A walk through prog folk
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Topic: A walk through prog folk
Posted By: Sean Trane
Subject: A walk through prog folk
Date Posted: April 11 2006 at 04:34
A small meander through folk rock/prog Not trying to make the top 100 of any kind, but my musical adventures throughout the last 30 months (since I joined the PA) have lead me to many prog folk groups that where on my list of things to discover (since I had discovered Comus and before that Spirogyra some 15 years ago), but I finally got around to them recently and I am sure ProgArchives is partly responsible for it. This first post will be limited to groups that are present in the Archives and of a European-Cultured stock.
Although Comus’s first album (in 71) has now become a classic of the genre, they are still not known to their just value. Among collabs, Comus is hardly a secret anymore and if they do not get a unanimity among us, it is mostly of their eerie and acid sound; Not only are the twin-lead vocals highly treble-range, but the violin and the songwriting as well as sometimes macabre lyrics, make their First Utterance album a really uncanny discourse on pagan lifestyles. Not quite as flawless as Jethro Tull’s Thick As A Brick, but it has the same sort of class. Should not be listened without the small Ep that came out at the same time called Diana. Tracks like Drip Drip and lugubrious gatefold artwork are quite unsettling, but the music grabs the progheads at his lower instincts.
A recent discovery of mine, Jan Dukes De Grey is not a person, but a trio of extremely insane young man that have written just two albums (it seems that this is frequent that most of the groups I mention here only released two albums) and if the first one is a fine Hippy-folk album, nothing was to warn us that Mice And Rats In The Loft (if this title is not about madness) would be so fantastic and enthralling and flabbergastingly superb. Only three tracks and the sidelong track Sun Symphonia is the apex of Folk-influenced prog rock. Just as lyrically insane as Comus or Tea & Symphony, this is a MUST if you are into bizarre folk.
Another two-album group, Tea And Symphony was released on the famous Harvest label and is certainly one of the most adventurous-sounding album ever released by them. Another fully justified title about insanity: Asylum For The Musically Insane (in 69). This album is recorded with the help of bluesy-prog Bakerloo, but it is an unmistakably acid-folk prog masterpiece. Their ever-elusive second album (Jo Sago- never released on Cd) deals with Beat Poetry and is quite adventurous also. Rather short to mid-size tracks on this album, but do not let that fool you: they are incredibly dense in music >> Psychedelics galore. Terror in My Soul and Winter are awesome and fascinating tracks.
Spirogyra (not to be confused with the latin jazz rock outfit) is maybe my first discovery in acid-prog-folk as I discovered that this Canterbury band was a force to be reckoned with. Twin vocals (future Hatflield’s The Northettes Barbara Gaskin and main man Martin Crockerham), plenty of interplay, and strong songwriting are what makes this debut album a real gem. St Radiguns is the name of the church they were recording in, and it definitely sounds unique. The Duke Of Beaufoot is a stupendous track reminding you of Traffic’s John Barleycorn Although uncredited Bill Bruford would have drummed for this band but the announced drummer is Fairport Convention’s Dave Mattacks on all three albums. Their last album, Bells, Boots And Shamble is maybe the most progressive with multi-movement suites. A pure marvel in prog folk, one should get a load of Furthest Point and Western World. Bassist Borrel’s son has actually paid the Archives a visit
Another two-albums folk-prog group, The Trees is a bit better known to progheads, although they were completely ignored at the time of release. Based on the same type of line-up than The Pentangle, the Trees is much rockier and much less jazz, but remain a must for the proghead. Their debut album (in the Garden Of Jane Delawney) was almost as good as this On The Shore, but not as even. The twin guitars are working a bit like Jansch and Renbourn do especially with Celia Humphrys’s superb vocals. More traditional and certainly less insane then the previous suggestion on this list, yet another gem waiting for you. Streets Of Derry and Soldier Three are superb tracks that every progheads must know, but the rest of the album is a pure joy also.
This UFO comes from an insane character Ramases (he and his wife walked around dressed as Pharaoh) who recorded just two album plus two early single, but their debut album has the particularity of having the full 10 CC line-up before it recorded an album. And believe me, this baby might be one of their better one. Full of naiveté, this album is hardly flawless, but makes up in inventive poppyness , what it lacks in heavy duty prog qualities. Full of catchy songs like Life Child, Balloon or The Only One, Joe , this album is certainly not outdone in craziness and its stupendous fold-out artwork (Vertigo swirl release), makes Space Hymn a delicious treat for you and your partner.
Onto the Continent now, Ripaille made only one album (bits of the second album were brilliant and are included as bonus tracks), but what a stunner it is. La Vieille Que l’On Brula is a brutally insane story about burning so-called witches and sorcery, the album is fascinating from beginning to end even if the lyrics are in French >> a plus as they are formidable. Somewhere in between Gentle Giant and Ange, this highly theatrical/lyrical music might just be the best folk album from France.
