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"The Lovers' Waltz" (01/28/1997) Folk Ungar, Jay, EMI Angel (USA)

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"Defying Gravity *" (02/08/2005) Country Wheeler, Cheryl, PhiloPersonnel: Cheryl Wheeler (vocals, acoustic guitar); Cheryl Wheeler; Jonatha Brooke, Lucy Kaplansky, Rachael Davis, Ben Wisch (vocals); Duke Levine (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, lap steel guitar, National guitar, mandola); Mark Sherman (vibraphone); Zev Katz, Paul Bryan (bass guitar); Steve Pelton (drums, percussion); Shawn Pelton (drums); Marc Shulman (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Kenny White (piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ); Jay Bellerose (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Ben Wisch. Recording information: Bailey Building & Loan; The Bottom Line, New York, NY. Much like the moon in the painting that graces the cover of Defying Gravity, Cheryl Wheeler's musical offerings tend to illuminate the darker side of life. Soured relationships, a troubled world, and even a hurricane are quietly explored through Wheeler's sage lyrics and gentle acoustic guitar. This description may make the disc sound a bit depressing, but the richness of Wheeler's voice and music provide solace even when exploring the darkest places. Dealing with the loss of someone can be difficult, and in the poignant "Since You've Been Gone" Wheeler wonders why "a woman my age," with her attendant wisdom, still manages to take it all so hard. "Must Be Sinking Now" proves that moving on after an intense relationship dissolves can be just as difficult, and even the end of a season can bring one to tears as the "Summer's Almost Over." Throughout Wheeler's songs a listener can recognize that someone else has had similar experiences, and that can make her lyrics more cathartic than depressing. Not all is gloomy in Wheeler's world, and there are glimmering passages of happiness in the pretty views from the "Little Road" or the mounting wanderlust of "Alice," a widower ready to see the world. Even the impending blow of Florida's Hurricane Floyd can't dampen the amusing moments in the retro jazz of "Here Come Floyd." As the disc progresses, Defying Gravity unfolds as one of Wheeler's most consistent works in song quality and tone. However, similar to her other discs, there are two tunes near the end that temporarily derail the train of beautiful songs. Wheeler's comedic side, much more appropriate in concert, breaks the tone of the disc with live concert recordings of audience favorites "It's the Phone," a rant on cell phone usage, and "On the Plane," a similar rant on air travel. Although these songs are topical and lyrically clever, they are much more effective as interludes at a performance or on a complete concert recording. On a studio disc, they come off as abrupt interruptions. Wheeler is much more successful when she builds humor into fully fleshed-out songs like "Here Come Floyd." Despite the annoyance of those two songs, Defying Gravity is one of Cheryl Wheeler's most heartfelt and beautiful sets. ~ Aaron Latham

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"Christmas With the New Christy Minstrels: Complete!" (12/15/2004) Folk The New Christy Minstrels, Collectors' Choice MusicCHRISTMAS WITH THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS: COMPLETE contains 2 LPs on 1 CD: MERRY CHRISTMAS! (1963)/CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHRISTIES (1966). Originally released on Columbia Records. Christmas With the New Christy Minstrels: Complete! offers not one, but two albums by the group of the same name. Interestingly, because of a number of personnel changes, none of the members present for Merry Christmas! in 1963 remained with the group in 1966 when Christmas With the Christies was recorded. While the group has been eclipsed by Peter, Paul, and Mary over time, the New Christy Minstrels' star shone as bright as any folk group in the mid-'60s. The group carved out a unique choral sound, achieved with the help of nine members. When the Christies combined complex arrangements with several talented lead singers on songs like "Beautiful City" and "Tell It on the Mountain," they created a rich tapestry of sound. With nine singers, only the most ardent fans know that the group was the brainchild of Randy Sparks, or that Nick Woods and Art Podell handled the arrangements on the early albums. The bottom line to most fans was how good the group sounded on songs like "The Shepherd Boy" and "Parson Brown." In fact, quite a few people consider Merry Christmas! to be the group's best album and have been listening to scratchy copies of the LP for over 25 Christmases. If this album shines less brightly, it has something to do with the more formalized arrangements and pop production. The New Christy Minstrels, like many folk groups, weren't quite sure how to carry on in the midst of the British Invasion and folk rock. Still, it's nice to have both albums together along with several bonus tracks. Christmas With the New Christy Minstrels: Complete! is fun holiday music. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

