Excellent, thank you for informing, and reminding me of all this great wealth of music that's out there. Some I know and love, but many I've yet to discover. Love your channel!!
Mazzy - I love that your presentation videos are about the MUSIC (and musicians) - not about the pressing quality or other technicalities (like many others). Keep up the good work - thanks!
Great video Mazzy! Just a few suggestions for you: Ryley Walker, especially Primrose Green and Golden Sings, great freak folk records I’m sure you’ll love. Meg Baird her solo record is great as is her Espers records and the Heron Oblivion record.
A worthy video. Nice going. Thank you. This material has been and continues to be quite dear to me. So many others might be brought on board but it is not my place to mention them. After all, this is your show. Cheers!
Fascinating video Mazzy. I have only heard Syd Barrett's (completely Madcap...) music but you have inspired me to take a proper listen to the featured artists. Obviously via streaming, but that is just a starting point.
Thanks for the delightful video, Mazzy. I love this genre...I've always called it acid folk. Essra Mohawk/Sandy Hurvitz and Earth Opera are worth mentioning in this context as well. Cheers!
Nice to see someone traversing the great expanse of folk music with so many great examples. I might hasten to include the sublime BILL FAY, ROY HARPER, and British avant folk duo EYELESS IN GAZA to that roll call.
Nice compilation, I have quire a few of those, all the early ones, brought The Fugs and Tom Rapp to my college back in the day. Need to check out some of the later ones.
Norman, Outstanding video. Some of my all time most cherished music here. Tom Rapp, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, Tim Buckley, Robyn Hitchcock, Incredible String Band, etc. Another outstanding video !
Thanks for the extensive overview of a vast subgenre. As other have pointed out there are a few notable omissions. These include from the late '60s/early '70s UK perspective: Trees - arguably the quintessential UK acid folk group with both 'Garden of Jane Delawney' and 'Polly on the Shore' being supreme examples of acid folk (although not really freak folk); and Roy Harper, especially 'Folkjokeopus', 'Flat, Baroque & Berserk' and the sublime 'Stormcock'. Deeper dive UK artists from this period include Fresh Maggots, COB, Mellow Candle, Meic Stevens, Magnet, Stone Angel, Forest, Duncan Browne and the recently departed Michael Chapman. For pure freak folk try Comus. Micheal Chapman 's renaissance after the Millennium provides a good link to more recent exponents including some of Steve Gunn's albums, James Blackshaw, Dean McPhee, various Meg Baird related groups (Espers, Heron Oblivion etc), Nick Castro, recently Gwenifer Raymond, and, my favourite, Voice of the Seven Woods/Thunders. Finally, wearing my pedant's hat, not everyone from the UK is English - Donovan, Bert Jansch, and at least some of the Incredible String Band were/are Scottish.
wonderful selections Mazzy. I love just about everything here, big segment of my collection. You mentioned Anne Briggs and Karen Dalton. You would love them, especially Dalton. A documentary is coming out on Dalton which looks to be excellent. Well done though!
Great video, one of my favorites of yours so far. I just may mention Buzzy Linhart as a candidate, I recently got a Buddah 2LP comp of his first 2 albums Buzzy and Music (never knew the guy... just picked by hunch!) Not overall folk albums for sure, but has songs (i.e. Sing Joy, Willie Jean) that could well fit in freak folk sub-genre if there ever was one.
Showing a album sleeve with Tom Rapp .... I am ALL IN!!!! The Pearls Before Swine albums had sort of themes, or got "subtitles". Balaclava was the war-album for instance. All my albums were stolen some 20+ years ago but I was later able to get the music when released on CD- I made a list while listening to your list of the 10 most influental albums and Balaklava is one of them. I originally bought that album becuase of the cover and was totally blown away. "I am trumpeter Landfrey, one of the surviving officers ..."
In my humble opinion, the best video ever :) Really, thank you! Each of these bands mean a lot to me. And just the fact that you mention Tom Rapp and the Pearls Before Swine...and your albums look so much cleaner than mine :) Amazing stuff. If you have the chance, and if you didn't do that already, try to check out a record (reissued by Mike Stax, who publishes the great Ugly Things magazine) called "Apache-Inca", by Craig Smith (under the name Maitreya Kali). You'll love it and it would perfectly fir in this amazing video of yours. It was original a private pressing and it's impossible to find these days, but the reissue is just amazing and Mike Stax even wrote a book about Craig Smith that needs to be read. Amazing stuff. Just like this video....Thank you for this.
