Fantasy Folk Music Collection

Subject: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Rara Avis
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:16 PM

I have mostly English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh folk music in my collection. I know there are many other categories of folk music I'm missing: Appalachian, Australian bush, railroad, cowboy, sea shanties, wauking, etc.

If we were to build the definitive folk music collection, which albums/CDs would you recommend for inclusion?

Include the album title, artist, category, and a few words why you think this particular work should be in the collection.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:20 PM

The Mudcat Cafe 'Blue Plate Special' - all of them. because it includes so many different artists and genre.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST,oneworld
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:25 PM

So unless it's performed by those with:
(a)   white skin and
(b)   English as their native language
it's not "folk music"?

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:30 PM

I would say the inclusion of ANY of the old Blues singers would not be amiss , and , without wishing to condone the negative feelings inspired by worldviews post , a look at some of the World Music stuff too .

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:31 PM

"oneworld" missed the "etc."

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Rara Avis
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:36 PM

And that's a very good start. What about Pete Seeger, since he's a topic right now? Who do you recommend for skiffle? Are the Kingston Trio or the Copper Family list-worthy? Someone once told me that Burl Ives was the first to make folk music popular in the US. Does he fit the list?

Not necessarily white-skinned, Guest oneworld. I do gravitate to English, though, because I can understand the lyrics, which make the song more meaningful to me. By all means, suggest something else.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 02:50 PM

Wow, I was hoping that this thread was about the FANTASY RECORDS record label that bought up ALL of Kicking Mule Records and is just sitting on both of the albums I did for K.M. -- and most of the other titles on the label as well. But no such luck.

Sorry for the thread creep.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 03:12 PM

There is a Nineteen twenties Re Issue album - 'The Jug Juke and Washboard Bands' which came out on Vinyl - If its on C D its got the stuff that BECAME Skiffle on it .

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Rara Avis
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 03:23 PM

Thanks, Terry. I googled the title and came up with information worth investigating. The article mentioned Delta Blues and named some early artists. I'll search those artists later.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Teresa
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 03:37 PM

Hmmm, Martin carthy's first album.

Mike Seeger and Paul brown's _Way down in North Carolina_

Sweeney's Men (the one with Andy singing some tracks) :)

Tim OBrien's _Songs from the Mountains_

Gods, I can't pick just a few. Not "definitive" but my faves just now. :)

T

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Rara Avis
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 03:44 PM

I saw a Sweeney's Men CD at the shop the other day. I'll check it out. Ta, Teresa.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Little Robyn
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 04:14 PM

All the records in my early collection - no, no, too many!
Just a few:
The Weavers at Carnegie Hall
Anything by Pete Seeger or the Weavers
All the old Folkways discs - Leadbelly, Woody,etc.
Unto Brigg Fair - Percy Grainger's 1908 recordings
Other Leader recordings in the same vein
McPeake Family
Copper Family
(and Kipper Family)
Watersons
Carthy and Swarb
Almost anything put out by Topic
We also have lots of private recordings of people who were never recorded commercially, but who regularly sang at festivals and concerts -
Frank Fyfe
Pat and Colin Bowley
Roger Giles
John Sutherland
Mitch Park
Even a few who did make records but only NZers would know -
Hamilton County Bluegrass Band
Band of Hope (jug band)
Phil Garland (NZ and Aus)
Dave Jordan
Peter Cape
Paul Metsers (now in Britain)
Martin Curtis
The list is endless - it keeps growing
As I said at the beginning, too many to mention them all.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 05:34 PM

Some of my top faves on CD:

Jean Redpath, First Flights (or almost anything!)

A.L. Lloyd & Ewan MacColl, English & Scottish Ballads.

Lloyd & MacColl, Blow Boys Blow.

Steeleye Span (early albums), Hark the Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Below the Salt.

Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, most anything, solo & together.

Waterson/Carthy, ditto.

The Watersons (early years anthology)

Jean Ritchie (anything)

Mississippi John Hurt (anything)

Dolores Keane, Broken-Hearted I Wander (and more)

Stan Hugill (most anything: see his website)

Any of Yazoo's anthologies of early blues & country recordings ("When I was a Cowboy" would be good for starters)

The Dubliners (early stuff or anthologies)

The Chieftains (anything)

Mike Seeger (anything)

And check the Smithsonian/Folkways catalogue online to fill some of your gaps. The catalogue covers world music too.