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"Gord's Gold" (10/04/2005) Rock & Pop Lightfoot, Gordon, Reprise2 LPs on 1 CD; 1 song omitted from original 2-LP release ("Affair on 8th Avenue"). Following the success of Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot continued his success by releasing a greatest-hits compilation. A double album (now a single CD), it contained the most popular songs from his Warner Bros. years on disc two, and he re-recorded many of his early songs for side one of record one. Although not as good, perhaps, as the originals, this did bring them up to date with his current sound style. Just about all the favorites are here (except "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," which hadn't been recorded yet when this set was put together and appears on Lightfoot's second volume of Gord's Gold), making this a good general overview of a strong talent. When Warner transferred the double LP to CD, "Affair on 8th Avenue" was dropped from the program to make the set fit on a single disc. Randy Newman arranged the orchestration on "Minstrel of the Dawn," by the way. ~ James Chrispell & Steve Leggett This re-release of Gordon Lightfoot's first greatest hits album, originally published in the mid-1970s, contains a medley of his first hit songs, "I'm Not Saying" and "Ribbon of Darkness" (the latter made famous by Marty Robbins), as well as many other '60s and early-'70s classics like "Early Morning Rain," the brooding "Sundown," and "If You Could Read My Mind." Lightfoot's sure way with a lyrical narrative, coupled with his appealingly diffident baritone voice, combines pop charm with artistic integrity, and these tracks sound as fresh today as when they were first recorded.

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"The Last Month of the Year" (12/15/2004) Folk Kingston Trio, Collectors' Choice MusicThe Kingston Trio: Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, Bob Shane. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood. Originally released on October 3, 1960. Includes liner notes by Bob Furmanek. An essential part of any Christmas album collection, these are true Christmas folk songs, from spirituals to Old English rounds. ~ David A. Milberg

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"Changes" (07/12/2005) Folk Modern Folk Quartet, Collectors' Choice MusicModern Folk Quartet: Chip Douglas, Cyrus Faryar, Jerry Yester, Tad Diltz. Liner Note Author: Richie Unterberger. With their first self-titled collection having received considerable lauds from peers and critics alike, the Modern Folk Quartet -- consisting of Cyrus Faryar (guitar, vocals), Henry "Tad" Diltz (banjo, vocals), Chip Douglas (bass, banjo, guitar, ukulele, bells, vocals), and Jerry Yester (guitar, vocal, cymbals) -- cut their 1964 follow-up, Changes, with an ear toward sustaining the fresh sound of their predecessor. Once again, they blend their arrangements and adaptations to another impressive lineup of modern compositions from the group's contemporaries. The hearty gospel-influenced opener, "Sing Out," sets the pace for a further slew of refreshing and spirited selections. Lee Hays of the Almanac Singers, Weavers, and Baby Sitters fame is the source for the midtempo down-and-outer "Time's a Getting' Hard," featuring an exceptional example of Douglas' reserved yet potent basslines. Phil Ochs' "The Bells" -- which the author derived from "The Birds" by Edgar Allan Poe -- provides a platform for the four-part vocal harmonies to unravel their unique slant on the song, keeping it fairly close to Ochs' original. The dark "In the Hills of Shiloh" stands out for its practically palpable foreboding and distinct contrast to the bombast of "Bullgine" and the cover of Bob Gibson's "Jordan's River" -- undoubtedly the impetus for the folk craze parody "Good Book Song" by the fictitious Main Street Singers from the cinematic spoof A Mighty Wind. By comparison, Gibson also supplied the stately historical ballad "St. Clair's Defeat," one of the zeniths of the effort. "Riu Chiu" is a 15th century Spanish ballad that may be familiar to fans of the Monkees, as the ersatz Fab Four used it to great effect, closing the Christmas episode of their 1966 television program with Micky Dolenz taking the a cappella lead. Bob Dylan's "Farewell" is likewise a focal point as the prominent banjo accompaniment gives the number a more rural texture and a less lonesome feel. Although the MFQ would not record a third long-player for Warner Bros., they did issue a handful of additional singles before splitting later in the decade, with all four members continuing to contribute to the pop/rock scene for the remainder of the decade and beyond. ~ Lindsay Planer

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"In the Kind Land" (04/15/2005) Folk Bok, Gordon, Timberhead MusicPersonnel: Gordon Bok (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar); Carol Rohl (vocals, harp); Then Some, January Men (vocals). Audio Mixers: Anne Dodson; Gordon Bok; Bruce Boege. Recording information: United Methodist Church, Camden, ME. Arranger: Gordon Bok.