Moving onwards to Spain and its Basque province, Haizea’s debut album was a fairly straightforward folk rock album (sounding like Fairport Convention), but nothing was to prepare us for their stupendous (and sadly last) album Hontz Guaia. This stunning (but unfortunately short) album is taking you from psychadelia to pastoral ambiances to mystical heights, a pure prog haven. The sidelong title track is simply amazing in its ever-changing structure including Gregorian chants. Run for it!!!
From Germany, Parzival comes close, with their second album BaRock, to matching Gryphon or ELO’s superb debut album. Drawing heavily (like Ripaille does too) from pre-classical music, they are one of the best example of what Germany could bring. The band can only be compared to Ougenweide or Holderlin’s Traum except that Parzival sings in English. The album is an impressive demonstration in almost-medieval-like music. Thought and Black Train are incredible tracks.
Named after a poet, Hoelderlin (or Hölderlin) ‘s debut album is certainly an awesome statement and the peaceful and pastoral ambiance is incredibly joyful, positively beautiful and intensely relaxing. Released on the rare and legendary label Pilz, this album develops a superb progressive Folk Rock with a hippy ideal but does it ever bring good vibes, man!!! The gatefold artwork is a fitting image of the music if you look carefully enough. Hölderlin’s Traum is a pure gem from beginning to end. Requiem and the finale Traum are outstanding and superb for getting cosy with the partner. Later albums are still folk prog in gradually less so as albums go on.
Last but not least, we jump across the pond and then across the whole of Canada, to its West Coast where a duo will produce one of the most superb albums ever-recorded. Ptarmigan’s self-titled album is pure joy from beginning to end with its dreamy pastoral music and mystic chants >> you could almost believe to be on a second-phase Popol Vuh album, except that the influences are Amerindians rather than Indian. Loaded with delicious flute, most tracks are divided in section and The Island and Hymn To The Ocean are stupendous tracks .
On a second post, I will add more albums , but these are my Coup De Coeur ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Replies:
Posted By: Man Erg
Date Posted: April 11 2006 at 09:10
 Cheers Sean -------------  Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb. |
Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: April 11 2006 at 10:58
Wow... now my wish list increased a lot!!!  ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: Trotsky
Date Posted: April 13 2006 at 02:37
You rascal ... you make us want every album in turn ... and I only have Comus and The Trees! 
------------- "Death to Utopia! Death to faith! Death to love! Death to hope?" thunders the 20th century. "Surrender, you pathetic dreamer.” "No" replies the unhumbled optimist "You are only the present." |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 13 2006 at 06:29
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I do believe it is the point of such a thread Wait 'till you see what's coming up next Be ready with the wallet ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Trotsky wrote:Posted By: Man Erg
Date Posted: April 13 2006 at 09:04
I'm going to set-up a direct debit account with Freak Emporium    ------------- Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 21 2006 at 04:50
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I know many of you read this before in the genre description page, but to make you wait a bit for vthe rest of the blog page, here is the article. It was not meant as a definition, but it became so, since this was much better than the original prog folk intro. A fuller definition of prog folk will come in a few weeks defining the three aspects of this genre as this only fits one of the three components.
Prog FolkIn the wake of the 60’s, a Folk revival started on both sides of the Atlantic, and got quickly linked with a protest movement, not always, but often linked to more left-wing tendencies, which did not sit well with the authorities. BOB DYLAN, JOAN BAEZ, WOODY GUTHRIE, JOHN DENVER, BUFFY STE-MARIE, but also the FARINA couple Richard and Mimi for the US and SHIRLEY COLLINS and EWAN McCOLL (mentor of BERT JANSCH, JOHN RENBOURN ) for the UK and HUGUES AUFRAY in France. In Quebec, there was the “Chansoniers” phenomenon among which CLAUDE LEVEILLE and FELIX LECLERC were the most popular, waking up the sleepy “Belle Province” and stand up for itself from the English rule. The English part of Canada also brought up JONI MITCHELL, LEONARD COHEN (although he was from Montreal) and NEIL YOUNG.As DYLAN turned electric with his Highway 61 Revisited album, much to the dislike of purists who yelled for treason, Folk Rock was born, opening the floodgates for younger artists to turn on the electricity. As DYLAN soon abandoned to style to create Country Rock with his next album, his British equivalent Scotsman DONOVAN stayed true to Folk Rock. In the US, THE BYRDS were the main promoters of the style by now, culminating with the superb “Eight Miles High” track with a lengthy (for the times) guitar solo of almost one minute. But countless other bands on the west