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The most helpful favourable review
The most helpful critical review
48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
Superb
Not being a great folk fan (that may now change) heard Mike Harding play a track of this, thought it was Steve Earle, turns out it was written by him.Decided to buy it on the strength of that one song
No better way of spending two quid, and I will now check out several of these artists, whoever put this together ... great idea.
Published 19 months ago by Graham Jones
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Grey folk
When I saw this cd advertized I scanned the list of artists, seeing a couple that I already know and like a lot (Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy), a couple I could take or leave, and a host of artists I'd read about but never heard. That, the excellent price, and high number of exclusive and non-album tracks made me eager to snap this one up.
I've had it for a...
Published 9 months ago by Pseudonymous
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48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
Superb, 13 April 2008
Not being a great folk fan (that may now change) heard Mike Harding play a track of this, thought it was Steve Earle, turns out it was written by him.Decided to buy it on the strength of that one song
No better way of spending two quid, and I will now check out several of these artists, whoever put this together ... great idea.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Super sampler, 5 Jun 2008
I discovered this CD while browsing the Amazon best-sellers chart. It is fantastic value - showcasing some fine music from the new generation of folk singers, such as Eliza Carthy. Like any good sampler it encourages you to listen and then search out more of the music. I particularly liked Karine Polwart singing 'Sorry' from her album 'This Earthly Spell', with a voice reminiscent of a young Sandy Denny. My other favourite on first listening was Martin Simpson singing 'Never Any Good' from his album 'Prodigal Son'. Like the Island samplers of yore, such as Bumpers and El Pea, this album is a great (and very reasonably priced) introduction to some excellent music.
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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
Amazing variety and standard, 10 April 2008
I don't even especially like folk but what a great compilation this is for the money: it makes me want to follow up on some of the artists, see some live etc so I hope everyone will benefit from this lovely cd coming out at such a low price
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Grey folk, 23 Feb 2009
When I saw this cd advertized I scanned the list of artists, seeing a couple that I already know and like a lot (Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy), a couple I could take or leave, and a host of artists I'd read about but never heard. That, the excellent price, and high number of exclusive and non-album tracks made me eager to snap this one up.
I've had it for a couple of months now and I have not warmed to it at all. That's not to say that it's bad, but to me it is far from arresting. The collection has a general greyness about it to me, with a few exceptions (Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy again). There seems to be a rather depressing lack of invention here, whilst I don't mean to knock anybody, most of the young artists here sound like they really really want to be over 50 years old as soon as they possibly can. Where's the spark and vitality of youth? Comparing the young upcoming artists here to the exciting innovations in folk of the late 60s and early 70s I find this fare is really left wanting.
This cd would benefit greatly from a broader view of folk that encompasses some of the so-called "acid folk" artists, along with some fire and vitality along the lines of the Watersons or Young Tradition.
The folks who compiled this collection might for all I know have their fingers on the pulse of where it's at right now, but they appear to me to have narrow tastes, like too many of the respected critics in folk magazines, and staying in their own comfort zones they have chosen some fusty music by people who they approve of, ignoring the fact that there are more colours than grey in folk.
The Bellowhead track is far from fusty, I love E.P.Onymous and Burlesque, and welcome getting the non-album track, but don't think it's a particularly good example of their work, and the cheerful audience clapping along in time strips it of it's magic. The Eliza Carthy track, whilst astonishing when set in a grey-folk context, and a highlight of this disc, doesn't completely do it for me either. My favourite moment on here is the Kathryn Williams and Neil MacColl track, which has a quality that sets it apart from the pack.
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45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
Best Folk album in the world.....EVER, 2 April 2008
This isn't really a sampler, more a fantastic compilation of the very best folk artists on the scene at the moment. All for under £2. What better way could there be to dip your toe into folk music? If Heineken made folk albums......
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
superb sampler at a bargain price, 6 Aug 2008
The lovely people at Proper Music have done us proud. For just £1.99- less than the price of a cup of coffee- they have put together a 13-track sampler on which there is not a single duff track. In fact, there are a number of absolutely stunning moments here for anyone who loves quality songwriting.
As has been noted, this is a sampler, not a full-priced compilation, so there is a certain amount of mix and match involved. Personally, I don't think that's a problem. Not while we have the beauty of Cara Dillon's voice, a superbly-constructed song from Martin Simpson, a slightly 'experimental' moment from Eliza Carthy's new album, a great version of a traditional sea shanty... all this and the song from the Magner's ad too...
Yes, not all of it is what you'd call 'traditional' folk, but in case nobody's noticed, 'folk' has long since reached out to the mainstream and these days embraces a wide variety of artists. Who decides what folk is anyway? No one would say Eliza Carthy is not a folk artist, but her song here is certainly the least 'folky' on display.
Enough of the inverted commas. This is a truly fantastic selection of songs, close to five-star standard at any price, but at this price I can't believe everyone isn't buying it. Get it with a couple of other albums and you won't even have to pay postage.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
It's a sampler, not a compilation. Remember that., 30 May 2008
13 tracks, 5 exclusives, and you get the "Galway Girl" song from the Magners Cider ads. All for two quid. Bargain! So why no five stars?
Well, if you're already a fan of folk you should snap this up. But for anyone else I offer this caveat: it's a collection of good material, but it's unbalanced as an album. It's predominantly downbeat, and I found listening to it a rather bleak experience, only picking up for the last two tracks. So if you have only a passing acquaintance with folk and want a better introduction I'm not convinced this is it. Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets in buying it. But it's one that I'll add to my MP3 player and leave to the whim of random play; it's not something I would listen to again at a single sitting.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
What better way to update your music collection?, 31 May 2008
Fantastic value CD that has introduced me to some great music I would never otherwise have heard. You really won't waste your money with this!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Great value for money - a super introductory album, 24 Aug 2008
Eliza Carthy, Karine Polwart, Luka Bloom (Christy Moore's brother Barry) - what's not to like? Anyone who has been in touch with the contemporary folk scene in recent years will find much to enjoy here. My own joy was finding a track by the wonderful Mary Gauthier - her "I Drink" was a festival highlight for me a few years ago. This CD is cheap enough for dedicated fans to give to friends who are convinced that folk is Fair Isle jumpers, beards and hands over ears.
This has to be the best value CD in my collection - not a duff track in the mix. There are several live versions as is common with albums of this type, but none that make you hastily skip a track. Buy it, you know it makes sense. If you want to do something "folky", it's cheaper than a pint of the black stuff... and it doesn't put weight on you, either.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Bloomin' great!, 20 April 2008
What a great purchase. If you like folk and want delve deeper, buy this. It really is a greater taster CD. If they started doing "Now that's what I called Folk" this would be a great start, such a varied mix. Mr Magnifico is a lovely Hispanic-styled track, Williams and MacColl are a great duet and as always Cara shines!. I have albums by Carthy, Polwart, McCusker, Woomble, and Dillon, and these tracks are great additions. Thoroughly recommended!!
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