Hello! This page is part of an opinionated overview of Celtic and British folk music, with record reviews by me, Joe Sixpack... This is not meant to be taken as a "definitive" resource, but rather as a record of some of the music which has caught my interest. I am always looking for more good music to explore, so your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Roy Bailey - see artist profile
Aly Bain - see artist profile
Band Of Hope "Rhythm And Reds" (Musikfolk, 1994)
Just for old time's sake, a bunch of old-school leftie folkies get together and sing a few songs of hard times, repression, and the renewal of life through action and faith in a righteous cause. Although the disc is presented as a communal effort, the leading light is Roy Bailey, who reprises favorite tunes such as Jack Warshaw's paranoiac anthem, "If They Come In The Morning," along with rabble rousers by Si Kahn, Leon Rosselson, and others. Adding their voices are John Kirkpatrick, Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy and Steafan Hannigan... To be honest, the performances seem a little rushed, but for those still fighting the good fight, this disc may lend some inspiration.
Bandoggs "Bandoggs" (Trailer/Transatlantic Records, 1978)
An all-star collaboration between guitarist Nic Jones and fellow British folkies Chris Coe, Pete Coe and Tony Rose... Jones sings on about half the songs, including some that wound up in his regular repertoire... Sadly, this is one of the many, many fine out-of-print albums from the old Leader-Trailer record label that have been in a bizarre legal limbo for several decades. Sigh. I don't own a copy myself, but sure wish I did!
Les Barker - see artist profile
The Battlefield Band - see artist profile
John Beag "The Winds Of Freedom" (Clo Iar-Chonnachta, 1993)
A fine album of traditional and trad-tinged folk songs, sung with a simple, earthy delivery. This is the first album that Connemara native John Beag O'Flatharta sang in English translation, rather than in Gaelic (he's done several other albums, including many recordings in sean-nos (a capella) style. It includes modern folkie material by the likes of Eric Bogle, Pete Coe and Archie Fisher; John Faulkner plays keyboards and guitar, and while this album isn't as resonant as Faulkner's best work, it's still in the same ballpark. Worth checking out; he's the real deal.
John Beag "Ta An Workhouse Lan" (Clo Iar-Chonnachta, 1993)
John Beag "Spirits Of Ireland" (2000)
Brendan Behan "Sings Irish Folksongs And Ballads" (Spoken Word Records) (LP)
Playwright and poet Brendan Behan, an early IRA loyalist and one of the great bad boys of modern Irish literature, chortles and guffaws his way through a lively set of a capella songs and spoken asides. No doubt this album was a fine recreation of his boozy performances in numerous Irish pubs; he skewers the English and sings of the bold Fenian men, free-associating his way through a thicket of wry references and nigh-incomprehensible inside jokes. Some of the songs are traditional, others are Behan's originals, and while the underlying political slant may make some uncomfortable, it's a likable performance, with Behan's rich, mischieveous Dubliner accent holding hypnotic sway of his listeners. It may take a while to get in on the right wavelength, but this is a rewarding record. Not sure exactly when this came out -- I'm guessing the early '60s, before Behan's untimely death in '64 -- but it was briefly reissued on CD by the Outlet label, and may be locatable if you poke around a bit.
Peter Bellamy - see artist profile
Pierre Bensusan - see artist profile
Beoga "Mischief" (Compass Records, 2007)
Beoga "The Incident" (Compass Records, 2009)
Although they describe themselves as "a trad band on steroids," this youthful Irish folk fivesome are pretty mellow-sounding, mixing Celtic trad with sweet pop and a bit of a classical-chamber music vibe at times. There's also an eclectic jam-band sensibility as well, a modern embrace of different approaches and styles that gels together well. Fiddler Niahm Dunne also contributes sweet vocals on a tune or two, adding that well-known mournful tone that so many Irish women excel at... Guess I'm gonna have to go back and check out their first record, too!
Beoga "How To Tune A Fish" (Compass Records, 2011)
(Produced by Beoga & Mudd Wallace)
Another lively set from one of Northern Ireland's most inventive Celtic-fusion bands. This album starts out with a bit of creaky, old fiddle, and the trad side of their music is always present, even as they go soaring away on energetic, sometimes provocative flights. As on earlier albums, the main focus is on the accordionists, Sean Og Graham and Damien McKee, who rip through these tunes with dazzling technical prowess... Singer Niamh provides counterpoint with her fiddle and vocals, showing a likeminded mix of modern and traditional sensibilities. Beoga are quite upfront about not being a band for world-folk purists, although I think there's enough of a trad flavor here to appeal to a wide range of Celtic music fans. I personally would prefer more quiet moments, but man, I sure would like to see these guys live!