coast, such as LOVE, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (and later its spin-off HOT TUNA), GRATEFUL DEAD, QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, and TIM BUCKLEY all started in the folk rock realm. Even San Fran’s SANTANA with its Latino traditional music and, on the east coast, NY’s THE LOVING SPOONFUL had folk roots. Notwithstanding the immense popularity of SIMON & GARFUNKEL and their delicious harmonies, Folk Rock was appealing only to the rock public as the older generations turned their backs in folkies. In the UK, following on their countrymen DONOVAN, many Scotsmen were very influent in exploring new grounds for folk rock: INCREDIBLE STRING BAND (led by Scots Palmer and Williamson) with their two highly influential albums “5000 Layers Or The Spirit Of The Onion” & “The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter” and THE PENTANGLE (led by other Scots Renbourn, Jansch and McShee and their superb bassist Danny Thompson) and its incredible fusion of folk, blues and jazz style were very instrumental in developing the style to the same extent as FAIRPORT CONVENTION and THE STRAWBS who by that time were still more conventional US “west-coast folk rock”. The single artistes in folk rock became known as Folk Troubadours were also numerous and often presented a more progressive side of folk: AL STEWART, NICK DRAKE, ROY HARPER, TYRANOSAURUS REX (actually a duo of Steven Took and Marc Bolan) , JOHN MARTYN etc… However, the real angular album that will lead to further change of Folk Rock is FAIRPORT CONVENTION’s “Liege & Lief” album, that proved to be highly influential for another generation of groups: this album concentrated into electrifying seminal English traditional folk and retained that quaint Englishness taste. It is interesting to see that both leaders of FAIRPORT quit the band after this success to go their respective way: Sandy Denny to a solo folk songwriting career and Ashley Hutchings to a very traditional folk rock. By this time, most connoisseur were talking of Acid Folk, Psych Folk, and Progressive Folk, all having limited differences and no particularly drawn-out limits or boundaries, but all relying on experimental or groundbreaking adventures and good musicianship but not necessarily of an acoustic nature. Groups like THE THIRD EAR BAND and QUINTESSENCE relied on eastern Indian music influences and, sometimes, medieval tones. Other groups like the weird COMUS, THE TREES, SPYROGIRA, FOREST, the superb JAN DUKES DE GREY (all listed in the ProgArchives) but also TRADER HORNE, TUDOR LODGE, FOTHERINGAY, MAGNA CARTA, TIR NA NOG (all of whom could also be in the ProgArchives) were out to break new ground but with less commercial success as their predecessor. By 1972, all of the glorious precursors bands were selling fewer records and had problems renewing themselves and a newer generation of groups was relying in a more Celtic jigs or really traditional sounds. Such as HORSLIPS, DANDO SHAFT, STEELEYE SPAN, AMAZING BLONDEL, ALBION DANCE BAND and SPRIGUNS OF TOLGUS. Although JETHRO TULL had some definitive folk roots right from the start, their only albums that can be regarded as Prog Folk are 77’s Songs From The Woods and 78’s Heavy Horses. Ian Anderson (another Scots) was very keen in acoustical traditional songs. Some Folk Troubadours such as TIM BUCKLEY and JOHN MARTYN started turning records more and more axed towards fusing jazz and folk (a bit in what THE PENTANGLE were doing) , others became more and more electric and they started to be referred to as Singer Songwriters especially those with country rock influences. In Germany, HOELDERLIN (and their fantastic debut album), EMTIDI, OUGENWEIDE, CAROL OF HARVEST, WITTHEUSER & WESTRUPP were exploring German folk while KALACAKRA , SILOAH and EMBRYO were indulging with Indian music. In South America, most notably in Chile, LOS JAIVAS (very bent upon Andean Indian music) and EL CONGRESSO (more Spanish-Latino folklore) were using folk in their rock, so much that some press talked about them referring it with the hateful term Inca Rock. In Quebec, the progressive movement exploded with the cultural identity and the Chansoniers tradition and this was carried out with LES SEGUIN and HARMONIUM and so many more. In France, many groups were out for folk rock such as RIBEIRO ALPS, TANGERINE, and ASGARD. In Spain, Flamenco playing a dominant role as well as Basque folk, TRIANA, ITOIZ and HAIZEA were the head of the movement once the Franco regime fell apart after his death. There is also a very important medieval music influences dimension in some groups as the term Medieval Folk was also mentioned for a while but apparently dropped by musicologists. Among the UK groups are obviously GRYPHON, GENTLE GIANT and THIRD EAR BAND, in France: MALICORNE and RIPAILLE and in Scandinavia: ALGARNAS TRADGARD and FOLQUE. Hugues Chantraine ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: avestin
Date Posted: April 21 2006 at 11:25
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As always, your articles are very good and informative.
The problem is the online vendors asked me to stop buying cd's on grounds that I am not leaving anything for others. So I told them Hugues Chantraine sent me, and it worked like magic.
Thanks for the info, Sean. ------------- http://hangingsounds.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - Hanging Sounds http://www.progarchives.com/ProgRockShopping.asp" rel="nofollow - PA Index of prog music vendors |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 22 2006 at 06:30
you vile flatterer  ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Trickster F.
Date Posted: May 13 2006 at 14:34
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I'll response to this thread so that I can get back to it later.
TAG
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Posted By: Seyo
Date Posted: June 14 2006 at 13:35
Great work, Sean 
I am also particularly fond of many, especially American classic folk-rock, especially those fused with psychedelia of the late 1960s.
Of course many names from your article still waits for me to explore them...
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Posted By: avestin
Date Posted: June 14 2006 at 13:43
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I found this website: GERMAN PROG FOLK, FOLK- PROG, PSYCHFOLK http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/Germanprogfolk.html - http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/Germanprogfolk.html It gives a list of bands and albums and references to each one. Not complete, but good enough. Do you have more articles in your arsenal, Sean? ------------- http://hangingsounds.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - Hanging Sounds http://www.progarchives.com/ProgRockShopping.asp" rel="nofollow - PA Index of prog music vendors |
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: June 15 2006 at 17:13
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Emtidi's "Saat" is worth a mention too, as is Dr. Strangely Strange's "Kip of the Serenes," two of my favorite Prog Folk albums.
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: June 16 2006 at 03:37
coming up somewhere on this blog page, Zac  ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: June 16 2006 at 04:22
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a second salvo of prog folk related album that you probably not see anytime soon in the Archives although these albums are much worth the proghead's attention http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=8510&q=Tim+Buckley+Lorca">
 http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=8335&q=Tim+Buckley+Happy+Sad"> Tim Buckley - Happy/Sad and Lorca Started out as a folk troubadour, to progressively slip into a folk fusion-jazz, with an amazing creativity and staying relatively free of commercial restraint from his label. Many Buckley specialist will prefer Starsailor or Goodbye And Hello as the two albums to listen to in priority, but for progheads, these two albums are clearly more of an interest, especially because of the incredibly fusion of jazz and folk all mixed under Tim’s amazing vocal prowess, Larry Beckett’s texts and the charming formation including CC Carter’s congas and Lee Underwood’s electric guitars. As mentioned in the top of this post, these two albums have not many in common with my first selection and barely fit the definition of prog folk, but the fusion elements of jazz into Buckley’s strong folky roots is quite impressive and a must for progheads to hear: strange feelin’ and Gypsy Woman being the best track on Happy Sad while the even more densely experimental (dare I say obtusely experimental?) Lorca album boasts its superb title track and Driftin’. A real experience http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=5047&q=John+Martyn+Solid+Air">
John Martyn – Outside In and Solid Air Just as Buckley above (and we could say these two were each other’s answer’s on each side of the Atlantic) Martyn was also a pure folkie exploring folk rock and then drifting in ac more progressive fusion of jazz, blues while keeping a folk background. Another “Pete Frame Rock Family Tree” coincidence is that stand-up bass giant, the ex-Pentangle Danny Thompson played on most of Martyn’s classic records, but also gigged with Buckley while he was touring the old world. And Thompson’s playing is an integral part of these two album’s extraordinarily successful sounds. Laced with Martyn’s unique echoplex guitar techniques, and his just-as-amazing voices doing some of the finest scats (Buckley excelled in those too), Thompson’ bass playing is awesome , making both albums the top of Martyn’s career. Many very intimate moments, and the folk troubadour roots are never far away. Flabbergasting at times and a pure extasy the rest of the time.
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks After leaving Them, Van The Man started doing more soul-influenced tracks (Brown-Eyed Girls) but he struck gold with his debut album (debatable since another solo soul record had been recorded the year before) where Van mixes his soulf influences with his Irish roots to give an outstanding result: Astral Weeks. Almost 40 years later, Van Morrisson has never been able to come as close to perfection as this album (the 71 St Dominic’s Preview is a distant second to this chef d’oeuvre), and for that matter of fact, no one comes as close to such a soulful voice than he does here. Again an album that should not be taken as a pure folk album, one must really listen to Van’s most melancholic voice on Sweet Madam George or the impressive brass arrangements on Young Lovers Do. Most tracks are fairly long and quickly settle in a spellbinding groove, while incredible vocal outbreaks and inventive musicianship make this 68 album completely groundbreaking. A pure delight and a must hear for every progheads. Garanteed goosebumps. http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=187164&q=Tir+na+nOg+A+Tear+%26amp%3b+A+Smile">
 Tir Na Nog – A Tear And A Smile This Irish duo’s (later a trio) second album is a logical development of the debut with their folk-troubadour, but here, they go for a rockier sound, obviously aiming at a wider audience by breaking free of clichés, but this record (and the next one Strong in The Sun) is never groundbreaking but stays very pleasant folk rock with enough rock attitude to make it at least prog-related. Outstanding tracks include the superb So Freely,
happy listenings ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 20 2006 at 22:49
Thanks for your recommendations! My pocketbook may not enjoy them, but my head does. 
