Gather In The Mushrooms

[Gavin Hughes]

New comp on Sanctuary focusing on the 'Brtish acid folk underground 1968-74'. Had a quick listen in HMV today and its very Wicker Man-esque (in fact the first track is the opening song from that film). Haven't bought it yet but I suspect if you like things like the aforemntioned s/t it might be worth checking.<br /><br />Anyone bought this or got any opinions on whether its worth picking up? Some of the 'olde English' vocals on some of the tracks put me off a bit on first listen (for some reason they reminded me of the spoof sing-songs the Two Ronnies used to do at the end of their show!). <br /><br />I did a search on Google and apart from picking up CD retailers it also picked up the Benny Hill song of the same name! I knew there was a comedy link there somewhere!

[Jolyon]

On the folk tip...check out the new CD by The Memory Band - it's a mate of mine, and he's brilliant. They are amazing live too. I think they're on at the Big Chill this year. The CD has a cover version of This Is How We Walk On The Moon by Arthur Russell.

[slept on]

Carrying on the folk tip...Has anyone heard &quot;A Sailors Life&quot; by Fairport Convention? It's certainly not dance (unless you wear bells on your knees and even then it would be too psychedelic and rock) but it IS a damn fine version of a trad track. Crazy violins, Sandy Denny's amazing voice and the inimitable Richard Thompson on guitar. Great! I promise I will not post much about folk music, but considering I was forced to listen to this throughout my young life, I don't see why I should be the only one to suffer. Only joking Dad! I thought this may be relevant as I believe the album (Unhalfbricking) has been reissued recently, although could be wrong on this one. :-[

[Gavin Hughes]

Sandy Denny's on the 'Mushrooms' comp., it's true she has got an amazing voice. I had another sneaky listen to this in HMV today and it's starting to grow on me. If nothing else I'm curious to know a bit more about that whole scene.

[ladyboygrimsby]

Anybody got a tracklisting for this?<br /><br />Slept On, you're not the only one with a sneaky inkling for the folk. I used to play in a punky skiffle group that did the folk club circuit. We gave many a middle aged librarian with his finger in his ear a heart attack.<br /><br />Early Fairport stuff is really good, though not soul-y or funky. There's also the Albion Band, anything by the mighty Watersons and Martin Carthy (whose daughter Eliza Carthy was nominated for the Mercury a few years back). There's the Macdonald &amp; Giles album which is really good and has a funky tune on it, with a wicked drum break: Tomorrow's People. <br /><br />On a Celtic tip, check out Christy Moore, who is really soulful and a brilliant songwriter. Personally, I prefer his solo stuff compared to the Moving Hearts material (which tried too hard to make folk sound 'modern'). Ride On is a fine LP. Also, there is Dick Gaughan from Scotland whose Handful Of Earth LP on Topic contains the greatest rendition of the best political song of all time: The Workers' Song, written by Eric Bogle (who also wrote And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda).<br /><br />And then there's Nick Drake. Everybody knows about Nick Drake now, though.

[Gavin Hughes]

Here you go Bill:<br /><br />Corn Riggs - Magnet <br />Love In The Ice Crystals - Sallyangie <br />Lyke Wake Dirge - Pentagle <br />Graveyard - Forest <br />Milk And Honey - Sandy Denny <br />Morning Way - Trader Horne <br />Buffalo - Writing On The Wall <br />Silly Woman - Bert Jansch <br />Liz's Song - Shelagh Macdonald <br />Lord And Master - Heron <br />Old Boot Wine - Spirogyra <br />Winter Is Blue - Vashti Bunyan <br />All My Friends Are Back Again - Al Jones <br />Rosemary Hill (BMG) - Fresh Maggots <br />Love Song (BMG) - Lesley Duncan <br />The Family (EMI) - Mr Brooks <br />Queen Of The Monnlight World - Andy Roberts <br />The Herald - Comus <br /><br />Do you know any of these?

