Monday, January 11, 2010

1051 - Mojo 35. Davy Graham and Shirley Collins - Folk Roots, New Routes (1964)

















Track Listing

1. Nottamun Town
2. Proud Maisrie
3. The Cherry Tree Carol
4. Blue Monk
5. Hares On The Mountain
6. Reynardine
7. Pretty Sasro
8. Rif Mountain
9. Jane, Jane
10. Love Is Pleasin'
11. Holler Boll Weevil
12. Hori Horo
13. Bad Girl
14. Lord Greggory
15. Grooveyard
16. Dearest Dear

Review

If you've followed this project from the beginning you probably noticed that I have a deep love for 60s British folk and this album is no exception. This is one of those albums which really mark something and as such were weirdly absent from the previous list.

This is one of the first British folk albums to mark new developments in folk music, adding new elements like Graham's Indian raga like guitar playing, Jazz and "world-music" influences. Shirley's voice is also a voice that is very much defining of the genre.

The music is beautiful and the influence that this had on people like Bert Jansch, Nick Drake and John Martyn as well as bands such as Pentangle and Fairport Convention is more than apparent, this is actually really new music coming to light almost fully formed. Impressive.

Track Highlights

1. Rif Mountain
2. Reynardine
3. Nottamun Town
4. Blue Monk

Final Grade


10/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

It was not in Graham's nature to pursue fame and fortune and he retired to relative obscurity for many years, when he engaged in charity work and teaching as well as protracted periods of drug use, before beginning to tour again in the years before his death. His childlike, almost obsessive, enthusiasm for music never left him, however, and he would gladly give a free private concert to any chance acquaintance.

Rif Mountain:

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