VA - Acoustic Folk Box [2002] (4 x CD's)

ACOUSTIC FOLK

VA - Acoustic Folk Box [2002] (4 x CD's)

The Acoustic Folk Box presents a masterful overview of folk music from the British Isles, encompassing some 40 years of history and dozens of artists. Each of the four discs covers an era, the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, and carries over an hour of music. Basically, The Acoustic Folk Box begins with the British folk revival of the 1960s and follows echoes that reverberate into the present. Many of the artists are well-known to general audiences (Martin Simpson, Richard Thompson, and June Tabor), while others (Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, and John Renbourn) are perhaps less known than one might hope, especially in the United States. Where to begin? First of all, there's Alexis Korner and Davy Graham's lovely duet "3/4 AD," perhaps the mother of all fine British fingerpicking, and fellow picker Bert Jansch's definitive version of "Angi." Briggs offers a chilling version of "She Moves Through the Fair," leaving little doubt where Sandy Denny drew her inspiration several years later. These discs also remind listeners that a number of folk-rockers never plugged in, or at least continued to experiment with acoustic music. The Incredible String Band remains one of the most enigmatic late-'60s bands, and "First Girl I Loved," with its off-center lyrics and unabashed romanticism, reminds one why. Pentangle creates a rare depth in "Let No Man Still Your Thyme," exploiting the rich possibilities of a full acoustic sound. A number of prominent women make memorable appearance over the course of The Acoustic Folk Box. Collins appears twice, first with Graham on the lovely "Reynardine" and again on the evocative "Bonnie Boy." Tabor delivers "Lay This Body Down" with her resonate vocals before returning with fellow Silly Sister Maddy Prior for "Blood and Gold/Mohacs." And there's no shortage of contemporary talent, with up and coming young artists like Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, and Kate Rusby. The Acoustic Folk Box may not be the last word on acoustic folk music from the British Isles, but it comes pretty darn close. ( AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Lonnie Donegan - Jack O'Diamonds 2:51

02 Alexis Korner - ¾ Ad 4:40

03 Galliards - Macpherson's Rant 2:21

04 Ray Fisher - Twa Corbies 2:08

05 Bob Davenport - Tramps and Hawkers 3:00

06 Dubliners - The Rocky Road to Dublin 2:31

07 Ewan Maccoll - Song of the Iron Road 3:12

08 Anne Briggs - She Moves Through the Fair 2:17

09 Ian Campbell Folk Group - The Times They Are A-Changin' 3:08

10 Three City Four - Across the Hills 2:00

11 Fisher Family - Joy of My Heart 1:51

12 Bert Jansch - Angi 3:12

13 Shirley Collins - Reynardine 2:30

14 Julie Felix - Geordie 2:24

15 Watersons - Dido Bendigo 2:56

16 A.L. Lloyd - The Two Magicians 4:43

17 Exiles - The Moving on Song 3:10

18 Martin Carthy - Sovay 2:12

19 Incredible String Band - First Girl I Loved 4:59

20 Young Tradition - Lyke Wake Dirge 2:49

21 John Renbourn - Transfusion 2:01

22 Sandy Denny - You Never Wanted Me 3:23

23 Dave Swarbrick - The Cuckoo's Nest 2:40

24 Sweeney's Men - The House Carpenter 3:57

25 Ralph McTell - Spiral Staircase 3:34

CD2

01 Pentangle - Let No Man Steal Your Thyme 2:47

02 Shirley Collins - Bonnie Boy 3:42

03 Robin & Barry Dransfield - The Rout of the Blues 2:36

04 Waterson, Lal & Mike - Bright Phoebus 2:56

05 Tim Hart - Sorry the Day I Was Married 1:28

06 Oak - Scan's Polkas 2:15

07 Dick Gaughan - Rattlin' Roarin' Willie-The Friar's Britches 2:16

08 Frankie Armstrong - The Crafty Maid's Policy 2:15

09 Nic Jones - Billy Don't You Weep for Me 4:54

10 John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris - The Rose of Britain's Isle-Glorishears 4:41

11 Etchingham Steam Band - Hard Times of Old England 4:24

12 Bothy Band - The Kesh Jig-Give Us a Drink of Water-The Flower of the Flock-Famous 4:32

13 Leon Rosselson; Roy Bailey - The Ant and the Grasshopper 2:36

14 Roy Harris - The Methody Parson 2:24

15 Bill Caddick - John O'dreams 4:22

16 Bandoggs - The Rose of Allandale 4:45

17 Peter Bellamy - The Shepard of the Downs 4:49

18 Chums - Brighton Camp/The March Past 3:45

19 New Victory Band - Harper's Frolick-Bonny Kate 2:31

20 Steve Ashley - Once in a While 4:27

CD3

01 Battlefield Band - Miss Drummond of Perth / Fiddler's Joy / Traditional Reel / the Shetland Fiddler 3:26

02 Rory McLeod - Farewell Welfare 3:17

03 Dick Gaughan - Erin Go Bragh 4:31

04 Richard Thompson - Rockin' in Rhythm 2:46

05 Old Swan Band - Stephen Baldwin's Schottisches Nos 1 & 2 / the Kennet Jig 4:37

06 Alistair Anderson - In Trim/Mount Hooley/Lemington Bank 3:30

07 June Tabor - Lay This Body Down 2:58

08 Martin Simpson - The First Cut is the Deepest 3:36

09 English Country Blues Band - Handsome Johnny 2:59

10 Vin Garbutt - If 2:16

11 Brass Monkey - The Maid and the Palmer 5:33

12 Blowzabella - Shave the Monkey/Boys of the Mill 2:52

13 Kathryn Tickell - A B Hornpipe/Mrs Bolowski's 2:31

14 Pete Morton - Another Train 3:20

15 Swan Arcade - Coal Not Dole 2:49

16 Silly Sisters - Blood and Bold-Mohacs 3:50

17 Andrew Cronshaw - Wasps in the Woodpile 4:06

18 Patrick Street - Patrick Street/The Carraroe Jig 3:44

19 Altan - A Bhean Udai Thall 3:31

20 Mouth Music - Fraoch a Ronaigh 3:16

CD4

01 Dolores Keane - The Grey Funnel Line 3:49

02 Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies - A Call for the North Country 3:36

03 Ron Kavana - Reconciliation 4:38

04 House Band - Pharoah 3:13

05 Chris Wood - Out Come the Freaks 5:08

06 Billy Bragg - Moving the Goalposts 2:36

07 Waterson-Carthy - When First I Came to Caledonia 5:17

08 Richard Thompson - Beeswing 5:31

09 Dervish - Molly and Johnny 3:50

10 Shooglenifty - Venus in Tweeds 4:06

11 Martin Hayes - The Graf Spey/The Boys of Balisodare 3:52

12 Coope, Boyes & Simpson - Jerusalem Revisited 4:57

13 Lal Waterson - How Can I Leave 2:45

14 June Tabor - A Place Called England 4:42

15 Nancy Kerr - Reel Du Pendu 2:37

16 Maddy Prior - Twankdillo 2:59

17 Fernhill - Llatai 3:40

18 Kate Rusby - The Cobbler's Daughter 2:39

19 John Tams - From Where I Lie 5:43

20 Eliza Carthy - 10, 000 Miles 3:05

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