A History of British Folk
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 01/26/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"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"
Best United Kingdom Folk-Rock Songs of the entire 1960s.
Magickal Merlin | Death Valley-SoCal | 05/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1