PROG FOLK

But this 'magnum opus' is what we are here to 'discuss'. I now have his full catalogue bar two or three 90's onwards things and back in the day, amongst friends who generously passed albums round for the taping/borrowing, this was one I didn't have and went out and found my own copy of. It isn't often I build a review on others but , even though it was before my time of being in to music, there does seem to be an absence of 'time and place' in those that diss this as '4 simple folk tunes stretched out to fill the grooves'. It was 1971 maaaan. Unless you were pure Bert Jansch (who had been know to extend a song) or even Davey Graham, ten 3.5 min tracks was so passé. Ok, I agree, if no supplements of choice were fogging the studio, if you are going to stretch out at least make it interesting and have some variations...but most of this works and works sublimely well ...especially with the aforementioned supps. of choice. Harper wasn't blessed with anything other than his tremulous voice and no matter how much he throws the polemic into the mix, it will still be a timbre at odds with what might have worked a bit better.... although Tim Buckley managed it. But if you are the singer/guitarist/songwriter what other options do you have? Again he wasn't quite 'the poet' his lyrics aimed at portraying but 'folk' is about story telling and he usually tells a good un'. Me and My Woman, even with slightly over lush Bedford orchestration, is my standout...but maybe because have seen him perform a more compact and solo version more times than you could shake a spliff at....eh Captain Kirk? The other 3 tracks rise and fall as any album you have owned for 45+ years that gets very regular spins will do. They all have their charms and any of the above mentioned 'drawbacks' you wish to include.

Anyhow it is prog/folk, without being Tull or Comus, and I did mention the transatlantic touchstone of Tim Buckley as a more apt comparison, even with this album being cloaked in its quintessential 'Britishness'. Yes am always going to have an affinity with albums/artists I saw/grew up on my musical journey with but a fair few I might struggle to give 3 stars and upwards to these days. This would have been a nailed on 5 for many many years but in all honesty it is 4.5 at best so will have to drop it to four. But those days of yore and this a perfect soundtrack to them will always be there for me. Cheers Roy.

1. "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" (2:37) straight out of the gate we get the sense of how serious these musicians are about their music as well as about the kind of messages they wish to convey with the songs they choose: I love the double entendre presented in the song title while the in-your-face presentation of each and every instrument as well as Jacqui McShee's warm and luminous voice makes this song a crystalline presentation of this band's talents. (9/10)

2. "Bells" (3:52) This instrumental puts on full display the instrumental skills and talents of each and every one of the band members. There are really three songs incorporated into one here. (9/10)

3. "Hear My Call" (3:01) a bluesy blues-rock construct given a kind of folk/road-Americana treatment by the instrumentalists while Jacqui soars mellifluously over the top like a tern soaring playfully in heavy winds. (9.25/10)

4. "Pentangling" (7:02) memorable melodic hooks abound in this Pentangle classic. Has recorded music ever benefitted from higher quality trio of virtuosi as Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and Danny Thompson? And drummer Terry Cox and Jacqui McShee are no slouches either! Danny's playful solo in the song's middle, besides being laughable, is nothing short of genius. (13.75/15)

5. "Mirage" (2:00) more bluesy folk balm for the wounded soul. The virtuosity of these musicians five--adding so much to what seems like rather simple notes and melodies--is absolutely astounding. (4.5/5)

6. "Way Behind The Sun" (3:01) more great performances on a song that is not as engaging or pleasurable as the others (for me). (8.875/10)

7. "Bruton Town" (5:05) a brilliant song rendering that predates the music that COMUS and SPIROGYRA would soon continue to explore and expand upon. I love the male lead vocals being mirrored from behind by Jacqui, and then her taking over the telling of the story in the third verse. So powerful! Like many British folk songs, the music gets a bit monotonous in its repetitiveness, but the band brilliantly diverts the listener's waning attention with an absolutely brilliant instrumental passage in the second half in which Terry Cox's drumming amazes. My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

8. "Waltz" (4:54) a t-part suite to end the album starts out as a folk tune, moves into the jazz realms with a couple of motifs before meandering back into folk territory with the rhythmic support of syncopated handclapping, but then Terry picks up his sticks again to support just before Danny steps into the spotlight solo for some more super playful solo play. A hillbilly crow accompanies the band's recongealing into a full combo for the final minute of jazzy-folk virtuosity. Amazing folk musicianship bordering on jazzmenship. (9.25/10)