Well firstly I do keep my records in good shape and all those Pearls albums I bought starting around 1969 as some of them came out. Just took care of them. Thank you for your comments. This is one I've been wanting to do for a long time and still I left out artists from my own collection. It could be a very deep dive but I hope I shined a light on some artists that may not be known by some viewers.
Hi mazzy great subject. I love that Joanna newsom lp. Better saying British folk as John martyn. Bert jansch. Donavan. And the incredible string band are Scottish. Davy graham was another great folky. Have a good one.
bring on the dirge!...the internal sound of leonard cohen.....and the melancholy of nick drake.....i love antony's voice...so subtle and pure....and gruper sounds like an interesting one i have to check out.....great stuff all around...be well my friend...peace...rocky
The Holy Model Rounders did "Do Ya Wanna Be A Bird" on the Easy Rider soundtrack album. Was a very fitting song for the scene it was played over in the movie. Thanks for posting.
Excellent selection of records, you mention many, many, of my very favorites! Donovan, Syd, Nick, Sandy, Skip, Pentangle, etc. I have no issue with the “freak folk” or “psychedelic freak folk” monickers, please don’t apologize for that. Some other faves in this realm………I bet you know all these Linda Perhacs-Parallelograms (picture Joni without the emotional baggage, but still heartfelt, and very trippy in spots, songs with beautiful melodies and lyrics that would cross over well in to other genres) Bridget St. John- Ask Me No Questions (Picture Nico singing prettier and more in tune, lovely personal songs, a contemporary of Nick Drake’s) Kevin Ayers- Joy of A Toy (Whimsical, late 60’s British folk baroque, was pals with Syd Barrett) Kaleidoscope- Tangerine Dream (More whimsical British Pop-Psychedelia, top shelf songs, later got more folky and renamed themselves The Fairfield Parlour) I met the legendary Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine when we both performed at the University of London at Terrastock, a music festival derived from the Ptolemic Terrascope magazine. I believe this was in August/September '99. If you ever get a chance to safely see Robyn or Devendra (again) I highly recommend it!
You should check out an album named Cross Between that came out in 1971 or so by a San Francisco band called Lamb. Very obscure but very unique and in places quite psychedelic. One of those albums you have to play a few times to really fully appreciate, but it's very beautiful. You can listen to it on TH-cam.
@@mazzysmusic This album is more electronic, but some of her other albums are just as freaky because of her intense, incantatory delivery and vibrato (e.g., Little Wheel Spin and Spin).
Fantastic deep dive. I completely agree with your Donovan. I just found that Pearls before Swine album in a thrift store. I couldn't believe it. The Rounders are sooo good! Newsom has such a coool voice.
@@mazzysmusic I was really surprised! Thanks for drawing attention to what they were up to. I really appricate your channel and the clear effort to share all kinds of stuff with the world. I've learned a ton from you.
Based on your discussion here, I just ordered the Deluxe Sandy Denny CD and Grouper (the Deer Up A Hill one) and requested A Group CD (Ruins) and Buffy Sainte Marie (Illuminations & It's My Way!) from the library. There's so much!!!! And now for recommendations you probably are familiar with da da da!!! Miranda Lee Richards, Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions also Mazzy Star, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Their Satanic..., Strung Out In Heaven, Take It From The Man!). I don't know how much each of them fit into freak folk psychedelia - maybe. BJM are typically labelled shoegaze. But... I wear bare feet. Anyway, thanks Mr. Mazzy!!!! You have awesome music always!!!!
As always, thanks for your thoughts. There are so many artists from the old era that fit snuggly into this sub sub sub genre. To paraphrase the Congressman or maybe it was a Supreme Court Justice, I don't know what it is, but I know it when I hear it. When Pentangle's version of Sally Go Round The Roses pops up, you're know you're hearing it. Amongst latter day bands hanging out in these lands, I'd say The Decemberists, particularly on the early albums, are hanging around comfortably. Let's just say it's a rich lode, and even in my ever-nearing senescence, I've not heard the half of it.
