Folk Music Lovers -

I am not drawn to folk music. I don't know much about it so maybe if i knew more about it, i would appreciate it more. Or maybe afer knowing more, i would come to the conclusion that its not my cup of tea after all, just as i thought before I knew much about it.

I am not sufficiently interested in folk music to go and make a big research but i thought those of you who love it might be interested in bringing others around to your persuasion. So here's your chance. Tell me what's so good about folk music in such a way that i feel like i've learnt something about it.

If in your opinion there varieties of folk music, i expect you would talk about the type of folk music you love and not get bogged down in side issues.

Please tell me something about folk music that you think I (and others who know nil about it) should know in order to appreciate it as good music/music that i should be interested in as a person who has good taste in music.

It would help me if you could please list three of your favourite folk songs. Or just list the songs and don't bother with the questions above but instead if you prefer, you could say why these songs are so worthy of your appreciation.

It occurs to me that the way some of you feel about pop music is the same as I feel about folk music. Maybe its just a lack of knowledge/awareness of the good stuff so I thought I might as well give it a chance but only if any of you could be bothered to help educate me. I'd be happy to do the same for any of you re pop music in a thread dedicated to pop music if you wanted. It's in that vein that I ask.

To me, 'folk' music should do what any music should, which is touch the soul. But souls are touched by different things. Jazz for instance does nothing for me.

I couldn't name favourites - too many, but, three examples from my native land.

Corries - Green fields of France https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdxgNPb5xWo

Dougie McLean - Green Grow the Rashes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eplPt9bq1g

Arthur Cormack - Solus M'Aigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcIoNdD7Gjw


I think some things about 'good' folk music is - simplicity. It often tells a story that can resonate in the listener. Traditional music has stood the test of time in many ways.

Why can't you name favourites. Its simply what songs you love as opposed to three songs that are popular with other people. I wasn't asking for your three most favourite. So i need to know are the songs you've given, all songs you love because I want to see what songs people who say they are lovers of folk love and who think are really good songs.

Ah so traditional songs are folk songs after all. Is that right? I just dismissed an australian traditional song as not being folk becuase it was traditional. So you see that's why i'm asking.

Folk music doesn't need to be pigeon holed.

60's American Folk, Phil Ochs, There but for Fortune,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lFPIIdud9o

Old Time Folk Blues by a lovely young lady, Macyn Taylor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqkUOJ9Cxv8

Modern Folk "Genius", Chris Smither,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNoQaB2LT0

Well that's my bias. 100 ways to go with "Folk".

Anthony

Well there isn't much point naming a song you don't know, that I don't have a recording off

The three I listed were all songs I love, by artists I love. All in the Scottish tradition. I think at least part of the art of performing folk, is taking a well known song and doing something completely different with it, as in the McLean song listed.

Mississippi John Hurt

AndieZ said:

I'd be happy to do the same for any of you re pop music in a thread dedicated to pop music if you wanted. It's in that vein that I ask.

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I'd be up for seeing a pop music appreciation thread. As much as anything I'd be interested to see what sort of response it gets. And I guess it would mean I could post my three favourite pop songs

Iulia said:

Well there isn't much point naming a song you don't know, that I don't have a recording off

The three I listed were all songs I love, by artists I love. All in the Scottish tradition. I think at least part of the art of performing folk, is taking a well known song and doing something completely different with it, as in the McLean song listed.

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I just wanted to be sure you were posting songs that you love. I didn't say post your favourite song. I didn't realise they were scottish. Thanks for the clarification.

I think at least part of the art of performing folk, is taking a well known song and doing something completely different with it,

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That's not particular to folk music. That's standard practice in all genres of music when you are not playing an original song. Its called Interpretation.

jollyboy said:

I'd be up for seeing a pop music appreciation thread. As much as anything I'd be interested to see what sort of response it gets. And I guess it would mean I could post my three favourite pop songs

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Ok Jolly boy your on but weell have to worok out what we want to achieve from the thread. For me, it would be showing the pop unsympathisers some good songs in order to break through their negative opinion of the genre by broadening their awareness. Of course I will only pick songs i like. As I would expect others to do likewise. I think it would also be meaningful to post more recent songs in order to break down the argument that all the good songs are from the past.

I suppose i will have to start it though it would be just as good if someoene else had just gone and done it!

Most of the time, folk music makes me feel a bit like this :

AndieZ said:

Ok Jolly boy your on but weell have to worok out what we want to achieve from the thread. For me, it would be showing the pop unsympathisers some good songs in order to break through their negative opinion of the genre by broadening their awareness.

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Yep, absolutely - to demonstrate that there is such a thing as good pop music.

AndieZ said:

I think it would also be meaningful to post more recent songs in order to break down the argument that all the good songs are from the past.

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Lol Well I'm a big fan of 60s pop, as you may remember from another thread, so I may have to politely ignore that particular restriction. I could counter-argue that many people tend to think mostly of contemporary chart music when the term 'pop music' is mentioned.

AndieZ said:

I suppose i will have to start it though it would be just as good if someoene else had just gone and done it!

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Hey, it was your idea...

(Could I suggest lists of five instead of lists of three, if lists are gonna be included. I have previously borrowed this idea from the movie version of High Fidelity and five works pretty well. Three feels a bit tight).

Jolly put as many as you like but i thought three was a sensible number. Bear in mind what is going to be of most use or interest to readers.

Please try to share current pop music as the point of hte post is bring people up to speed. I also love 60s pop. Maybe you can start a thread about golden oldies or something But i really want to keep my pop thread current otherwise nothing will be gained from it. Look most people on thsi site seem to be quite elderly ;-). They probably all already like the songs you love so what's the point if we're trying to educate/broaden their horizons. But as a concession, i'll give permission for one golden oldie - not that you need my permission of course. I would just have to abandon the thread as a failed exercise. It might fail anyway due to general lack of interest. lol.

Good to see peeps posting about music on a music forum. ld:

Folk, & Pop (which is just short for popular - each generation had it's own 'pop'ular songs. ).

Now you will have to start threads for classical, rock & roll, skiffle, blues, country, heavy metal, etc, etc. :biglaugh:

uke1950 said:

Folk, & Pop (which is just short for popular - each generation had it's own 'pop'ular songs. ).

Now you will have to start threads for classical, rock & roll, skiffle, blues, country, heavy metal, etc, etc. :biglaugh:

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Good idea. Most musicians would probably like threads about music. ld:

Dick where are you favourites? I am keen to know and hear from you.

AndieZ said:

Dick where are you favourites? I am keen to know and hear from you.

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I don't do favorites. Each tune is what it is. ld: