TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

It's such a weird thing isn't it - because most of the best (ok, scrub that, my favourite) singers have multiple 'deficiencies'.  It's all about how the emotion is transferred to my ears.  Some people almost literally 'can't sing' but it still works.  Other people are entirely technically proficient but you never want to hear again...it's the same with guitar playing - Yngwie Malmsteen can play all the notes, but do you ever want to listen to him playing them a second time?  To get bang up to date - Robert Fripp or Steve Vai (KC v BEAT playing KC)?  No contest - less is always more.  

The funny thing about this particular case is that I might actually prefer an autotuned Freddie ;)

I agree with all that. I like "stylists". I like artists with charisma, intelligence, and the ability to get emotions over to the audience.  When I talked about "deficiencies", I was thinking more about pop singers than people like Bob Dylan or [insert name here].

Jules

I've employed Autotune in a studio-based environment, principally when we knew that hearing that bum note would bug the perpetrator from here until eternity.
Also, when the fiddle player is 104, getting a bit tired after the sixteenth take, and we're on the clock.

Yngwie, eh ?

The late Jeff Buckley made the following observation about the aforementioned Mr Malmsteen :

"Do I like Yngwie Malmsteen ? Ha ! He says he loves the guitar yet it's obvious to me that the guitar hates him. He can't write a song at all. I remember hearing a bit of an album of his after reading so much about him...it was a complete joke. He's no threat to anything or anyone whatsoever - except maybe his own bowels."

Bit harsh, I thought...  ;D

You might say that, I couldn't possibly comment... ;) ;D

New Dr Strangely Strange album in the Spring.
 
First track here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhQ970La8X8

Ordering details https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/483715-dr-strangely-strange-anti-inflammatory

Possibility of a gig in London around the release date, but somewhat depends on the health of one of the band members and other stuff.

If anybody is on FB I run a Fans of Dr Strangely Strange group there...

Ordered, but i did't go for the most expensive option.  

A new Throwing Muses  album on March.

Cheered me up that has.

A brief snippet of the new Jethro Tull record, Curious Ruminant, has been released on social media. I like it….

March 14th that  is  🙂

Bob Mould releases his long-awaited (by me, anyway - has it really been 5 years since his last effort, Blue Hearts ?) new album Here We Go Crazy on March 7th.

Here's the title track - concise and snappy, under 3 minutes :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WNAhNrmEM

Excellent  :)

Really really good , hope there's more like this on the forthcoming recordings

New supergroup alert : Butler Blake & Grant

Featuring original Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and singer-songwriter James Grant, they're releasing an album on March 28th, 2025.

Here's their first single "Bring An End" - quite mature sounding, a bit like the Finn Brothers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vsZaQkRJiU&t=269s

Another release to look forward to...

 That does sound like an 'On the buses' tribute band, though.... ;D

 ;D ;D ;D

Jules

A nice new ep from Bridget St John.  Stupid money, of course, but it will be fine - Shagrat put out great releases.  The economics make no sense, mind...stupid money.

https://www.shagratrecords.com/shagrat_bsj-cmb.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJBed1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZu5pm55GoJcIOILe1Th9eejlpnFi2YXRj4XsTdyLqq9pCjKQDnHt0LiNw_aem_TG5qSbu4ijmVG5_ueVw3Pg

Oooh thanks for posting!   This  I must have. Still have  'The First Cut'  ep on  Shagrat from ages ago, and that 7" single.  

Edit- can't get the ordering link to work.

...and of course the Betsey  Trotwood record.

Just found the 18CD Rory Gallagher at the BBC box set, released last year.

Insanely expensive from Amazon (suspiciously much cheaper on eBay) and for completists only.

The veritable Grateful Dead archive of Rory Gallagher performances.

The Amazon price is just an algorithm price - not a realistic one - I imagine.  The prices on eBay are not suspicious, I don't think (reasonably close to Discogs prices etc.), although personally, like most big CD boxes there will be some dodgy copies around from Asia I imagine.