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Posted By: avestin
Date Posted: June 25 2006 at 03:10
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http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/Latin.html - http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/Latin.html
Latin American (and Cuban) Progressive Folk and Folk Progressive ------------- http://hangingsounds.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - Hanging Sounds http://www.progarchives.com/ProgRockShopping.asp" rel="nofollow - PA Index of prog music vendors |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 25 2006 at 08:49
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Well, I had a look at the link, and found out something I'd never realised before... that Finland is near Anctartica! How come in almost six years there I'd always lived under a completely different assumption? http://progressive.homestead.com/FINLANDFOLK.html (see the entry on Loituma) And it's also never completely dark at night... even in deepest winter... Seriously, though, on the Italian page there was mention of a group that's quite highly regarded by some people I know, Agricantus. |
Posted By: avestin
Date Posted: June 25 2006 at 09:25
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You lived in Antarctica? Me too! which Iceberg?
This link may be better, although not only folk:
http://progressive.homestead.com/FINLANDPROG.html - http://progressive.homestead.com/FINLANDPROG.html
------------- http://hangingsounds.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - Hanging Sounds http://www.progarchives.com/ProgRockShopping.asp" rel="nofollow - PA Index of prog music vendors |
Posted By: beat
Date Posted: June 30 2006 at 03:45
| Thanks for the links,friends.. |
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: July 31 2006 at 15:56
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Allow me to raise the profile of the amazing Chrysalis. Their one album, Definition, was admired by Frank Zappa - and indeed, one of the members went on to join the Mothers of Invention for a couple of albums - "We're Only In It For the Money" and "Lumpy Gravy", IIRC.  Maybe it's a little light in places - we're not talking Comus here - but it is surprisingly sophisticated. ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: Paulieg
Date Posted: August 13 2006 at 18:35
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Thanks Sean. This is the one prog genre I haven't dived into yet and really want too. I will be going by your excellent recommendations and reviews. I always look for your name in the reviews of albums on this site first, since I know it won't be over-hyped or from the perspective of a fan boy. In other words I find your reviews honest and pretty accurate without all the hype that can be so often mistaken for quality.
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Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: September 02 2006 at 12:35
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Thanks to this blog I discovered alot of good prog folk bands. Thanks Sean  ------------- 
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: September 04 2006 at 10:46
Unfortunately I started too many of them and there is more coming on this one, but.......... lack of time.
I wish I was Shiva (three pairs of arms) ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: September 14 2006 at 12:43
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Sean,
Some odds'n'sods of thoughts - trust I'm not duplicating what others have said already here?
(I sure I've writtten this elsewhere on the site) I think Joe Boyd's White Bicycle biography, covering the 60's and including insights into the US and UK folk scene should provide a reference source to expand the roots of prog folk. Indeed http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dazzling-Stranger-Jansch-British-Revival/dp/0747587256/sr=1-6/qid=1158251216/ref=sr_1_6/026-4545389-2034828?ie=UTF8&s=books - - Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival by Colin Harper, is a most useful source reference.
Ewan McColl and brother-in-law Pete Seeger conservative (be they both left wing politically) /old school ideas of what folk should be, and seen as the leaders of the genre until (as Boyd implies) the minor revolution at the 1964 Newport Jazz & Folk festival. Not mentioned: John Fahey (often said to be a major influence on the American acoustic guitar scene),Al Stewart, John Sebastian, Country Joe & The Fish, Crosby Stills & Nash - Suite Judy Blue Eyes still astonishes me for the quality of playing , singing and the folk rock taking on board a symphonic structure. Tom Paxton, the importance of Transatlantic Records (especially for Renbourn, Jansch US, exile Stefan Grossman), and Elektra Records Magna Carta. The 'tarting up' of the acoustic sound of folk music in the late 60's, e.g. the string arrangements for Paul Simon/Simon & Garfunkel's early albums, followed by same to Al Stewart and David McWilliams (including the primitive electronic treatment of Days Of Pearly Spencer, when back by the Raymond LeFever Orchestra). Al Stewart writing long pieces about historical events, and even a side long piece in the form of Bedsitting Room - made notorious by being banned from air play by the BEEB - here developing from the tradition of epic folk poems and songs.
Fairport convention becoming a relevant force when Joe Boyd brought the powerful voice, as well a move and shifter, in the force of Sandy Denny - believing strongly in the tradition laid down by Cecil Sharp but pushing for the amplification and electrical instruments. The sometime parallels drawn between early Fairport and early Jefferson Airplane. In deed, the former original vocalist of Fairport, Judy Dyble actually demoing early KC tunes. |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: September 14 2006 at 15:37
| Isn't the side long piece 'Love Chronicles' Dick? 'Bedsitter Images' was the first album and it drenched Al Stewart's songs in over elaborate string arrangements. 'Love Chronicles' is an excellent epic indeed though, with early use of the 'f word' of course. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: September 16 2006 at 07:53
You are correct - I don't have the album (has it ever been issued on CD??) so relying on faulty memories of working in a record shop late 60's/early 70's, and playing it irregularly in store (lots of loud coughing when the offending word came up!). |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: September 16 2006 at 08:08
| It did come out on CD, but never separately that I know of. It was contained in a 2cd set for EMI (bizarrely as none of the albums featured were on EMI) called 'To Whom It May Concern' and it featured 'Bedsitter Images', 'Love Chronicles' and 'Zero She Flies', plus his first single for Decca too. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: September 18 2006 at 06:58
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Sal
Sometimes wondered why CBS (Columbia) made very little effort in promoting their back catalogue of Al Stewart recordings ..........
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Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: September 28 2006 at 16:21
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Sorry to tell you that Comus' First Utterance was somehow a little disappointment for me... not exactly my cup ogf tea and not exactly the prog folk I was looking for.
They're interesting and I'm happy to have found the album (in elegant parersleeve edition cd), not all that masterpiece...
How about Ramases? Today I found their Space Hymn album in my beloved prog shop.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0002LU9TE/ref=dp_image_0/102-3688824-6707309?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music">
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Posted By: Paradox
Date Posted: February 28 2007 at 06:29
Great thread Sean! I have the 2 disc Comus compilation, and I think they're great. It took me a few listens to really appriciate them, but they really grew on me. Also have Spirogyra's 'A Canterbury Tale' compilation, which again at first didn't really work for me, but listened to a few tracks again yesterday and it gels nicely
Yesterday I bought Yashti Bunyan's 'Just Another Diamond Day' thanks to your suggestion. I'm listening to it now and I have to say it's really amazing. Thank you!
The guy in my local store also liked her, which was nice. Thank you again for bringing this often ignored genre to people's attention. ------------- 
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Posted By: Paradox
Date Posted: February 28 2007 at 06:32
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Just re-read this thread and found nobody mentioned Vashti Bunyan...don't know where I got that from but what the heck! -------------
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Posted By: Paradox
Date Posted: February 28 2007 at 06:35
I bought Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat' yesterday, it's a really nice record. That's thanks to you sir!
 Just let me pin this to your waitcoat... -------------
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: March 08 2007 at 09:04
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To get an idea of the future of folk prog, you might want to check out these bands, some of which have medieval influences
Although not really medieval but having a few influences:
among modern groups but usually considered as Wyrd Folk
Espers
http://www.espers.org/ - http://www.espers.org/
http://www.myspace.com/espers - http://www.myspace.com/espers
three albums of which the medium brown and the dark brown cover albums are essential. Astounding stuff.
PG Six
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=26219 - http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=26219
Only heard of the Well Of Memory, but it comes close to being the album (released on amish records if you can believe it) of the year for me. Outstanding.
From 16 Horsepoower, comes David Eugene Edwards (not our Trouserpress) Woven Hand
http://www.wovenhand.net/ - http://www.wovenhand.net/
Heard three of their four albums, the folkier being Mosaic (their last), but all three have excellent chances to please progheads
And also The Iditarod (based on the dog sled race thru Alaska)
http://www.secreteye.org/theiditarod/reviews.html#NEKT - http://www.secreteye.org/theiditarod/reviews.html#NEKT
Four albums three of which I have heard? Sometimes very close to lo-fi folk, but on the whole excellent.
Long Live Death is also a fine nu-folk along the lines of these I just named (two albums so far, but their site seems abandonned, though).........
http://www.longlivedeath.net/ - www.longlivedeath.net/
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: March 08 2007 at 09:16
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Electrick Gypsy
Date Posted: May 22 2007 at 20:48
I got this about two weeks ago and since then its become one of my favorite albums. Sun Symphonica is an underrated MASTERPIECE! Thanks for the reccomendation. |
Posted By: sircosick
Date Posted: November 05 2007 at 15:39
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Do a search for Miranda Sex Garden, a weird band of prog folk; try an album called Suspiria, released in 1993. Just rare, yet highly reccomended for a progfolk hardcore fan. ------------- The best you can is good enough... |
Posted By: Mike Giles
Date Posted: February 11 2008 at 23:28
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THE KINGS OF FOLK PROG = JETHRO TULL
------------- Nothing he's got, he really needs. Twenty first century schizoid man. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 03 2008 at 12:05
Sorry for the delayin answering.
