British Folk / Folk Rock recommendations?

Looking for some good recommendations on British folk and folk rock.

I have a few Fairport Convention CDs which I enjoy. I'm listening to a Richard Thompson boot right now but I don't have any of his official material. I also enjoy Nick Drake and, laughable as it may sound, the recently re-released soundtrack to the Wicker Man.

Where should I start? Richard Thompson solo? Sandy Denny?

If it makes a difference, I usually prefer albums over compilations, unless the compilations are definitive.

 

Yeah, that's a great start and also check out Bert Jansch and Nick Drake.

 

Try some Incredible String Band and some Steeleye Span too.

 

Jackson C Frank
Pentangle
Davy Graham
Shirley Collins

 

Sandy Denny - Best of
Richard Thompson - Watching the Dark
Nick Drake - Way to Blue
Fairport Convention - Meet on the Ledge

These are all compilations but definitive - essential and well mastered

If you want singles:

Sandy Denny - Sandy
Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver
Nick Drake - Pink Moon or Five Leaves Left
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbriking

 

Yes start with Richard Thompson solo and Sandy Denny and all Fairport Convention albums they appeared on. If you want individual albums, seek out:
"Unhalfbricking" - FC
"Leige and Lief" - FC
"What We Did On Our Holidays" - FC
"Henry the Human Fly" - RT
"I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" - R&LT
"Pour Down Like Silver" - R&LT
"North Star Grassman and the Ravens - SD
"Sandy" - SD

Not sure what compiliations exist anymore. I bought all of mine in the late 80's/early 90's but they have probably been superceded by new & improved versions. The 3-cd Sandy Denny box set is a treat - actually this was my introduction to her music. Stunning!

Pentangle is good too, more Jazz/Folk than Folk/Rock. Seek out "Sweet Child" and "Basket of Light". There is also a great 2cd comp of Bert Jansch called "Dazzling Stranger"

 

John Martyn's '70s albums on Island (Bless the Weather, Solid Air, Sunday's Child, Inside Out) are well worth seeking out, although not all of them are available on CD. You might also consider the 2-CD anthology, Sweet Little Mysteries.

 

The Waterboys - Fishermans Blue's, kinda folky.

 

Another great CD is Anne Briggs "Time Has Come". It's a great album to listen to in winter, near a fireplace. Buy it now but don't open it until December.

 

Might take me that long to find it. There are *no* good CD stores close to my house. The Tower Records near my work even stinks. They had 4 Fairport Convention CDs, none of which were from the classic years except for some cheapie compilation. No Sandy Denny CDs and just some overpriced Richard Thompson.

And this is by no means just in relation to folk music. The selection just stinks around here.

 

In addition to all the above, I recommend two titles that I've just been listening to a lot lately:

Davy Graham - The Guitar Player (instrumental, includes "Angie," the little guitar tune that Paul Simon later picked up on)
Shirley Collins/Davy Graham- Folk Roots, New Routes

 

Don't forget Donovan's Storyteller compilation, mastered by Steve on Audio Fidelity

 

Redbook performance also sounds amazing !

 

As mentioned before,all of the first 3 Pentangle releases are essential for the gendre. I would personally recommend the very lst album by Gryphon. It has been a special favorite of mine for many,many years. Usually this band is only noticed by progressive rock fans because beginning with their 2nd album, they underwent a radical transformation shedding their folk orientation and medival instrumentation but that 1st album is sensational. I think it's been recently released on CD so it shouldn't be too difficult to locate.

 

Another one I would list in the Fairport Convention family is the offshoot group "Fotheringay", which did only one (but good) album.

 

I'd recommend checking out...

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left, Pink Moon
Fairport Convention - Leige & Leif, Unhalfbricking
Pentangle - Basket of Light, Cruel Sister, Soloman's Seal
Incredible String Band - 5,000 Spirits..., Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
Sandy Denny - North Star Grassman and the Raven
Steeleye Span - Please to See the King, All Around My Hat, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt
June Tabor - Ashes & Diamonds, Airs & Graces
John Martyn - Solid Air, Bless the Weather, Inside Out

Cheers,
Chris

 

For some slightly more recent stuff, I'd recommend anything by Kate Rusby - but especially her latest Underneath the Stars. What a great album!
Another good disk for a modern/techno take on traditional English music is Jim Moray's Sweet England. A really good listen.

Dave