Heave Media

Takin' You Back

TYB gets the folk out this week.

Now hold on a second. I know what you're thinking. Hippies are number two on your list of people you sometimes want to punch in the stomach, right behind those damn emo kids. Still, folk music is both underappreciated and underrepresented on the classic rock scene. Obscure music isn't necessarily good music, but this stuff all is. Now you will understand some of the jokes from A Mighty Wind.

The Kingston Trio "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" - Proof that all you need is some guitars and sweet vocal harmonies to crank out catchy and distinctive music. I suppose songwriting skills and general talent are probably necessary, too. The Trio formed in 1957 and were on top of the folk scene until the mid sixties. If you're going to pick up a CD, I recommend The Essential Kingston Trio double disc.

Harry Nilsson "Everybody's Talkin" - I had a hard time picking a Harry Nilsson song because he wrote so many good ones. This is a good example of upbeat folk. I actually discovered Harry Nilsson when I saw his 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson, in a used record store. I bought it because it had a terrific title and it ended up being a terrific album. You can't judge a book by its cover, but I find myself judging albums by the cover all the time.

Tim Hardin "Simple Song Of Freedom" - I'm virtually positive you would know Hardin's 1966 hit "Reason to Believe", but we're trying to dig a little deeper here. After Bobby Darin scored a hit with Hardin's "If I were a Carpenter," Harding recorded Darin's "Simple Song of Freedom" in 1969. Tim Hardin was a great songwriter in his heyday and much of the music he recorded is as relevant today as it was then.

Posted by Greg Herald on Nov 07, 2007 @ 12:00 am