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"The Crossing" (05/04/1999) Folk O'Brien, Tim, Alula RecordsPersonnel includes: Tim O'Brien (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandola, mandolin, fiddle); Maura O'Connell, Del McCoury, Kathy Mattea, Mollie O'Brien (vocals); Paul Brady (vocals, guitar); Darrell Scott (guitar); Jerry Douglas (Hawaiian guitar); Kelly Joe Phelps (slide guitar); Seamus Egan (tenor banjo, flute, low whistle, bodhran); Dirk Powell (clawhammer banjo); Earl Scruggs (banjo); Ciaran Curran (bouzouki); Darol Anger (mandola); Mike Marshall (mandocello); Ciaran Tourish (fiddle, penny whistle); Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle, background vocals); Stuart Duncan, Frankie Gavin (fiddle); John Mock (low whistle, percussion); Ronan Browne (Uilleann pipes); Dermot Byrne (accordion); Viktor Krauss (bass); Edgar Meyer (arco bass). Recorded at Trace Sound, Franklin, Tennessee; Gatorland, Oakland, California; DeVille, Boulder, Colorado. Includes liner notes by Tim O'Brien. It might be a clich? to say that to understand where you are and where you're going, you must know where you've been, but it's a very accurate clich? -- especially when it comes to music. If you're going to have a thorough understanding of the history of country, bluegrass, and Anglo-American folk, it's important to have some knowledge of the music that paved the way for those forms -- namely, the music that immigrants from the British Isles brought with them to the U.S. On The Crossing, singer/instrumentalist Tim O'Brien does a fine job reminding listeners how great a role Celtic music played in the development of Anglo-American styles. As a vocalist, O'Brien shows how Irish and Scottish ballad traditions have influenced American folk and country, and as an instrumentalist, O'Brien (who plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and other instruments) shows how the jigs and reels of Ireland and Scotland paved the way for Appalachian bluegrass. A fine storyteller, he describes the experiences of Irish immigrants to the U.S. on gems like "The Crossing" and "Lost Little Children" -- and on the humorous, Bob Dylan-influenced "Talkin' Cavan," O'Brien (himself an Irish-American from West Virginia) recalls traveling to Ireland in 1998 to visit the land of his ancestors. This CD is not to be missed. ~ Alex Henderson

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"The Thing at the Nursery Room Window" (08/15/2000) Folk Lang, Peter (Guitar), TakomaSolo performer: Peter Lang (6 & 12-string guitars). Producers: Peter Lang, Kerry Fahey, Jim Hauck. Engineers: Cecil Spiller, Paul Martinson, Michael McKern. Recorded at Audiosonic, Santa Monica, California and Sound 80, Minneapolis & Tracks On 5th, St. Paul, Minnesota between 1972 & 1978. Digitally remastered by Joe Tarantino (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Personnel: Peter Lang (vocals, guitar). Liner Note Author: Peter Lang . Recording information: Audio-Sonic Research Installation, Santa Monica, CA (??/1972-09/1978); Sound 80, Minneapolis, MN (??/1972-09/1978). Comparable to John Fahey, Robbie Basho, and Leo Kottke, Peter Lang was among the acoustic guitarists who came out of the "picker" genre in the '60s and '70s. The pickers, as they were called, played unaccompanied solo guitar and made instrumental folk their specialty. Lang isn't as well known as either Fahey or Kottke, although he is a talented and expressive musician in his own right. A lot of pickers recorded for Fahey's Takoma label, and it was for Takoma that Lang, in 1972, recorded The Thing at the Nursery Room Window. This is essentially a folk recording, although Lang's brand of folk easily incorporates elements of southern country blues, bluegrass, and Appalachian music. Lang is an impressive improviser, but he doesn't beat his listeners over the head with technique. Although the Minneapolis native has impressive chops, he never lets them get in the way of his down-home charm, and he never has a problem coming across as warm, unpretentious, and earthy. The Thing at the Nursery Room Window originally came out on vinyl in 1973 and was reissued on CD in 2000, when Fantasy added three bonus from either the 1974 Flying Fish date Lycurgus or the 1978 Waterhouse session Back to the Wall. ~ Alex Henderson

