Next to The Beatles, Bob Dylan was the most influential artist of his generation, writing and performing songs whose poetic, sometimes-abstract, often-philosophical lyrics of astute commentary and therapeutic introspection spoke to the masses during an era of social unrest, political upheaval and radical change. While cross-pollinating folk and country with electric rock, Dylan elevated the role of the singer-songwriter and, in so doing, introduced an entirely new dimension to popular music. From ...
(Guitar, vocals, b. 1941) Of Mexican and Irish extraction, Baez was the surprise hit of 1959’s Newport Folk Festival. With her pure soprano and deft way with an acoustic six-string, she was thus well-placed to become one of North America’s leading folk music ambassadors via ongoing international tours and albums that appealed initially to an intellectual fringe. However, after the civil rights movement fused with folk songs as ‘protest’, she and ...
(Vocal group, 1964–70) With vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman at the helm, this Californian outfit boarded a 1965 bandwagon that carried a mixed cargo of British beat and folk protest, and gained a US Top 10 breakthrough with Bob Dylan’s ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’. The Turtles also had a jokey side – as instanced by Volman’s buffoonery during TV plugs for 1967’s ‘Happy Together’. Almost as big globally, ‘She’d Rather ...
(Singer-songwriter, b. 1964) Cleveland, Ohio-born Chapman became an overnight success with her expressive self-titled debut in 1988 after appearing at a Nelson Mandela benefit gig at Wembley Stadium. Her emotive voice and politicized pop folk chimed with the opposition to the Thatcher/Reagan axis, and it went to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, with ‘Fast Car’ hitting the singles charts. Chapman continued the sterling work, albeit with less commercial ...
The relationship between politics and folk music has always been fuel for lively debate. Some argue that the two should not mix, and that aligning traditional song with politics demeans it. Front-line singers such as Dick Gaughan and Roy Bailey, however, argue that folk songs are inextricably linked with politics, and perform plenty of strident material to prove it. In fact, Bailey’s occasional shows with the veteran left-wing former MP (Member ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.
