What Is the Greatest AARP-Approved Folk-Rock Album?

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Summer is a time for music festivals and memories of songs and albums from our past. With that in mind, we look at nine uplifting folk-rock albums that we think do what folk-rock does best — blend evocative storytelling with some rock 'n roll. It doesn't hurt that the personalities behind them — Springsteen, Dylan and the like — are the ones telling the stories.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Bob Dylan — Bringing It All Back Home	9
Fairport Convention — Liege & Lief	9
Roy Harper — Stormcock	7
The Byrds — Mr. Tambourine Man	6
Simon and Garfunkel — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme	6
Nick Drake — Five Leaves Left	5
Bruce Springsteen — Nebraska	5
Traffic — John Barleycorn Must Die	0
R.E.M — Fables of the Reconstruction	0

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 30 June 2012 18:38 (fourteen years ago)

lol

― mookieproof, Saturday, 30 June 2012 18:39 (fourteen years ago)

By the time I'm eligible for AARP in 8 years, I expect them to be ranking Smiths albums.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 30 June 2012 18:40 (fourteen years ago)

The "folk rock" tag seems a bit questionable on some of those, but a difficult choice regardless.

― Austin, Saturday, 30 June 2012 19:31 (fourteen years ago)

Yeah it's actually a good list. Voted Fairport Convention cuz that's the one I've listened to most recently.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 30 June 2012 19:36 (fourteen years ago)

(And I respect the nod to Fables as their token young-people's record.)

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 30 June 2012 19:37 (fourteen years ago)

I think it was probably included because of Joe Boyd's involvement.

I ended up going with Liege and Lief, too.

― Austin, Saturday, 30 June 2012 19:40 (fourteen years ago)

Holy shit, this is real.

― to welcome jer.fairall, pie is served. (jer.fairall), Saturday, 30 June 2012 22:36 (fourteen years ago)

I just played Five Leaves Left the other day for the first time in a very long while, and it's so good. But I love Nebraska like nobody's business.

― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 30 June 2012 22:56 (fourteen years ago)

stormcock is an odd album to be selling in terms of 'story', but it gets my vote.

― Merdeyeux, Saturday, 30 June 2012 23:03 (fourteen years ago)

They was better before Liege And Lief, by cracky. My Ichabod ass finally encountered Freedy Johnston's Can You Fly (on his MySpace with all his other albums, yeehah!). That'un oughta be on here too, dagnabbit. The Byrds wuz too sweet for me, and the same session cats on this album as on the Monkees' first, pert near. Okay okay, all these have their good tracks, but I'll go with the Dylan Drake Harper & Springsteen (now there was a band) zzzzz

― dow, Saturday, 30 June 2012 23:14 (fourteen years ago)

Stormcock is indeed a weird choice - actually so is the REM pick

― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 30 June 2012 23:25 (fourteen years ago)

Why would REM not belong on a list with the Byrds?

Fairport or Nick Drake. (I'm afraid of Americans, clearly.)

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Sunday, 1 July 2012 01:17 (fourteen years ago)

needs some lightfoot, eh

― mookieproof, Sunday, 1 July 2012 01:18 (fourteen years ago)

OTM!

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Sunday, 1 July 2012 01:18 (fourteen years ago)

Wreck of the Arthur Lee

― dow, Sunday, 1 July 2012 01:39 (fourteen years ago)

What Lightfoot album should be on here? Gord's Gold? I only know his tits er hits

― dow, Sunday, 1 July 2012 01:49 (fourteen years ago)

Thought this was going to be a coopdoggydogg thread

― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 1 July 2012 02:46 (fourteen years ago)

Some days, Bringing It All Back Home is my favorite Dylan. So that.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 1 July 2012 03:11 (fourteen years ago)

I really love the AARP magazine. It's the best read in a hospital waiting room or at my grandma's house.
Almost went w/Five Leaves Later but I had to go with my heart and vote for that sick Sime 'n' Garf alb!

― chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Sunday, 1 July 2012 03:14 (fourteen years ago)

One of the first four. Also
They was better before Liege And Lief, by cracky
^^this

― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 1 July 2012 03:15 (fourteen years ago)

lol we get AARP mag here at home aarrrrgh

― Biff Wellington (WmC), Sunday, 1 July 2012 03:18 (fourteen years ago)

Almost voted for 5LL on the strength of Cello Song alone but went with Parsley...

― to welcome jer.fairall, pie is served. (jer.fairall), Sunday, 1 July 2012 04:08 (fourteen years ago)

Where's The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter?

If Fairport was represented here by Unhalfbricking this would be a tough choice. Since it isn't, i'll go with Five Leaves Left.

― Lee626, Sunday, 1 July 2012 08:11 (fourteen years ago)

Fairport by a mile but

― Larry P. Orridge (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 1 July 2012 08:27 (fourteen years ago)

LOL folk music. Fuck it, i'm voting Tambourine Man

― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Sunday, 1 July 2012 11:13 (fourteen years ago)

Where is MacGyver's "Live at Shaky Farms"?

― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 1 July 2012 12:51 (fourteen years ago)

how did bon iver miss this

― some dude nights (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 1 July 2012 13:26 (fourteen years ago)

This is old people folk, not hipster folk.

― to welcome jer.fairall, pie is served. (jer.fairall), Sunday, 1 July 2012 13:43 (fourteen years ago)

you heard me

― some dude nights (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 1 July 2012 14:01 (fourteen years ago)

haha

― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 1 July 2012 14:05 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/228939/350wm/H4200238-Tsiolkovsky_with_his_ear_trumpet-SPL.jpg
What's that you say, sonny?

― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 1 July 2012 14:22 (fourteen years ago)

Nebraska, I guess... but where's the Neil Young? Do AARPers just hate him because he's still working??

― vision-creations of joanna newsom (bernard snowy), Sunday, 1 July 2012 19:09 (fourteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― System, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 00:01 (fourteen years ago)

simon and garfunkel, always

― contenderizer, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 00:12 (fourteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― System, Thursday, 5 July 2012 00:01 (fourteen years ago)

grandad rock

― tylerw, Thursday, 5 July 2012 03:06 (fourteen years ago)

Hmm. . . a tie.

Interesting.

― Austin, Thursday, 5 July 2012 03:18 (fourteen years ago)

i woulda voted for L&L if i'd seen this poll before

― minicrüte (electricsound), Thursday, 5 July 2012 03:21 (fourteen years ago)

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