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Various Artists - New Electric Muse II: The Continuing Story of Folk into Rock (1997)

Track listing:
CD1
  1. King Arthur's Servants The Watersons 1:14
  2. The Agincourt Carol The Young Tradition 4:36
  3. The Young Tradition with Shirl Various 2:33
  4. Trotto; Saltarello John Renbourn 2:34
  5. The King Steeleye Span 1:28
  6. Gower Wassail Steeleye Span 5:26
  7. Hal-an-Tow Shirley Collins & The Albion Country Band 2:52
  8. Staines Morris Morris On 3:14
  9. Pastime With Good Company Gryphon 1:31
  10. John Kirkpatrick & Ashley Hutc Various 1:47
  11. England Be Glad The City Waites 2:08
  12. The One-Eyed Merchant Bob Pegg 3:48
  13. Carthy's March Dave Swarbrick 2:38
  14. Four Tunes From Terpsichore, 1612 The Albion Band 4:18
  15. Boadicea Dave Swarbrick 2:12
  16. Jolly Bold Robber Brass Monkey 2:53
  17. Personent Hodie Albion Band 2:16
  18. Medley of 4 Morris Tunes John Kirkpatrick Band 5:58
  19. Lovely Joan Jacqui McShee 5:55
  20. Corbies Steeleye Span 3:40
  21. Annan Water Kate Rusby 5:27
CD2
  1. The North Country Maid The Watersons 2:34
  2. The Lark In The Morning The Johnstons 2:41
  3. I Loved A Lass Pentagle 2:41
  4. Lovely On The Water Steeleye Span 5:19
  5. Sullivan's John Anne Briggs 4:09
  6. Bonny May June Tabor 4:57
  7. The Handyke Shore Nic Jones 2:50
  8. Wishing, The Victor's Return, The Gravel Walk Dave Swarbrick 5:16
  9. Old Grenadier Brass Monkey 3:32
  10. The Wonder, Ridotta Rock The Cock And Bull Band 3:35
  11. Radstock Jig Home Service 3:12
  12. Galopede The Oyster Band 3:04
  13. Byker Hill The barley Works 5:08
  14. Mouth Music & Mairi MacInnes / Various 5:10
  15. The Tammienorrie Shooglenifty 5:15
  16. The Flower Of Magherallyo Oige 4:42
  17. Three Reels Burach 3:53
  18. The Card Song, Shuffle The Pack Fairport Convention 4:27
CD3
  1. The Thirty Foot Trailer The Watersons 3:33
  2. Dirty Old Town The Ian Campbell Folk Group 2:43
  3. The Tunnel Tigers The Johnstons 2:17
  4. Go By Brooks Sweeney's Men 2:06
  5. Look Over The Hill and Far Away The Humblebums 3:43
  6. Who Knows Where The Time Goes Fairport Convention 5:08
  7. The Pond & The Stream Fotheringay 3:19
  8. Go Your Way Anne Briggs 4:08
  9. Sally Free and Easy Cyril Tawney 5:47
  10. When I get To The Border Richard & Linda Thompson 3:26
  11. Dimming Of The Day Richard & Linda Thompson 3:50
  12. It's Dark In Here Dransfield 4:12
  13. I'm A Dreamer Linda Thompson 4:10
  14. Devonside Richard Thompson 4:46
  15. Pain or Paradise June Tabor & The Oysterband 3:11
  16. Moving the Goal Posts Billy Bragg 2:34
  17. Granite Years The Oyster Band 4:21
  18. Bede Weeps Jes Lowe & The Bad Pennies 3:14
  19. Sand In Your Shoes Ralph McTell 3:46
  20. Hard Times Heart Norma Waterson 3:20
  21. A Dram For The Singer Bob Pegg 4:27

Notes

This three-disc set is the companion to the 1996 release New Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock. This compendium features many of the same artists from that initial release, but a few surprises are included as well. Since it's released on Essential Records, a descendant of Transatlantic Records, many of the acts from that pioneering British folk label are showcased, and in some cases, multiple times. Pentangle, the Johnstons, the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Dave Swarbrick, and Bob Pegg are among the many Transatlantic artists who form the foundation of this study of the evolution of British folk music. A 48-page booklet details every artist from these three CDs and explains their significance to the study at hand. Certainly, this story could not be told without perhaps the four most influential late-'60 and '70s artists, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the Albion Band, and Richard & Linda Thompson. A total of 13 tracks are devoted to those four acts, which essentially cover the '70s. The 1980s are represented by a new, insurgent breed of folk artists like Oysterband, Billy Bragg, Home Service, and the Barely Works. Artists like the Pogues or the Men They Couldn't Hang certainly could have been substituted for those listed, but the prevailing point would still be made — that is, British folk manifested itself in the mainstream in the '80s by adopting an alternative edge, just as pop music in general did. The '90s brought a return to classic folk-rock (Oige and Burach) and a broadening of it via techno and worldbeat music (Mouth Music and Shooglenifty) as well as the holdover of punk-related folk forwarded by Oysterband and others. In short, the '90s ushered in less restrictive and more creative ways in which folk musicians could create and thrive. This box set emphasizes the early years of the folk into rock transmogrification, so hopefully the next volume will pay closer attention to the hundreds of bands and artists creating scintillating and unique modern folk-derived music.