[slept on]

Crikey, wasn't expecting to hear any feedback on this topic! :o However, it is most certainly a pleasant surprise as I always think that the complete lack of recognition for Folk music on these isles is to the detriment of all of us. This is our musical heritage and much the same way that Blues and African music informed what came after it, so should Folk inform our social evolution. Even though I love BlackAmerican music, it is still important to know what our forefathers were passing down, don't you think? Even if the music doesn't grab you (as I admit freely, it often doesn't me) the lyrical content and social context will always be fascinating. Wooah, will stop before I rant on! Just let me say that I agree with Bill in that early Fairport was definitely my favourite (&quot;What We Did On Our Holidays&quot;, &quot;Unhafbricking&quot;) and that John Martyn and Nick Drake were excellent exponents of melding the traditional songwriting with influence from across the pond, although John Martyn really was the one for me, with his constant reinvention, his own definitive stamp of sound and those wonderful tracks recorded with Danny Thompson who is, without doubt one of the most amazing players I have personally ever seen. Check out his incredible double bass playing on Solid Air and any number of countless albums he has recorded on (including a flamenco album I saw randomly one sunny day) to see what I mean. If you can't get to see him live (and even if you have) just get 'John Martyn - Live at the Kendall Arts centre 1984' to hear an amazing set. Bill - If you know the trad track 'Spencer the Rover' then it's worth hearing just for that. <br />ps. I am a 24 year old librarian. There's no hope for me is there....

[ladyboygrimsby]

I didn't mention John Martyn because I know many people on the board are already very familiar with his music. Check out my Msytery Mix (click Mixes on nav bar), it has a Martyn track.<br /><br />BTW, Sandy Denny met a terrible end. She fell down her stairs at home and died. <br /><br />

[Belson]

The track listing is not bad at all.<br /><br />Particularly collectable are the orignal albums by Magnet and Fresh Maggots. I think I remember seeing 'em for around the £150 mark.

[slept on]

Glad to hear that most are already familiar with Mr. Martyn's music - he is a genuine native treasure. As for the mix - I will try to listen when I get home (no soundcard at work). I'm sure when I was lurking here a few days ago, somebody mentioned using a version of 'Dealer' as a secret weapon! Was that you Bill? Oh and on the tragic tip, I believe that John has recently had part or whole of his leg amputated recently after a severe car crash. Could anyone validate this? Sorry, what a horrific thread this is turning into. Quite fitting for the tragic element of Folk music though...

[Gavin Hughes]

Thanks for the help guys - going to pick the comp up after work.<br /><br />I also heard that John Martn had had a part of his leg amputated (read about it in Mojo I think). Sad news.<br /><br />PS there's an album of unreleased Nick Drake stuff due to be released at the end of hte month - unlike a lot of the bootlegs that are floating around this is an official release that sounds very interesting.

[Tim H]

Vashti Bunyan's name seems to be cropping up a lot at the moment: Four Tet played with her recently; there was a great interview in The Wire with Joe Boyd a couple of months ago, talking about her, Fariport, ISB, etc. <br /><br />And this, from Ian Penman's blog, made me laugh...<br /><br />&quot;And just for the record: 'Sugar Free' by Juicy is a record I love beyond all comprehension. I would trade whole rooms of Rock Crit snobbisme purchases (all the Vashti Bunyan and Incredible String Band and My Bloody Valentine and Skip Spence et al rarities in the world) for this one humble Soul 45. &quot;

[STRYPE]

i love the music from this period. can only agree that it is our musical heritage &amp; shouldn't be scorned. i think that much of the devleopment took its cue from the US post hippy return to roots by The Band. I<br /><br />My top 3 albums from the period. Not v obscure, but fabulous records one n all.<br /><br />bryter later - nick drake. he really is unbeatable. john cale plays on this too!<br /><br />john martyn - solid air (for &quot;over the hill&quot; &amp; the title track, written for a rapidly dessicating nick drake)<br /><br />fairport convention - unhalfbricking. or possibly &quot;liege &amp; leaf&quot; - whichever has &quot;who knows where the time goes&quot; - sandy denny's greatest vocal? one of the only songs that can make me goosbump &amp; get a lump in the throat every time I hear it.<br /><br />p.s slept on - i agree - a sailor's life is jaw-dropppingly good.

[slept on]

Hey Strype<br /><br />&quot;Who Knows...&quot; is on Unhalfbricking. That just about makes it the killer album for me. Totally agree with your choices, although I am not as versed as I should really be. Am definitely looking forward to hearing the undiscovered track that has turned up on this Nick Drake comp. Should be very interesting. In the twisted incestuous web that often crops up in Folk circles, Linda Thompson also had a brief 'affair' with Nick Drake. Linda of course got her surname from her marriage to Richard Thompson of Fairport. Sex, Drugs and Tragedy. Who says that Folk is boring! ;)

[STRYPE]

ta for that, slept on. the folk world of that time seems to have been a tangled and frequently unhappy one. <br /><br />on the subject of the thompsons, i have one richard &amp; linda album &quot;1 want to see the bright lights tonight&quot; - i bought it on the strength of reading tons about his solo greatness, but i struggled to enjoy it.