Total Time: 31:32

An incredibly well-engineered and performed album that puts on display the fact that none of these musicians are newbies--that they've all paid their dues to acquire the skills and maturity to put together such perfect renditions of each and every song. My only hesitation in offering full five star masterpiece status to this album is my personal aversion to bluesy music--but the skill and talent presented here is far from flawed. Brilliant performances, engineering, and production. Though the instrumental quartet is always a marvel to listen too, sometimes I regret two songs (worth nine minutes of this relatively short album) that do not involve the scintillating talent of singer Jacqui McShee; not using one of the great jazz, folk, prog voices of all-time seems almost wasteful.

A-/five stars; a masterpiece of folk- and jazz-rock that every prog lover should hear if not own. There are not many Prog Folk bands with the skill, talent, and creativity of this quintet; this combo should not be missed.

It turns out that "In the Rain" might be their most acclaimed, and I suspect, based on the spotify popularity list, that this has much to do with the stunning "An English Garden" track that graces the album's powerful midsection. Wakeford's barely sung style positively warbles compared to CURRENT 93's DAVID TIBET, and on this keystone cut he seems to be riding the potent bass and strings after a delicate albeit sinister start. The other highlights are those that similarly bust out of their singer songwriter in a factory locale, like "Fall like Rain", which also exemplifies his tendency to favor bleak contrasts in lyrical imagery, which has led to some unflattering critical evaluations; the almost jig-like "Oh What Fun"; and "In Days to Come", with a riff that coaxes neck hairs out of their comfort zone. The two "Europa in the Rain" pieces are noteworthy in the instrumental realm.

I must especially laud the effectiveness of acoustic instrumentation throughout, and I gather that Wakeford has always managed to surround himself with folk who, if not necessarily abiding his message, certainly "get it". Two bonus tracks feature on the 2015 reissue, with a cover of John Cale's "Hedda Gabler", presumably based on a title character from a Henrik Ibsen play, being noteworthy for its style out of step with the rest of what I have heard from SI, choosing a more narrative approach and, unusually, a piano figure that coaxes the story along. The extended coda is in the form of a string ensemble trying to approximate ambient electronic and acquitting itself with longhair elegance.

Clearly influential on the neo folk scene, "In the Rain" is a bit lighter in feel than most of its contemporaries, but it's still not exactly music to brighten up your day, unless you are weird like some of us folkies.

I've been a moderately enthusiastic Jethro Tull fan over the years where I've enjoyed some albums tremendously while others just never caught my fancy. This is one of those albums that hit me like a brick when I first played to it. I listened to the entire album in one sitting and when it was over I felt like I had experienced a perfect hour in my life.

I really love the musical direction that the band took with this album, with Asian influences and the contemporary lyrical references. The lyrics are poetic genius. Who else could write a song from the viewpoint of a stray dog on a busy street that makes me think of Hong Kong?

The album opens with a real kick starter with the title track and doesn't stop till the very end. The title track, Rare and Precious Chain, and Stuck in the August Rain are my favorite tracks on an album that is filled with excellent listening opportunities.

Formed in 1965 in Melbourne, Florida by Tom Rapp, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE found Rapp and his high school friends following in the footsteps of The Fugs and became one of the first American bands to fully embrace the more psychedelic possibilities of folk music without abandoning its more traditional roots. Named after the Bible passes from Matthew 7:6, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine ?." this band found an instant following and was quickly signed to the ESP label which while known for its experimental jazz artists had been the first to discover the bizarre antics of The Fugs. The band released its debut ONE NATION UNDERGROUND, a play on the American motto "One Nation Under God" in the summer of 1967 and stood out from the competition like a sore thumb or should i say sore hoof?

Taking a few cues from Donovan, Rapp infused his folk music with lyrics steeped in history as well as taking stabs at the system with early protest songs about the Vietnam War and infused it with an escapist's dose of psychedelia but not without a touch of humor as heard on the hilarious "(Oh Dear) Miss Morse" which features the word "f.u.c.k." played out in Morse code while an accompanying banjo and psychedelic organ run offer a note of seriousness. The first of four albums before Rapp would carry on as a solo artist, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE was rather unique in its more traditional folk music approach that evokes early Bob Dylan or Nick Drake only infused with a heavy Farfisa organ accompaniment that was more en vogue in the rock world than anything from the more sober world of folk music. The band delivered the odd mix of instrumentation that offered an eclectic mix of the celeste, vibraphone, autoharp, sarangi and even the occasional horns to its odd mix of psychedelic folk rock.

The tracks were quite varied with Dylan-esque tracks such as "Playmate" and "Uncle John" totally contrasting with the more plaintiff seriousness of Leonard Cohen on the opening "Another Time." Sparse folky vibes alternate with upbeat folk rock numbers like "Uncle John" while tracks like "Regions Of May" offer a jazzy touch that features excursions away from the status quo. Add to that an apocalyptic first impression courtesy of the Hieronymus Bosch album cover art and PEARLS BEFORE SWINE instantly stood out as that folk based band that was a bit hard to categorize. The album was quite popular and remains the band's best seller having exceeded 200,000 copies. A tendency to drift into the avant-garde on the track "I Shall Not Care" also stoked interest as it provided the highlight of the band's psychedelic folk style that offered a bizarre deviation from the usual folk flavors of the day.

As the album ends with "The Surrealist Waltz" you know you've entered the twilight zone with dreamy vibes accompanying pastoral folky guitar strumming in 3/4 timing while trippy organ runs and insightful lyrics find ethereal vocal harmonies haunting the backdrop. One of the most unusual early folk bands to hit the scene, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE was more of the melodic cousin to the abrasively anti-folk Fugs that relished in crafting an early proto-punk rebellion in the context of folk music. An interesting band that may take a while to warm up to given Rapp's diverse approach and oft abrasive vocal style but if a roller coaster ride of influences under the guise of folk music sounds appealing then PEARLS BEFORE SWINE is just what the doctor ordered.

This band's short history extended from 1970 to 1973 but only two albums emerged in its first year of existence. Like many folk oriented British rock bands of the era, TREES mined the Cecil Sharp Museum for musical ideas from obscure folk artifacts that never were recorded in order to resurrect them from the vaults of history. Ironically the very saving grace that happened to TREES through the sampling process. This band was just one of many who jumped on the folk rock bandwagon in the late 60s when the sudden fascination with British folk music was being revived as it was hybridizing the elements of the nascent progressive rock scene. Suddenly even major labels were signing bands without knowing anything about British folk traditions.

With bands like The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Pentangle finding critical acclaim and increasing album sales, labels were hoping to cash in on the gold rush. CBS Records was the first to discover the band TREES which featured the robust lineup of Celia Humphis (lead vocals), Barry Clarke (lead guitar, dulcimer), David Costa (guitars, mandolin), Bias Boshell (bass, keyboards, guitar) and Unwin Brown (drums, percussion). Guest musicians also provided the extra touches of a string section and harp. The year 1970 was a busy one for TREES as it quickly ascended from nowhere only to find its chance to record two albums which some claim both were released in 1970 while some sources cite ON THE SHORE as having actually emerged in January 1971. Sadly even the modern remastered editions with extensive liner notes fail to clarify this uncertainty.

Regardless of actual release date, ON THE SHORE came out less than a year after the debut "The Garden Of Jane Delawney" yet found the band undergoing a serious upgrade in its ambitions. After the debut release emerged, TREES experienced a robust touring schedule opening for diverse acts such as Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Fotheringay, Faces and Pink Floyd. This exposure to the burgeoning world of progressive rock and other musical formats such as raga rock and crossover classical bands such as Curved Air inspired primary songwriter / bassist Bias Boshell to infuse his arrangements with more robust doses of psychedelia and progressive accoutrements. The album also benefited from being recorded at Sound Techniques Studios along with sound engineer Vic Gramm who had worked with some of the top folk rock acts of the era. The results guaranteed that ON THE SHORES took the TREES sound to a completely new level in just about every way.

Like its predecessor, ON THE SHORE features both covers of traditionals along with original material. The original vinyl release features a completely different track order from reissues for whatever reason. While both versions start with the cover track "Soldiers Three" and the Boshell original "Murdoch," from there on its completely shuffled but ultimately matters not since the tracks stand on their own and do not necessitate a specific ordering system to make their statements. ON THE SHORE is just simply more musically interesting than the debut album with stronger compositions, better cover choices and an improvement in instrumentation. Likewise Humphris had become more comfortable in the world of folk rock music which before joining TREES she knew absolutely nothing about as she was actually a classically trained opera singer.

