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Post by Admin on Jan 15, 2013 11:55:52 GMT -5
I'm not sure how many people have heard Kris Kristofferson's original of Me and Bobby McGee. Janis made it a hit, but I still love the harp and guitar work of Kris'. - the songwriter.
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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2013 16:59:57 GMT -5
King of Folk - Woodie Guthrie
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Post by Admin on Feb 7, 2013 10:55:45 GMT -5
Biography courtesy of AllMusic
Although they only attained the huge success of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys for a short time in the mid-'60s, time has judged the Byrds to be nearly as influential as those groups in the long run. They were not solely responsible for devising folk-rock, but they were certainly more responsible than any other single act (Dylan included) for melding the innovations and energy of the British Invasion with the best lyrical and musical elements of contemporary folk music. The jangling, 12-string guitar sound of leader Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker was permanently absorbed into the vocabulary of rock. They also played a vital role in pioneering psychedelic rock and country-rock, the unifying element being their angelic harmonies and restless eclecticism.
Often described in their early days as a hybrid of Dylan and the Beatles, the Byrds in turn influenced Dylan and the Beatles almost as much as Bob and the Fab Four had influenced the Byrds. the Byrds' innovations have echoed nearly as strongly through subsequent generations, in the work of Tom Petty, R.E.M., and innumerable alternative bands of the post-punk era that feature those jangling guitars and dense harmonies.
Although the Byrds had perfected their blend of folk and rock when their debut single, "Mr. Tambourine Man," topped the charts in mid-1965, it was something of a miracle that the group had managed to coalesce in the first place. Not a single member of the original quintet had extensive experience on electric instruments. Jim McGuinn (he'd change his first name to Roger a few years later), David Crosby, and Gene Clark were all young veterans of both commercial folk-pop troupes and the acoustic coffeehouse scene. They were inspired by the success of the Beatles to mix folk and rock; McGuinn had already been playing Beatles songs acoustically in Los Angeles folk clubs when Clark approached him to form an act, according to subsequent recollections, in the Peter & Gordon style. David Crosby soon joined to make them a trio, and they made a primitive demo as the Jet Set that was nonetheless bursting with promise. With the help of session musicians, they released a single on Elektra as the Beefeaters that, while a flop, showed them getting quite close to the folk-rock sound that would electrify the pop scene in a few months.
The Beefeaters, soon renamed the Byrds, were fleshed out to a quintet with the addition of drummer Michael Clarke and bluegrass mandolinist Chris Hillman, who was enlisted to play electric bass, although he had never played the instrument before. The band was so lacking in equipment in their early stages that Clarke played on cardboard boxes during their first rehearsals, but they determined to master their instruments and become a full-fledged rock band (many demos from this period would later surface for official release). They managed to procure a demo of a new Dylan song, "Mr. Tambourine Man"; by eliminating some verses and adding instantly memorable 12-string guitar leads and Beatlesque harmonies, they came up with the first big folk-rock smash (though the Beau Brummels and others had begun exploring similar territory as well). For the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single, the band's vocals and McGuinn's inimitable Rickenbacker were backed by session musicians, although the band themselves (contrary to some widely circulated rumors) performed on their subsequent recordings.
The first long-haired American group to compete with the British Invasion bands visually as well as musically, the Byrds were soon anointed as the American counterpart to the Beatles by the press, legions of fans, and George Harrison himself. Their 1965 debut LP, Mr. Tambourine Man, was a fabulous album that mixed stellar interpretations of Dylan and Pete Seeger tunes with strong, more romantic and pop-based originals, usually written by Gene Clark in the band's early days. A few months later, their version of Seeger's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" became another number-one hit and instant classic, featuring more great chiming guitar lines and ethereal, interweaving harmonies. While their second LP (Turn! Turn! Turn!) wasn't as strong as their debut full-length, the band continued to move forward at a dizzying pace. In early 1966, the "Eight Miles High" single heralded the birth of psychedelia, with its drug-like (intentionally or otherwise) lyrical imagery, rumbling bassline, and a frenzied McGuinn guitar solo that took its inspiration from John Coltrane and Indian music.
The Byrds suffered a major loss right after "Eight Miles High" with the departure of Gene Clark, their primary songwriter and, along with McGuinn, chief lead vocalist. The reason for his resignation, ironically, was fear of flying, although other pressures were at work as well. "Eight Miles High," amazingly, would be their last Top 20 single; many radio stations banned the record for its alleged drug references, halting its progress at number 14. This ended the Byrds' brief period as commercial challengers to the Beatles, but they regrouped impressively in the face of the setbacks. With the band continuing as a quartet, McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman would assume a much larger (actually, the entire) chunk of the songwriting responsibilities. The third album, Fifth Dimension, contained more groundbreaking folk-rock and psychedelia on tracks like "Fifth Dimension," "I See You," and "John Riley," although it (like several of their classic early albums) mixed sheer brilliance with tracks that were oddly half-baked or carelessly executed.
Younger Than Yesterday, (1967) which included the small hits "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "My Back Pages" (another Dylan cover), was another high point, Hillman and Crosby in particular taking their writing to a new level. In 1967, Crosby would assert a much more prominent role in the band, singing and writing some of his best material. He wasn't getting along so well with McGuinn and Hillman, though, and was jettisoned from the Byrds partway into the recording of The Notorious Byrd Brothers. Gene Clark, drafted back into the band as a replacement, left after only a few weeks, and by the end of 1967, Michael Clarke was also gone. Remarkably, in the midst of this chaos (not to mention diminishing record sales), they continued to sound as good as ever on Notorious. This was another effort that mixed electronic experimentation and folk-rock mastery with aplomb, with hints of a growing interest in country music.
As McGuinn and Hillman rebuilt the group one more time in early 1968, McGuinn mused upon the exciting possibility of a double album that would play as nothing less than a history of contemporary music, evolving from traditional folk and country to jazz and electronic music. Toward this end, he hired Gram Parsons, he has since said, to play keyboards. Under Parsons' influence, however, the Byrds were soon going full blast into country music, with Parsons taking a large share of the guitar and vocal chores. In 1968, McGuinn, Hillman, Parsons, and drummer Kevin Kelly recorded Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which was probably the first album to be widely labeled as country-rock. Opinions as to the merits of Rodeo remain sharply divided among Byrds fans. Some see it as a natural continuation of the group's innovations; other bewail the loss of the band's trademark crystalline guitar jangle, and the short-circuited potential of McGuinn's most ambitious experiments. However one feels, there's no doubt that it marked the end, or at least a drastic revamping, of the "classic" Byrds sound of the 1965-1968 period (bookended by the Tambourine Man and Notorious albums). Parsons, the main catalyst for the metamorphosis, left the band after about six months, partially in objection to a 1968 Byrds tour of South Africa. It couldn't have helped, though, that McGuinn replaced several of Parsons' lead vocals on Rodeo with his own at the last minute, ostensibly due to contractual obstacles that prevented Parsons from singing on Columbia releases. (Some tracks with Parsons' lead vocals snuck on anyway, and a few others surfaced in the 1990s on the Byrds box set).
Chris Hillman left the Byrds by the end of 1968 to form the Flying Burrito Brothers with Parsons. Although McGuinn kept the Byrds going for about another five years with other musicians (most notably former country picker Clarence White), essentially the Byrds name was a front for Roger McGuinn and backing band. Opinions, again, remain sharply divided about the merits of latter-day Byrds albums. McGuinn was (and is) such an idiosyncratic and pleasurable talent that fans and critics are inclined to give him some slack; no one else plays the 12-string as well, he's a fine arranger, and his Lennon-meets-Dylan vocals are immediately distinctive. Yet aside from some good echoes of vintage Byrds like "Chestnut Mare," "Jesus Is Just Alright," and "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," nothing from the post-1968 Byrds albums resonates with nearly the same effervescent quality and authority of their classic 1965-1968 period. This is partly because McGuinn is an erratic (though occasionally fine) songwriter; it's also because the Byrds at their peak were very much a unit of diverse and considerable talents, not just a front for their leader's ideas.
The Byrds' diminishing importance must have stung McGuinn doubly in light of the rising profiles of several Byrds alumni as the '60s turned into the '70s. David Crosby was a superstar with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Hillman, Parsons, and (for a while) Michael Clarke were taking country-rock further with the Flying Burrito Brothers; even Gene Clark, though he'd dropped out of sight commercially, was recording some respected country-rock albums on his own. The original quintet actually got back together for a one-off reunion album in 1973; though it made the Top 20, it was the first, and one of the most flagrant, examples of the futility of a great band reuniting in an attempt to recapture the lightning one last time.
The original Byrds continued to pursue solo careers and outside projects throughout the 1970s and 1980s. McGuinn, Clark, and Hillman had some success at the end of the 1970s with an adult contemporary variation on the Byrds' sound; in the 1980s, Crosby battled drug problems while Hillman enjoyed mainstream country success with the Desert Rose Band. the Byrds' legend was tarnished by squabbles over which members of the original lineup had the rights to use the Byrds name; for quite a while, drummer Michael Clarke even toured with a "Byrds" that featured no other original members. the Byrds were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991; Gene Clark died several months later, and Michael Clarke died in 1993, permanently scotching prospects of a reunion involving the original quintet.
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Post by Admin on Feb 11, 2013 16:45:13 GMT -5
Dug out the vinyl. Now almost forty years later, it's still great to enjoy them. This particular LP/CD has one of their best, "Midnight Special," a song that was later an early hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Trio's version of the song is of course more acoustic than CCR's and the lyrics are slightly different, but it doesn't lose anything for the difference. It's amazing how soothing the beautiful harmony of their three voices is especially when they are accompanied by the calming background of the acoustic guitars and banjo. As I've read in reviews of their other albums, groups like the Beach Boys who were known for their great harmonies owed a lot to the Trio. "Love's Been Good to Me" is a fine example of this type of harmony as are "Gotta Travel On" and "Hope You Understand." "Farewell" is another harmonic masterpiece. The only somewhat political song on the album, "Little Play Soldiers," is a poignant comparison between the innocence of little boys playing soldier and the reality of a soldier's life and death. Another song, "My Ramblin' Boy," also deals with death, this time the death of a friend, in a sweet tribute-style way. The Trio had a way of capping their albums with what I'd call a "power ballad," with a little more driving tempo and stronger vocals than most of the songs had. "I'm Going Home" is as fine an example of this as any of their songs including "The New Frontier" from the album of the same name.
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Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2013 20:46:47 GMT -5
Back in the 60's, Peter, Paul and Mary were big in the folk scene. One song that the kids loved was Puff, The Magic Dragon. Now in Viet Nam, Puff The Magic Dragon had a totally different meaning.
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Post by razzgospel on Feb 14, 2013 22:44:21 GMT -5
I remember Paul when he was Noel Stookey, and a stand-up comic who played guitar and sang a little. Feelin' like a little Jitterbug Swing.
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Post by jaked on Feb 15, 2013 11:56:14 GMT -5
I'm really into the alternative blue grass thing that is going on. Probably not what anybody thinks of as folk music but it comes from that roots americana place. Here is a good example of what I'm into:
Another folk/americana band I've gotten into lately is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Their live show blew me out of the water and I had never heard but three of their songs before the show. Now I have all their stuff and I'm wanting more. Maybe it isn't what most folks think of as folk. So I'm sorry in advance.