[slept on]

Strype - I know what you mean about Richard Thompson's solo work. I was raised on it, so I look back with a nostalgic fondness, but whenever I hear it again, the actual music often leaves me a little cold. However, saying that &quot;...Bright Lights...&quot; I thought was one of his best and has some fantastic tracks such as 'Down Where The Drunkards Roll' and 'The Little Beggar Girl'. I always think of him as a very insightful, erudite and above all English lyricist and a hugely inventive guitarist whose talent is obvious, even though the end product is perhaps not to all tastes (including mine). This became perhaps more apparent when Mitchell Froom took over production duties and changed his sound in the eighties (I think). But he does well, especially in America and is an incredibly likeable modest character. Oh and in reply to Tim H's quote from the Ian Penman blog regarding (amongst others) The Incredible String Band; Mr Thompson would certainly be included in those snobby rock critics lists, but certainly is no snob himself. I tend to the opinion that critics generally sully musicians reputations by association. I don't know what others think of this?...

[ladyboygrimsby]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1210960,00.html

[slept on]

Sorry Bill - I think the link is broken. What date was it and I'll try and find it through their site. Ta<br /><br />S

[ladyboygrimsby]

I'll try again, but if it doesn't work, then the news item is on John Martyn in today's Friday Review in the Guardian:<br /><br />http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1210960,00.html

[ladyboygrimsby]

Bollocks.

[clay potato]

This thread is brilliant! Could I throw Martin Simpson into the mushroom brew as well? John Martyn is touring isn't he? The first copy of Solid Air I got I found outside a charity shop with a black binliner. So I went in and said 'I found this outside - how much is it' and the person said, AND THE PERSON SAID (it makes me so angry) AND THE PERSON SAID 'we're throwing it out. it's not very good.' So I got my pound and slammed it on the counter and made some angry comment about not knowing arses from elbows. And then went to have a rummage around outside to see what else they thought was rubbish. <br /><br />And Richie Havens. His version of here comes the sun is brilliant, and mixed bag is a great album and then there's the one with Dylan's Oxford Town on it with what sounds like a didgeridoo in the background.

[Gavin Hughes]

John Martyn 3:<br /><br />1) Solid Air<br />2) Bless The Weather<br />3) One World (whole album - bought this in a charity shop in 1978 and still love it).<br /><br />Respect to the man, still touring after his accident.<br /><br />PS bought the 'Mushrooms' comp, well worth a punt. Excellent sleevenotes from Bob Stanley too, who someone told me today has just published a book on old cafes. Favourite cafes anyone?

[slept on]

Cheers for that Bill. Especially liked the &quot;walking on sausages&quot; line! I have to admit that I am often lost when it comes to Martyn's vocals. That's why it's always so handy to have lyrics printed on the LP's! I look forward to watching the documentary on May 28th, (BBC4) I think it's the first one on him??? About a year ago a Producer friend was trying to get a doc about Sandy Denny going and I tried to persuade him to get something started about John Martyn as I couldn't believe nothing had been made about him. However, it seems that a few others had the same idea! Hopefully it will be a riot and a fitting tribute. <br /><br />Hi Clay Potato - He is touring at the moment, but I think the Lowry gig is sold out (though not 100% on that). The only thing with Mr Martyn is sometimes he can be varied live. Although if Danny Thomspon is playing with him, just go. I have been so skint I've not even thought about going, so am not sure as to who is playing with him. Oh and talking about incredibly good records being thrown out or priced up at a £1, I could never understand why I always saw George Benson albums 'In Flight' and 'Give Me The Night' for a quid when they were so obviously brilliant. Maybe all the second hand record shop owners were all Jazz purists? Or maybe there was just loads of them? Answers on a postcard please....