Announced today, appropriately enough for St Patrick's Day, Horslips at the BBC. Four CDs and a DVD. Released by Madfish (the same label that put out the megabox a couple of years ago) at the end of May.

Looking forward to this one.

A new expanded edition of the acid folk comp  Gather in the  Mushrooms.    2 formats.

 Oooh...that disc was formative for my interest in acid folk. Thanks Alan!  [;-)

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms 40th Anniversary release being trailed widely.  3 CD version comes with a full concert from that tour (maybe that's why there wasn't one included in the recent Live boxset?).

Amazingly, it's 21 years old :o

 Aaarrghhh!!! :o

You're welcome.

And yes, don't the years  gallop past when youre not looking.

Martin Carthy  Transform me into a Fish.

New album.  Quite a surprise- i thought he'd retired.

New release from the ever excellent Owl Service is a tribute to Sandy...get in quick if you want the cd-r

https://theowlservice.bandcamp.com/album/a-tribute-to-sandy-denny

Thanks David!  :)

Nice, and i nearly went for it, but 2 tracks doesn't seem a lot. Am i being mean ? ???

I believe they're called singles out in the real world, Alan  ;) ;D

It is what it is - one thing Steven can never be accused of is doing this for the cash, so I'll buy anything and everything he puts out.

Yes, and a rare thing they are these days.
  I'd have liked say  an ep- bit more for my money.

Nick Drake taster...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tVlCw9ueQI

Jules

Excellent

That is gorgeous....

I concur, delicate and beautifully sung/played. That guitar arrangement, incredible playing.

Sublime.  

Thank you for sharing, it’s beautiful

I might get this. I'm not a raving Tull fan, but many of my favourites are included here...

https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/jethro-tull-still-living-in-the-past/

Jules

An album i love and which i would recommend to anyone who wants to  test the  Tull waters.
I don't do blu  ray,  however.

I've never indulged either. Maybe it'll play on my laptop. Still, 5 other discs, innit.

Jules

Only if you have a Blu Ray drive (very few do).

For me, musically, Tull went over a cliff after "Aqualung" and never recovered, even with the links to the Fairport universe.

The lack of "17", B side to "Sweet Deams", on this seems a curious omission.

I have already ordered it from Burning Shed. £49.99. Pretty reasonable for 5 CDs and a Blu Ray. The books in these sets are always good quality and informative too. Tull do box sets right and for sensible money. Take note Beatles and Springsteen.

I am not a raving Tull fan either and yet somehow I have found myself with all these box sets (except one frustratingly). I have been discovering much of their music through them. I was previously only really familiar with Thick As A Brick, Aqualung, Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses and Bursting Out along with the 50 For 50 compilation. I don't love all of the "new" stuff but I like enough of it to have made the trip worthwhile. Oddly I really enjoyed the A box which is an album that most Tull fans seem to despise.

You can't even find anything to enjoy in Songs From The Wood or Heavy Horses? I can see why the intervening albums might not appeal. Some of it is a bit stodgy and self indulgent but those two albums have a lightness of touch and some great tunes. Having said that, I discovered Tull as a teenager through Bursting Out which is heavy with tracks from those albums so I am bound to like them.

I’m a huge Tull fan, so this was a no-brainer. These boxed sets are the absolute gold standard in terms of quality, the associated ‘making of’ book featuring all the key players, and the live recording.

I love A (I'm a raving fan) and even Under Wraps.
Of course I have all the box sets. But I'm very lukewarm on this one, for some reason.

Island have an offer of 30% off if you quote the code DADDYCOOL. May be of interest if you want the new Nick Drake set at a reasonable-ish price. (Don’t bother looking for the classic Island artists - FC, John Martyn, Steve Winwood,  Free etc - as they don’t seem to list them anymore.)