Cool list, I have a few of those albums myself and love them. My favorite album in this genre is the Jan and Lorraine album “Gypsy People” - amazing. It’s on TH-cam, check it out. Cool video.
holy modal rounders..love it.....john martyn bless the weather..peabo bryson ..robyn hitchcock..joanna newsom...divers...milk hotel and all the rest i have not heard...thanks for the list which I shared here also for readers...like to see the list in print or this page...thanks More Modals please...how about playing a choice song or two from each or the best of these. while you talk or as you have on screen comments with the music background...like that style and can hear the songs.. especially good in the 60's was the short rock folk trip of 2 to 4 minutes which hits it in the nose...such as NAZZ open my eyes among a hundred examples... yardbirds, deep purple ...even floyd did it if not included with multiple parts making a song symphony.. Hey PANEAGLESONG and I have one like this called NU ARC the solar vessel with 28 parts or song versions instrumental and with lyrics...pretty cuul like the concept album idea also comes to mind... best the solrocker paneagle speaking from the real freseum solarium and freedom muse-eum studio floriva gardeden and blue pott springs... and I havent been smoking too much pot....actually havent any drugs since 1973 when i was 22...so put that all in your pipe and smoke on the water...smile
Late to the party...but love your stuff, specially this 'genre' which you nail so well. To add to your (fairly) contemporary artists list, I'd suggest The Trembling Bells, a full drummer-led (?) band heavily influenced by the ISB.
Great, great album, kind of a piece with his "Lorca" and "Blue Afternoon" albums. A similar band setup as Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks," with the same kind of moody voice-throwing emotive acrobatics. I would classify this more as Jazz than Folk, but I guess who gives a shit, right?
Oh not Donovan again! Not taken seriously in England, just 2 or 3 hits. Saw the Incredibles, best album 5000 Spirits. Much overlooked and I've yet to see anyone mention The Insect Trust.
Liz Harris's Grouper project is amazing. You might want to search out early 70's obscure 1st album by Comus 'First Utterance" and early 80's output of Current 93 (Earth covers Earth)
Norman, this may be your strongest topic. Alexander Skip Spence Oar, I saw that coming. He was in Jefferson Airplane briefly, IIRC, which many times I don't 😉 just looked, he wrote My Best Friend ✌
Ha ha, you got The Holy Modal Rounders (totally separate but the same as Unholy Modal Rounders 'Have Moicy!' figure that one out freak fans) and Robyn Hitchcock( I Often Dream of Trains is a favorite, any will do though really, Softboys are great also) always thought of Donovan as a gateway artist, a fanciful enabler of all things mystic and unique, yet very accessible. Nice journey from Vashti to Sufjan. Well done. Have you done the Neo-psych from the late '70's early mid 80's? I think you did actually. Side note: Chris Hillmans new autobio is a good read, You'd like it. Cheers from the Bleeding Heart of Texas
Learn from you so much different music. Have you ever heard of the band Rubicon from So. Cal. Their self-titled album released in 1978 is a funky killer.
Under appreciated if not just unheard of in the VC is Craig Smith aka Satya Sai Majtreya an acid casualty from the 60s. His albums (Kali & Apache) may have been re-released but both worth picking up, imo. Also do a search on him on YT buy putting in Acid Casualty, it's a rather sad doc on his life.
What’s interesting, Mazzy, is I hear you struggling to explain to today’s audience what you’ve chosen, and why, and how it forms a sub-genre when to anyone from the era, the mid to late ‘60s, it all makes perfect sense. This was a significant part of the music culture of it’s time.
That's not true at all. I was born in 1967, but I know and love almost everything Mazzy cites. Some of this stuff wasn't even that well known when it came out and lot of it disappeared from circulation in the 1970s, but it has been resurrected by canon-forming music critics and a spate of fancy reissues.
I know it's probably ridiculous to split hairs with genres, but the Freak Folk moniker has usually been reserved for the more unhinged, raw, emotionally troubled, outsider, campfire crazy shit. I love all of the artists you showcased, but only about five I would consider weird enough to be true acoustically oriented "freaks" (e.g., Pearls Before Swine, Skip Spence, Incredible String Band). The rest I would consider squarely in the psychedelic pop tradition. In more recent years, it's those nutty "New Weird America" bands like Sunburned Hand of the Man that have carried the Freak Folk torch. I think core to the genre is a certain unhinged by acid feel (as opposed to enlightened beatification and awe at the world's beauty). It's mostly an aggressive, downer, loser world of true weirdos, not groovy troubadours. Julian Cope did a homage to the genre called "The Skellington Chronicles."
