Back on 7th April 2012, I posted a blog about the book 'Electric Eden' by Rob Young.
At the time I considered putting together a playlist of many of the tracks and artists referred to in this excellent book. A lack of time and motivation prevented me from doing so but now it appears that Mr. Young has put together his own collection and it is now on sale.
Here is the blurb from the Spin website:-
Based on the bestselling book by Rob Young, Electric Eden lets you hear how Britain’s traditional music was transformed by folk singers, guitar geniuses, psychedelic troubadours and jazz virtuosos. A generation of musicians drew inspiration from a rural paradise that nurtured the Indian summer of British folk-rock in the late 1960s and early seventies – an Albion dreamtime where mythical landscapes, creative isolation and pastoral time-travelling combined to forge the golden age of folk-rock.
This unique 2CD package was entirely compiled by Rob Young, author of the bestselling book, and includes a thorough and fascinating sleevenote written by Rob which details the story behind the selections. It comes in a stunning gatefold digipak sleeve which has a stickered front cover detailing the album's contents and features such purveyors of the genre as Fairport Convention, John Martyn, Bert Jansch, Pentangle and Nick Drake.
The full track list is as follows:
CD1 ACOUSTIC EDEN1. Peter Bellamy - ‘Oak, Ash and Thorn’ 2. Traffic - ‘John Barleycorn Must Die’ 3. Bert Jansch - ‘The Waggoner’s Lad’4. Fairport Convention - ‘Stranger to Himself’ 5. Archie Fisher - ‘Reynardine’ 6. Bread, Love and Dreams - ‘Brother John’ 7. Bill Fay - ‘Garden Song’ 8. Water Into Wine Band - ‘Stranger in the World’ 9. Tudor Lodge - ‘Willow Tree’ 10. Comus - ‘Diana’ 11. Meic Stevens - ‘Yorric’ 12. Magic Carpet - ‘The Dream’13. Sweeney’s Men - ‘The Pipe on the Hob’ 14. Tim Hart & Maddy Prior - ‘False Knight on the Road’15. Dr Strangely Strange - ‘Dark-Haired Lady’16. Albion Country Band - ‘I Was a Young Man’17. COB - ‘Music of the Ages’ 18. Roger Nicholson - ‘The Carman’s Whistle’19. Bridget St John - ‘Fly High’ 20. John Martyn - ‘She Moves Through the Fair’
CD 2 ELECTRIC ALBION
1. Richard Thompson - ‘Roll over Vaughn Williams’ 2. Steeleye Span - ‘The Lark in the Morning’ 3. Unicorn - ‘Country Road’ 4. Fairport Convention - ‘A Sailor’s Life’ 5. Trees - ‘Glasgerion’ 6. Fotheringay - ‘Gypsy Davey’ 7. David Bowie - ‘Black Country Rock’ 8. John Martyn - ‘Glistening Glyndebourne’ 9. Mike Cooper - ‘Paper and Smoke’ 10. Shelagh McDonald - ‘Mirage’ 11. Spirogyra - ‘Disraeli’s Problem’12. Mick Softley - ‘Time Machine’ 13. Shirley Collins & The Albion Country Band - ‘Murder of Maria Marten’ 14. Pentangle - ‘Jack Orion’ 15. Incredible String Band - ‘Painted Chariot’ 16. Nick Drake - ‘Voices’
Although I already own many of the tracks, I have a feeling that this collection might be winging its way to the White Room in the very near future.
Showing posts with label Electric Eden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electric Eden. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Book#1 - Electric Eden by Rob Young
I referred in an earlier post (see 31st March) to Electric Eden by Rob Young a book which I was enjoying at the time though I was not yet half way through completing it. Well, now I have!
Subtitled 'Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music', the book is essentially a chronological trip through British folk music in the 20th century. Beginning with a chapter describing the eighteen month 1960's journey of Vashti Bunyan towards a remote Scottish Island in search of her own Utopia, the 600+ page book takes us through the early 20th century composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst who were both clearly influenced by traditional English music, Then the author takes us onward to the emerging folk clubs of the 50's and 60's.