Nope, sadly.  "DADDYCOOL discount code isn’t valid for the items in your cart"

Sixth, and presumably last of David Bowie’s career box sets to be released on 12-9-25 entitled “I Can’t Give Everything Away” it covers the period 2002 to 2016.
https://burningshed.com/artists/bowie_artists?utm_source=Newsletter+10+07+2025&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+10+07+2025

For Byrds fans!

I had no idea this had been released last year. Has someone else posted it? If so, sorry for the retread!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CZLZQ18R/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aTENaXvUh4T-e1Lycbqjl2cCa1EiQVGiUB3WJBIhCwd7VMgPOmaKPFGuGkx-LjORYIwxXb2pclJqeTezgDlUUxCSHIsEMV8an9c5DECVrG2bVnCL9lbtD5V_9PR5OOirhru8ZVSH3d0WS4KjzVZdcqylz0DUbnmXp1hnKigUqH-tVK4Qvv_m9LyIeQ7V27Ff.rFj7LJjyUaFMbd_hab52NWT07nd2mLlMci8gWPtx_XY&dib_tag=se&keywords=sweetheart+of+the+rodeo+live&qid=1753374352&sr=8-1

CDs and Vinyl:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8GD16X2/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_fr

Not sure how limited these are.  CDs are no longer available on Marty's site

New track from Regan and Bricheno (Julianne and Tim, All about Eve)....and very lovely it is too.  The album and Xmas ep are well worth a gander too...

https://reganbricheno.bandcamp.com/album/ophelia

The Owl Service SandyDenny single is now coming out as a 7" vinyl single.

Fruits de Mer.   300 copies.

https://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/owl.html

Some Fotheringay BBC sessions on a single vinyl record.

Completists only, i would guess, as they are described as 'off air'  recordings. Somebody will know if this material has been included elsewhere.

And a brand new Soft Machine album  in early 2026.

They are actually calling themselves Soft Machine again, it seems, after diversions into  other appelations.

I'd like the vinyl but the price is a bit silly.

Julianne & Tim (Regan & Bricheno) (aka half of All About Eve) have some new Winter music

https://reganbricheno.bandcamp.com/album/winter-2025

Strawbs 5CD  plus blu ray set of BBC stuff from Cherry Red.

I will probably end up buying thus as i'm a fan. Some of it  has already been released (2010)..  Blu ray is of no use or real interest to me.  

Pink Floyd   :  8 Tracks.

Nothing to do with the doomed format of yore,  but a compilation of later  tracks mastered  by that   rather good Steven  Wilson fellow.

Not strictly true. The title is a nod to the elongated edit of Pigs on the Wing, which was only officially previously available on the 8-track version of Animals.

Jules

I never knew that!

Yes i noticed that.  A play on words.

Yes i noticed that.  A play on words.

That aside   i do wonder who will buy it, apart from Floyd completists  and possibly Steven Wilson fans.

Is that the one Snowy White did the solo on?

Yes.

Jules

Yes.

Jules
[/quote]

It’s lovely to see the spirit of badinage and general chattiness so alive and well on the forum.

Yes.

Jules

Latest Jethro Tull boxset to be announced is a pairing of Under Wraps with Ian Anderson's solo album, Fly By Night.  Each presented with a remaster of the original, including the 80s tinned drums, and a version using modern drums.  May be something of a limited audience for those two, but I'm going in.

It’s lovely to see the spirit of badinage and general chattiness so alive and well on the forum.
[/quote]

I sought out the YouTube clip of Pigs on the Wing, featuring Snowy White. I must say it is truly for completists. I don’t have enough spare change to justify buying anything for that (obviously one-take) guitar solo.

Just ordered: Robin Trower Live, 50th Anniversary Edition!

This set contains the complete concert, which was severely truncated for the original release. I can’t get enough live Robin Trower from the 1970s. His playing and Jimmy Dewar’s singing are nirvana for me. Bill Lordan’s no slouch on drums, either.

Sounds attractive. When does it come out?

I believe the Robin Trower Live 50th Anniversary Edition dropped this week! I’m expecting mine in tomorrow’s mail (er, I mean “post”).