All-time favourites

[basketbob]

I have a reasonable collection of folk orientated music on vinyl albums & CDs, probably totalling around 600 items, which I have collected over quite a long period.
The first that I got was Movin' by Peter, Paul & Mary (1962), and I'm still buying. I had a bit of a blank spot in the 70s-80s, but I made up for that by buying 2nd hand more recently.

Anyway, to get to the point of this ramble, there are some albums that I just keep going back to, time and time again, and out of those albums, there's one that stands out from all the rest, so I reckon it's my all-time favourite.

Blue, by Joni Mitchell.

The two best tracks being "My Old Man", and "A Case Of You"

IMO there are few songsmiths that ever come near to having produced such a soulful album.

You got a favourite? Tell us about it.

Bob

[folk_radio_uk]

Great thread starter bob, I've made it a sticky so it stays up there. I'm going to have to give this one some thought....

[folk_radio_uk]

OK, I don't do this much now but when I did used to just chill out in the evening a well played album, was Bob Dylans "Biograph".

A 5LP box set 55 tracks with a great booklet and lots of history. One track...that's the hard bit...would probably be To Ramona, taken from Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964).


Now listen folks, if you don't get to hear any new music on the station for a while you can blame Bob (Basketbob that is) as I'll be sat at home with my feet up enjoying my old albums;)

[basketbob]

In my original post I mentioned my favourite album, Blue, but if I were talking just one track, I would be looking elsewhere.

Lights low, cans on, single malt, John Martyn playing Small Hours from the "One World" album.

Blows me away

[Fudged]

A damn near impossible choice to make. Up until a few years ago I would have said Nick Drake's Pink Moon. It was him at his sparse, lyrical, ethereal best. I think I read somewhere that he recorded it by himself then passed the tapes to Joe Boyd. I think it was Nick Drake getting as close as he could to who he wanted to be.

Strangley, though - Pink Moon has, eventually, been ousted from the top of my tree. When Martyn Bennett released Grit, music changed forever.

It's a strange contrast - Nick Drake's almost perfectly organic swansong, and Martyn Bennett's final work, I have no hesitation in calling it a masterpiece, and (apart from a smidgin of his own vocals) made entirely of samples ... he didn't (couldn't) play a single instrument during recording.

[johnsandall]

Lights low, cans on, single malt, John Martyn playing Small Hours from the "One World" album.

Blows me away

I've just rediscovered this track in my collection and it is truly wonderful. Thankyou. :thumbsup:

I'd have to think long and hard about a favourite album or track of all time. My favourite album seems to change so often I wouldn't know where to start. Maybe somewhere like "The Old Style" by the Blazin' Fiddles as it introduced me to REAL folk music for the first time in my life, and truly changed my life for the better.

[Yve Devora]

Well Bob, i cannot get away from Blue either...it really resonates...

I also go through phases of artists.. a few yrs ago Tracy CHapmans Crossroads was a haunting album to play through some college days..

One of my all time faves is Fleetwood Macs Rumours...

[basketbob]

Hi all,

Having finished reading Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, I'm of a mind to do a "top five" of something, just in case you find yourselves with 10 minutes with nothing to do at the weekend. (If you haven't got a clue what I'm on about, read the book. It's quite good)

So, I thought I'd start with my top 5 songs with guitar.

In no particular order:-

1. Nic Jones - Canadi-i-o from Penguin Eggs (Has romantic connotations for me, and I go all gooey when I hear it ;0)

2. John Martyn - May You Never - from Solid Air

3. Ramblin' Jack Elliot - Don't think twice - from Young Brigham (youtube version isn't as good)

4. Mississippi John Hurt - Since I laid my burden down - from The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt (for it's simplicity)

5. Dougie Maclean - Caledonia

As I've been typing these out, I've thought of at least a dozen more that should be included in this Top 5, but I'm drawing a line here to give you lot a chance to shoot me down with your selections.

I'm not really a nerd, I just like to know what music floats other peoples boats. Go on, Give it a go.

All the best,

Bob

[folk_radio_uk]

I've been hopeless at getting a list together although I really like your list. I've been working on archives all this week as Smithsonian Folkways contacted me so I'll be getting new releases from them for the station. Also been digging up some wonderful archive recordings which I've been messing about with...

And family duties of course....;)

[basketbob]

Today's the day I get my bus pass, free prescriptions, fuel allowance, free eyetests et al. Yipee! ;0(

Off to Cromer Festival for a while now (must remember to put my zimmer in the car). When I get back I'll add another five that I like.

Cheers,

Bob