CD-Charts Position 171
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Alice's Restaurant: Original Soundtrack

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Arlo Guthrie

Release Date October 01, 1999
A truly extraordinary Cd, one that literally marked an era. Laughing-out-loud-totally-hilarious-"Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie. Such a truly funny, original and witty piece of work, that it still stands out as good as ever, even now. In fact, I was born the year it was recorded, and have lived none of the particular brand of Vietnam-infested political stupidity it describes, but I still do laugh out loud each time I listen to it.
I was surprised to discover that this great "comedian is in fact a sensitive and gentle balladeer as well. I mean the rest of the trucks are a collection of sweet and mellow folky ballads - even though the arrangements do sound a little too rusty and completely dated... The true gem of the album is of course ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 172
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Career Moves

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Loudon Wainwright III

Release Date July 05, 1993
Loudon at his best, live. This album always puts a smile on my face, particular favourites being Road Ode and He Said, She Said. If anyone thinks Americans don't do irony then they have never heard Loudon Wainwright. As with all his work this album takes you through all the emotions with songs carefully crafted from personal experience. Buy it you won't be dissapointed.

CD-Charts Position 173
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Baez Sings Dylan

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Joan Baez

Release Date September 01, 1998
This is the closest re-release we have to Baez's 60's double set, "Any day Now", and includes a few numbers not on that set. At first appearances it might appeal most to those who find Dylan's singing voice at times mannered and irritating in his original or live recordings. However, the real virtue of this set, and the reason why it should be more popular with Dylan fans, is in the way it lifts a veil to reveal the superb quality of the musicality of Dylan's songs. Whereas Dylan himself frequently clips and flattens his music, all is revealed here, albeit at the expense of the some emotional content. An added bonus is a great performance of one of his finest songs, "Love is Just a Four-lettered Word", which he did not record ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 174
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Little Love Affairs

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Nanci Griffith

Release Date March 20, 1999
If Ray Davies is the grandfather of Brit Pop, then when the next generation of new country comes along, Nanci Griffith will stand out as the Grandmother of her genre. This is Nanci Griffith at her magnificent best with an album of rare beauty, both in terms of poetic and melodic excellence.

Many of the songs are tender and evocative, even to the extent that a quintessentially English person can live the life the songs portray. So many lyrics eat away at the subconscious and surface again and again over the years; lyrics of inimitable intelligence and beauty in the normally vapid world of modern music. Not even the ghastly "Sweet Dreams Will Come" prevent this from being one of the finest albums ever recorded - in any genre - and prove that ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 175
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Carols at Christmas: in Concert

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Maddy Prior

Release Date November 23, 1998
Fabulous sound, wonderful mix of tracks, music that really sounds like the family singing round the Yule Log. Maddy Prior's voice has never been more sound or reliable. Especially excellent is the first track - but all the tracks are just so singable!! This is mulled wine and open fire music to really set the scene for the festivities, and no collection should be without it.

CD-Charts Position 176
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Other Voices Other Rooms

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Nanci Griffith

Release Date January 05, 1998
This is the most perfect album of covers you could hope to buy. This is so perfect that it brings tears of joy to my eyes (now that's rare). In act, it is a perfect album!
This is Nanci at her absolute best. The choice of songs is wonderful. My particular favourite? - all 17! Her choice of, and the singing by the harmony vocalists - Iris Dement, Emmylou Harris and John Prine, amongst others - is sensational; bearing in mind Nanci is singing at her most beautiful, this is faultless.

My collection of Nanci's music is rising quickly, but she will need to go some, to beat this beauty.

Now where's the remote - I need to hit the Repeat button....

CD-Charts Position 177
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Central Reservation

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Beth Orton

Release Date March 15, 1999
Thank you Beth for a beautiful collection of songs. If you like melodies and honest songs sang with emotion, this is a CD you should buy.

CD-Charts Position 178
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The Animal Years

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Josh Ritter

Release Date
Animal Years is the 3rd and so far best effort from Idaho Singer-Songwriter Josh Ritter. First album 'Golden Age of Radio' had the earthy downhome sounds of a musician finding his creative feet, second album 'Hello Starling' was a polished collection of songs including the stunning 'Wings', but 'Animal Years' takes another fascinating batch of songs with a common feel or concept and puts them all together to great effect.

As the title hints, our animal friends do get a couple of mentions (like on the stonking 'Wolves'), but the real feel of the album is a guy at a certain point of his life looking back on what he's done so far and admiting that he still might have to make a few mistakes before he gets where he's going.

It is almost as if ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 179
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Mirror Blue

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Richard Thompson

Release Date January 17, 1994
Variable quality - but shot through with brilliance e.g "Beeswing" - worth the price of admission on its own. Sounds like he was being pulled away from his natural path, but only temporarily.

CD-Charts Position 180
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Heartland

CD-Charts > Music > Contemporary Folk
by: Runrig

Release Date October 29, 1998
I have been completely hooked on Runrig since the Amazing Things album back in '93 and I now have almost every cd the band has produced, so how I managed to overlook this little gem for so long I just don't know, I guess thinking it was an older album, It might not be so good, well I was just a little bit wrong on that account! - Heartland has taken up almost permanent residence in my CD player at the moment!
This album contains some great songs that no self respecting Runrig fan should be without "This Darkest Winter" and "Lifeline" are fantastic tracks that will have you singing along in no time - I couldn't get them out of my head for days!
"Dance called America and "Skye" are both brilliant tracks I'd heard live before, but these originals still held a couple of surprises ... Read More: