TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Iron Maiden's Prowler as you've never heard it before.

It's M G Boulter https://www.mgboulter.co.uk/ & Steven Paul Collins (of the Owl Service).  I think they're planning a whole album.  I'm in...

https://theowlservice.bandcamp.com/album/prowler

I literally have never heard it before.

Jules

Three weeks in Rajastan softened by a dozen plus cricket TV channels, early 70's Peel and Freakzone programmes from Mixcloud and Iain Anderson on Radio Scotland.

Thanks for keeping me in the loop ;D

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “Live God”

Cave’s new live album which, as the title suggests, is built around his latest studio album “Wild God” with a few older numbers thrown in.
The fire is back in his belly and he sounds like he is having fun.
Standout track for me is a rousing version of “Tupelo”.

Misalliance  :  Misalliance  (Wild Goose cassette, 1991).

Misalliance  were Tony Hooper's   trad folk project, running alongside The Strawbs. They made 3  albums in all, the first only on cassette  , the others on tape and CD.

I've  listened to this one a lot over the years. The 2  female singers are very good,  and I've always liked Tony's voice. Sad to  say he passed away a few years ago.

'You Got the Right Idea' by Jacob Jeffries. Fantastic album.

I'll put in another plug for Things Found In Books by Yvonne Lyon & Boo Hewerdine. It's a gentle but enjoyable album and book.

The new Sandy tribute 7" by the Owl Service. (Fruits de  Mer, 2025).

Sounds great, but FDM need to use stronger packaging. Sleeve less than perfect.

Let them know, Alan - you shouldn't have to accept a damaged copy.

Yes you're right.. However i'm being very  'fussy', some might say. Some minor  creasing ti the sleeve, making it a bit less ths mint. I wonder if they are economising on packaging ?  A straight tenner isn't a lot.  The Shirley Collins 7" from Domino was a lot  more  but arrived perfect.

Gil Brenton - the new album from The Magpie Arc, who are now without Martin Simpson. Proper bit of folk/rock, which reminds me rather of False Lights.

I could look this up but will ask you instead - does Martin play on this?  If not, who plays the geetar?

No, Martin has left the band.  Findlay Napier and Tom Wright play guitar (some proper crunching electric) on the album. They have also recruited Sam Carter for live gigs, but he isn't on the album.

Renaissance  : Live at Carnegie Hall  (HTD 2LP reissue,  2015).

Love this, though it only gets the occasional play.   I think i could safely say   if someone doesn't like this, Renaissance  isn't for them.  The group at the top of their game, with a full orchestra behind them.  Magical.

Oops- actually released 1995.

The Dick Gaughan boxed set R/Evolution which arrived in the post today. I've listened to the first disc and a bit of the second so far. Some tracks are repeated - I've heard Farewell to Whisky twice already - but I think I'm going to enjoy listening to the rest. And there's a DVD to watch as well.

I saw Mike Harding posting on FB saying he's involved with a special DG tribute gig at Celtic Connections this month. I imagine that'll be a good night in Glasgow.

It's what you do with what you've got as the man himself sang.

Mine is due to arrive today. Looking forward to receiving it.

My copy of R/Evolution arrived yesterday, and I've been dipping into it the last couple of days, and it is a thing of wonder. 7 CDs of music, 1 DVD of filmed performances and two big thick booklets as well.

Listening to my Christmas booty...

Looks a great selection.

Check this project out. Thea Gilmore's The Echo Line. First song is called Blood Bike.

"This song is here briefly, by design. What matters is your presence and attention while it’s available...

Listen while it’s here. Share the link if you like. Then let it pass. Thank you for treating this with care.​​​"

http://www.theagilmore.net/tel01

Jules

Powerful writing and brave idea making this happen.

It's an interesting idea and, on hearing the first effort, I think it's great.

My new Little Feat deluxe CD of The Last Record Album includes an entire 1975 concert that was broadcast on FM radio back in the day. The sound is pristine and the performance flawless. It lacks the studio polish that they laid on top of their later “official” live album Waiting for Columbus, which is an advantage.

My new Foreigner 4 deluxe CD features soundboard live performances from their 1981 and 1982 tours. Again, the sound and performances are flawless. They squeezed it onto a single disc so they omitted some choice tunes from that tour. Otherwise, thanks to the rock gods for giving me these vintage live shows!

Moving, beautiful, thoughtful.

I'm on to disc 4 which has a few tracks by Five Hand Reel from a couple of Peel sessions. I think this is the first time I've ever heard FHR and on googling them I see that Simon Nicol produced their third album Earl O' Moray. I may have to get a copy of that one.

I felt the same. On looking at Amazon I discovered that if you click to buy the MP3 version for £6.99 you actually get all three of their first albums for that price which seemed a real bargain to me (this maybe should also be in the Bargain Bin thread!). Anyway, I have dived in...

Those three albums (but especially the first two) are among my all time favourites.  Proper folk rock

I found Earl O' Moray on the Talking Elephant website and have also ordered a copy of the Simon & Swarb album When We Were Very Young.

I get most of my mp3 downloads from 7Digital or Bandcamp. I really only use Amazon if I can't find an album anywhere else.

I had the Earl O'Moray LP many years ago. I too have dived in for the 3LP MP3 D/L.

I have subsequently discovered that the 3 album download for £6.99 is also available from the iTunes store.

A  Maxell Metal    C60 cassette, with half hour of Folk on 2 on one side. Introduced by Jim lloyd.

I taped a lot of fm radio stuff over the years,and much  of it still sounds amazingly good . And this was before digital really took hold.

The programme features part of a session by Pentangle.

Reunion era 2008-2011, presumably?

Forgot to mention : the tape is 40 years old.  1986 Pentangle.

Miles Davis - the complete "live at the plugged nickel 1965" - the new re-release. 8 CDs, over 7 hours of the 2nd great quintet - Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams.

The Longest Johns-Pieces Of Eight. I have become well and truly hooked on this group in recent months. They tick a lot of the right boxes for me-great singing and song selection, with a healthy dose of humour. This album contains a string of EP's last year with 24 tracks. There are some really strong versions  of some nautical standards-South Australia, Ye Mariners All, Leave Her Johnny, John Kanaka, coupled with some lesser known ones-Paddy Lay Back, Roll Alabama and Doggerbank. For all the sense of humour and little ad libs in some songs, they deliver other strongs with nothing but hearty singing and wonderful harmonies-Cadgwith Anthem, Lowlands, Padstow Drinking Song. The one that really highlights their serious side is The Wreck Of The Dandenong, which is quite simply stunning. Definitely recommend.

Thanks Rob. Will look out for that. I enjoyed them when they supported Bellowhead a couple of years ago, but haven't heard any of their recorded output.

For myself, I have been listening to Big Big Train's new album, Woodcut, which is their first complete concept album.  I'm finding it a solid progression of their sound, and I'm looking forward to seeing them playing some (all?) of it later this year.

 New single from Jack Sharp's band The Thorn. Psychedelic folk-rock, man!

 https://thethorntheband.bandcamp.com/track/of-the-birds

This is good.  

 i like it, Alan, but i sometimes feel that Jack's music too often takes refuge in generic Black Sabbath-isms, however brief they might be. Still, I DO like it!  ;D

I really rate that - excellent.  What do we know of Naomi Randall?

 I think she's excellent. Try this?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh36j6Ua_tQ

Nick Drake :  The Making of Five Leaves Left   (Island 4LP,  2025).

Only the second  time  i've played this right through, and i know now it was a sound investment.
 The album of course i'm familiar with - if you listen to an LP at intervals for 50 years that's how if goes. But what this box gives us  is a sense of Nick the artist at his best, and a  full, complex person.  Scant though  they are, there are moments when he speaks  in the studio, even laughs occasionally, though not without reserve.
 It sounds cliched i know  but  his really is a tale of the tragic decline and loss . We must be grateful for what he left for us  

 I should investigate that. Thanks Alan  :)

It's not an inexpensive item but it's been well received by fans.

Last year's album of the year was bloody obvious to me from the very first listen (Cardiacs - LSD).  

This year's?  The same.  If it ain't this I'll eat my flat cap....

Just marvellous....

Holly P - Side Quest

Andy Partridge's daughter...

https://youtu.be/KIW9-JXLHqE

What do we think?

Great! (chocolate) Chip off the old block   ;)

Jolly fine! She certainly has a way with words...

Very catchy!

Just loads of fun , even the ending ...much better than a gentle fade out

Fish's performance live at Cropredy 2018 (his second appearance), having discovered that there is a bonus DVD of it with his The Last Straw live album, using the live feed from the cameras.  They seem to have done a good job of editing it to not show his backside after he burst a haemerrhoid during the performance (he hadn't had an accident in his jeans as it looked at the time!).

Grateful   Dead   : From the Mars Hotel  (Rhino  50th Anniversary LP, black vinyl).

This wasn't my entry point with the Dead,  but it strikes me it could be tor some people. Great collection of songs, well recorded .  Forget about  Anthem of the Sun  :-)

As it's Bandcamp Friday I've made a couple of purchases. Outsider by Findlay Napier and Conversations We've Had Before by the Eliza Carthy Trio which I'm currently listening to.

If you don't know about Bandcamp Friday you can read all about it here - https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/bandcamp-fridays

I made my usual raid on bandcamp on Friday, and purchased a few items including Fas by Breabach (preparing myself for them at Cropredy, as I haven't heard them before), Solstice's recent remaster of Silent Dance, their 1984 debut, fieldlily's debut EP Grow (another Cropredy connection - they are 2/3 of Wildwood Kin, who played some years ago) and another new release from Andy Latimer of Camel - The Road Home. He has been releasing a number of pieces on Bandcamp in the last months.  I'd love to see Camel at Cropredy one day...

How's the Silent Dance sound - different/better?  Not sure if we'll see Camel out there again, but it's a nice thought.

I didn't have the original, so can't really comment, I'm afraid.  And I agree about Camel, but I can hope (same as I would love to see James Taylor or Mark Knopfler there one day!).

A bit of the Black Crowes newbie.  Not an original note in there, but very enjoyable imho...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNWqTEUKnyo

Grauniad review:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/mar/12/the-black-crowes-a-pound-of-feathers-review

It has been far too long since I last listened to this - but it has to be in my all-time top... twenty, maybe... albums: 10,000 Maniacs In My Tribe.  And it's all down to RT - Don't Cry was played on the before gig tape when I went to see him at a pub in the middle of Nottingham in 1987 (the first time I'd seen him live).  It came on, I turned to my friend and asked 'what's this?' and the next day was straight out to buy a copy of the album.  The same day was when I picked up Step Outside by The Oyster Band, so all in all it was a very important couple of days musically!

Having a Pentangle and Bert Jansch solo day having downloaded the expanded release of Sweet Child.

Just listened to Bert's Moonshine and now on to Birthday Blues with Danny T and Terry Cox on the bass and drums.

The terrific new Long Ryders album, High Noon Hymns. Not pulling up any trees, but perfectly serviceable. Will particularly appeal to folk who enjoyed ‘Run, Dusty Run’ from their earlier oeuvre, for example.

I have the expanded Sweet Child 2CD from some years ago, Castle label.  Love it because you get what seems more like a full concert, plus decent bonus studio tracks .

Sounds good. I enjoyed their recent couple of albums, and saw this was coming out too.

  Yesterday’s second-hand record haul - The Band: The Band, Deep Purple: Powerhouse, Fairport Convention: The Five Seasons and Bob Dylan: More Greatest Hits which is one of the only two Dylan albums you need, IMHO. OOAA.  ::)

Lol  ;D

And, furthermore, rofl.

Jules

 

But David, you didn’t ask which was the other one… 🤔🤭😂

Something with The Band on it?

Jules

In fairness, this is the track list for my first essential album;
Watching The River Flow
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Lay Lady Lay
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
All I Really Want To Do
My Back Pages
Maggie's Farm
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
Positively 4th Street
All Along The Watchtower
The Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo)
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
If Not For You
New Morning
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
When I Paint My Masterpiece
I Shall Be Released
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Down In The Flood

Clue: The other one is not ‘Under The Red Sky’.

