Various Artists - Four Decades Of Folk Rock (@320)

 

Various Artists - Four Decades Of Folk Rock

Four Decades of Folk Rock Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Four Decades of Folk Rock is an expansive box set, allowing one disc and over an hour of music for each decade. For those who would argue that folk-rock was primarily a 1960s phenomenon in the United States and a '60s and '70s phenomenon in Britain, the box counters that the musical strains of folk-rock have informed everyone from R.E.M. to the Bangles to David Gray. It's unlikely, though, that anyone but record shop nerds and music historians will be very interested in the debate. For everyone else, the set will be measured by the quality of the music itself, and on that account, Four Decades delivers a remarkable set list.

Overall, the first two discs covering the '60s and '70s are likely to be the most familiar to listeners, perhaps because much of the music was issued at a time when rock seemed less divided by subgroups than today. Yes, the Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn!" may have been "folk-rock," but the rock family was broad enough to encompass the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane, Donovan and the Band. Still, one of the strong points of these early discs is the mixing of less familiar tracks with material that still circulates on Oldies stations. Most listeners, for instance, will be familiar with Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and the Stone Poneys' (with Linda Rondstadt singing lead) "Different Drum," but are less likely to be on a sure footing with Tim Buckley's "I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain" and Tim Rose's version of "Morning Dew." The collection also makes a smart move by including a number of British performers including Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and Steeleye Span.

The latter two discs representing the '80s and '90s (and beyond) may lack the cohesiveness of the earlier discs, but the music is nonetheless solid. Part of the problem stems from the shattering of once seemingly stable categories like rock/folk-rock into alternative rock, singer/songwriter, and Celtic. Unless one is a fan of every subgenre, she is unlikely to sing along with a number of these songs. Also, the mixture of such disparate categories is bound to create odd pairings.

It's odd, for instance, to stick Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come on Eileen" between Richard and Linda Thompson's "Wall of Death" and R.E.M.'s "Talk About the Passion." And it's selections like "Come on Eileen" and 10,000 Maniacs' "Don't Talk" that will lead record shop nerds and music historians to cry foul: in what way does either song relate to folk-rock? But other cuts, like the above mentioned "Talk About the Passion," along with David Gray's "Babylon" and Natalie Merchant's "Where I Go," fit just fine, whether one is pointing to something called folk-rock or just good music. These discs are also strong on including female voices like Sarah McLachlan's "Drawn to the Rhythm," Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You," and Shawn Colvin's "Sunny Came Home."

Like all collections, Four Decades of Folk Rock is a selective view of music history that some may choose to contend. More than history, though, the collection succeeds by putting together a solid and likable set list that balances the familiar with the lesser known, the American with the British, and, thankfully, both male and female performers.

Tracklist:

 

Disc 1: The 60's

 

1.       Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

2.       Eve Of Destruction - Barry McGuire

3.       It Ain't Me Babe - The Turtles

4.       You Were On My Mind - We Five

5.       Do You Believe in Magic? - The Lovin' Spoonful

6.       Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds

7.       Go Where You Wanna Go - The Mamas & The Papas

8.       Don't Make Promises - Tim Hardin

9.       Go Where You Wanna Go - Donovan

10.   That's the Bag I'm In - Fred Neil

11.   Get Together - The Youngbloods

12.   Today - Jefferson Airplane

13.   For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield

14.   I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain - Tim Buckley

15.   Morning Dew - Tim Rose

16.   Different Drum - The Stone Ponys

17.   I Shall Be Released - The Band

18.   Everybody's Talkin' – Nilsson

 

Disc 2: The 70's

 

1.       Wooden Ships - Crosby, Stills & Nash

2.       Fotheringay - Fairport Convention

3.       Coming Into Los Angeles - Arlo Guthrie

4.       Anywhere Like Heaven - James Taylor

5.       John Barleycorn - Traffic

6.       Box Of Rain - Grateful Dead

7.       One Of These Things - Nick Drake

8.       Reason to Believe - Rod Stewart

9.       American Pie - Don McClean

10.   People On The Highway - Pentangle

11.   Rock Me On The Water - Jackson Browne

12.   Birds - Linda Ronstadt

13.   Whiskey In The Jar - Thin Lizzy

14.   Love Has No Pride - Bonnie Raitt

15.   Diamonds And Rust - Joan Baez

16.   All Around My Hat - Steeleye Span

17.   Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac

 

Disc 3: The 80's

 

1.       Wall of Death - Linda & Richard Thompson

2.       Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

3.       Talk About The Passion - R.E.M.

4.       What's She Done to Your Mind - Rain Parade

5.       Pass It On - Lone Justice

6.       Pair of Brown Eyes, A - The Pogues

7.       Love Radiates Around - The Roaches

8.       Someday - Steve Earle

9.       Luka - Suzanne Vega

10.   Fourth Of July - Dave Alvin

11.   See How We Are - X

12.   Let It Rain - Dream Syndicate

13.   Don't Talk - 10,000 Maniacs

14.   Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys

15.   Hazy Shade Of Winter - The Bangles

16.   Five Cups Of Coffee - The Jayhawks

17.   Passionate Kisses - Lucinda Williams

18.   Put Down The Gun - Peter Case

 

Disc 4: The 90's And Beyond

 

1.       Carolyn - Steve Wynn

2.       Drawn To The Rhythm - Sarah McLachlan

3.       Angels - Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey

4.       Still Be Around - Uncle Tupelo

5.       Galileo - Indigo Girls

6.       Still Be Around - Uncle Tupelo

7.       Box Full Of Letters - Wilco

8.       Where I Go - Natalie Merchant

9.       Loose String - Son Volt

10.   Love To Love You - The Corrs

11.   Shredding The Document - John Hiatt

12.   Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin

13.   She Came Along To Me - Billy Bragg/Wilco

14.   We Have Forgotten - Sixpence None The Richer

15.   Babylon - David Gray

16.   Chief - Patty Griffin

17.   Stupid - Anne McCue

18.   Rain Come Down - Eastmountainsouth

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