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"Mortal City" (01/25/1996) Folk Williams, Dar, Razor & Tie MusicPersonnel: Dar Williams (vocals, guitar); Katryna Nields, Nerissa Nields, Cliff Eberhardt, Lucy Kaplansky, John Prine (vocals); Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, dobro, fiddle); Mark Shulman, Jeff Golub (electric guitar); Eileen Ivers (fiddle); Erik Friedlander, Gideon Freudmann (cello); Art Baron (didgeridoo); William Galison (harmonica); Steve Gaboury (piano) Mark Egan, Zev Katz (bass); Billy Ward (drums, snare drum); Roger Squitero (congas); Sammy Merendino. Recorded in Dar Williams' bedroom, Massachusetts and at Sorcerer Sound, New York, New York. Personnel: Dar Williams (vocals, guitar); Cliff Eberhardt, Katryna Nields, Lucy Kaplansky, Nerissa Nields (vocals); Larry Campbell (guitar, dobro, mandolin, drums); Jeff Golub (electric guitar); Erik Friedlander, Gideon Freudmann (cello); William Galison (harmonica); Art Baron (didjeridu); Steve Gaboury (piano); Billy Ward (drums, snare drum); Roger Squitero (congas). Recording information: Dar's Bedroom, MA; Live Wire, New York, NY; Sorcerer Sound, N.Y.C., NY; Spa Studios. Photographer: Barry Tenin. Unknown Contributor Role: Jose Garcia . On the first track of her second album, Dar Williams makes clear her intention to break out of the acoustic singer/songwriter ghetto: "As Cool As I Am" is full-out rock & roll with funky drums and a chorus built on massed choo-choo harmonicas. She doesn't stay in rock mode for long, but the more aggressive approach continues to inform her sound even when she retreats into a more typical acoustic setting. It's interesting to note that as her music gets more consistent, so do her lyrics. Over a spare guitar-and-cello accompaniment, she muses on the various ways that February can symbolize stages in a relationship ("And when we got home, we just started chopping wood/Because you never know how next year will be"). Elsewhere she finds her boyfriend "in the arms of a Student Against the Treacherous Use of Fur" and wishes she hadn't called a certain friend to help her move out. Funny? Oh, yes -- "The Christians and the Pagans" is hysterical, and so is "The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis of a Co-Ed" (believe it or not). And it's the humor gone before that makes a song as naked as "Family" or as conceptually risky as "This Was Pompeii" come across not just well, but with enormous power. The really exciting thing is that her next album is even better. ~ Rick Anderson MORTAL CITY, the follow-up to Dar Williams' successful debut, THE HONESTY ROOM, is rife with whimsy, wit, and the confessional style of songwriting that first drew fans to Williams. Her confessional style remains engaging, charming, and rarely self-indulgent. Williams tackles delicate subjects skillfully. On "As Cool as I Am," for instance, she sings about female jealousy and feelings of inadequacy in male-female relationships. Threatened by a woman who seems to have caught the attention of her lover, Williams wrestles with her own insecurity. Williams emerges victorious, ultimately declaring that she will not be afraid of women and won't allow her herself be intimidated by them. "The Christians and the Pagans" tells of a woman's Christmastime visit to a relative's house-with her female companion. Family members are miffed (the subject and her buddy are said "pagans"), but Williams' subtle humor and keen sense of melody win the day-and propel the song. A strong second set, MORTAL CITY proves that Williams is a formidable talent who won't be disappearing anytime soon.

