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Various Artists - The Acoustic Folk Box (2002)

Track listing:
CD1
  1. Jack O'Diamonds Lonnie Donegan 2:51
  2. 3/4 AD Davy Graham & Alexis Korner 4:40
  3. MacPherson's Rant The Galliards 2:21
  4. Twa Corbies Ray & Archie Fisher 2:08
  5. Tramps And Hawkers Bob Davenport 3:00
  6. The Rocky Road To Dublin The Dubliners 2:31
  7. Song Of The Iron Road Ewan MacColl 3:12
  8. She Moves Through The Fair Anne Briggs 2:17
  9. The Times They Are A-Changin' The Ian Campbell Folk Group 3:08
  10. Across The Hills The Three City Four 2:00
  11. Joy Of My Heart The Fisher Family 1:51
  12. Angi Bert Jansch 3:12
  13. Reynardine Shirley Collins & Davy Graham 2:30
  14. Geordie Julie Felix 2:24
  15. Dido Bendigo The Watersons 2:56
  16. The Two Magicians A.L. Lloyd 4:43
  17. The Moving On Song The Exiles 3:10
  18. Sovay Martin Carthy 2:12
  19. First Girl I Loved The Incredible String Band 4:59
  20. Lyke Wake Dirge The Young Tradition 2:49
  21. Transfusion John Renbourn 2:01
  22. You Never Wanted Me Sandy Denny 3:23
  23. The Cuckoo's Nest Dave Swarbrick 2:40
  24. The House Carpenter Sweeney's Men 3:57
  25. Spiral Staircase Ralph McTell 3:34
CD2
  1. Let No Man Steal Your Thyme Pentangle 2:47
  2. Bonnie Boy Shirley Collins 3:42
  3. The Rout Of The Blues Robin & Barry Dransfield 2:36
  4. Bright Phoebus Lal & Mike Waterson 2:56
  5. Sorry The Day I Was Married Tim Hart & Maddy Prior 1:28
  6. Scan's Polkas Oak 2:15
  7. Rattlin' Roarin' Willie/The Friar's Britches Dick Gaughan 2:16
  8. The Crafty Maids Policy Frankie Armstrong 2:15
  9. Billy Don't You Weep For Me Nic Jones 4:54
  10. The Rose Of Britain's Isle/Glorishears John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris 4:41
  11. Hard Times Of Old England Etchingham Steam Band 4:24
  12. The Kesh Jig/Give Us A Drink Of Water/The Flower Of The Flock/Famous Ballymore The Bothy Band 4:32
  13. The Ant & The Grasshopper Leon Rosselson & Roy Bailey 2:36
  14. The Methody Parson Roy Harris 2:24
  15. John O'Dreams Bill Caddick 4:22
  16. The Rose Of Allandale Bandoggs 4:45
  17. The Shepherd Of The Downs Peter Bellamy 4:49
  18. Brighton Camp/The March Past John Kirkpatrick & Chums 3:45
  19. Harper's Frolick/Bonny Kate New Victory Band 2:31
  20. Once In A While Steve Ashley 4:27
CD3
  1. Miss Drummond Of Perth/Fiddler's Joy/Traditional Reel/The Shetland Fiddler Battlefield Band 3:26
  2. Farewell Welfare Rory McLeod 3:17
  3. Erin-Go-Bragh Dick Gaughan 4:31
  4. Rockin' In Rhythm Richard Thompson 2:46
  5. Stephen Baldwin's Schottisches No. 1 & 2/The Kennet Jig Old Swan Band 4:37
  6. In Trim/Mount Hooley/Leamington Bank Alistair Anderson 3:30
  7. Lay This Body Down June Tabor 2:58
  8. The First Cut Is The Deepest Martin Simpson 3:36
  9. Handsome Johnny The English Country Blues Band 2:59
  10. If Vin Garbutt 2:16
  11. The Maid & The Palmer Brass Monkey 5:33
  12. Shave The Monkey/Boys Of The Mill Blowzabella 2:52
  13. A B Hornpipe/Mrs Bolowski's Kathryn Tickell 2:31
  14. Another Train Pete Morton 3:20
  15. Coal Not Dole Swan Arcade 2:49
  16. Blood & Gold/Mohac Silly Sisters 3:50
  17. Wasps In The Woodpile Andrew Cronshaw 4:06
  18. Patrick Street/The Carraroe Jig Patrick Street 3:44
  19. A Bhean Udai Thall Altan 3:31
  20. Fraoch A Ronaigh Mouth Music 3:16
CD4
  1. The Grey Funnel Line Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane & Mary Black 3:49
  2. A Call For The North Country Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies 3:36
  3. Reconciliation Ron Kavana 4:38
  4. Pharoah The House Band 3:13
  5. Out Come The Freaks Chris Wood 5:08
  6. Moving The Goalposts Billy Bragg 2:36
  7. When First I Came To Caledonia Waterson:Carthy 5:17
  8. Beeswing Richard Thompson 5:31
  9. Molly & Johnny Dervish 3:50
  10. Venus In Tweeds Shooglenifty 4:06
  11. The Graf Spey/The Boys Of Balisodare Martin Hayes 3:52
  12. Jerusalem Revisited Coope, Boyes & Simpson 4:57
  13. How Can I Leave Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight 2:45
  14. A Place Called England June Tabor 4:42
  15. Reel Du Pendu Nancy Kerr & James Fagan 2:37
  16. Twankydillo Maddy Prior 2:59
  17. Llatai Fernhill 3:40
  18. The Cobbler's Daughter Kate Rusby 2:39
  19. From Where I Lie/Sheepcounting John Tams 5:43
  20. 10,000 Miles Eliza Carthy 3:05

Notes

The Acoustic Folk Box presents a masterful overview of folk music from the British Isles, encompassing some 40 years of history and dozens of artists. Each of the four discs covers an era, the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, and carries over an hour of music. Basically, The Acoustic Folk Box begins with the British folk revival of the 1960s and follows echoes that reverberate into the present. Many of the artists are well-known to general audiences (Martin Simpson, Richard Thompson, and June Tabor), while others (Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, and John Renbourn) are perhaps less known than one might hope, especially in the United States. Where to begin? First of all, there's Alexis Korner and Davy Graham's lovely duet "3/4 AD," perhaps the mother of all fine British fingerpicking, and fellow picker Bert Jansch's definitive version of "Angi." Briggs offers a chilling version of "She Moves Through the Fair," leaving little doubt where Sandy Denny drew her inspiration several years later. These discs also remind listeners that a number of folk-rockers never plugged in, or at least continued to experiment with acoustic music. The Incredible String Band remains one of the most enigmatic late-'60s bands, and "First Girl I Loved," with its off-center lyrics and unabashed romanticism, reminds one why. Pentangle creates a rare depth in "Let No Man Still Your Thyme," exploiting the rich possibilities of a full acoustic sound. A number of prominent women make memorable appearance over the course of The Acoustic Folk Box. Collins appears twice, first with Graham on the lovely "Reynardine" and again on the evocative "Bonnie Boy." Tabor delivers "Lay This Body Down" with her resonate vocals before returning with fellow Silly Sister Maddy Prior for "Blood and Gold/Mohacs." And there's no shortage of contemporary talent, with up and coming young artists like Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, and Kate Rusby. The Acoustic Folk Box may not be the last word on acoustic folk music from the British Isles, but it comes pretty darn close.