Best Ever Albums

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 8 Nov 2020 20:40:09 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 11/09/2020 01:40

Life took over a bit over the last couple of weeks - but while I haven't had time to post, I have been doing a lot of listening (and playing)...

Here is a couple of the standouts.

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Celebration (25 Years) by The Dubliners

I have been listening to the Dubliners for years - my dad likes them. Barney McKenna is one hell of a banjo player. I love listening to the distinctive Irish take which has a different feel to the mountain banjo of some of the others on here.

Verdict - fab stuff! 😄

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Ola Belle Reed & Family by Ola Belle Reed

It is back up to the mountains for some Ola Belle Reed. My fingers are tingling from trying to play 'You led me to the wrong'... The whole album is very raw and has a hint of the blues to it. Fabulous playing to boot (one day, Abs, one day!)

Verdict - very old school mountain banjo playing - rough and ready but with a beauty of it's own.

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Repo — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 21:56:27 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 10/14/2020 01:56

LadyGodiva wrote:

GOT IT - it reminds me a little bit of Camper Van Beethoven (one of my all time favourite bands) - this album to be precise but without the more rock sound that the camper vans have:

Oh cool! I love them too. Will have to check out Lost Dog soon! 😄

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:23:40 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/13/2020 20:23

I had a fun afternoon yesterday listening to the Lost Dog Street Band. On paper this is probably something that I wouldn't expect to like (wailing men rarely do it for me! 😄 ) But I actually really enjoyed the album. It reminded me of something and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. And again I liked that mix of guitar, banjo and fiddle - vocals are not as bad as I just made them sound either.

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Rage And Tragedy by Lost Dog Street Band

GOT IT - it reminds me a little bit of Camper Van Beethoven (one of my all time favourite bands) - this album to be precise but without the more rock sound that the camper vans have:

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Key Lime Pie by Camper Van Beethoven

Now feel I have to listen to this again (oh dear what a shame! 😁 )

Conclusion: I love Key Lime Pie (it is on my chart) and I really liked the slightly rock focussed folk of 'Rage and Tragedy' too.

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 17:59:59 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/12/2020 21:59

I actually went looking for different versions of the song that sparked the 'I want to learn the banjo' mid-life crisis this morning. 'The Cuckoo' is an ancient song (at least 300 years old) and has lots of different titles and versions. I have a massive soft spot for this live version by my favourite Monkee, Peter Tork (RIP).

Link

Anyway I landed up with the Willie Watson version today and decided to listen to the whole album. His version of 'The Cuckoo Bird' is beautiful as is the rest of the album. A lovely modern take on some very old classics. I also liked the mixture of guitar and banjo and he has a very folk voice. I know I am going on a lot about the voices and singers as I go through these albums, but it is important to me. I find that some folk singers have very harsh voices which I find really hard to listen to and it puts me off everything else... I know it is sometimes the style but still! 🙁

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Folksinger, Vol. 2 by Willie Watson

Conclusion: a modern twist on some old traditional classics

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 00:31:47 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/12/2020 04:31

That was bloody brilliant - thanks heaps for sharing! I think I am several millenia away from all those fancy neck swirling moves... But that was really cool to watch! 😁

Listening to Roscoe Holcombe as I type - traditional as traditional comes... love it. It is a cool ambition to want to listen to as much US traditional music as possible. I have no connection at all with that part of the US, but I still love the sound.

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Tha1ChiefRocka — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 00:06:43 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 10/12/2020 04:06

Oh, and if you've never seen this...

Link

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Tha1ChiefRocka — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 23:58:41 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 10/12/2020 03:58

I'm on a quest to listen to as much of the traditional music of the United States as much as I possibly can, so I've got a few things that I could reccomend, but I'll stick with this one for a banjo album. Nice picks so far!

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An Untamed Sense Of Control by Roscoe Holcomb

BTW, in Winfield, KS, where my grandfather went to college, there's one of the largest bluegrass festivals in the country.

Basically, it's a huge jamfest where everyone's invited. 😁

Link

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 22:55:13 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/12/2020 02:55

I stand corrected - they aren’t spoons! They are bones!

No wonder I felt a bit uneasy... Mountain Voodoo Blues?

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 22:53:22 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/12/2020 02:53

Lots of diversions today listening to the recommendations from the good folk at BEA. 😁 Thoroughly enjoyed them all so please keep them coming!