Beyond The Pale "Beyond The Pale" (Self-released, 1999)
This Pennsylvania-based band mixes jaunty Celtic trad with more modern folkie influences, sort of like an American version of The Oyster Band. Some trad purists won't go for it, but many modernists might.... They're spunky and earnest, that's for sure! (For more info, here's the band's website, www.beyondthepalemusic.com )
Beyond The Pale "Hill Of Sallows" (Self-released, 2002)
This disc continues along the path of the first, mixing emotive, spiritually inclined folkie stuff with Celtic sounds... The trad influence takes a back seat, and the rough edges (which I thought were endearing) are smoothed out in favor of a larger, more rolling sound. Sadly, they sound a bit stuffy on this one...
Beyond The Pale "Strange Turns" (Ceol Na Feinne, 2002)
Beyond The Pale "The Music Plays Me" (Ceol Na Feinne, 2004)
Beyond The Pale "Queen Of Skye" (Ceol Na Feinne, 2006)
Mary Black - see artist profile
The Black Country Three "The Black Country Three" (Transatlantic Records, 1966) (LP)
An early album showcasing trad/folk guitarist Michael Raven, along with his brother Jon Raven and flutist Derek Craft, who went on to accompany a wide swath of British folkies. The Raven brothers both had long and fascinating careers; Jon Raven went from this trio into the legendary band Halliard (which launched the career of Nic Jones) and then into a long series of collaborative albums, including many theme-oriented compilation records. Ditto with Michael Raven, though he tended towards working in duos or trios, including a few albums with his brother, as well as several with singer Joan Mills. Though this album has deep traditional roots, there are also excursions into contemporary folk material -- some stuff by Bob Dylan, etc.
Blackthorn "Blackthorn" (WHM Records, 1977) (LP)
Sort of a poor man's Steeleye Span, with bouncy rhythms and familiar instrumentation (electric bass, amplified mandolin and urgent guitars) along with a husky, declarative female singer, backed by a modest male harmony... This charming Irish group played with enthusiasm, but not quite with the power or panache of the first-line folk-rock trad bands. Includes traditional ballads and covers of more contemporary material (including songs by Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, and even Jim Croce's "In A Song"...) Worth a spin, but don't set your hopes too high.
Luka Bloom "Dreams In America" (Big Sky/Compass Records, 2010)
A solid set from Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom, who was once known -- many, many years ago -- as Barry Moore, brother of trad-folk icon Christy Moore. The opening tracks were the most compelling, particularly the penetrating "Bridge Of Sorrow" and "Love Is A Place I Dream Of"; Bloom has long since moved away from the confines of traditional folk, but he does tuck in a couple of nice ballads here, "Lord Franklin" and "Black Is The Color," amid the introspective, rueful contemporary material. I'm not a big new-folk fan, but I imagine Bloom's fans will be happy with this set, which has a steely intensity throughout. For example, the same folks who applaud him on the trio of live tracks that close this album out... I'm sure those enthusiastic Dublin fans have compatriots on this side of the ocean as well!
The Bluewater Folk "Bugs, Black Puddings And Clogs" (Moonraker Records, 1976) (LP)
The Bluewater Folk "A Lancashire Life" (1981)
Harry Boardman "Owdham Edge" (Topic Records, 1970) (LP)
Harry Boardman "A Lancashire Mon" (Topic Records, 1973) (LP)
Harry Boardman "Golden Stream" (AK Records, 1978) (LP)
Harry Boardman "Personal Selection" (1986)
Harry Boardman "Personal Choice" (Cock Robin Music, 2008)
Eric Bogle "Scraps Of Paper" (Flying Fish, 1981)
Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle is the author of several stunning antiwar ballads, notably "No Man's Land" and "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda," which are both on the original version of this fine folk album. These songs deal with the horrors of the First World War; "Matilda" is certainly Bogle's best-known song, having been covered by June Tabor, Makem & Clancy, and most famously by the Irish punk-roots band, The Pogues. Bogle's version was the first I heard, and I still find it profoundly moving. The image of a generation sacrificed, with resounding hollowness, on the altar of war, is powerfully conveyed in both songs, capturing in deft strokes, the catastrophic disillusionment of the so-called Great War. Profound, and tremendously emotional material. Highly recommended. (More information about Bogle can be found on his his home page.)
Bohola "Bohola" (Shanachie, 2002)
Irish trad from the mean streets of Chicago... This young American trio has a relatively rough-hewn sound, which is alright by me, considering how goopy modern Celtic music has become. They mix both songs and instrumentals, with the unusual habit of mixing both styles into longer medleys. They make pretty big sound for such a small ensemble. Besides, anyone who gives a nod in the direction of Christy Moore (with their version of "Moving-On Song") is alright by me!