That is indeed a superb compilation, in part because of those tracks which at the time it was difficult to get elsewhere. Many of his very best songs - eg Tomorrow is a long time. Cover photo from the Bangladesh concert is great as well.

It does beg the question of which other compilation albums were/are indispensable. I’ll start the bidding with Rolled Gold, the vinyl version (best Stones album of all time?) and Meaty, Beaty , Big and Bouncy (still cherish the thought of my dad asking for that when buying my Christmas present).

I’d have to say Neil Young’s Decade - similarly for the essential and the unreleased. Who’d have thought at the time that a triple album would later only cover a fraction of his career!?

Good game.  Excellent choices.

Beatles - Red and Blue, obvs?

I'd have had Decade and Meaty Beaty at the top of my list.

Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks is another.

Jules

Daisy Rickman's 2 LPs.

Gwenifer Raymond  :  Last Night I Heard the Dig Star Bark  (2025 LP).

That's a great call.  My go to 'cocks forever.

Relics?  Does that count?  Ish.

20 Golden Greats for early BB?

A History of Fairport Convention? About 50 years or so old now - but what a history!

Takes me back.  Still got my 2LP copy, red ribbon.

Alchemy-Dire Straits Live (1983).
I know some people will scoff at this, but it was a major soundtrack of my sixth form years, in the eighties and I haven’t heard it for years.

I am right back there with all the friendship, love, joy and of course, angst! So nostalgic and whatever your views on the music I think it is a brilliant live album and those versions are THE versions for me.

" Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine" by the Doors plus "LA Woman" provides just enough Doors for me , never been tempted by any other full LP's

I occasionally forget how good "The Best Of The Doors" is and rediscover it on car journeys. L.A. Woman does have a special place in my heart, though.

No scoffing from me. Love that album.

Is that recorded at the Hammy Odeon?  I certainly saw Dire Straits live there that year, but am unsure if I've ever actually heard the live album.  Like many people I went very off Dire Straits after Brothers in Arms became arguably the most ubiquitous album of all time.  A single note of some of the songs on there can make me head for the hills.  The first three though, and maybe even four, are however great albums.

Yes, it was recorded there.

I've never heard Brothers in Arms...

I bet you've heard all the singles on it so you very nearly have... ;)

It's well worth a listen. Excellent album, I reckon.

I've heard a total of seven Dire Straits songs in my entire life    :o

They never came close to bettering Sultans of Swing as far as I'm concerned.

Jules

I like everything up to (and including) Brothers In Arms.  I can take or leave On Every Street.

Absolutely love the doors and Jim Morrison got into them in my late teens. I too love LA woman but i think Riders on the storm is my all time fave.
This article from the Guardian of the Doors greatest songs puts that at number 1 with my other all time favourite Break on Through (To the Other Side) as number two

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/24/the-doors-greatest-songs-ranked

and re Dire Straits, i have a place in my heart for the song Romeo and Juliet, more probably due to the age i was when it came out 18/19.... But i did enjoy most of their albums i have to say.

As a confirmed contrarian, my favourite Doors album is Other Voices ;D

I do genuinely like Other Voices, but that's nuts.

Jules

I'm afraid Jimbo really doesn't do it for me, although, again, controversially, I rather like An American Prayer.  I'm beyond redemption.

I was always tempted to buy Other Voices on viny, because it was a regular in the cutout bins in the mid to late 70's at bargain prices
It's probably £30+ if it's had a reissue , or much more for a crackly original vinyl , but having never heard The Doors without Jim , I will give it a go on the internet for free .....do you not remember staring at an LP sleeve in a record store trying to work out if it's worth the investment , even at £1.50, maybe based on something you'd heard on John Peel once
Now it's try before you buy - just a click of a mouse away after an advert or 3

So you don't like Jim, but you like an album that's even more Jim than the regular Doors albums, and your favourite Doors album is an album where Ray Manzarek tries to sing like Jim? OK.   ::)

Jules

Worth hearing for Ships w/ Sails alone - one of my top 10 Doors tracks. It's magnificent.

Jules

Come on peeps, you know you want to... (not as good, but not as bad as people will tell you it is)