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10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade
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10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade |
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Subject: From: HåvardR Date: 06 Aug 99 - 09:51 AM What are your 10 favorite original folk albums of this decade? Here are my suggestions:
Woman's Heart Outstanding collection of female artists. The lead song by Elenor McCoy cathces the ear, but is by no way the strongest performance. My favorites is Dolores Keane's verion of Paul Brady's "The Island"
The Fire Aflame Irish instrumentalists, lead by legendary ullian piper Lyam O'Flynn, in a very good album
Christy Moore - Live at the Point Less than seeing Christy at consert yourself, but much much more than his studio CDs. Nice versions of "Nancy Spain", "Black is the Colour", "Ride on" and other favorites, with huge amounts of wit in between.
Ed Miller - At home with the Exciles Scotsman/Texan Ed Miller sings old and new Scottish songs, including a very good version of Adam McNaughtan's "Yellow on the Broom"
Dougie MacLean - Tribute Dougie's tribute to Robert Burns, Niel Gow and Robert Tannahill. IMHO the best male voice in the world.
Aly Bain - Lonely Bird Shetland fiddler Aly Bain's solo CD with Shetland/Scottish tunes.
North Sea Music Songs and tunes from Scotland, Shetland and Scandinavian countries. Shows the common heritage very nicely.
Bukkene Bruse Nice introduction to Norwegian folk music by three famous folk musican (Arve Moen Bergseth, Steinar Ofstad and Annbjørg Lien) Lien is a fenomenal Hardanger fiddle player
Altan - Blackwater Lots of energy as always from the marvelous Donnegal band, as well as some nice songs from Mairhead. Brian McNeill - Back o' the North Wind Scottish multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Brian MacNeill's tribute to Scottish emigrants. Brilliant!
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Rick Fielding Date: 06 Aug 99 - 12:37 PM Good thread, Keep it going while I think. Oooh, Oooh! |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Sandy Paton Date: 06 Aug 99 - 12:56 PM Right at the top: A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings, selected by Stephen Wade. Truly a great CD! I'll have to think about the other nine. Sandy |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Rick Fielding Date: 06 Aug 99 - 01:33 PM OK, can we do this in increments? In NO particular order: "Leadbelly's Last Sessions" Folkways. "Blues Before Sunrise" Leroy Carr. "Man with a Rhyme" Archie Fisher. Folk-Legacy. Had I heard this when it first came out, it would have had a profound affect on my musical direction. Funny thing, I haven't really liked any of his other albums nearly as much. "The Golden Age of Bix Biederbeke" "Pete Seeger" The Bitter and the Sweet. Columbia. "Eric Darling" True Religion. Electra "Barbara Dane Sings the Blues" Folkways. Strange album. She's rudimentary in her playing, and somewhat derivative and unoriginal in her singing, but has the sexiest woman's voice I've ever heard. I've had this since I was 14, and it's never been off my "A" list! "Horton Barker, Ballad Singer" Folkways. Ten Stars! "The Guitar and Banjo of Rev. Gary Davis" Prestige. "Bob Dylan" Columbia. This album hit like a thunderbolt. It says "F**K You" to ALL the folk rule makers. The man could sing, play brilliantly and the record just explodes with energy. Perhaps the most truly political music I'd ever heard. I never found him anything but a sometimes interesting poet after this. 10 already? Hell, I've just gotten started! Oh well..long live the music! Rick (who me, opinionated?) Fielding |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Doctor John Date: 06 Aug 99 - 03:48 PM Cisco Houston: "The Folkways Years" The "other voice" and a beautiful voice too, simple and direct. Woody Guthrie: "The Asch Recordings Vols 1,2&3": Lots of the best folk recordings ever made. Leadbelly: "Legacy Vols 1,2&3" Shere power. One of the things I like about Lead Belly is the range of material he recorded. Add the LofC recordings: legal and illegal! Various: "That's Why We're Marching" Interesting historical document. Julie Henigan: "American Stranger": simple and direct again. Excellent guitar, banjo and dulcimer. Sis Cunningham: "Sundown". This is one of the best collection of songs I've ever heard. Nic Jones: "Penguin Eggs". The best English folksinger who never let us down. Unusual songs: wonderful arrangements. Not endless John Barleycorn or Solvay; no creeping in of Presley material, choirs, orchestras: not ever. Various: "Along the Coaly Tyne" Johnny Handle, Lou Killen and other: recorded years ago but still very fresh. The best English songs come from Northumbria I guess. Various: "Blow The Man Down": A excellent collection of sea shanties. Includes Cyril Tawney (can't be beat) and Steptoe's son (really). Various: "Deep Lancashire": a wonderful collection of very funny songs and , being a Lancashire Lad, songs my Grandma sang. Worth it just for the Harry Boardman tracks. Apart from the Julie Henigan recording the rest were recorded years ago although released in the last decade, which must mean something. Dr John |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Rick Fielding Date: 06 Aug 99 - 08:12 PM Sorry, I got so enthusiastic that I forgot the criteria. CDs THIS decade! These are obviously from my all time list. I'll try to copy