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"In These Times" (02/24/2004) Folk Peter, Paul and Mary, Rhino Records (USA)Includes a poem by Mary Travers. Peter, Paul & Mary: Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey (vocals, guitar); Mary Travers (vocals). Additional personnel: Paul Prestopino (guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, harmonica); Richard Kniss (bass); Robert DeCormier. Recorded at Quad Recording Studios, New York, New York. For their first new album since 1995's Lifelines, veteran folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary haven't changed things around much. Although their voices are a little less angelic (at least in the normal sense), the quavering, breathy vocals carry a kind of earned wisdom that they could only hint at 40 years ago, and it makes the group's delivery of these songs all the more intimate and effective. In These Times has the usual traditional material, including a hard-charging version of "Wayfaring Stranger," a Pete Seeger song (the elegant "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread"), and the group's usual endorsement of new, young songwriters working in the folk vein. The obvious highlight this time around is a song by Boston-based songwriter Thea Hopkins, "Jesus Is on the Wire," which tells the chilling story of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in Wyoming. With sparse, jagged, and highly cinematic lyrics, the song builds the same kind of quiet horror as Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," and its matter-of-fact tone, even on the powerful chorus, makes "Jesus Is on the Wire" absolutely unforgettable. In These Times is valuable for that song alone, but fans of Peter, Paul & Mary won't be disappointed in the rest of the tracks here, either. The trio has aged well, and they've done it by not changing much of anything, making this album both reassuring and refreshing. ~ Steve Leggett

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"See What Tomorrow Brings" (07/23/1991) Folk Peter, Paul and Mary, Warner Bros. Records (Record Label)Peter, Paul And Mary: Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, Mary Travers (vocals). Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, Inc., New York City. See What Tomorrow Brings is a strong album that plays to the strengths of Peter, Paul, & Mary. There is a good variety of material within their folk format, and a nice esprit de corps that pervades the recording. All members sing lead, which brings a good balance to the proceedings. Worth noting are two early versions of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Although there isn't one number that shouts instant classic, all cuts have something to recommend them. Lest we forget the trio's idealism, the opening song "If I Were Free" speaks to the hope of wars ending and the beginning of peaceful times. "Jane, Jane" and "Because All Men Are Brothers" show the group's gospel roots, while "The Rising of the Moon," an intense cut, has Irish music as its base. "Tryin' to Win" and "On a Desert Island" manifests the humorous side of the trio as they sing about real and imagined love relationships. Throughout the album, arrangements are tasteful, clean, and never obtrusive to the songs presented. All in all, this is a very good album that has variety, strong material, tasteful production, and a fine spirit that gives it a winning edge. ~ Michael Ofjord

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"Broke Down" (01/25/2000) Folk Cleaves, Slaid, PhiloPersonnel includes: Slaid Cleaves (vocals, acoustic guitar); Gurf Morlix (acoustic, electric & lap steel guitars, mandolin, Magnus organ, 6-string bass, bongos, background vocals); Ian McLagan (Hammond B-3 organ); Ivan Brown (bass, background vocals); Mark Cousins (drums). Recorded at Rootball, Austin, Texas. Includes liner notes by Steve Brooks. Personnel: Slaid Cleaves (vocals, acoustic guitar); Gurf Morlix (electric guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, strings, organ); Ivan Browne (acoustic bass, upright bass, background vocals); Chris Searles (drums, tambourine); Darcie Deaville (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Gurf Morlix. Liner Note Authors: Ray Wylie Hubbard; Steve Brooks. Recording information: Rootball, Austin, TX; Rootball; Austin, TX. Photographer: Will Van Overbeek. Austin-based singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves writes about losers. Sherry, in the title song of his second album, Broke Down, abandons a "love grown cold" with "Billy" in favor of a pretty boy who treats her even worse. The narrator of "Cold and Lonely" reflects on his lost children and wife. "I lost my wife, I lost my home / Quit my job, and set out alone," notes the singer of "Key Chain," while Sandy Gray in "Breakfast in Hell" loses his life in a logjam and the title character of "Lydia" (written by Karen Poston), remembers the husband and son lost in a mine collapse. Needless to say, Broke Down is not the cheeriest of albums, though Cleaves usually employs some religious imagery and pledges on which to build some hope by song's end. Still, it seems odd that he has included a song with lyrics by Woody Guthrie that he has set to music, "This Morning I Am Born Again." After all, it was Guthrie who once wrote, "I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. ... I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood." His lyric is a typical example of his flinty defiance and stubborn optimism, but it stands in stark contrast to the rest of this album, and one can't help wondering what he would have thought about being in the company of these lose-lose propositions. ~ William Ruhlmann

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Folk Music calling your name? Find all of the top Music gear that you want at BizRate. Compare prices from top brands like as well as . Browse ratings from merchants that sell Folk Music and other Music. Narrow your choices down by price range, brand, merchant, and more. Find the product that's right for you: So Much More by Brett Dennen (CD - 11/21/2006) - The Lovers' Waltz by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason (CD - 01/28/1997).