I was keen to explore this ‘jug style’ thing a bit more and ended up with the Carolina Chocolate Drops... i am not even sure how I would describe the music - mountain Blues maybe? Or even if I like it - I think I do but it left me feeling a bit uneasy! Highlight for me were the spoons... more bands should have spoons, they make a great sound (I am being serious)!

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Leaving Eden by Carolina Chocolate Drops

Conclusion: listened a few times, still not really sure what to make of it. ❓

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 22:27:37 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/12/2020 02:27

Well that was fun! 😁

I can definitely see why your dad liked them... I do too! It’s music that makes you smile and we all need some of that!

Thanks for sharing! 😁

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

RoundTheBend — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 22:11:27 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/12/2020 02:11

I dig The Kingston Trio, but not just for the banjo. Possibly not your cup of tea (I love it because it reminds me of me late dad), but maybe?

Link

Link

Not banjo - but possibly my favorite track of theirs:

Link

Another non-banjo... ok I need to stop sharing links here... 🤣 (sorry for the YouTube rabbit hole).

Link

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 17:06:05 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/11/2020 21:06

This morning I ended up with another guitar rather than banjo folk singer... but don’t feel too sad about that as Phil Ochs is fantastic. I definitely have a bit of a thing for the protest song and this scratches that particular itch. I like the simpleness of the songs - something I could play (with a bit of practice). The beauty Is in the richness of The lyrics and Phil Ochs has a great voice.

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I Ain't Marching Anymore by Phil Ochs

Conclusion: another soap box but really enjoyable

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 00:13:34 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/11/2020 04:13

Jameth wrote:

Are you more interested in clawhammer or 3-finger banjo?

I am an old-fashioned girl at heart so definitely clawhammer...

I am learning clawhammer. At the moment though I am listening to lots of different types of stuff to get some inspiration and give me something to practice with... I am kind of old to be learning a new instrument so am not finding it easy! I’ll take inspiration from wherever I can get it! 😄

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Jameth — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 00:11:45 GMT

Author: Jameth

Posted: 10/11/2020 04:11

Are you more interested in clawhammer or 3-finger banjo?

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:49:19 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/11/2020 03:49

Really not sure how I ended up at Martin Carthy today, But this is big fluffy blanket stuff - every song so familiar even though this is the first time I have listened to the album. Martin Carthy is more about the style and the origins than the picking (He plays a lot of instruments but I am not sure the banjo is one of them).

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Martin Carthy by Martin Carthy

Conclusion: quintessentially English

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:39:09 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/11/2020 03:39

How you diddlin’ Skinny old boy? 😄

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Skinny — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:16:45 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 10/11/2020 03:16

Yes yes Madge!

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 17:06:23 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/10/2020 21:06

Thank you Streams - I have added them to my (ever growing) list... I didn't really go anywhere I just didn't have anything to say but thank you for welcoming me back anyway! 😄

I did go somewhere yesterday afternoon - in a slightly different direction. I moved away from soul-searching ballads and into the realms of the 'stomping can't keep your feet still' reels. I love to dance so foot-tappers are always a winner with me. The Duhks have got a fantastic combination of fiddle and banjo that is at home in rural Ireland, Quebec or the Appalachians. I liked that it showed how much folk music in particular is a blend. It lends and borrows from different traditions as players come together and bring their own styles and flavours with them. It will be a long time before I am able to play a reel myself but it is something to aim for...

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Your Daughters & Your Sons by The Duhks

Conclusion: Pure Joy - I defy anyone not to get itchy feet listening to this!

P.S. Tania Elizabeth, the fiddler, is absolutely outstanding!

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

Streams — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 22:09:30 GMT

Author: Streams

Posted: 10/10/2020 02:09

See how you like bits of Eugene Chadbourne/Susan Alcorn's An Afternoon in Austin and the first half of this on youtube...

/watch?v=s3k9fmTiyJ8 (sorry, can't post links)

Also, Folkways' Classic Old-Time Music

Nice to see you back!

Re: Nowt as queer as folk...

LadyGodiva — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 21:03:05 GMT

Author: LadyGodiva

Posted: 10/10/2020 01:03

I came at Abigail Washburn through Bela Fleck (mentioned and recommended earlier in this thread by Fischman). Aside from having a great name ( 😉 ), Abigail has a very understated, almost feather-light, way of playing that I really like. Her music leans on traditional folk roots but adds something new and fresh.. She also successfully combines styles from different countries and traditions which adds a lot of layers. I also think she has a beautiful voice too.

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Song Of The Traveling Daughter by Abigail Washburn

Conclusion: an eclectic mix of styles that show how versatile banjo-based folk can be.