Category Archives: Folk Rock
GORDON LIGHTFOOT-EAST OF MIDNIGHT, WAITING FOR YOU AND A PAINTER PASSING THROUGH.
Gordon Lightfoot-East Of Midnight, Waiting For You and A Painter Passing Through. Label: BGO Records. By July 1986, Gordon Lightfoot was one of the most successful Canadian musicians of his generation, and was preparing to release his seventeenth album East Of Midnight, which was his first album in three years. Gordon Lightfoot was hoping that …
LED ZEPPELIN-HOW THE WEST WAS WON.
Led Zeppelin-How The West Was Won. Label: Atlantic. By the time Led Zeppelin embarked upon their 1972 North American Tour, it was official, they were the biggest and some said the baddest rock ’n’ roll band in the world. Their first four albums were well on their way to selling forty-nine million albums, and Led …
THE FUGITIVES-THE PROMISE OF STRANGERS.
The Fugitives-The Promise Of Strangers. Label: Borealis Records. A lot has happened to the Canadian indie folk collective The Fugitives since they were founded eleven years ago in 2007, and began what has been a roller coaster musical adventure. They’ve been nominated for several Canadian Folk Music Awards and a Western Canadian Music Award, headlined …
WHEN THE DAY IS DONE: THE ORCHESTRATIONS OF ROBERT KIRKBY
When The Day Is Done: The Orchestrations Of Robert Kirby. Label: Ace Records. Compilation Of The Week. During the golden age of vinyl, buying a new album was often part of a wider musical education and could lead the record buyer on a long and fascinating musical journey. That was the case for the small …
ERIC ANDERSEN-BE TRUE TO YOU AND SWEET SURPRISE.
Eric Andersen-Be True To You and Sweet Surprise. Label: BGO Records. In 1975, thirty-two year old folk singer and songwriter Eric Andersen moved to Greenwich Village, New York, where it had all started for him in the early sixties. Back then, Eric Andersen was part of the folk scene, and as a twenty-one years in …
BÄTTRE LYSS-TILL DEN STRANG SOM BRAST AN ATT ALDRIG SPANNA EN BAGE.
Bättre Lyss-Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge. Label: Sommor. Release Date: ‘16th’ March 2018. When the Swedish band Bättre Lyss released their debut album Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge as a private pressing on the Musiklaget label in 1975, they had no idea that …
JON SAVAGE’S 1965: THE YEAR THE SIXTIES IGNITED.
Jon Savage’s 1965: The Year The Sixties Ignited. Label: Ace Records. When The Chipmunks released The Chipmunks Sing With Children on January the ‘1st’ 1965, it didn’t look as this was the start of a landmark year for popular music which would totally transform the popular culture forevermore. However, by the time The Beatles’ released …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 4.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 4. Erland Dahlen-Clocks. Label: Hubro Music. When Erland Dahlen recorded his third solo album Clocks, he followed in the footsteps of American composer, music theorist and creator of bespoke musical instruments Harry Partch. He successfully transformed everyday items into musical instruments and inspired Erland Dahlen when he came to record …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 5.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 5. Gjermund Larsen Trio-Salmeklang. Label: Heilo. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Gjermund Larsen Trio, they return with their fourth album Salmeklang. Just like previous albums, bandleader Gjermund Larsen writes most of the music on Salmeklang. The result is an album where the music is atmospheric, melodic album …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 6.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 6. Jon Balke and Siwan-Nahnou Houm. Label: ECM Records. Eight years after releasing their debut album Norwegian keyboardist, composer and arranger Jon Balke and Siwan return with Nahnou Houm, which marks the debut of the new lead singer Mona Boutchebak from Algeria. She joins a multitalented band and plays …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 7.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 7. Linda Perhacs-I’m A Harmony. Label: Omnivore Recordings. Three years after releasing her long-awaited and much-anticipated sophomore album The Soul of All Natural Things in 2014, the Queen of psychedelic folk Linda Perhacs returns with I’m A Harmony. It’s a flawless genre-melting album that veers between ambient and atmospheric …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 9.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 9. Schneider-Kacirek-Radius Walk. Label: Bureau B. In 2017, two of the leading lights of the German music scene Schneider-Kacirek returned with their sophomore album Radius Walk. It features Sonia Jernberg on three soundscapes, which was something of a masterstroke, as she’s a truly talented singer who has honed her own inimitable …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 10.
Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 10. The Souljazz Orchestra-Under Burning Skies. Label: Strut Records. Fifteen years after The Souljazz Orchestra was founded in Ottawa, Canada, in 2002, they returned with their seventh album Under Burning Skies. It’s without doubt, the finest album of their career, which has been said before. However, with every album they …
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017-PART 7.
The Best Reissues Of 2017-Part 7. Stoneground-Stoneground and Stoneground 3. Label: BGO Records. When Stoneground released their eponymous debut in early 1970, critics were won over by a fusion of blues, folk, pop, psychedelia, rock and soul. Seamlessly, Stoneground switch between and fuse musical genres and influences. To do this they deployed seven separate vocalists …
THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2017 PART 1.
The Best Compilations Of 2017 Part 1. Every week of the year, dozens of compilations are released by independent and major record labels which makes choosing just a few of the highlights of 2017 no easy task. However, after much consideration I’ve managed to choose The Best Compilations Of 2017. Acetone-1999-2001 Label: Light In The …
THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2017 PART 5.
The Best Compilations Of 2017 Part 5 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-The Planet Sessions. Label: Ace Records. Inimitable and unique describe the late Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. He was one of the great musical showmen, whose performances were designed to leaving a lasting impression. They always succeeded in doing so. So did his music including the songs on The …
THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2017 PART 6.
The Best Compilations Of 2017 Part 6. The Monkees-Summer Of Love. Label: Rhino. Even today, The Monkees divides the opinion of many critics and record buyers. Partly that is because of the perception that The Monkees were a manufactured band that was the brainchild of television executives. Despite that, The Monkees went on to enjoy …
CYMBELINE-ONE OF SWEDEN’S LOST GROUPS.
Cymbeline-One Of Sweden’s Lost Groups. Nowadays, Norway and Sweden both have vibrant and thriving music scenes, where pioneering musicians record and release some of the most ambitious, important and innovative music that is currently being released in Europe. This is nothing new, and both countries have a long and illustrious musical history stretching back to …
LINDA PERHACS-THE QUEEN OF PSYCHEDELIC FOLK.
Linda Perhacs-The Queen Of Psychedelic Folk. The Linda Perhacs story is a case of what might have been, for the seventy-four year singer who nowadays, is regarded as the true Queen of psychedelic folk. Linda Perhacs career began in 1970, when she released her debut album Parallelograms on Kapp Records. Sadly, Parallelograms which nowadays, is regarded as a psychedelic folk classic, failed …
THE INCREDIBLE STRNG BAND-CHANGING HORSES.
The Incredible String Band-Changing Horses. Label: BGO Records. When The Incredible String Band released their fifth album, Changing Horses in November 1969, much had changed within the group that had formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, six years earlier in 1963. The Incredible String Band was one of the biggest, and most successful folk bands in the …