This for me was the most interesting part of the book as we reach the point where I first developed an interest in British folk music as opposed to the American folk tradition of people like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. Rob Young delves into the lives and careers of The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, John Martyn, Pentangle, Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Dr Strangely Strange, Steeleye Span, Richard (& Linda) Thompson and more.
Of less interest to me personally are the sections where the author investigates the links between traditional music and the occult or paganism. However, this is a personal point of view and doesn't detract from the fact that the book is well researched (although there are factual errors) and well written.
There have been other works that have covered similar territory (i.e. The Electric Muse') but this book covers some previously unexplored areas by taking the reader into the folky influences prevalent in the 80's and 90's. As examples, the author cites the works of Kate Bush and perhaps more surprisingly, Talk Talk. I say more surprisingly as the majority of people will be most familiar with Talk Talk's 'hits' such as 'It's My Life' and 'Dum Dum Girl', about as far removed from traditional English folk music as you can get. However, those like me, who stuck with Talk Talk through their final two albums 'Sprit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock' will have been rewarded with superb works clearly influenced by the spirit of pastoral England and the works of Vaughan Williams.
All in all I would say that if you have an interest in British folk music or any or the artists mentioned above, this book is well worth reading.
Subtitled 'Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music', the book is essentially a chronological trip through British folk music in the 20th century. Beginning with a chapter describing the eighteen month 1960's journey of Vashti Bunyan towards a remote Scottish Island in search of her own Utopia, the 600+ page book takes us through the early 20th century composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst who were both clearly influenced by traditional English music, Then the author takes us onward to the emerging folk clubs of the 50's and 60's.
This for me was the most interesting part of the book as we reach the point where I first developed an interest in British folk music as opposed to the American folk tradition of people like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. Rob Young delves into the lives and careers of The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, John Martyn, Pentangle, Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Dr Strangely Strange, Steeleye Span, Richard (& Linda) Thompson and more.
Of less interest to me personally are the sections where the author investigates the links between traditional music and the occult or paganism. However, this is a personal point of view and doesn't detract from the fact that the book is well researched (although there are factual errors) and well written.
There have been other works that have covered similar territory (i.e. The Electric Muse') but this book covers some previously unexplored areas by taking the reader into the folky influences prevalent in the 80's and 90's. As examples, the author cites the works of Kate Bush and perhaps more surprisingly, Talk Talk. I say more surprisingly as the majority of people will be most familiar with Talk Talk's 'hits' such as 'It's My Life' and 'Dum Dum Girl', about as far removed from traditional English folk music as you can get. However, those like me, who stuck with Talk Talk through their final two albums 'Sprit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock' will have been rewarded with superb works clearly influenced by the spirit of pastoral England and the works of Vaughan Williams.
All in all I would say that if you have an interest in British folk music or any or the artists mentioned above, this book is well worth reading.
Saturday, 31 March 2012
More Harold McNair and Electric Eden
It's strange that yesterday I should write about Harold McNair following my chance hearing of him accompanying Donovan. I don't think I have read anything at all about McNair since his obituary appeared in the music press in 1971. Yet coincidentally I am currently reading a book entitled 'Electric Eden' by Rob Young and lo and behold Harold McNair makes a surprise appearance.
I'm not half way through the book yet but I am enjoying it very much indeed. It covers the development of folk music in Britain during the 20th century. From Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, through the collecting work of Cecil Sharp and the early folk clubs run by A.L. Lloyd and Ewen MacColl. Then into the folk 'boom' of the early 60's focusing on people like Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch, Anne Briggs, Davy Graham and others. There are extensive sections covering Pentangle, Steeleye Span (perhaps not as extensive as they deserve but this I suspect is more to do with the personal taste of the author), Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and John Martyn.
That's as far as I have got at the moment but as I rattle through it you can be assured I will have more to say on this subject in a future blog.
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