All time favourite recordings

Subject: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: ALDUS
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 10:03 AM

Last evening, over a few pints, a goup of old folkies discussed their five all time favourite recordings. It made me think that this would be a good place to ask this question as we have have such a wide diversity of taste. It also occures to me that it is also a way to make a shopping list. Just A thought..anyway here's my five Faves......

1] Frankie Armstrong..the first album. Frankie is not a subtle singer,,but she is passionate and presents the songs with great emotion.

2]June Tabor/Maddy Prior/Silly Sisters/The First Album.

3] Mary Jane Lamond/Gaelic Songs From Canada..TERRIFIC.

4] Waterson Carthy/ Common Tongue

5] The Watersons/For pence and Spicey Ale]

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 10:38 AM

In my book no one can compare with Jeannie Robertson. There's a recent book on her from California yet [James Porter & ?] and the 'Journal of American Folklore' devoted a whole issue to her just after she died. [Alas, I have neither.]

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Will
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 04:03 PM

Boy, so many songs ...

Today's favourites, in no particular order, other than the way they are stacked up on top of each other

1. Pentangle, Sweet Child 2. Stan Rogers, Northwest Passage 3. John Mayall, A sense of place 4. Anything by Nanci Griffith (Once in a very blue moon, Blue roses from the moon, ...) 5. Anything by Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Matapedia, ...) 6. Steeleye Span, Hark! The village wait and several others

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From:
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 06:21 PM

Like Bruce says, ANYTHING by Jeannie Robertson..(and her daughter, Lizzie Higgins, ain't bad either)

most anything by Jean Redpath, but especially her Philo album where she picks HER favorites! (Ned of the Hill...one of my favorite songs..(MacCrimmons Lament...makes my hair stand on end!) (I Live Not Where I Love) etc....

Davy Stewart's recording of "The Merchant's Son and the Beggar's Daughter" on the Kennedy-Lomax collection of 'The Folksongs of Britain' (Songs of Seduction volume)...such an amazing voice and rendition!

Bruce Phillips "Good Though" album...'nuff said?

The Red Clay Ramblers album of Carter Family songs...(you know the one)

and if I were to pick again tomorrow, the list (except for Jeannie R., and Jean R., would be different

now, for the 50-75 favorites I left out......all the Ewan McColl stuff.., Kilby Snow, Norman Blake, Art Thieme,Ossian, Burl Ives, Peter Bellamy, Roscoe Holcomb, Bernard Wrigley, The Watersons, a banjo player named Walter Forbes......uh....wait...50-75 isn't gonna do it...and now I need to go back and revise 1-5!!!..you know what?? That's a tough question!

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 10:11 PM

oh!! my... never noticed that Mudcat had lost my cookie! That post above was from me...(and I STILL am revising the durned list in my head!)

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Rockaday Johnnie
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 02:06 AM

All time favorites? -Hmmm - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Outright Bold Faced Lie - Art Thieme, Folk Blues of Eric Von Schmidt, Complete Robert Johnson, Even Dozen Jugband, Just Dave Van Ronk (Still trying to figure out Bad Dream Blues) Natural Born Heathen - Don Lange - Rory Block's 2 Disco lps on Chrysalys (really!) anything by BW McTell or the Skillet Lickers ---By Gosh there's lotsa good music out there!

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Johnny
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 03:41 AM

To me there is only one name really "Shane MacGowan" Well that sounded pretty narrow didn't it? ofcourse there is more but the more I listen to Shane and the Pogues the more every thing else seem to fade. take care Johnny

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 10:45 AM

ummmm.."De gustabus non disputandum"

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 11:08 AM

Bill D:

It's good to know that there are some other Walt Forbes fans out there. Has any of his really early stuff been released on cd?

Bill Foster

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 11:28 AM

Hey...I thought I was the only one!! No...I have only one record and haven't seen and CDs....saw another at a little second-hand store years ago, but had no money...and when I got back the next day, it was gone. A friend who played banjo told me about Walt Forbes and I really liked his style...maybe someday...

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 11:44 AM

Bill D: I know of only two LP albums that Walt ever recorded. I have them both, but I no longer own a functional turntable. We are not acquainted, but Walt and I grew up in the same general area of the Appalachians, and were exposed to the same pickers, although my background immersed me in the tradition somewhat more than his. Next time I pass through Chattanooga I might try to look him up and catch up on what's been happening with him.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Apr 98 - 04:16 PM

Bill in Ala...a search on the net mentions a couple of 45s, but that's all. It would be interesting to know if he is still living..playing...etc..(not to mention a copy of that other record if you ever get a chance..)

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Dale Rose
Date: 30 Apr 98 - 04:30 PM

My list comes later, but I LOVE Walter Forbes, had a chance to buy his RCA album when it was new, but passed it up and never saw it again. I have regretted it ever since. I did get to see him live on the Grand Ol' Opry, one of the two times I went and also got to see Cowboy Copas sit down and do Alabam, one of those magical moments.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: David Arrowsmith Birmingham England
Date: 30 Apr 98 - 05:51 PM

recently the Waterson/Carthy stuff takes some beating.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: aldus
Date: 01 May 98 - 08:05 AM

Re Walter Forbes I have his first album,now in very bad shape from years of playing, and it is one of my all time favourites. Until now I hve never met anyone who had ever heard of him. I too would be interested in hearing any recent news of him.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 01 May 98 - 08:17 AM

Bill D. I don't get back to the mountains of southeast Tennessee much nowadays, and the homeplace is overgrown with weeds (sounds like a bluegrass song); but the last I heard (many years ago--early '70's), Walt had returned to Chattanooga and gone into the family business, but was remaining active in amateur theater in the area. I will be at a festival with The Dismembered Tennesseeans in October, and if I don't find out something before then, I'll try to remember to ask them. My favorite version of H.C. Work's "Nicodemus" is Walt's interpretation.