There are many, many more, but these should keep you listening and broke for a while. Styles range from straight traditional (Yazoo, Hugill) to highly elaborate (Chieftains, Steeleye Span).

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Juan P-B
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 05:41 PM

"Trust" by Ron Trueman-Border - All self-penned but covering just about every 'acoustic' music style (Folk (Trad & Contemp), Delta Blues, Slow ballads) It's a bloody work of art.

Also:
Anything by Huw & Tony Williams,
Les Barker,
Mike Beck ("Mariposa Wind", "Where The Green Grass Grows" & "Cowboys & Angels"
Travelling Wilbury's Volume 1
John Tams
Arlo Guthrie's "Washington County",
Richard Thompson's Acoustic stuff
Emily Slade's "Shire Boy"

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 06:54 PM

For American folk,check out Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music.It's a collection released in the 50's of 1920's-30's 78 rpm records.It doesn't try to be definitive,it's just great music,and gives you a taste of lots of regional styles.Black and white,mostly in English.Pick the styles you like and investigate further.

And to get more understanding of the music before it became the Folk Movement of the 50's,you can't go wrong with some Leadbelly,Carter Family,or Woody Guthrie.IMO,of course.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 07:45 PM

Edward "Son" House, anything
Missiissippi Fred McDowel, anything (Levee Camp Blues exceptional)
Mississippi John Hurt, anything
John Lee Hooker, anything ("Jack of Diamonds", 1949 exceptional)
Paul Siebel (Jack Knife Gypsy)
John Stewart (California Bloodline)
Pozo Seco Singers (I Can Make it With You)
Bob Dylan, anything
Steve Earle, anything
Jim Page, anything

Just a few off the top of my head...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Chris Green
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 08:30 PM

Anything by Nic Jones. For me the best interpreter of trad English songs ever.
Bothy Band Live at the BBC.
The Fiddleship by Cloudstreet. Corking readings of trad songs by the best thing to come out of Australia since the last good thing to come out of Australia (tried to think of a simile there, but couldn't!)
Liege and Lief by Fairport Convention.
Last Night's Fun's new album Tempered.
All the Ewan MacColl recordings for BBC radio in the 50s
Alright Jack by the Home Service
Unicorns by Bill Caddick
Rise Up Like The Sun and Battle of the Field by the Albion Band

And in the true way of record ads

"And many. many more...."

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Joybell
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 12:29 AM

For the Australian "bush" music you could go for "The Bushwackers". They did lots of albums back in the 70s and 80s.
If you want to go beyond "bush music" There's an excellent book and 2 CD set of Australian music and songs edited by Graham Seal and Rob Willis. Called "Verandah Music - Roots of Australian Tradition". The book covers the work of collectors of songs and music here from the last 50 years or so. There are some good photos of musicians.
Joy

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Rara Avis
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 11:26 AM

Thanks, all, for your thoughtful suggestions. Researching this will be quite a project, but a pleasant one. I've bookmarked this thread. Please keep the list going.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Nerd
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 07:48 PM

If you're really into it, there are some great box sets available. Yazoo's Kentucky Mountain Music is great, and all the box sets put out by Free Reed are amazing (so far, they've done Peter Bellamy, Robin and Barry Dransfield, Martin Carthy, 2 different boxes of Fairport Convention, Dave Swarbrick.) Topic has put out a box set of the Watersons, and there are good boxes on Shirley Collins as well.

Fellside puts out CDs by Martyn Wyndham-Read, who sings both English and Australian songs. He's excellent.

I'll second Bobert on Mississippi John Hurt.

I happen to like John Roberts and Tony Barrand, who record traditional English folksongs. They're both English, but live in the US.

Anne Briggs is a terrific English singer.

and on and on...

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: GUEST,moocowpoo
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:19 PM

Nordic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
ottopasuuna,fomp,vasen,pirnales,troka,kylapelimannit trio,mannitus,kaahu....etcetcetc.
Nothing wrong with a few horas and kopanitzas either!

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:23 PM

I think you need some music from more traditional sources. I'd recommend the Voice of the People collection from Topic Records, and the Alan Lomax Collection from Rounder, particularly Southern Journey.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 02:51 PM

For Appalachian banjo music (NOT bluegrass) don't overlook Dock Boggs and Roscoe Holcomb. "Mountain Music of Kentucky" is a good general compilation of traditional material. "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians" is good too.

