Really Good Albums That You Might Not Have Heard

Number 2 - Folk Roots, New Routes - Shirley Collins and Davy Graham When I was a student in the early 70's I loathed English folk music. In fact, the only folk music I liked was American. The English stuff just sounded to me like wimp music sung by wimps for wimps - Sandy Denny's voice made me want to break things. Fairport, Steeleye, Planxty, etc etc were a nightmare to me. Bearded wonders in Arran sweaters with their acoustic guitars and fey womenfolk crooning on about Lady Godiva made me want to puke. I wanted muscular electric blues. In that context, a record like this, released in 1964, completely passed me by, featuring as it does the pure English englishness of Shirley Collins vocals against a background of Davy Graham's meticulous acoustic guitar strumming. For me in 1972 this would have represented pretty well everything I hated about folk music. Some time in the mid 1980's I had a road to Damascus conversion about English folk music. I cannot precisely pinpoint the reason, but albums like Fairport's 'Liege and Lief', Nick Drake's 'Bryter Layter', Davy Graham's 'Folk Blues', and everything by Bert Jansch (though Graham and Jansch are Scottish) played a big part. I became a devotee. I still am. I heard this record 30 years after it was released - it is practically the template for the boom in English folk music which occurred in the 60's and 70's. Amongst other gems, it contains versions of 'Nottamun Town' and 'Reynardine' which are now more commonly associated with later versions by Fairport Convention (and the melody of Nottamun Town was appropriated by Dylan for 'Masters of War'). Shirley's voice is a direct precursor to Sandy Denny's vocal style - in my conversion I went from loathing Sandy to adoring her. If you have any interest in folk music then this is a 'must hear'. Dash out and purchase immediately.