Here is anothe Ed Sharpe number:
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Post by razzgospel on Feb 15, 2013 12:58:59 GMT -5
Hey, Jake. I guess the have to label different kinds of music, or they couldn't figure out which bin to put it in. From the bluegrass friends I have, there isn't such a thing as alternative bluegrass. If it ain't traditonal, it ain't bluegrass. In a way, I can understand that, because of all musical forms, bluegrass is the most inflexibly defined. I had t soften my views, though. I have dear friends who have qa bluegrass band, and they're working on my gospel album, singing in a arrangement that is more black gospel quartet than bluegrass. They invited me to come to a sunday morning gospel jam a few months ago, and I didn't think it had to be all bluegrass, as they know my music. After the original shock of my arriving with an electric guitar passed and we started playing music, we found we could play together. The banjo player and I had a particuarly good time because I play finger-picked guitar and he was having a ball, doing duets with me. Someone else said if there isn't a mandolin, it's not bluegrass. He's a mandolin player. As for folk music, I don't think there is such a thing anymore. While I'm not crazy about americana, it doesn't have the stigma of being folk music, but it's very loosely defined... like Celtic music... I just listen to the music as music, and find what I can to enjoy in it. I've gotten a kick out of the theme to the TV series, Justified, by a group that labels themselves as Gangstagrass. Music is in the ear of the belistener.
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Post by jaked on Feb 15, 2013 13:09:47 GMT -5
I appreciate all that you said. I respect all your experience. I got to the Avett Brothers and Edward Sharpe by digging on their live shows. I went to those shows in the first place because I was really into Trampled by Turtles. I have copied a link to their stuff below. More traditional bluegrass, but I'd guess they are tipping into new area. I hope that the bluegrass community can embrace newer non-traditional artists because the popularity is starting to soar and the high tide lifts all boats. Trampled by Turtles:
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2013 16:04:29 GMT -5
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Post by razzgospel on Feb 18, 2013 16:55:58 GMT -5
I still have my Alice's Restuarnt lp like the one pictured. I heard Arlo when he was fifteen or sixteen, long before he recorded. Someone brought him down to the Gaslight and he did a short set... all popular folk songs of the time.
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Post by razzgospel on Mar 5, 2013 14:37:37 GMT -5
I had the great pleasure in thenineties to hear Simon do a concert in NYC with special guests,l Ladysmith Black Mombazo, the musicians from Ruthym of the Saints and Graceland, and Art Garfunkel. That may have been the greatest concert I ever heard.
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Post by Admin on Mar 23, 2013 15:59:39 GMT -5
America - Horse With No Name
"A Horse with No Name" was recorded in the key of E minor with acoustic guitars, bass guitar, drum kit, and bongo drums. The only other chord is a D, fretted on the low E and G strings, second fret. A 12-string guitar plays an added F# (second fret, high E string) on the back beat of the Em. A noted feature of the song is the driving bass line with a hammer-hook in each chorus. A "waterfall" type solo completes the arrangement. Produced by Ian Samwell on the day of final recording at Morgan Studios, at first the group thought it too corny and took some convincing to actually play it. Gerry Beckley has explained in Acoustic Guitar magazine (March 2007) that the correct tuning for the guitar is D E D G B D, low to high. The chord pattern that repeats throughout the entire song is: 202002 (Em),then 020202 and 000202. The tuning is unique to this song; they did not use it on any other America song.
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Post by razzgospel on Apr 5, 2013 20:46:50 GMT -5
I've been listening to Fred Neil today. I was interviewed about Fred for over an hour a couple of days ago, by someone who is writing a book about him. I heard Fred in the early sixties in Greenwich Village. He had an amazing voice, and wrote some fine songs. His perfomring career was quite brief, because he didn't want to go on tour. I can understand that. I went on tour once, and hated it. Two concerts the same weekend... one in Philadelphia and the next in D.C. I was raising my two sons on my own, and had a demanding job, so there wasn't any way I could have done it, anyway. Here's Fred Doing Another Side to this life, live.
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Post by Admin on Apr 9, 2013 7:36:53 GMT -5
I guess I had quite forgotten John Denver and how he began his brief career in Folk. I dug out this old cd
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