Clannad vs Fairport Convention Prog Folk

If taken in context at the time they first came up, I would say that Fairport Convention is way more progressive and interesting than Clannad, and while this could be said to be my preference, you can look at the various things they did in the early days, which were not "exactly" making FOLK music well known, and in fact, it should be stated that they were making sure that its tradition of experimentation and continuation was alive and well ... there are many pieces available of them extending the songs, and showing an improvised element that I am not sure that Clannad has at all, which would take away from their "progressive" ideal altogether, but that is my seeing it.

And catching all the FC albums with Sandy Denny, is a treat that I'm not sure that many folks can totally appreciate. You can start and stop at "Reynardine" and then "One More Chance", a song that also comes with a piano version that is even more scary than the original in the album, which was already a song about the departed from this earth Sandy Denny, with a massive duet of instruments in it, that was likely done after she fell. But it brought out the "progressive" in the band, and their rendition of "Reynardine" is one of the prettiest things ever recorded in rock music, though too artsy and pretty, for many folks here to even consider it "progressive", but considering it "folk"? Way out of the atmosphere on that one, I suppose! Folk had never been that "electric" and "pointed" as it was at that moment.

I do not think that Clannad, ever had the strength and ability that FC displayed over their history, and in many ways, I would almost consider Clannad a lot of pop songs and music, and not even something like FC that on occasion defied the definition of ... folk music?

 

Anyway, it is not my part to Judge in which subgenre they should belong. I am not a subgenre specialist and the Prog Folk policy is way too enigmatic for me to fathom.

After reading through this thread I want to youtube and typed in "clannad full album." The first result was Macalla. I meditated to it..

yeah agreed that Pentangle is more prog than Fairport, by virtue of their jazzy vibe.

Clannad has that vibe too, definitely more influenced by Pentangle than by Fairport, particularly up to and including "Magical Ring".  This is a family that had music in their blood, and it wasn't just folk music, but all kinds.  Watch the pastpresent video if you can find it, from 1989 - it's a mix of concert footage, interviews and music videos.