Bohola "Bohola 4" (Shanachie Records, 2004)
Bohola "Bo-Ho-Ho-Hola" (Bohola Music, 2008)
Bohola (Jimmy Keane & Pat Broaders) "Bohola" (Bohola Music, 2008)
Paul Bond "In Sight Of The Mountain: Traditional And Original Songs Of New Zealand" (City Folk Records, 1985)
(Produced by Trevor Ruffell)
A nice, understated set of acoustic-based kiwi folk tunes, mixing older traditional sources with contemporary tunes written by singer Paul Bond and others. Introspective ballads rub shoulders with songs of shipwrecks, mining disasters, and ranching... England's Martin Carthy plays second guitar on a couple of tracks, while American folkies Danny Carnahan and Robin Petrie perform on several others.
The Bothy Band - see artist profile
The Boys Of The Lough - see artist profile
Paul Brady - see artist profile
Brass Monkey "See How It Runs" (1986)
Brass Monkey "Sound And Rumour" (Topic Records, 1999)
Brass Monkey "Going And Staying" (Topic Records, 2001)
Brass Monkey "Flame Of Fire" (Topic Records, 2004)
Brass Monkey "The Complete Brass Monkey" (Topic Records, 1993)
A delightful set for listeners of a very peculiar bent. Brass Monkey takes the hypertraditionalist impulse and adds another layer, performing the material to a brass-band accompaniment, which -- as it turns out -- is a perfect counterpoint for the croaking vocals of Martin Carthy and the playful musical wiles of John Kirkpatrick. The music is willfully obscure and semi-inaccessible, but it's also a delight. There's not much else in the world that sounds like this ensemble, which makes them that much more special. Recommended!
Brass Monkey "The Definitive Collection" (Highpoint Records, 2005)
Breabach "The Big Spree" (Compass Records, 2008)
A gorgeous set of Celtic trad instrumentals and songs from a new, up-and-coming Scottish folk band. This debut album showcases strong contributions from pipers Donal Brown and Calum MacCrimmon (who's originally from Canada) as well as fiddler Patsy Reid, who has a thin, spritely tone that's perfect for her playful spirit. (Reid particularly stands out on tunes such as the "James Gunn Henderson/Dusky Meadow" medley...) The band plays straight trad, with a warm, melodic bent that gives the slip jigs and reels a softer feel than many recorded instrumental numbers. Quite nice!
Maire Brennan "Maire" (RCA/Atlantic Records, 1992)
Solo work from one of the members of the Clannad band...
Maire Brennan "Misty-Eyed Adventures" (RCA/Atlantic Records, 1994)
Maire Brennan "Perfect Time" (Word Records, 1998)
Maire Brennan "Whisper To The Wild Water" (Word Records, 1999)
Maire Brennan/Margaret Becker/Joanne Hogg "New Irish Hymns (In Christ Alone)" (Kingsway Records, 2001)
Anne Briggs - see artist profile
Paul Brock "Mo Chairdin" (Gael-Linn Records, 1992)
A fine set of sprightly instrumental reels and jigs with Irish accordionist Paul Brock leading either on squeezebox or melodeon. It's well-played, but ultimately, like a lot of this stuff, a little bit goes a long way... not the kind of album I'd enjoy listening to from end to end...
The Bully Wee Band "Bully Wee" (Folksound Records, 1975) (LP)
The Bully Wee Band "Enchanted Lady" (Red Rag Records, 1976) (LP)
The Bully Wee Band "Silvermines" (Red Rag Records, 1978) (LP)
An okay set of traditional material by some well-meaning English folkies... I don't think these guys were particularly well-known -- locals from some pub, I'd imagine -- but they sound nice enough, in a Nic Jones-ish kinda way... The recording mix is a bit flat, but otherwise, this is a decent record.
The Bully Wee Band "The Madmen Of Gotham" (Jigsaw Records, 1980)
The Bully Wee Band "50 Channels" (2006)
New recordings... Available through the band's website: www.bullyweeband.com
Vashti Bunyan "Just Another Diamond Day" (Dicristina Stair Builders, 1970) (LP)
Even in a British folk-rock scene already packed with eccentric and outsized personalities, Vashti Bunyan stood out... She had many of the same credentials as many of her folkie contemporaries -- after dropping out of art school, she took a whirl at busking and doing the rounds of the various folk clubs. In the mid-1960s, Bunyan briefly worked with the Rolling Stone's producer, Andrew Loog Oldham, and later met Donovan, who took her under his wing, then finally she came to the attention of fabled psych-folk producer Joe Boyd, who arranged for this album to be recorded late in 1969, and released later the next year. It's one of those legendary lost albums, which is quite understandable since it includes musical backing by the likes of Robin Willamson of the Incredible String Band, gadabout scenester Simon Nicol, and Robert Kirby, who also worked with Nick Drake. It's a fine album, with a singular, deeply alluring, oddly mystical feel, a remarkably original work that doesn't fit easily into musical pigeonholes... By the time Bunyan recorded this album, however, she had been living off the grid for a couple of years, and afterwards she permanently left the London hubbub, choosing to live in the Hebrides Islands and drop out altogether. Her total evaporation might have something to do with why this disc got so little promotion from the record label, but after getting re-released in the UK thirty years later, it's picked up quite a following among the obscuro-folk cult. And deservedly so... it's pretty cool. You should check it out.