Bill Foster

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Moira Cameron
Date: 02 May 98 - 02:38 AM

Oh the pressure of making a choice!!!

I'd have to say anything by Frankie Armstrong would be in my top five. And judging by the CDs I listen to the most--I'd pick Ian Robb "Fallen Angels", the Friends of Fiddlers' Green "Road to Mandelay", Artisan "Breathing Space", Leon Rosselson "Rosselsongs", and Moxy Fruvous--their first album. I guess that makes more than five. Oh well.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 May 98 - 01:56 PM

Gee, it's hard to stick with just five. I think I'll cheat and choose mostly anthologies:

The Capitol Years, four CD's by the Kingston Trio
The First Fifteen Years, 2 CD's by Bok, Muir & Trickett
Home in Halifax, a live recording by Stan Rogers
The First Million Miles, by Bill Staines
Water from Another Time, by John McCutcheon

Is that five already? Well, I can't do it. I have to add the Will the Circle Be Unbroken CD's, and the Steve Goodman anthology called No Big Surprise. For some female voices, I'd add some Priscilla Herdman, Sally Rogers, Jean Redpath, and Loreena McKennitt. Oh, and Dinah Shore, Doris Day, and Miss Peggy Lee for good measure.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: steve t
Date: 04 May 98 - 06:11 PM

Hmmm.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem: The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone.

Carl Sandburg: Flatrock Ballads.

Pete Seeger: We Shall Overcome -- The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert.

John Prine: Great Days.

The Waterboys: The Best of the Waterboys, '81-90.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 May 98 - 01:07 AM

Aunt Molly Jackson--Libr. Of Congress recordings

Emery DeNoyer (ballad singer)--Libr. of Congress (various cuts on several collections)

Vera Hall--as above

Bosie Sturdevant--"Aint No Grave Can Hold My Body Down"(on new compilation CD Stephen Wade edited for the Libr. of Congress

Jess Morris--Goodbye Old Paint (on CD above)

O.J.Abbott--Songs of the Ottawa Valley (Folkways)

Wolf River Songs--Folkways

Jim Ringer--Folk Legacy (with "Californis Joe)

Champlain Valley Songs--Pete Seeger (Folkways)

Joe Hickerson--anythin on Folk Legacy

Horton Barker (Folkways)

Paul Clayton--TIMBER-R-R-R (Riverside)

Cindy Mangsen, Anne Hills, Priscilla Herdman...THIS COULD GO ON FOREVER...Let's just add Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy,Jay McShan, Michael Smith, Bob Gibson (CD Young & Wonderful-Riverside-issued by Fantasy), Red Rodney & Ira Sullivan, Chet Baker, Mulligan, Dexter Gordon, and the man himself:THELONIOUS MONK...

(too tired to go on--pointless exercise---only just begun!

Art

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Alice
Date: 05 May 98 - 11:40 AM

What? No Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks?
Just kidding.
I tried to think of a list, and it was too mind boggling to even go through the possibilities. Maybe it should be the fave 5 of each type of music?

alice

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Alice
Date: 05 May 98 - 11:49 AM

I still can't come up with an "all time" list, so I just went over to the stereo and grabbed five record albums that were leaning against it. (A couple found in thrift stores.) Keely Smith, 'Swingin Pretty' with Nelson Riddle Orchestra, (includes 'The Man I Love' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me'), QUAH, Jorma Koukonen and Tom Hobson, 'The Exquisite' Nana Mouskouri, Stuff Smith, with guest Stephane Grappelly, and Mary O'Hara, Songs of Ireland.

Alice

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From:
Date: 05 May 98 - 09:50 PM

For what it¹s worth, The September 1996 issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine picked the 100 essential CD's for acoustic guitar fans, and listed the top 10 FOLK as follows:

³Joan Baez, Volume 2²; Ry Cooder ³Boomer¹s Story²; Elizbeth Cotten, ³Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folksongs and Tunes²; Rev. Gary Davis ³Pure Religion and Bad Company²; Woody Guthrie ³Dust Bowl Ballads²; Ian and Sylvia ³Four Strong Winds²; Peter, Paul & Mary ³In the Wind²; Harvey Reid ³Steel Drivin¹ Man², ³The Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 1:All Kinds of Folks²; ³The Weavers at Carnegie Hall²

I have only two of these "Dust Bowl Ballads" and "Steel Drivin' Man", but I'd include both in my top 5, so I'd take the list seriously.

Subject: RE: ALL TIME FAVOURITES
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 14 Jul 01 - 01:04 AM

refresh (this week on Radio 2 Mike Harding will play "the 10 best folk songs, as voted by listeners, Wednesday 8PM)