them and put them on Peter T's thread. But you know how I am with complex computer stuff! |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Mudjack Date: 07 Aug 99 - 12:18 AM Tom Russell's "The Man From God Knows Where". Highly recommended by this opinion. It might go on to be an all time best. Mudjack |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Llanfair Date: 07 Aug 99 - 03:40 AM Dr John, are you another "Manchester Man"? Used to see Harry Boardman at his club in the late 60's. Favourite CD,s? Maddy Prior "ravenchild", Steeleye Span "Time", and a lot of the old records and tapes that are now on CD, like "Leige and Leif", Fairport, and anything by Sandy Denny or June Tabor. Hwyl, Bron. |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Doctor John Date: 07 Aug 99 - 05:04 AM No, Llanfair, from the other side of the East Lancs - Liverpool but now in the SW. There are some musicians from there whose names I can't recall! I've come into English folk music quite late, and I unfortunately never did see Harry Boardman. Been collecting folk music USA for decades. Dr John |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: HåvardR Date: 16 Aug 99 - 02:18 PM I'll bring up this tread again in spite of Peter's more recent (and more ambigious) tread on albums of this century. Although like that idea as well, as was looking for people's opinions on contemperary folk music. Try to write a line about your suggestions, so that readers unacquainted with the artists can get an idea . Furthermore, quote original work rather than "Greatest hits" or "Anything by..." Cheers, Håvard |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Dale Rose Date: 16 Aug 99 - 03:25 PM Well, I HAVE been working on it, Havard, (and I am sure others are, too) but it is just too difficult. Just to let you have a progress report, So far I have Natalie MacMaster, Maura O'Connell, Dolores Keane, The Forbes Family, . . . Leastways, I think those will all make the final cut. (You will note that by including The Forbes Family, that mine is a broad definition of Folk.) |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: GeorgeH Date: 17 Aug 99 - 07:39 AM Dr John also forgot the "this decade" - assuming we're meaning recording date rather than release date. So I'll think carefully . . Certainly the list should include:
June Tabor: Aleyn Martin Simpson: Live (or possibly "Smoke and Mirrors" - a hard choice but I wouldn't want to nominate two by the same artist) Svart Kaffe:
At which point I need to check some dates . .
G.
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: GeorgeH Date: 17 Aug 99 - 07:49 AM Oh . . what happened to my formatting. Oops, forgot that the Mudcat text box treats triangular brackets as HTML command de-limiters. Anyway I've thought of two more essentials, so let me try again: June Tabor: Aleyn Martin Simpson: "Live" or "Smoke and Mirrors" Svart Kaffee: (Whatever the Swedish for "French Rost" is but I'm not going to attempt that from memory). Tommas Lynch: Crux of the Cataloge Tantika: I think it's called "A new tradition" but it's certainly their only recording. Catriona Macdonald and Ian Lowthian: "Opus Blue" (Ironically not their best work - which, due to contractural problems, could never be recorded - but still worth a place in the top ten) Flook!: Their new album when it comes out (about 2 weeks) as I know it's going to be even better than their first. That only leaves me 3, but I'm happy with that lot. G. |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: AndyG Date: 17 Aug 99 - 09:28 AM For what it's worth,
A Garland of Carols - Coope Boyes & Simpson
AndyG |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: Peter T. Date: 17 Aug 99 - 10:30 AM I don't know if this is folk as you want it, Havard, but I would give a vote to Emmylou Harris' Cowgirl's Prayer. I too wish people would say something about the records and people they like for the great unwashed, like me!!! So here goes. Emmylou Harris is the "diva" of country music, beginning with Gram Parsons who crashed and burned after making two seminal country rock albums, and then working her way up with a variety of top class players like Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice, and a series of hot backing bands. In the mid 1990's when everyone said she was washed up (only selling a million records a year), she broke out into serious "heavy rock country", big drums, big guitars; and made "Wrecking Ball" and most recently, Spyboy. These have sold crillions, but I still prefer Cowgirl's Prayer. She has probably the heartbreakingest voice around, and the taste to match. Cowgirl's Prayer makes the most of it. On the other hand, Spyboy has a supercharged version of "Boulder to Birmingham", her song about Parsons' death and aftermath, that raises the hair on the back of your neck. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: 10 Best Folk CDs of this Decade From: AndyG Date: 17 Aug 99 - 11:23 AM At your command:
A Garland of Carols - Coope Boyes & Simpson
Deep Lancashire - Various Artists, I couldn't find a website but it's mentioned above.
Knock John - Chris Wood & Andy Cutting
Live in the Highlands - Maire ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman
Mr Universe - Tony Hall, Englands master of the melodion displays his consumate skill.
Oranges And Lemmings - The Mrs Ackroyd Band
Tenterhooks - Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies
AndyG |
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