Vashti Bunyan "Lookaftering" (Dicristina Stair Builders, 2005)
Yawn. I liked her first album (see above) but this decades-later follow-up is dreary and dull, an amorphous, noodly, semi-orchestral case study in folk-psychedelic pretentiousness. Obviously, there will be many people who will be (and are) wild about this album, I'm just not one of them... A big part of it is Bunyan's inscrutable, tuneless vocal style, equal parts Shirley Collins and Nico (which, again, is like catnip for a lot of people, just not me. Ow.) It's all just too precious and indistinct for me... Although I cherish super-mellow, spaced-out twee-folk as much as any other Belle & Sebastian-ite, for some reason, this record just set me on edge. Nonetheless, you might want to track down some other reviews, besides mine... There are plenty of people out there who think it's a brilliant, breakthrough album.
Vashti Bunyan "Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind -- Singles And Demos: 1964-1967" (Dicristina Stair Builders, 2008)
A groovy set of archival recordings made by British folk/space rock cult fave Vashti Bunyan... This 2-CD set starts out with two singles she recorded in the mid-1960s for the Decca and Columbia labels, abortive attempts to establish her in the English rock firmament. The first single had an A-side written by the Rolling Stones, "Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind," and as the charmingly scratchy tracks start up, it becomes clear that this was an attempt to replicate the success of folk-rock chanteuse Marianne Faithfull (who also benefited by recording an early Jagger-Richards composition...) Like Faithfull, Bunyan had a modest voice -- I wouldn't say she was much of a dazzler as a vocalist, but she does make a great iconic figure for this style of music, especially as she moves into more personal, introspective material. The rest of the first disc is made up of demos, unreleased tracks made for the Immediate label and similar rarities; the second disc is a full-length live show, recorded in 1965, that gives a good sense of Bunyan's strengths and charms at the time. Fan who have been on her bandwagon since the re-release of her Just Another Diamond Day album... Indeed, this collection makes a better companion to that album that her more recent work, adding context to that album, rather than being an echo. Definitely worth checking out.
Burach "Deeper" (Greentrax Records, 2000)
Lightweight Celtic-rock from a young Scottish band, with too-perky playing and somewhat bland, inspirational lyrics. I didn't feel there was a lot of depth to the playing, or that lead singer Ali Cherry has a particularly impressive voice. They're cute and all, in a puppydog-ish way, but I can think of plenty of other records I'd want to spend my time with more.
Kevin Burke & Ged Foley "In Tandem" (Self-Released, 2005)
Duets between fiddler Kevin Burke and guitarist Ged Foley, who have worked together for over a decade in the bands Celtic Fiddle Festival and Patrick Street... Lovely stuff!
Dave Burland "A Dalesman's Litany" (Highway Records, 1971) (LP)
Dave Burland/Tony Capstick/Dick Gaughan "Songs Of Ewan MacColl" (Black Crow Records, 1978)
(Produced by Geoff Heslop)
Songwriter, folklorist and troubadour Ewan Maccoll, a paragon of the British folk movement, is reclaimed as a Scottish icon in a trio of gorgeous ballads by Dick Gaughan, including "Jamie Foyers," "Schoolday's End," and "Thirty Foot Trailer," as well as trading verses with Yorkshire folkies Dave Burland and Tony Capstick on "Shoals Of Herring," which closes the album. It's a fine, heartfelt homage, with a very low-key, homespun feel. 'Twould be nice if a tune or two could find their way onto some of Gaughan's retrospective albums sometime soon, but if you can track the original album down, you'll be happy with that as well.
Dave Burland "His Master's Choice: The Songs Of Richard Thompson" (Road Goes On Forever, 1992)
Dave Burland "Benchmark" (Fat Cat Records, 1996)
Buttons & Bows "Buttons & Bows" (Green Linnet Records, 1984)
The first album by the trio of Jackie Daly, Manus McGuire and Seamus McGuire...
Buttons & Bows "The First Month Of Summer" (Gael Linn Records, 1987)
Buttons & Bows "Grace Notes" (Gael Linn, 1991)
