Folk influence

becca · #1 05-04-2009, 12:11 AM

Hey ya'll. I haven't been on here in ages! Anyway, I've been delving deeply into many sounds from the '60s and getting a larger picture of the sonic world FM were operating in. I'm wondering how much an influence the Folk guitarists and folk-rock groups of the scene had in luring the Mac members from the straight blues starting around Albatross/And Then Play On? Did Peter, Danny, Jeremy or John listen much to Jansch, Renbourn, Davy Graham, Richard Thompson, Marc Bolan (pre-glam), or Danny Thompson? Were they on bills together much? My admiration keeps on growing for the work of all four, it really stands up overall along with guys like Al Kooper and Steve Howe. Not sure if a folk influence has been documented at all so perhaps I'm just halicinating when I am thinking of something by a Mac guitar player when listening to some of the other stuff.

doodyhead · #2 05-04-2009, 06:50 PM

Burt Jansch was most certainly an influence to scene as he was major guitarist in early years

richard thompson is a contemporary and fairport convention shared bills with them
danny thompson and dave matticks have played with peter

mark bolan was a roommate of peter for a time after fleetwood mac. bolan being peters junior. shared heritage

doodyhead on the road

jeremy spencer · #3 05-05-2009, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by becca

Hey ya'll. I haven't been on here in ages! Anyway, I've been delving deeply into many sounds from the '60s and getting a larger picture of the sonic world FM were operating in. I'm wondering how much an influence the Folk guitarists and folk-rock groups of the scene had in luring the Mac members from the straight blues starting around Albatross/And Then Play On? Did Peter, Danny, Jeremy or John listen much to Jansch, Renbourn, Davy Graham, Richard Thompson, Marc Bolan (pre-glam), or Danny Thompson? Were they on bills together much? My admiration keeps on growing for the work of all four, it really stands up overall along with guys like Al Kooper and Steve Howe. Not sure if a folk influence has been documented at all so perhaps I'm just halicinating when I am thinking of something by a Mac guitar player when listening to some of the other stuff.

For what it is worth to you, nothing that I know of these artists quoted meant much to me. (It's 'hallucinating' by the way! I'm a stick in the mud stickler for my poor, beloved dying English (British) language!)
But I loved and still love Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Son House, Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt and Sleepy John Estes (I firmly believe -- contrary to many opinions --that folk blues did not begin and end with Robert Johnson.)
I did, however, love Tim Hardin. Beautiful meaningful stuff that transcended technique. That's why, to the rest of the band and producer Mike Vernon's chagrin, I recorded 'Hang on to a Dream' for the BBC radio show. Oh well ... can't please everyone.
God bless you Bekka!

doodyhead · #4 05-05-2009, 06:39 AM

Thank you mr Spencer for pointing out the underlying point

the origins of Electric Blues is Folk music from the descendants of the involuntary servants of the american experience (slaves). There were so many folk musicians that sprang from that and otherwise you would not have blues revivals to this day.

Folk Music is after all music played by folks

doodyhead

becca · #5 05-05-2009, 06:39 PM

It's just my bad typing not my bad English, although with the states right next to me sometimes I might revert to 'froot loops' etc. style spelling, hoo nose why really. Sorry.

Something about One Together made me think of the British Folk-Rock I barely knew existed not too many years ago, and also the very first Yes album which was rather folky, but it was Danny Kirwan's compositions mostly that did it (and the parts he was contributing on some of Peter Green's). I guess my favorite American blues all around would be Howlin' Wolf who had the best bands, and J.B. Lenoir a close second. My take on Robert Johnson is he must've been a very spiritual guy going by the songs, and all that deal with devil business obscures the real guy.

Tim Hardin was great and not really so far different from someone like Robert Johnson I don't think, and Richard Farina, and Jackson Frank. Not much music this strong gets written anymore. I think Ian Tyson's recording with Sylvia of Hang On To A Dream is the one we got most here in Canada though. Definitely up there with Phil Och's 'Changes' and Joni Mitchell's 'Circle Game'.

People write about how Fleetwood Mac in 1969-74 was knowingly heading to some kind of west coast sunshine pop, but they say that with the hindsight of theslicker Buckingham-Nicks sound that was to come. I've never heard that at all in the music though, but getting into Fairport and Pentangle etc. that electrified 'Brit-folk' seemed a lot more likely an influence to me. I really wish the Kiln House line-up could have gone on much longer, there was something that didn't get fulfilled somehow which is why initially it disappointed me and yet became one of the albums I return to most (along with the Madison Blues box). Mind you, great art often is about the brush strokes implied yet not painted... so my imagination gets fired thinking of some 'what ifs'.