 Just look it up in the Archives, they've been in for a while and I reviewed Suspiria.
Today, I 'd love to introduce my latest find, an Australian duo (if you can believe that), that released just one but a superb one album....
MADDEN & HARRIS
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3590 - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3590
I reviewed the album this morning.....
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 11:20
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As of next week, I will revive this blog and make regular suggestions, because the genre is full of small wonders that need to be discovered.
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 14:23
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In addition to Espers, there are quite a few great modern prog/psych folk bands. Look into Circulus (only have their debut but it's awesome!), White Magic, Feathers, maybe Joanna Newsom or Devendra Banhart, etc. ------------- 
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Posted By: listen
Date Posted: August 18 2008 at 17:07
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A few albums that I am especially fond of that Sean hasn't written about (yet)/haven't been mentioned by others, that I have purchased in my investigation into the acid/prog folk genre after loving jan dukes de grey, comus, trees and spirogyra:
Broselmaschine: Broselmaschine (germany, 1971)--great acoustic guitar, lots of flute, great female and male vocals, some tabla, a great, at times beautiful, album Synanthesia: Synanthesia (england, 1969) a classic, much sought after. Odd acidic songs alternate with some more folky and jazzy ones. C.O.B. (Clive's Original Band): Moyshe Mcstiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart (England 1972). Fabulous album. Beautiful, some medieval sounding songs. Subway: Subway (England 71) Good more down to earth/quieter acid folk. 12 string guitar, unique voice and violin (drums on a few songs, as well as organ and bass) Others of interest: Mark Fry: Dreaming with Alice (only released in Italy, recorded when he was 17!) Pretty good acid folk: eeriness, mellow, psych (it has been rereleased finally, with bonus tracks) Ithaca: A Game for All Who Know (England 1973) Nice mellow, beautiful (great female vocals, also male) album. Also check out Agincourt: Fly Away (1970) (same three members). Emtidi: Saat (Germany, 72) Fairly electronic psychedelic folk Witthüser & Westrupp: Der Jesuspilz (Musik Vom Evangelium) and Trips und Träume (germany, 72, 71). Pretty good as far as I have listened to them. Pearls Before Swine:Balaklava, The Use of Ashes (USA, '68, '70). Haven't listened to these extensively, but what I've heard is some nice psych folk. Pentangle: Basket of Light (England, '69) Great melodic, rhythmic folk with some middle eastern influence. Espers: Espers, II (USA 2003,2006) GREAT odd and beutiful music Kalacakra: Crawling to Lhasa (Germany 72) Indo-Prog/Raga Rock meets acid folk meets blues and krautrock Third Ear Band: Alchemy, Elements (England 69, 72). Indo-Prog/Raga Rock meets Univers Zero-like classical+odd sound meets acid folk Less recommended but worth checking out: Forest: forest and Full Circle (England '69, '70). Largely inspired by the Incredible String Band. Shirley and Dolly Collins: Anthems in Eden (have heard this is great and dark, but haven't been able to hunt it down, the next album, "Love Death and the Lady" is a pretty good trad. folksy album but with odd, artsy spins. Simon Finn: Pass the Distance (have heard this is good, haven't listened to it a lot yet) Haven't heard but have heard good things about: Moonkyte: Count Me Out Fuchsia: Fuchsia
Good topic Sean I have a lot more to discover!
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Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: September 25 2008 at 17:23
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Other folk groups and artist:
Forest, and english band that have 2 superb albums issued in CD by BGO records.
Also Nick Drake is a excellent guitar player (he have 6 different ways to tuning his guitar) i have all his disc.
Leo Kottke and alumini of John Fahey ho have excellent guitar oriented albums (check the 12 string, and the Yellow Princess of Fahey that have members of the Spirit band playing).
Peter Lang who record a great album in 1972 (the one with a sphinx).
Of course Magna Carta.
and guitarrist Jake Holmes who are a big influence on Jimmy Page. in fact Jake wrote Dazed and confused first....
