The Electric Muse Revisited: The Story of Folk into Rock and Beyond

by Dave Laing, Robin Denselow, Robert Shelton, Karl Dallas

Overview

Folk music has been evolving and adapting for centuries, but in the 1960s and 70s came an extraordinary period of change and innovation. Rock musicians borrowed from traditional songs, while folk musicians re-worked ancient ballads using electric guitars and drum kits. From Dylan to Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson and Steeleye Span, the fusion of old and contemporary created a powerful new style: folk-rock. Since then, new and experimental folk fusions have continued, involving anything from rap to electronica. First published in 1975, at the height of the folk-rock boom, the critically acclaimed Electric Muse chronicled the story of the folk movement, from roots to revival. With new chapters on the eras of Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, June Tabor, Bellowhead, Sam Lee, Stick In The Wheel and others, and featuring new interviews and photographs, this edition brings the fascinating narrative up to date. As in 1975, The Electric Muse Revisited is published simultaneously with a new album set of the same title, on Good Deeds Music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781913172084
Publisher:	Omnibus Press
Publication date:	09/02/2021
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dave Laing was editor of Let It Rock magazine, author of Buddy Holly, The Sound of Our Time and Hail Rock'n'Roll, and a trustee of the folk music charity Square Roots Productions. He died in 2019. Robin Denselow has worked as a film director and correspondent covering politics and music for BBC TV and radio, and has written on folk, rock, and world music for The Guardian. He is the author of When the Music's Over: The Story of Political Pop. Robert Shelton was folk, rock, and country critic for The New York Times and a regular music reviewer for The Times. His wrote five books, including The Country Music Story and the biography of Josh White, and edited Woody Guthrie's Born to Win. He died in 1995. Karl Dallas was a regular contributor to Melody Maker and other publications, and the author of three books, including Singers of an Empty Day. He died in 2016.

Table of Contents

Introduction Dave Laing ix

Introduction to the New Edition Robin Denselow xvi

Part 1 The Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock 1

1 Something Happened in America Robert Shehon 3

Recording in the Field 7

The Seeger Called Pete 11

The Two-Headed Revival 13

The Hootenanny Show 16

The Grass Roots of Tradition: The Blues 19

The Bluegrass Grows All Around 24

Coffeehouses and Festivals 31

Songs of Praise and Freedom 34

The Recurring Revival 42

Sources 45

2 Troubadours and Stars Dave Laing 48

Folk and the Avalon Factor 49

Folk As a Way of Life 51

Troubadours on Tin Pan Alley 57

The Road to Yasgur's Farm 65

Coming Down with Kinney 73

Feel Like Going Home 79

New Morning? 87

Sources 90

3 The Roots of Tradition Karl Dallas 93

Realities of the Revival 93

The Three Strains 107

Collection: Apollo Dissects Dionysus 119

The Instruments of Tradition 124

Dionysus Reborn 128

Folk, Pop and the Electric Aesthetic 135

Sources 153

4 Folk-Rock in Britain Robin Denselow 156

A Tale of Two Cultures 156

Beginnings: Skiffle and Dem East Croydon Blues 160

Folk Clubs, Up and Down 162

Folk Blues in Greek Street: Graham Meets Collins 164

Folk Blues 2: Jansch to Grossman 167

Poets and One-Man Bands 171

Crazy British Individualists: Harper 174

Crazy British Individualists 2: The String Band 177

Folk-rock in Muswell Hill 179

Steeleye: The First Folk Supergroup 187

Fairport Connections: Sandy 192

Fairport Connections: Tyger 193

The Celtic Invasion 195

The New St George: More Fairport Connections 197

So What? 200

Somewhat Postscript 200

Sources 202

Part 2 The Electric Muse Revisited: Folk into Rock and Beyond Robin Denselow 203

5 The Great Survivors 205

Steeleye 205

Fairport 214

Ashley Hutchings 219

Richard Thompson 223

Sources 228

6 Folk into Punk 229

The Pogues 229

The Oysterband 231

Billy Bragg 235

Sources 240

7 The New Folk-Rock 241

Eliza Carthy 241

Jim Moray 246

Sources 249

8 Global Folk 250

Edward II 250

The Imagined Village 251

Sources 255

9 Folk Big Bands 256

Bellowhead 256

The Wayward Band 262

The Remnant Kings 263

Sources 264

10 The Return of the Electric Guitar 266

False Lights 266

Olivia Chaney and Offa Rex 268

The Rails 272

Billy Bragg 274

Sources 275

11 And Next… 276

Sam Lee 277

Stick in the Wheel 279

Sources 286

12 The Year the Music Paused 287

Sources 291

Farewell, Farewell 292

Index 293