Mix CD: The Acid Folk Vol. 5
May 1, 2011 at 9:00 am 12 comments
The Acid Folk Vol. 5
This here blog never thought it would be posting another new Acid Folk compilation. After all, aren’t the four volumes already posted here exhaustive enough? But with May just getting start, who can resist? So, here it is: The Acid Folk Vol. 5. Perfect music for dancing ’round the May Pole, prancing around the village with the ‘Obby ‘Oss and generally going about your business on a May morning in May.
Actually, the most immediate inspiration for this compilation was Rob Young’s absolutely phenomenal book Electric Eden. Young’s 600-page survey of the “folk” influence on British music throughout the 20th century stood as a reminder of favourite tracks and an introduction to all sorts of weird and wonderful obscurities. If you have any interest at all in this stuff, you really need to get a copy of this book.
As with all of the mix CDs posted on this hear blog, The Acid Folk Vol. 5 is intended as a sampler. Most of the artists featured here have CD and/or vinyl re-issues in print. And if you’re looking for more compilations, Gather in the Mushrooms and the four-CD box set Anthems in Eden are both heartily recommended.
Here’s the full track-listing for The Acid Folk Vol. 5:
1. Shirley & Dolly Collins – “Go from My Window”
A particularly stirring performance from Shirley Collins MBE. A song in which sexual advances are successfully discouraged. Consequently, nobody gets murdered. Basically, British folk songs are like horror films – if anyone gets laid, someone’s gonna get murdered.
2. Bert Jansch & John Renbourn – “The Time Has Come”
A lovely Anne Briggs song from the Pentangle guitarists. Did Briggs maybe write this about Jansch? Anyway, more from all concerned later in the mix.
3. Steeleye Span – “Blackleg Miner”
For Carl Impostume.
4. Mellow Candle – “The Poet and the Witch”
Featuring Clodagh Simonds of Fovea Hex and therefore awesome.
5. Nick Drake – “Way to Blue”
Turns out this fellow was pretty good.
6. Richard & Linda Thompson – “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”
Dig those synth-trumpet arpeggios! Showcasing the rockier side of 70s folk-rock. Speaking of which…
7. Roy Harper – “Male Chauvinist Pig Blues”
This Who-style romper barely even qualifies as folk-anything but what a tune! Why exactly does Harper’s magnum opus Stormcock (from which this song is not taken) only warrant literally about three sentences in Electric Eden?
8. C.O.B. – “Spirit of Love”
Led by Clive Palmer. He was in the original line-up of The Incredible String band but he didn’t do much, apparently. More of them later.
9. Shirley Collins & The Albion Country Band – “Poor Murdered Woman”
Shirley Collins MBE, again. There’s no actual sex or violence in this song but y’know… it’s implied.
10. The Woods Band – “January Snows”
Gay and Terry Woods, who we heard earlier on Steeleye Span’s “Blackleg Miner”. This is a really great tune.
11. John Martyn – “Bless the Weather”
More typical of the earlier, acoustic Martyn than the echoplexed aqua-funk of his classic era. It’s all good, though.
12. The Incredible String Band – “Koeeoaddi There”
Wilfully bonkers!
13. Heron – “Lord and Master”
Not featuring Mike Heron from The Incredible String band.
14. Anne Briggs – “Willie O’Winesbury”
Her finest performance? You might know this tune from Fairport Convention’s “Farewell, Farewell”.
15. Mr. Fox – “Mendle”
A genuinely peculiar band, without seeming to try quite as hard as certain other acts of the era. Not mentioning any names. Apart from The Incredible String Band, obviously.
16. The Pentangle – “Pentangling”
Freeform bass solo!
17. Fairport Convention – “A Sailor’s Life”
This track is pretty much the wellspring of all UK folk-rock. Incalculably seminal!
Download The Acid Folk Vol. 5
Entry filed under: folk, mix CDs, MP3s. Tags: folk, mix CDs, MP3s.
12 Comments Add your own
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Bubblegum Cage III 
1.
carl | May 1, 2011 at 10:21 am
nice one! Grime mix was a belter!
2.
Biggie Samuels | May 4, 2011 at 9:56 pm
Add that one to this one, take it all a bit literally and you get a pretty weird picture of England as having a long, continuing history of ubiquitous, casual murder. No wonder you don’t want to go back.
3.
amir | May 2, 2011 at 1:38 am
nice mix.
love that mr fox track.
4.
Biggie Samuels | May 4, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Mr Fox were pretty interesting – they ran this super hardcore acapella folk club but their own music was all original material (that really sounded like it had to be traditional) with “far out” arrangements. There was talk, at one point, of them replacing Gay and Terry Woods in Steeleye Span,
5.
crys | May 4, 2011 at 4:10 am
yay! happy to find another of your AF gems here sam.
and full of soooo many goodies… btw, i finally got a copy of stormcock on LP last year. man oh man… that album is so bloody good…
6.
Biggie Samuels | May 4, 2011 at 9:58 pm
I used to have a vinyl copy of Stormcock on hold at Zulu but it fell down the crack behind one of the desks in the office. It’s probably still there. Sorry about that. Just saw one on sale in town for $50.
7.
Rob Young | May 6, 2011 at 4:00 am
Hey there, this is Rob Young, the author of Electric Eden. Just wanted to say thanks so much for the positive comments and glad you enjoyed the book! A couple of points in response to your post: I would have loved to include more about Roy Harper in the book, but a combination of lack of space in an already very long book, plus the fact that he never responded to my interview requests at the time, meant that I had to leave him as one of many avenues still to explore. However I’m happy to say that I’m off to spend a couple of days with him next week for the cover story of the next Wire magazine (July issue). (All his stuff is being reissued digitally this summer by Believe Digital.) Hopefully it’ll be like the ‘missing chapter of Electric Eden’…
Finally I’d just like to mention that the American edition of Electric Eden is officially published next week, on Tuesday 10 May. http://amzn.to/m583ck Love the blog, keep up the good work!
Rob
8.
Biggie Samuels | May 6, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Wow, thanks Rob. Really, looking forward to the Roy Harper feature.
I’d also like to thank you for inadvertently persuading me to give John Martyn another go. Totally addicted to One World right now.
Awfully tempted to ask you to guest-curate The Acid Folk Vol. 6 but I imagine that would put you in an awkward position, so I won’t.
9.
The Duke of Stratosphear | July 1, 2011 at 5:15 am
Samuel. I’ve only just seen your John Martyn post above.
I seem to recall sending you an email when JM died which triggered a brief discussion of his merits. I was also “totally addicted” to One World at the time, but you were pretty dismissive of both the man and (especially) his œuvre. Most upset, was I.
Sorry to remind you of this but, hey, it’s true. Ten hail marys and half an hour’s worth of furious self-flaggelation and you might be forgiven.
10.
Biggie Samuels | July 2, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Honestly, I thought we’d discussed this but yes, your recommendation was probably as important as Rob Young’s. The other factor was that I found out Solid Air is Simon Reynolds’ favourite album of all time. Martyn is definitely an acquired taste, very much in the same way Tim Buckley is. But I’ve certainly acquired the taste now. Actually bought a copy of Grace & Danger today. Produced by Phil Collins!
11.
Andy East | January 9, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Hey bud, thanks for this.
Am reading Mr Youngs book as i speak so on a bit of a mission to get acquainted with some of the stuff I don’t know. This is ideal as a help with this. Looks like there is lots of other stuff of interest here too.
Andy
12.
Biggie Samuels | January 13, 2012 at 10:42 pm
I’m getting the impression that a lot of people got Electric Albion for Xmas in 2011. Actually, I gave a copy to someone!