Smashbomb

"He used to be with a band called The Zincs and that was interesting in terms of being clever and beautiful and having all the right elements, but this album is beyond interesting and beyond clever and beyond beautiful. There is something that is clicking and being aligned, and all the years of work are finally getting you to this plateau that you've been looking for. I feel that he's got there. Sometimes there's nothing you can do but work hard at something for a long time before you get to where you want it to be, and I have that sense that there he is. This is an album that really talks to the listener in a very direct, open way. And it has all the elements. It is interesting; it is surprising; it is beautiful. It's very well-played, of course it is: James is a terrific guitar player. He introduced me some years ago to Davy Graham, and that was my introduction to folk music. That was where folk music started for me. Tim [Gane] hated folk music, or he always claimed he hated folk music, so there was no folk music at home. But James introduced me to Davy Graham and Shirley Collins, and you can't argue with music like that. It's pure; it's direct; it's transcendental. There are no curves or bends; it's just something that's received in its purest form. At least, that's how I feel it. And the songs are incredibly beautiful. I don't know how to explain what makes a good interesting song for me. It also has to do with the fact that it's not a cliché; it's forever whole, it has its own integrity, its own singularity. I feel like James might say he has nothing to do with this folk music stuff, but of course he does, you know, and certainly Davy Graham is in there. But he's lived in Chicago for many years now and he's worked with other people, including myself, who don't particularly come from a folk background, and it's true that, to honour this record, there are other interjections from other influences. It has to be seen as a whole thing that can't be reduced to just folk music. It is a strong root, but there are also some amazing string arrangements and a lot of surprises. There are connections to the past, but coming out of a spaceship, you know? It's really earthy, but connected to the universe."

Source

Kudos

Medicine Stories

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Podcast

Exploring the mythic journeys we undertake when coming to know ourselves through interviews with...

Ross (3284 KP) rated Third/Sister Lovers by Big Star in Music

May 5, 2020

Rolling Stone's 449th greatest album of all time

A mediocre bunch of folk-rock songs. I can't see why on earth this would come above Jackson Browne's album, there seems to be passion missing and none of the songs are particularly memorable.

Kudos

HQ by Roy Harper

6.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Album

Recorded at Abbey Road Studio. Released 1975. Produced by Peter Jenner. Artwork Redesign by Harry...

Gwen (2018)

9.0 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

A dark folk tale set in the hills of Wales during the industrial revolution.

Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) created a video about Even a Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 by Various Artists in Music

Nov 12, 2017

Video

Kazuhiko Kato - "Arthur Hakase No Jinriki Hikouki" | Japan Archival Series

This track is from a Light In The Attic release called "Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973," which is part of Light In The Attic's Japan Archival Series.