, et. al.) and folk/pop artists (the Kingston Trio, The Serendipity Singers, The New Christy Minstrels, et. al.), the same divisions existed in Britain. And this two-disc, two-hour-plus collection of 41 songs samples both styles.

Of the former style, you get artists like Lonnie Donegan (Britain's "King of Skiffle") performing the standard "500 Miles Away from Home" and Dylan's "Farewell (Fare Thee Well)." In fact five other artists cover Dylan material, mostly in a pop vein, like the Ian Campbell Folk Group's rendition of "The Times They Are A-Changing" and The Settlers' version of "Blowin' in the Wind," which in a blindfold test could pass for The Seekers. Not that it makes these songs any less enjoyable; it's just that it is very evident that the goal was to get on the radio. Even Nico (who I have always linked with the Velvet Underground) is here with a very pop-sounding version of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'."

But there are some real treasures here, too. The Dubliners (a much grittier band than their counterparts, The Chieftains) provide a rousing performance of "The Wild Rover." One of the biggest treats is Jackson C. Frank's original version of "Blues Run the Game." I'd always associated the song with Bert Jansch, but it's obvious Jansch owes a lot to the original. Frank's other contribution, "Kimbie," is almost as good. Roy Harper's two tunes are also quite good, especially enjoyable is his guitar work on "Goldfish Bowl." Mike Heron's "Frutch" by the Incredible String Band is much folkier than the band's later material. Sandy Denny does a credible cover of the folk standard "This Train" from 1967 (a year before she would join Fairport Convention. The New Humblebums' "Blood and Glory" is perhaps most notable for its most famous member, Gerry Rafferty (of "Baker Street Fame). Ralph McTell shows himself an accomplished guitarist on the instrumental "Blind Blake's Rag," and closes the album with the instrospective "Strets of London."

On a personal note, I enjoyed the comic tone of Hamish Imlach's "Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice." [My parents served me that cocktail every morning for years as a child...blechh!!!]

Overall, this is a delightful look at the folk era in Britain. My only complaint is that some of the song notes are very thorough, while others are non-existant. Also, the foldout CD booklet is awkward at best. But those are minor complaints when compared to the quality of the music. (Running Time - 61:46, 65:57) RECOMMENDED

First, I should probably explain what brought me to purchase this album. I am a huge fan of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn(as well as Pentangle, of course). When I saw they were on here several times, I took a chance that the entire album would be up to parr with their performances. [That, and I paid less than ten bucks for this.] What I found out about the British folk scene was very similar to the American folk scene. In other words, just like there were traditional folk/protest artists in the U.S. (Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, John Baez, et. al.) and folk/pop artists (the Kingston Trio, The Serendipity Singers, The New Christy Minstrels, et. al.), the same divisions existed in Britain. And this two-disc, two-hour-plus collection of 41 songs samples both styles.

Of the former style, you get artists like Lonnie Donegan (Britain's "King of Skiffle") performing the standard "500 Miles Away from Home" and Dylan's "Farewell (Fare Thee Well)." In fact five other artists cover Dylan material, mostly in a pop vein, like the Ian Campbell Folk Group's rendition of "The Times They Are A-Changing" and The Settlers' version of "Blowin' in the Wind," which in a blindfold test could pass for The Seekers. Not that it makes these songs any less enjoyable; it's just that it is very evident that the goal was to get on the radio. Even Nico (who I have always linked with the Velvet Underground) is here with a very pop-sounding version of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'."

But there are some real treasures here, too. The Dubliners (a much grittier band than their counterparts, The Chieftains) provide a rousing performance of "The Wild Rover." One of the biggest treats is Jackson C. Frank's original version of "Blues Run the Game." I'd always associated the song with Bert Jansch, but it's obvious Jansch owes a lot to the original. Frank's other contribution, "Kimbie," is almost as good. Roy Harper's two tunes are also quite good, especially enjoyable is his guitar work on "Goldfish Bowl." Mike Heron's "Frutch" by the Incredible String Band is much folkier than the band's later material. Sandy Denny does a credible cover of the folk standard "This Train" from 1967 (a year before she would join Fairport Convention. The New Humblebums' "Blood and Glory" is perhaps most notable for its most famous member, Gerry Rafferty (of "Baker Street Fame). Ralph McTell shows himself an accomplished guitarist on the instrumental "Blind Blake's Rag," and closes the album with the instrospective "Strets of London."

On a personal note, I enjoyed the comic tone of Hamish Imlach's "Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice." [My parents served me that cocktail every morning for years as a child...blechh!!!]

Overall, this is a delightful look at the folk era in Britain. My only complaint is that some of the song notes are very thorough, while others are non-existant. Also, the foldout CD booklet is awkward at best. But those are minor complaints when compared to the quality of the music. (Running Time - 61:46, 65:57) RECOMMENDED