TREES successfully infused its folk rock with heftier doses of time signature workouts and a tighter even more feisty instrumental interplay with robust bass grooves as well as Richard Thompson inspired lead guitar moves that tastefully added healthy doses of rock energy to the folky melodic processions. This album often gets cited as one of the true masterpieces of the era but i've never been able to warm up to TREES like i have with the majority of other British folk rock acts of the era. To my ears Humphris' vocal style is a little too fragile and loath to really express any dramatic deliveries and the tracks as good as they are don't jive as well together as i would have hoped for. It's certainly a great album but for my ears not as compelling as the cream of the crop from Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Steeleye Span, Spyrogira or even Comus. The melodies sometimes sound a bit awkward and the instrumentation can even evoke a clumsiness that a top act would eschew. Nevertheless, ON THE SHORE is definitely a great album that was rightfully resurrected from being a footnote in history and a remarkable improvement over the band's debut "The Garden Of Jane Delawney."

Already from the restless and anxious ".... And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps", with the brief initial snorting of horses and references to the cats waiting to hunt down the food-snatching mice, the acoustic frameworks take over on "Heavy Horses", with acoustic guitar strumming and Anderson's unmistakable flutes, and the rhythmic support of the duo John Glascock and Barriemore Barlow on bass and percussion respectively, as in the medieval and entertaining "Acres Wild" supported by the delicate violin of guest Darryl Way and the mournful references to a country past that is no more, the moth-eaten and beautiful "Moths" with Dee Palmer's orchestration, or the crystalline luminosity of "One Brown Mouse".

But the album is also committed to instrumentally more complex pieces, such as the rocking and disturbing "No Lubally" and the guitar riffs of Martin Barre, or the sad description of the Funky-scented city routine marked by Glascock's intense bass in "Journeyman" and, above all, the farmer's heartfelt homage to the hard-working horses and their lesser relevance in the face of the industrialisation of the countryside and urban advance in "Heavy Horses", a very progressive folk construction of comings and goings in which Barre's guitar opening, Anderson's melancholic singing over a delicate piano carpet, Palmer's orchestral arrangements and Way's melodious violin stand out, surely the best track on the album, and a stepping stone before the very folky "Weathercock", which honours the rustic iron guardian of the winds, brings the work to a close.

Aseptic to the scourges of the punk explosion of those years, Jethro Tull stayed firmly on the path traced by their multifaceted leader, and "Heavy Horses" is a stupendous example of this.

4/4.5 stars

Jo has always followed her own course, none more so than with this album which shows her spreading her musical wings in a way which may actually disappoint some of her longtime fans, but it is important for an artist to be true to themselves and follow wherever the muse leads them. Here Jo is still producing the wonderful dreamscapes we have come to expect, incredibly reminiscent of Enya and Kate Bush with her amazing clear vocals, but for the most part there is less piano and there are times when she experiments with styles which have been influenced by dreamy electro and dance as it has to the more folk and progressive styles we have become used to. Mind you, she did signal what the album was going to be like with the singles she has released over the last three or four years.

This means that as I do not normally listen to some of the styles she is portraying here, as generally I do not enjoy them, it took me longer to fully get inside this momentous piece of work than I expected, but the repeated listenings soon paid off and the different styles displayed here are essential to the overall flow of the album. Her vocals are sweet, innocent, with hidden depths and emotions, and she ensures the arrangements are there to support and assist and never overpower the voice which is always at the centre of what is taking place. This is an album which needs to be played on headphones when the listener has time to give it the full attention it needs, so they can fall deep inside the magical world of Jo Beth Young.

Her music always takes the listener to a different place, the reverb takes one into a dreamy ethereal realm where all that exists is the voice, and that is all that matters. It never sounds over-produced, and the arrangements are often quite simplistic, ensuring nothing takes away from the main focal point. There is a depth within this, belying the fragility which is also apparent, the result being something which needs to be listened to on headphones when there is no possibility of being interrupted as we drift away on a different plane. Although this is a collection of material as opposed to an album constructed at a singular point of time, it is a great way of catching up on what Jo Beth has been doing away from her albums and is also a nice introduction to her music. Well worth investigating.

--written in 2023