[clay potato]

I think I purchased one of those George Benson albums at that very price! Favourite cafes - how about how about how about they's a lovely one in Garden lane in Chester that will let you have fish fingers with your fry up. There's also a brillant one on Chapel Porth beach in Cornwall that does Croque Monsieurs and Hedgehog ice creams. The funniest thing I ever heard in a cafe was a woman drawling on for five minutes going 'flipped egg flipped egg flipped egg flipped egg' <br /><br />It was like a Brian Eno breakfast time ambient fried sound clash (but without beans)

[Rich Hero]

Milk And Honey - Sandy Denny <br /><br />Do you know any of these?<br /><br /><br />Is this the same as the Bonnie Dobson song? She probably deserves a mention in this thread - 'Milk And Honey' and 'Winter's Going' are lovely (and rather sinister in the latter's case). She also wrote 'Morning Dew'.<br /><br />And Lesley Duncan was a stalwart of UK session's in the seventies. I have one album by her but I don't remember anything special on there (probably a bit on the late side).<br /><br />Can anyone tell me what Richie Havens version of 'Indian Rope Man' is like please?<br /><br />

[jahcoozi]

I was going to see John M in Leeds but it was 24 quid which I choked at a bit despite being an unsung hero of mine couldnt find out what band he was playing with cos as slept on points out he can be varied(crap) live unlike Richard Thompson who is always excellent solo or not, <br /><br /><br />just on George B for a mo I was always led to believe that somewhere there is a Classic album which defines his talent but never heard the name of the album so bought as many of his as I could but still not sure which is this classic that risies above all other of his releases any ideas???? <br /><br />

[clay potato]

Richard Thompson is also on tour in May www.serious.org.uk. RH - I'll see if I've got that track and have a listen

[slept on]

Hi Jahcoozi<br /><br />You are so right to say that Richard Thompson is always excellent live. I've seen him loads of times, mostly at Fairfield Halls in Croydon and the man has always played a whole selection of tracks from his career, with faultless guitar and an affable air. As well, because it's live, you get straight to the heart of the song, which can be great if you don't care for the producton sensibilities of the recorded releases. He also, even in the not unsubstantial environs of Fairfield Halls, managed to create a very intimate atmosphere which perfectly complimented his music. You always felt like you were sharing rather than recieving. Which was nice. As regards George Benson's &quot;classic&quot; album, could it be 'White Rabbit' on CTI? That one always seems to be mentioned with reverential awe. Then again, it seems that there are different favourite albums depending on whether you came from a Jazz background, or Funk or RnB or whatever.

[jahcoozi]

Could be the ONE!!! haven't got it so....<br /><br />RE: John Martyn I couldn't believe the folowing he has amongst the 'scally' community in liverpool, I remeber we were booking a venue for Thomas Mpfumo and the venue manager was quizzing us about the 'usual' no drugs policy etc and seemed to be going on more than most(this is Liverpool after all) so I asked if she'd had any bad experiences to which she replied 'Well some one booked a folk night with a singer/guitarist so we thought we were in for a quiet low key night, sure enough the event passed off without incident though sold out, but the cleaner in the morning bought her attention to the pile of bin bags stacked by the door, so, said the manager you expect that-' not when there all FULL of roach ends!!!' said the cleaner

[slept on]

-*LOL! Good story! Though I can't believe it was such a surprise for a scouse! There's a woman who visits our office occasionally called Alison. On one occasion she opened the door and I had John Martyn Live at the Kendall Arts Centre on. A wistful look came over her face as she reminisced about rolling up for John backstage. She turned out to have been a real groupie who went to all of his gigs back in the day. Last I heard from her she was getting tickets for the Lowry gig to see him for the first time in years. All hail the power of good music!!!

[JJ]

The classic Benson LP has gotta be In Flight. Includes imo the best ever versions of both The World Is A Ghetto and Nature Boy - and no-one likes War and Nat King Cole more than me :o) ....and Gonna Love You More is a sweet mid-tempo souler aswell, and there's a lovely version of Valdez In The Country. Just pips the Breezin LP I reckon.

[slept on]

Yeah man, it's certainly the best of the few I have. I merely give 'White Rabbit' as one that I have heard was regarded as excellent by Jazzers. The World Is a Ghetto is just amazing. Those strings......

[clay potato]

Sorry RH don't have Indian Rope Man. Anyone else

[jahcoozi]

thanks jj/guys guess the water bill will have to wait a lil longer theres shopping to be done

[Evil J Guano]

On the folk tip...check out the new CD by The Memory Band - it's a mate of mine, and he's brilliant. They are amazing live too. I think they're on at the Big Chill this year. The CD has a cover version of This Is How We Walk On The Moon by Arthur Russell.

Say 'Hi' if you see 'S' Jolyon, we used to be neighbours when he lived in Bethnal. Cheers Gavin