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Posted By: AlexUC
Date Posted: February 02 2009 at 22:24
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Bump. Very good recommendations for those interested in prog folk. I've discovered very very interesting albums from this list, and I think I'm just starting to discover a great world in there ------------- This is not my beautiful house... |
Posted By: SmithRoxy
Date Posted: May 04 2009 at 03:50
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That's good.Very good recommendations for those interested in prog folk. I've discovered very very interesting albums from this list
------------- http://www.genericsmed.com/buy-cheap-generic-cialis-tadalafil-p-1.html - Generic Cialis |
Posted By: LandofLein
Date Posted: May 05 2009 at 18:04
| It's weird how my family has been on my ass about getting a job for months now.......and yet all I needed was this blog to make me actually do something about it to get one! |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: June 08 2009 at 13:26
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Dark Captain Light Captain ------------- |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: November 27 2009 at 23:19
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Hi, This is, by far, one of the nicest posts I have ever seen on this board ... and it is thorough ... I think I might add something about Alan Stivell ... for his mixes of folk, traditional, rock and jazz is really special. And like a lot of music in France, it is extremely political and has a few albums where the lyrics make sure that the world knows the history of the French Celtic folks and what happened to them in French history and how a lot of their culture was eradicated. In general, he is a very tough listen for many audiences ... unless he tones it down to traditional instruments and comes off as a folk player, just doing traditional stuff ... but his power in strength is adding a Celtic Harp and soloing it around an electric guitar ... and being just as powerful and helping the music be even stronger ... it is, in effect, the modern version, of his culture ... and he set a nice pace for it ... though few were able to continue it and do more with it ... I think that too many folks feel that the celtic harp belongs with angels and not in music! ... something like that ... and he breaks that apart in one song ... all you have to do is listen up to Pop-Plinn one more time ,,, or Suite Irlandaise ... or Spered Hollvedel to catch what one might think sound like gospel vocals in the background ... to Kimiad for an amazing jazz morsel that is magical ... (get the Again CD for a more prog style version of these, btw) ... Of any others, Spain and Portugal are hugely involved in the folk scene, but unfortunately these are not as well known or heard as you and I would have liked ... and some of this music tends to be more traditional than otherwise but there are some hybrid blends (wish I could name them and knew them) that stand out now and then ... and some of them are in the clubs in Madrid and Barcelona, for example ... that they have not been thought of as "progressive" is more a lack of too much of this music not being heard around the world, and populated through the LP, Cassette and CD world that all of these mentioned above have. Incredible String Band probably deserves a wider mention, but I am not even sure how to do that ... Robin Williamson's sometimes contempt for singing and just having fun with lyrics often turn people off and in a way this group was more theatrical than all the others ... but unfortunately they could not make this survive on a stage, in such a way that people would appreciate the dancing and the theater in it. I oftne think that it was a serious attempt at mixing folk music with theater and some other elements of performance, and were it not for the ability of the work to sell itself, even on a stage, it might have worked. And ... I think much more importantly, like Amon Duul 2, this was indeed a commune and it DID feature the women in the group instead of not. Most "hippy" and psychedelic bands did not do so ... they could talk about anything, but when it came to the music it had to be just men! ... and even Grace Slick touched on this some in her biography ... it was music for male fantasies only! The Ramases thing is a bit strange, and the 10CC'rs talk about it with some humor, and there is some good music in those albums, however, they are more towards the philosophical side of things disguised as music ... take away the lyrics and you have a folk 10CC ... whose history came from the folk and pop side of things by even writing and putting together stuff for Neil Sedaka. The American scene is not too dis-similar ... I came to Santa Barbara i n1972 and there was no "folk scene" per se, but there was a blue grass scene that tended to mix with folk rather well ... and LA was not exactly known for folk music much. I always thought that the Bay Area were the kinds of the folk music stuff, however, not sure that many of us can name that many folks from there and the songs/music they played ... the Farina's are well represented in many places and even Sandy Denny did an amazing song of theirs a capella in one of her albums ... showing that she was quite aware that Bob Dylan was not the only folk one around ... What I can not say that should be mentioned here, and in its history, I would think that the first Seeger and the elder Guthrie also deserve mention ... although they are thought of as reactionaries rather than "musicians" many times, and that is sad, for their work is as important as just about any mentioned here. But much of it maybe considered straight ahead folk much more than it would be considered any kind of prog-folk ... which tends to be mostly represented strictly by the fact that it is electric ... and nothing much more. Third Ear Band, to me, even though it is influenced by eastern music is much more of an academic endeavor and work, than I would associate with anything else ... though it is clear to me that a lot of it is right out in the open free form. While they are important in a way, I still think that they are "colder" , and sometimes they remind me of music majors at UCSB tapping their fingers on a piece of paper and putting a note here and there, and calling it music ... but this may be me. Brazil .. .should be in here, and somehow, finding a way to add Africa ... where Maria Bethania and so many others cracked radio in the later 60's with a massive amount of music that was getting played on radio, but really deserves to be mentioned as prog-folk ... it was not just folk music, and later people like Egberto Gismonti free formed his way, into a hybrid that folks tend to call "jazz" and is not ... it's just total free form within a folk context ... something that is really hard to explain as "folk". But it is ... check out his early albums on ECM. I can not speak with any authority at all, about Argentina, or other Latin countries, and it is widely known that Cuba is massive when it comes to music, and always has been in just about any style. |