Last year around June and through to August I was lucky to find some really old folk albums on torrent sites. Torrent sites are like mana from heaven. If you are music lover like me and have trawled the various 'music' shops in B'lore for good ear-food, you'd die of malnutrition. Synthetic pop sludge packaged as high art sit like colourful toads on shelves mocking human evolution & intelligence. Whats more the FM channels blare singles from these albums at rate of a single twice in three hours. Chirpy DJs must be shot as a rule of thumb. So torrent sites along with internet radio (ahem!) come as salvation in these desperate times.
My first noteworthy discovery was Bert Jansch's self titled debut album. Bert Jansch is a Scottish bluesman. He was also a member of the folk group - The Pentangle. A song and an instumental piece caught my ear. The Instrumental piece was called 'Angie' and was originally played by Davy Graham. The song was called 'The Needle of Death' and was about Bert's friend who ODed and died. In an interview, Bert said that he has not played this song in 30 something years. I've found a neat version of this song on youtube by a chap who goes by monicker TheDruidKing (what a voice, man!).
Another artist I've been listening to for a long time is Donovan. His debut album 'What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid' (1965) had this wonderful song 'Catch the Wind'. Most compilation albums have a live version of him singing the song. The vocals on the live version tend to soar as the song progresses. However the album version is much more comatose or dreamy if you like. Unfotunately I can't find the dreamy version. As a consolation I've found a version that lies somewhere between the two versions.
Like all good songs and slippery eels, their tough to pin down and analyse. One starts of following the sheer poetry of folk songs only to get lost forming images in one's mind. When you come to your senses, the song is over and you need to hear it again. Enjoy maadi... there is no rehab for this kind of wholesome addiction.
3 comments:
Didn't know you liked folk. "Like all good songs and slippery eels, their tough to pin down and analyse. One starts of following the sheer poetry of folk songs only to get lost forming images in one's mind." -- I love the description..
Thanks for sharing. Loving your music & dance posts.
Have you heard other songs by Donovan? Sturdy Gurdy Man, Mellow Yellow, Season of the witch, universal soldier... all of them are excellent. try them out at radioblogclub.com
waiting for the bloody review ;-)
Post a Comment