Wow, I love the Leadbellie suggestion.
But how about a few of these:
1. The Clancy Brothers Live at Carnigie (sic) Hall 2. The Bob Dylan 25th Ana. Album w/ just about the best versions of Bob's songs by everyone fromn The Clancy Bros. to Kris Kristofferson to Tom Petty etc! 3. Anything by John Prine 4. Anything by Ewan McColl 5. The Weavers @ the Newport Folk Festival, 1966 (I believe. I ,ight be wrong on the year, but they played an extended set at the fest and I found it on CD - mindblowing) 6. Bill Bragg - The legend of Walt Whitmans Daughter -I think the name of the disk is.
Now I will leave it open to others.
OSh