Bruce Molsky is a great contemporary "old-time" fiddler, polished but not much affected by hot bluegrass fiddling. His album "Big Hoedown" is essential, as is that of his pal Rafe Stefanini.

Any of the field recording anthologies put out by Rounder/Library of Congress are well worth contemplating: all are absolutely authentic.

You can listen to a number of L. of C. field recordings (a turn-off for most people!) at the "American Memory" site. They'l exercise your musical empathy and stretch your understanding of what music means.

And bear in mind: since the late 50s, "folk music" has been mainly a marketing term used by record companies to sell almost anything acoustic that doesn't fit into any other category.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 04:52 PM

Better late than never: Don't forget the Scots. Check out Brian McNeill (back in his Battlefield Band days, too), Dick Gaughan, Gordeanna McCulloch, Heather Heywood, Iain MacKintosh (if there are any recordings still out) and, a great young band, Malinky with their lead singer Karine Polwart. They'll be playing my neck of the woods next month!

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Chris Green
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 05:32 PM

And while we're on a Scottish one what about "Handful of Earth" by Dick Gaughan?

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: sharyn
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:33 AM

If you haven't got them already, you need the recordings of Jeannie Robertson and of her daughter Lizzie Higgins. I think the Higgins recordings are on Topic and I don't remember who released the Robertson recordings. They are very fine singers, a pleasure to listen to, and good sources for Scottish traditional material.

Chris Smither is a wonderful interpreter of blues standards: perhaps the must-have recording of his is "Another Way to Find You" on Flying Fish Records

Jody Stecher is a brilliant interpreter of Appalachian material. My favorite album of his is "Oh the Wind and Rain" on Appleseed.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Bill the Collie
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 07:47 AM

There's some lovely old, collected, stuff from what was the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. Try their "Scottish Tradition" series on Greentrax, e.g.:
"Bothy Ballads" (CDTRAX9001) and
"The Muckle Sangs" [i.e The Big Songs or classic ballads] (CDTRAX9005).

You'll find wonders like Jeannie Robertson, Jimmy McBeath, Jane Turriff, Lizzie Higgins, Jamie Taylor etc.

I appreciate that some people may find the older traditional singers a wee bit difficult as they tend to be raw and unpolished, but give them a chance and a bit of time and you may find you will be rewarded.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 08:50 AM

another Topic CD set -
The Acoustic Folk Box: Four decades of the very best acoustic folk music from the British Isles (each CD covers a decade from the 50s' to the 90's)

A small selection of my favourites -
Ewan McColl
Pete Seeger
Weavers
Eric Bogle
Joan Baez
Norma Waterson
Stan Rogers
Tom Paxton
Phil Ochs
Jez Lowe

If you want to look at Australian music - check out www.folktrax.com & www.tradandnow.com

sandra

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Folk Form # 1
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 05:31 PM

Just a thought on Oneworld's posting:

" So unless it's performed by those with:
(a)   white skin and
(b)   English as their native language
it's not "folk music"? "

If you want to build up a folk collection, then stay well clear of World Music, which is an artificial category that consists of a mishmash of music around the world, very often having nothing, and I mean NOTHING, in common with one another. If you like Martin Carthy, why would you like music from Bali or Sengal? Do people from Senagal or Bali like Martin Carthy? I doubt it! It don't make sense. World music is a category invented by white middle class sanctimonious prigs who love to tell everyone what to do and what to listen to and who have a smug sense of their own worthiness. Worthy but dull. Since world music is a category that includes music from all around the world, how do you decide what to listen to? There is just too much of it! Better to limit it to a type of folk music that we recognise as folk music and which is rich within that tradition.

Back to the orignal question. A definitive collection would have to include Penguin Eggs and Noah's Ark Trap by Nic JOnes. Anything by Bod Davenport, the great unaccompanied singer of the old tradition.

Subject: RE: Fantasy Folk Music Collection
From: Folk Form # 1
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 05:36 PM

That should be Bob Davenport, of course. (I accidently pressed the Submit button before I had finished.)Jack Orion by Bert Jansch, who is folk musics most innovative artist. The Complete Guitarist by Davey Graham, another great and accomplished guitarist. Swarbrick/Swarbrick 2 by the great fiddler Dave Swrbrick and any Carthy album on which Swarbrick appears. Don't forget early Dylan or those great intepretors of Dylan, The Byrds.