Wednesday, October 18, 2023

VA - Anthems In Eden (An Anthology of British & Irish Folk 1955-1978) [2006] (4 X CD's)

BRITISH & IRISH FOLK
Previously posted November 28, 2019

VA - Anthems In Eden (An Anthology of British & Irish Folk 1955-1978) [2006] (4 X CD's)

Anthems in Eden: An Anthology of British & Irish Folk 1955-1978 is an excellent British and Irish box set...It is very pleasing. A very good collection of British Folk and Folk Rock. All in all, this makes for a pretty coherent compilation.

There is a profusion of different anthologies out there, but this is one of the best... if only for having the bare-faced courage to include two genuine cult classics -- tracks from the deranged Comus and a lengthy epic from the equally bizarre Jan Dukes de Grey. Considering the beginning of this 4-disc set, rooted in unaccompanied "worthy" folk songs, it shows just what strange paths English folk music chose to wander, especially as the hippie era encouraged all sorts of excess in the name of self-expression. There are some wonderful classics here - check out "Mr Fox" for instance, but for me the weight of the collection is tilted towards the wonderful final disc. Jan Dukes de Grey, where have you been in my life?? I missed you the first time in my life, but listen to their jagged, bizarre epic -- totally noncommercial-- and you get the point of these anthologies, to sweep up bands/singers of note now lost to obscurity. (Amazon)

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Track lists

CD1     Folk Roots, New Routes


  01. Hard Times of Old England - Ron Copper
  02. Jack O'diamonds - Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Group
  03. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger
  04. Let No Man Steal Your Thyme - Isla Cameron
  05. Sally Free and Easy - Owen Hand
  06. Anji - Davy Graham
  07. The Recruited Collier - Anne Briggs
  08. Dirty Old Town - Ian Campbell Folk Group
  09. Three Ravens - Black Country Three
  10. Lyke Wake Dirge - Young Tradition
  11. Down On The Barge - John Renbourn
  12. Lord Randall - Martin Carthy
  13. Who's The Fool Now - Tim Hart And Maddy Prior
  14. The Barley Grain For Me - Dave & Toni Arthur
  15. The Rules Of The Game (Live) - Leon Rosselson
  16. Coorie Doon - Matt McGinn
  17. Socialism In Our Time - Sydney Carter
  18. Girl from the North Country - Josh Macrae
  19. Been On the Road So Long - Alex Campbell
  20. The Wild Rover - Dubliners
  21. Curragh of Kildare - Finbar And Eddie Furey
  22. Clive's Song - Hamish Imlach
  23. Reynardine - Archie Fisher
  24. Bluesleeves - Cliff Aungier
  25. A Man's a Man - McCalmans
  26. My Dixie Darling - Humblebums

CD2    Please Sing a Song for Us


  01. Please Sing a Song for Us - Humblebums
  02. Needle of Death - Bert Jansch
  03. The Summer Day Reflection Song - Donovan
  04. Think She Knows Me Now - Mike Cooper
  05. Michael in the Garden - Ralph McTell
  06. Warwick Town - Bill Fay
  07. Children Of Hiroshima - Harvey Andrews
  08. Im So Confused - Mick Softley
  09. My Name Is Carnival - Jackson C. Frank
  10. Arctic City - Marc Brierley
  11. Milk and Honey - Sandy Denny
  12. Come Join Swing Together - Al Jones
  13. We Can Swing Together - Alan Hull
  14. One Man Band - Steve Tilston
  15. Country Joe - Jackie McAuley
  16. Life and Life Only - Al Stewart
  17. It Didn't Work Out (Live) - Michael Chapman
  18. The Fawn - Keith Christmas
  19. Ophelia's Song - Shelagh McDonald
  20. I've Seen The Movie - Andy Roberts
  21. Northern Sky - Nick Drake

CD3      The New Electric Muse

  01. Here We Come A-wassailing - Albion Dance Band
  02. Cruel Sister - Pentangle
  03. Dreams For Me - Sweeney's Men
  04. After the Goldrush - Prelude
  05. Fotheringay - Fairport Convention
  06. Red Wine And Promises - Mike Waterson
  07. It's Dark In Here - Dransfield
  08. Marcie - Johnstons
  09. The Wind That Shakes The Barley/ The Ale Is Dear - Silly Wizard
  10. January Snows - Woods Band
  11. Rattlin' Roarin' Willie - Contraband
  12. The Astrologer - Gryphon
  13. Meet Me On The Corner (Live) - Lindisfarne
  14. Never Going Back - Unicorn
  15. Knowing The Game - Iain Matthews
  16. The Sea - Renaissance
  17. Late On Lady Day - Decameron
  18. Rain - Dando Shaft
  19. Fool - Trees
  20. Wanderer - Heron
  21. The White Hare - Shirley Collins
  22. When I Was On Horseback - Steeleye Span

CD4     A Midsummer Night's Happening

  01. Midsummer Night's Happening - Sallyangie
  02. God Dog - The Incredible String Band
  03. Beyond The Rising Sun - Tyrannosaurus Rex
  04. Winter Is Blue - Vashti
  05. Chloe In The Garden - Duncan Browne
  06. The Tale Of The Spider And The Fly - Synanthesia
  07. Just Anyone - Fuchsia
  08. Luke That Never Was - Trader Horne
  09. Mr Fox - Mr. Fox
  10. The Devonshire Farmer's Daughter - George Deacon
  11. Song To Comus - Comus
  12. Captain's Log - Spirogyra
  13. Spirit of Love - C.O.B.
  14. A Witch's Guide To The Underground - Carolanne Pegg
  15. Sun Symphonica - Jan Dukes De Grey
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10 comments:

  1. I was aware of this compilation but never listened to it until now. I was surprised there were so many artists & tracks I hadn't heard before. Thanks for enlightening me. No compilation is ever complete (except Karajan 240 CD one, I guess. Thanks for loading that!) but I would like to have seen Norma Waterson and June Tabor included. I once lent a tape of the Copper Family 'A song for every season' to a mate but he said it was too dark to listen to. But many folksongs would have come out of the dark tedious lifestyle of the working man in England. Good to see Michael Chapman (a big fav) and Decameron there again. Young Tradition includes Peter Bellamy but his voice needs to be heard in a solo setting. Once again, thanks for all this music for us. John

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  2. 'Hard Times of Old England' is a great song. Have you heard the Stick in the Wheel version on 'From Here' recorded as 'Hard Times'

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    1. Hi John.
      Great to hear you are getting enjoyment from this box set. It's a pleasure to post such boxes as they open out ears and hearts. I have several versions of the track "Hard Times of Old England" (Steeleye Span, Taverners Folk Group, Etchingham Steam Band, Vennaskond, Heritage, Chumbawamba, Marc Block) but alas, not the Stick in the Wheel version.
      Cheers.

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  3. Thanks John,
    but I don't get to a link with that song. Please, what is your website address?
    Cheers.

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  4. www.westhamstats.info/StickInTheWheel_FromHere_07HardTimes.wav works ok for me. My site is www.westhamstats.info

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  5. UK folk and folk-rock history, for me, excites the soul. The elusive titles and artists of Argo-Transatlantic periods.
    Bless...

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