Been playing a fair bit of folk rock today,it hit me how much quality folk rock albums where made during the late 60s and early 70s,to just pick 5 is being cruel on myself,but hey this 5 could change anyday....lol.....this is just a bit of fun and not meant to be taken too seriously,Deep breathe....heres my top 5:
Jade -Fly on Strangewings
Mellow Candle-Swaddling Songs
Trees-The Garden of Jane Delawney
Fairport convention-What We did on our Holidays
Sandy Denny and the Strawbs-All our own Work(i had to inlude this though there doesnt seem to be much electricity on this,but those recordings were recorded in 67,way before all the other albums ive listed,maybe ive cheated a wee bit with this one...lol...its my list so i can get away with it))

Shi.t that was tough,but i hear you say no Pentangle,Incredible String Band,Steeleye Span,Forest,trader Horne and others,they were all bubbling under.Anyway can you list your top 5 folk rock albums from the late 60s early 70s from the british Isles??

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First Steeleye Span has to be there.
Possibly "Basket of Light" ,Pentangle.

Wallace would take Mr Fox, Bob Pegg -Ancient Maps.

Me all-time fav is Albion Band "Prospect Before Us".

Steve Ashley "Stroll On" is amazing . Two or three tracks there bring tears to Wallace's eyen.

Would take "Full Circle" or "Babbacombe Lee" or " Leige & Leif" before "What we did ..Holidays".

Hi Wallace,yeh i never picked the first Steeleye Span album"Hark The Village Wait"because its full of traditional tracks with no self written stuff,but yes i agree a good album none the less!!I must say i've not heard any Albion Band albums,hence theres no mention of them,as Fairport Convention,i love "What we did on our Holidays"i have to be honest and say it was a fearcly fought battle which Fairport album would get picked,i enjoy all the 60s albums from them,but it was a throw of the dice between "Liege and Lief" and "What we Did On Our Holidays",as for "Stroll On" by Steve AShley,im afraid thats another ive not heard.

Heres another few albums i rate highly;
Moonkyte-Count me In
Fresh Maggots
Synanthesia
Forest-Full Circle
Mark Fry-Dreaming With Alice
The Woods Band
Water into Wine Band-Hill Climbing For Beginners

All those albums are top notch imo,thanks for your feedback Wallace!!I'll keep an eye out for Stroll On and Albion Band.

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does WURZELS come under folk?

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i bought the jade album recently but was rather underwhelmed. stroll on by steve ashley is a goodie. the hangmans by the isb must be in a top 5 favourite poll.

I'd probably say:

Donovan-"Hurdy Gurdy Man" Lp (though it didn't get an official UK release)
The Sallyangie-"Children of the Sun"
Trader Horne-"Morning Way"
ISB-"Hangman's Beautiful Daughter" (prefer this to "...5000 layers..")
Shide and Acorn-"Under the Tree"

Have yet to hear the Strawbs/Denny disc and I like what I've heard of Trees. I also like Vashti's"Diamond Day", too.
Though she's not from the UK , and for those who aren't hip to her yet, you may want to check out German acid-folkie Sibylle Baier who's "Colour Green" CD compiles her recordings from the early 70's.Some very beautiful,hypnotic songs!

The Sallyangie (Mike & Sally Oldfield)?
Curious choice for a "best of".

Hi Omar thanks for the mention of Sibylle Baire,never heard of her but im going to have a wee look for it,I must say i think Sallyangies album is a real pleasant period piece,some good stuff on there,he was only 15 or 16 at that time if i remember right.Never heard Shide and Acorn either though i have saw it.A wee description 0f that one Omar would be appreciated if you could.Thanks

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Steven Smith says of "Under the Tree" : "unquestionably the most mellow hippie folk lp ever made." 49 or 99 copies made (he could not tell cos writing is bad)

Stuart, Wallace gonna do you a big spill-favour. (Cos that is what kindly Mastermen ocassionally do!)

Here are some folkROCK (not straight trad.) Great Brit.70s & 80s lps that are top notch and which you likely have never heard of.

However, my giving this precious info so freely is a double-edged sword in that most have never been reissued and good luck finding them on the blogs:


Pererin - Teithgan
Carraig Aonair -same
Penny Wager -Light Of Other Days
Craig McLearie -Warp Factor
Bards Of The Barleycorn -When Granma Used To Call
Beggar's Hill -same
Cinque Souvenir -same
Decameron -same (Say Hello To The Band)
Life After Life -same
Jack The Lad -The Old Straight Track



(On the house. This time.)

So how come you never post to Galactic Zoo then, Clarksies my lad?

Too busy listening to Horslips at the moment, Wal

Why aren't they on anybodys list????

They'd be on my list. Paul.I'm a big Horslips fan.
I know they play traditional instruments and certainly have folk elements but I tend to think they are perhaps more electric an heavier than a lot of the bands mentioned here.

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Anyone heard these two reissued by Audio Archives?:

Wychwood (deroy early 70s)

Maglory Dengulch "so breathtakingly rare that it was only faintly rumoured to even exist"

Agree with you about Horslip's first album being more folky/trad Paul. The other album of theirs that is perhaps even more so is Drive The Cold Winter away on which all the tracks are traditional Irish songs arranged by the band, some actually sung in Gaelic.

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