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| Author | What the Folk? |
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So in another thread a question was asked, what is folk, and I decided to answer it. Just not quickly.
For those interested, I put some links in for samples. These are not necessarily the best recordings, nor likely to match everyone's tastes, but that's cool.
What is Folk? On one level I do not know, I have never looked up a formal definition, and I refuse to now so as to maintain an authentic response.
To me folk music is effectively traditional music of the people. It is played on traditional instruments by the common people, about the lives of the common people. Whereas the music of old that survived due to the aristocracy or the church who could afford to have written records and people who can read music, folk music was passed down in an aural tradition.
The style and content of this music varied depending upon the instruments and influences of the people that made it, which of course also changed over time. In the British Isles there are strong Gaelic influences of drum, guitar and fiddle(violin) and often linked to dances in times of celebration and gatherings, and so would be the music of the traditional dances.
In England there was a folk revival in the early 1900 where a few key people (Cecil Sharps being the only one I can remember) went around from village to village, listening to traditional songs and recording them all down before the industrial revolution and mechanisation meant that this aural tradition got broken. These records are the seed material for a number of folk bands to this day, looking back at these records and bringing them up to date. Of recent fame you get the likes of the song the wellerman which while stemming from a later time, is nevertheless following the same sort of pattern.
There was a second folk revival in England was mostly in the 1950-late 60s and while started by the not widely known people like Martin Carthy and Ewan MacColl, they in turn influenced the likes of The Animals who in going electric helped tip people like Bob Dylan into going electric.
Of course it is not just about Britain. In America blues music (again stemming originally from an aural tradition) and was recorded and so could influence many around the world (eg from the likes of Leadbelly and Robert Johnson came John Lee Hooker, which then lead to the Rolling Stones). The other folk mix was from liberal white folk like Woody Guthrie who would roam from place to place. This all came together in a mixing pot as music came to be heard around the world at an affordable price and why the 50’s-60’s had such a rapid growth in music.
The thing I like about Folk is that often you have simple (in terms of minimal number of instruments and layers of sound), yet complex weaving of notes that provide interest. Then lyrically it is not some benal repetition of lust or such, but instead a narrative of something with meaning. Bringing colour and life to times and places of the world I could never experience for real, but allows my imagination to try and place myself and empathise for how life was.
So enough of that, lets get some tasters of the different sorts and some of the parts I like.
So traditional folk of more Gaelic influence based around dance and gatherings (known as a Ceilidh)
Spiro - lightbox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h45X87nx5LE
Ceilidh music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGXAubk9BwA
To be honest I do not tend to listen to this myself, though if you ever go to Ireland or Scotland look to do a Ceilidh dance. A huge amount of fun if you let go of som inhibitions and just go with it (My step brother is a professional violinist and has done his fair share of ceilidh gigs - I cannot show how crazy talented he is, though this may give an idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b90Vx6isrBU)
American Folk - Normally one man and a Guitar - simple stuff, but words are important
Woody Guthrie - HUGE American influence, but not one I would tend to listen to myself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w | Woody Guthrie - HUGE American influence, but not one I would tend to listen to myself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s
Phil Ochs - The first folk act I really listened to much off, a contemporary of Bob Dylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv1KEF8Uw2k
Tom Paxton - similar to Phil Ochs really.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHXOWAsNeJU
British Folk rock - from the 60’s
Fairport Convention - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK_7AqH1VGQ&list=PLBokfEObLPHCXNV19lMv9kEzxK_NX9kRT&index=3
Nick Drake - perhaps more borderline fok - but still good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXnfhnCoOyo
Most of what I know is from more recent musicians
MEgson - Husband and wife duo - I love the fact that you can hear their Northern accents while singing, almost all other singers lose accents when they sing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Pe91hqVuk
Mawkin Causley - Poor quality recording this, but hey ho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_vXjr5Wgc
Bellowhead - unusually large group of musicians - crazy when live and much more depth to their sound as so many of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGUiYZJYJ3s
Newton Faulkner - less folky, did alright in the mainstream for a few singles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE-Why8N2I0
Jack Johnson - dude on a guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seZMOTGCDag
Keston cobblers club https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-8ljbZXjHE
Mumford and Sons - these had some significant commercial success - and rightfully so https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJf9qJHR3E
The levellers - had a bit of success in the late 90’s, though I prefer their earlier stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-KIlwPCeus | | [Post deleted by moderator Arcanide // /] |
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