Category Archives: Folk
THE BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2015.
THE BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2015. It’s at this time of the year, I usually look back at the previous year. 2015 is no different. So over the last few weeks, I’ve immersed myself in the music of 2015. Somehow, I’ve managed to listen to, and remind myself of, the music I’ve reviewed during the …
BOB DYLAN-THE BEST OF THE CUTTING EDGE 1965-1966: THE BOOTLEG SERIES.
BOB DYLAN-THE BEST OF THE CUTTING EDGE 1965-1966: THE BOOTLEG SERIES. Most artists never come close to releasing a classic album. Those that do, become part of musical history. For some though, releasing a classic album is often a burden. They spend the rest of their life trying to reach the same heights. Constantly, they …
MAGMA-KOHNZERT ZUND.
MAGMA-KOHNZERT ZUND. In 1969, Christian Vander had a vision. His vision was “humanity’s spiritual and ecological future.” What he saw worried him. So Christian Vander decided to share his vision of the future. The way he chose to do this, was through music. Christian Vander was a classically trained drummer, and in 1969, ormed what would …
KATHRYN JOSEPH-BONES YOU HAVE THROWN ME AND BLOOD I’VE SPILLED-VINYL EDITION.
KATHRYN JOSEPH-BONES YOU HAVE THROWN ME AND BLOOD I’VE SPILLED-VINYL EDITION. In the history of the Scottish Album Of The Year Award, Kathryn Joseph recently became the first artist to win Scotland’s most prestigious music award with a debut album. That debut album is Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled, was released …
RICHARD THOMPSON-STILL-VINYL EDITION.
RICHARD THOMPSON-STILL-VINYL EDITION. Not many musicians enjoy the longevity that Richard Thompson has. His professional career career began in 1967, when Richard was just eighteen. He had just left the William Ellis School in Highgate. That’s where Richard Thompson formed his first band, Emile and The Detectives with future Strangler Hugh Cornwell. It was …
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS-VINYL EDITION.
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS-VINYL EDITION. Nowadays, the gonzo music journalist approaches press releases with a degree of cynicism. They’ve decided to take Public Enemy’s advice and; “don’t believe the hype.” That’s not surprising. Usually, when an artist or band sends an album to be reviewed, it comes complete with a press release …
CINNAMON GIRL: WOMEN ARTISTS COVER NEIL YOUNG FOR CHARITY.
CINNAMON GIRL: WOMEN ARTISTS COVER NEIL YOUNG FOR CHARITY. At this time, of year, anyone looking for a compilation is spoiled for choice. Literally, there’s something for everyone. That’s the case whether it’s a lavish, lovingly compiled, budget busting, multi-disc box set, or something more modest, that you’re after. This week, over one hundred compilations …
JOY OF LIVING-A TRIBUTE TO EWAN MCCOLL.
JOY OF LIVING-A TRIBUTE TO EWAN MCCOLL. Many people won’t have heard of James Henry Miller. However, they will have heard of Ewan McColl. He was one of the greatest folk musicians of his generation. However, Ewan McColl was much more than a musician. Ewan McColl was also an actor, playwright, poet, record producer and …
SWEETHEARTS OF THE PRISON RODEO-PIGS IN THE BULL RING [HUMANS LIKE BEASTS].
SWEETHEARTS OF THE PRISON RODEO-PIGS IN THE BULL RING [HUMANS LIKE BEASTS]. Concept album. These two words are guaranteed to divide opinion amongst music critics. That’s despite many classic albums falling into the category of concept albums. This has been the case for nearly fifty years. One of the first concept albums was The Beach …
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV.
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV. Many people think that the home studio is a new thing. That’s not the case. Musicians were recording music at home way DAWs and laptops began to play an important part in the recording process. Anthony Phillips is proof of that. Anthony Phillips started experimenting with a basic reel-to-reel …
BOY-WE WERE HERE.
BOY-WE WERE HERE. Valeska Steiner and Sonja Glass first met in 2005, at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. They were both students on a pop music course. Singer Valeska Steiner had travelled from Zurich in Switzerland, to join the course. Bassist Sonja Glass was local. She had been born in Hamburg, and lived …
AMERICA-THE WARNER BROS. YEARS 1971-1977.
AMERICA-THE WARNER BROS. YEARS 1971-1977. Somewhat confusingly, the America story began in London in 1971. That’s when high school students Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley first met. Their fathers were all members of the US Air Force, and at that time, were stationed in London. Far from home, and strangers in a foreign …
AUDIENCE-FRIENDS, FRIENDS, FRIEND.
Audience- Friend’s, Friend’s, Friend. In October 1969, Audience were offered the opportunity to support Led Zeppelin at the Lyceum in London. For Audience, this was the opportunity of a lifetime as Led Zeppelin had just released their eponymous debut album on 12th of January 1969. It was well on its way to selling over ten …
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS.
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS. “Don’t believe the hype.” So sung Public Enemy in 1988. They could’ve been describing some of press releases that come the way of music critics. That’s not the case with the press release that accompanied the forthcoming album from As The Tired Trains Cross Europe. Their debut album …
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-THE MAN WHO HATED MORNINGS.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-THE MAN WHO HATED MORNINGS. In 1977, Michael Chapman was about to release the eight album of his career, The Man Who Hated Mornings on Deram Records. That had been home to Michael since 1973, when he released his fifth album Millstone Grit. By then, Michael Chapman had released five albums in the four …
LINK WRAY-3-TRACK SHACK.
LINK WRAY-3-TRACK SHACK. Jimmy Page, Neil Young and Iggy Pop all have one thing in common. They were all influenced by Link Wray, whose 1958 instrumental hit Rumble, popularised the power chord. As a result, several generations of guitarists, owe a debt of gratitude to Link Wray. He’s regarded as one of greatest guitarists in …
ZACHARY CALE-DUSKLAND.
ZACHARY CALE-DUSKLAND. Before embarking upon a solo career, Louisiana born singer-songwriter Zachary Cale was a member of several college bands. By Zachary’s own admission, most were short-lived, and none of them were particularly successful. However, they taught Zachary Cale about stagecraft and songwriting. So when Zachary embarked upon a solo career, he was more than …
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE-MANY A MILE.
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE-MANY A MILE. There’s much more to Buffy Sainte-Marie than music. That’s just part of the story. Buffy Sainte-Marie is an educator, social activist and visual artist. She was born on February 20th 1941, on the Piapot Cree First Nation Reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. However, Buffy was later adopted by Albert and …
BONNIE DOBSON-DEAR COMPANION.
BONNIE DOBSON-DEAR COMPANION. There aren’t many songwriters whose first attempt to write a song, results in a classic. That’s what happened to Bonnie Dobson. The first song she wrote was Morning Dew. It was covered by Fred Neil in 1964. After that, Morning Dew has been covered by Einstürzende Neubauten and The Grateful Dead, to …