Essential folk/rock?

You won't regret it....

folkier:
jake holmes "the above ground sound of jake holmes"
oliver "standing stone"
C.O.B. "spirit of love"
steve tilston "an acoustic confusion"
mark fry "dreaming with alice"
simon finn "pass the distance"

since people are talking about straight-up folk as well, the moths' "heron's daughter" is brilliant. has an amazing cover of tim buckley's already stunning "phantasmagoria in two" that recasts it in a more straight-up acid folk vein with hand drums and everything.

Also, any Sandy Denny solo stuff. There's a great compilation called 'Listen Listen' which blew me away when I first heard it.

In a different vein, if you're looking at Irish folk/rock (or folk/punk?) the Pogues' first 2 albums.

These are 2 of the greatest records I have come across in the last 10 years: I guarantee you will love them.

Any Bert Jansch is alays a classic: His self-titled debut rocks as does
It Don't Bother Me - this is the guy generally regarded as either being the finest acoustic guitarist of his generation or as having three hands. The Bert Jansch/John Renbourn album (imaginatively titled Bert and John) is a bit special.

If you can track it down, give Sixto Rodriguez' stuff an ear (check Cold Fact). It's tripped out singer/songwriter stuff drenched in bizarre effects and lush orchestration. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Leo Kottke is another guitarist/singer chap who is more than capable of hitting the spot. You may have to be selective though, Rhino's Leo Kottke Anthology is pretty comprehensive and probably as good as it gets.

Jackson C Frank's Blues Run the Game.

Obviously, Fairport.

Moby Grape's Al 'Skip' Spence's solo effort Oar is regarded as a classic of the genre but I can't get along with it - still, it may tickle your toes.

If you like the psychedelic edge to the Love stuff, check out fellow Californians The Peanut Butter Conspiracy: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading issued on CD with The Great Conspiracy.

Also The United States Of America self-titled from '68 is another absolute classic, tho no guitars - all insane effects specially created for the group, with bass, drums and uhm, electric violin.

For more recent stuff, maybe check Hope Sandoval's solo stuff (Bavarian Fruit Bread features 'ole Jaschey).

Woodbine's self-titled.

I'm just listening to John & Beverly Martin's Stormbringer which is nice but not as good as Solid Air.

Also I can second the Fairport's, Pentangle, Fred Neil suggestions as all essential.

Pearls Before Swine are well worth checking - I saw Tom Rapp (ex lead singer) at Terrastock and he was amazing.

David Crosby's first solo album "If Only I could Remember My Name" is good.

What about Joni Mitchell - some good stuff if a bit more singer songwriter-y.

Emtidi - Saat
Hoelderlin - Hoelderlins Traum
Broeselmaschine - Broeselmaschine

Some Popol Vuh is pretty folky, too. Try "Letzte Tage - Letzte Naechte" or "Einsjaeger und Siebenjaeger".

Ditto on the Fred Neil and Bert Jansch recommendations. They both hold up very well.

Also, Ben Harper's music is definitely heavily folk-influenced, yet it also definitely rocks. Would that be folk/rock?

New(ish) folk which is worth investigating;

Gillian Welch - Hell amongst the yearlings
James Yorkston - Moving up country
Jackie Leven - Forbidden songs of the dying west/fairytales for hard men
Candidate - Tiger flies

And anything with a Carthy at the end.

Linda Thompson has a new record which is probably worth checking out, she's been working with David Thomas and Jackie Leven recently.

try and hear "six dukes" from it, probably the saddest song ever to contain the word "bowels".

also richard and linda thompson's "i want to see the bright lights tonight" is a true classic album.

Steeleye Span - The Hills of Greenmore, a 2CD collection of highlights from the first 4 albums, i'd track them down if they rereleased/remastered them

Sandy Denny - No more sad refrains

Anne Briggs - A Collection: Untouchable genius, one of the finest records i've heard, any folk/rock fan should buy it. Hard, but so rewarding.

Anne Briggs - The Time Has Come + Sing a song for you: these albums came out in the early 70s. Anne lightens up (a little), with more fun, less spartan arrangements/ideals. More self-penned originals too, tho some still sound as old as the hills. Obv. not as intense and powerful, but joyful, fresh and very sexy.

The Albion Band - Morris on: Brilliant and cool. For those, like me, breathlessly awaiting the morris revival, this will have to do in the meantime. Has anyone heard Son of Morris on?

Shirley Collins + The Albion Band - No Roses: A sort of 'mature' alternative to Liege & Lief, with perhaps more considered depth.

I'd be grateful for an appraisal of the whole Ashley Hutchings cosmos - all the Albion Band stuff, solo etc. what to seek out/ avoid like some medieval plague he's probably written a song about.

And finally, what about those forgotten folk-rock bands, eg Mr Fox, The Trees? Can someone recommend what i should be looking for here?

A couple more -
Comus - First Utterance is truly, indescribably bizarre, like a traditional folk combo possessed by a coven of witches.
Paul Giovanni / Magnet - The Wickerman soundtrack album.

Oh my.

V

the Flying Burrito Brothers
Gram Parsons solo

first two albums of each of those are available on a single cd, now that's value for money. i bet you'll love them chris.

I'm going to assemble a CD of 70's folk/soft rock gems for my kid, so far I have the following:

moonshadow
time in a bottle
bad leroy brown
sundown

I love all this shit unrepentantly, someone recommend more.

come to think of it sundown is a completely creepy and weird song to put on a cd for a kid although I never though it was odd when I was a child.

I loved Arlo's City of New Orleans as a pre-rock kid

Harry Nilsson - Coconut
Joni - Morning Morgantown
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James?
is "Harvest" a little advanced?

kinda pre-folk/rock, but this guy might supply some ideas

Strawbs
Lindisfarne,,,,And Jack The Lad if you can track it down...
Natural Acoustic Band
Ronnie Lane`s solo stuff...

Just my very subjective favs...

Roy Harper: Stormcock

Horse With No Name

some Gordon Lightfoot is needed

ah fuck Sundown already listed

how about "Wildfire" by Michael Martin Murphey

Byrds' Tambourine Man