Comments on: A Musical Interlude

By: Jamus

Jamus — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:23:41 +0000

I agree with Ellen on many of her selections, especially those by Joni Mitchell, who distinguishes herself with the poetry of her lyrics. I would also add a few more to the list (these have a mild bias toward modern folk and those that have a guitar emphasis, but its just my revealed preferences): If (Bread), Leader of the Band (Dan Fogelberg), Vincent (Don Mclean), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez), Most of My Life (Katie Sawicki), For the Quiet (Sawicki), Ship (Sawicki), Miss Maybe (David Berkeley), Straw Man (Berkeley), All That You Have Is Your Soul (Emmylou Harris), Gravity (Alison Krauss & Union Station)—the final two border on country.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:51:09 +0000

A few favorites:

Marti Jones – Always
Nanci Griffith – Cold Heart/Closed Mind
Anne Bourne – Blue Ballet (nearly impossible to find, but I have it)
Leonard Cohen – So Long Marianne
Jane Siberry – Symmetry
Mary Chapin-Carpenter – early stuff from Hometown Girl, the rest is country
Sam Phillips – Reflecting Light (I consider this folk and the rest alternative)
Phil Ochs – Flower Lady (Or nearly anything else he’s sung; he’s so undervalued and unappreciated – he died way too young.)
Professor and Maryann – Not You Not Me

By: Weekend Roundup at Steven Landsburg | The Big Questions: Tackling the Problems of Philosophy with Ideas from Mathematics, Economics, and Physics

Sat, 08 May 2010 18:40:58 +0000

[...] Tuesday, we talked about beautiful folk songs; thanks to those who pointed me in new [...]

By: Gil

Gil — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:03:01 +0000

whoa -

forgot to mention the hauntingly beautiful “Aloha O’e” written by Princess/Queen Lili’oukalani. My favorite version for now is this instrumental cover by the incomparable Mermen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mPX65-bR9k

By: Gabe

Gabe — Thu, 06 May 2010 03:07:42 +0000

Big Star – Thirteen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pte3Jg-2Ax4

I also like Elliott Smith’s cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpgjAMahdko

By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:10:10 +0000

You and I have discussed this, but it was over a year ago so I’ll take another stab….

There are a few folk standards I’d argue are lovely performed by just about anybody: “Greensleeves”, “Molly Malone”, “Ar Hyd y Nos” (All Through the Night).

That Barnes & Noble requirement makes other choices tough: so many heartwrenchingly beautiful songs are too far over the line into other genres, though I’d argue hard for a few: Eva Cassidy’s cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (show tune performed as folk); Glenn Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” (country with a folk feel); the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain” (folk-rock); Kristin Chenoweth’s version of “Wayfaring Stranger” (folk standard performed as jazz). Then there are the songs like “Hallelujah” with umpteen versions, only a very few of which could be called “folk”.

Sticking to songs/artists I think might pass the B&N test, here are some really pretty runners-up (alphabetical by artist):

“Down to the River to Pray”: Alison Krauss
“Wayfaring Stranger”: Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Hallelujah”: Arooj Aftab
“Morning Has Broken”: Cat Stevens
“Cantus”: Connie Dover
“Gentle Arms of Eden”: Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
“Godspeed / Sweet Dreams”: Dixie Chicks
“Landslide [either version]“: Dixie Chicks
“How Can I Keep from Singing?”: Gordon Bok / Ann Mayo Muir / Ed Trickett
“Turning Toward the Morning”: Gordon Bok
“If You Could Read My Mind”: Gordon Lightfoot
“World Falls”: Indigo Girls
“Through the Years”: Janis Ian
“I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song”: Jim Croce
“Operator”: Jim Croce
“Time in a Bottle”: Jim Croce
“The Eagle and the Hawk”: John Denver
“Wild Montana Skies”: John Denver
“Both Sides Now”: Joni Mitchell
“the Circle Game”: Joni Mitchell
“Some Day Soon”: Judy Collins
“Turn, Turn, Turn”: Judy Collins
“the Grace Bailey” [instrumental]: Late Bloomers
“Jubilee”: Mary Chapin Carpenter
“Rhymes and Reasons”: Mary Travers
“the L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore”: Michelle Shocked
“Annie’s Song”: Mollie Weaver
“Swimming to the Other Side”: Pat Humphries
“Blue Boat Home”: Peter Mayer
“Early Mornin’ Rain”: Peter, Paul & Mary
“American Tune”: Paul Simon
“Sycamore Tree”: Seanan McGuire
“Little Road to Bethlehem”: Shawn Colvin
“the Boxer”: Simon & Garfunkel
“Homeward Bound”: Simon & Garfunkel
“Scarborough Fair / Canticle”: Simon & Garfunkel
“the Sound of Silence”: Simon & Garfunkel
“In It for the Children”: Uncle Bonsai

Finally, here are a dozen (alphabetical order by artist) that take my breath away:

“When You Say Nothing at All”: Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Tanglewood Tree”: Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
“Travelin’ Soldier”: Dixie Chicks
“Kirsteen/Christinn”: Gordon Bok
“Morning Morgantown”: Joni Mitchell
“Welcome Me”: Indigo Girls
“Ojo” [instrumental]: Leo Kottke
“Turn Around”: Malvina Reynolds
“God is a River”: Peter Mayer
“Christmas Dinner”: Peter, Paul & Mary
“The Queen and the Soldier”: Suzanne Vega
“Silent Night” [not the Christmas carol]: Uncle Bonsai

By: Al V.

Al V. — Tue, 04 May 2010 21:56:52 +0000

@Ken Braithwaite, Rufus Wainwright performs my favorite version of “Hallelujah”, although Jeff Buckley did an excellent version too. Interestingly, Cohen’s version was (I think) the version in the movie, but Wainwright’s was the version on the soundtrack.

This would probably be my #1 – the Wainwright version, even though he’s not really a folk singer.

Other favorites:
“Lullaby”, by Loudon Wainwright
“Suzanne”, by Leonard Cohen
“Shirley”, by Billy Bragg
“Beeswing”, by Richard Thompson
“Annabelle”, by Gillian Welch – really, for me, everything by Gillian Welch.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 04 May 2010 21:31:56 +0000

Ken Braithwaite: I own 27 versions of “Hallelujah”, which is indeed a gorgeous song. But I’d call very few of them “folk”, and with one exception those few are not among my favorite performances. The best covers include k.d. lang’s (who performs it as a torch song) and Jeff Buckley’s (as an electric-guitar meditation).

I think the best of the folk-inspired covers is Arooj Aftab’s, who uses simply her voice and acoustic guitar. So I’ll grant you her version :-)

By: Ken Braithwaite

Ken Braithwaite — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:30:05 +0000

Hallelujah, writeen by Leonard Cohen, but I forget who sang the best version. Used in Shrek though.

By: Joe Z

Joe Z — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:50:46 +0000

“Save The Whales In Placerville And Hickston” by David Munyon