The Sunshine Superman album-- DUH-- he uses Shawn Phillips on sitar! That makes it woo-woo from the start. Dylan was a rather snide cynic-- Donovan was a ROMANTIC! I definitely come down on the Donovan side of that argument. Donovan had four successful phases: 1. Woody Guthrie period 2. Psychedelic pop hits period 3. Flower Power period: A Gift form a Flower to a Garden, HMS 4. 1970s spiritual folk-rock period: Cosmic Wheels, Essence to Essence. I think the Incredible String Band were quite popular in the UK but much less so in the US. I saw Joanna Newsom JUST as she was breaking nationwide, at the University of Wisconsin. My favorite is still Milk Eyed Mender, which is surprising because I usually lean toward an artist's most prog albums, like Ys. Bill Callahan was the warmup act for Newsom. Glad to hear you mention Sufjan! Love all this stuff!! Listen to his friend and label mate Denison Witmer's ARE YOU A DREAMER?! Sufjan was a chamber-folk artist, but he also likes experimental electronics, prog, and even classical, and has made music in all those genres. No artist has the artistic freedom that Sufjan has! My favorite song of his is: "Pittsfield." My favorite album of his is the original unreleased version of Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage-- hear it on youtube! The weirdest space-pop holiday album in history! It's as if Todd Rundgren collided with a holiday choir! th-cam.com/video/Rx67kBtIw4M/w-d-xo.html
Must check out some of this. Thanks 4 inspiration. Anyway ... True: Donovan underestimated and influential. (Current fave: "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" as performed by Dana Gillespie -not folk though) Couldn't stop listening after purchase @ cut-out: Pearls Before Swine. (Fascinating Tom Rapp became an attorney) Syd Barrett:
Thanks some interesting ones I missed at the time. Back in UK, what about the folk band Trees "The Garden of Jane Delawney" album (1970) with the beautiful voice of Celia Humphris, competing with the Fairports. Same year Kevin Ayers " Shooting to the Moon" album. And Michael Chapman "Rainmaker" (1969). Plus Tyrannosaurus Rex and their "Unicorn" 1969 album.
A number of these artists are so unique. How many artists were like Robbie Basho, Fugs, Rounders, Pearls Before Swine or Nick Drake? It's like the music existed and then they came up with a genre name after the fact.
I have a lot of these records ..... but when I think on freek folk ...I think of Bobby Callender ....hard to get into ....and when someone suggest Nick Drake ( I have all his original 3 records....by reading an article just after his dead ....i got interested ..... also fauré Requiem from the same article) .... but an artist in the range of Draken and Nico ....is Bridget St. John .... very underrated in here early days
Tyrannosaurus Rex! For sure acoustic guitar, freaky, folksy, earthy, hippie, Tolkien, magic, fairies, unicorns.....The three (My People, Prophet-Seers, and Unicorn) are exactly, to me, what the theme of this presentation are about. However, not acid tinged. At the time, Bolan was not drug influenced. Though, that could not be said of his musical partner Steve Took. Cheers!
I appreciate starting at Donovan. his crossover b/w folk and psychedelic still resonates with me today. another one I might add is Tea & Symphony, particularly the album, An Asylum for the Musically Insane (1969). and along the lines of Robyn Hitchcock-consider Dogbowl. I'm not sure anyone ever stuck the 'folk' tag on this guy, but his acoustic style and extended storytelling are a bit reminiscent of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant-albeit WAY weirder!
I tried to get a friend into Joanna Newsom and he totally hated her voice. The Have One On Me 3 LP boxset is really great IMHO. I was in the Robyn Hitchcock fan club in the 80s. Received some cool stuff and made a couple of nice penpals from that. I Often Dream Of Trains would fit in this video.
Roy Harper was strongly enmeshed in the Rock world as epitomized by Harvest records. Jimmy Page often served as his acoustic wingman, and he sang "Have a Cigar" for Floyd. On Flat Baroque, the song "Hell's Angels" is him backed by The Nice and Roy lays down his first and best electric guitar freakout.
Must admit Mazzy I had a Donovan album from the late 60s which was really jazzy ( lots of flute) - cant remember what it was called- which helps no one! Pearls before swine - yep, weird. Wee Tam was a double album with The Big Huge - very rare as a double album I believe Sandy had the most wonderful, beautiful voice of all time. Your knowledge it much greater than mine but Im pretty hot on 60 s British stuff! so can relate to much of what you have to say. I think a lot of British music of the era was influenced by what was happening in SF - just my opinion The only person you may have missed out is Richard Thompson - All the best
Could call it acid folk. Apparently John Paul Jones was a session player on some Donovan and he brought in a friend of his to play on Sunshine Superman called Jimmy Page. Didn’t know that until a month ago.
British early 70's Acid Folk worth checking out are the truly weird Dr . Strangely Strange who hailed from lreland and featured a young Gary Moore on their second L.P, " Heavy Petting" . Their debut " Kip of the Serenes " is even better . Other albums worth a listen are Shide and Acorn [ from the lsle of Wight ] with " Under the tree" , the dark and eerie Oberon with" A midsummers night dream" as well as Fuchsia , Tea and symphony , Dulcimer . Magna Carta and the jewels in the crown Mellow Candle with "Swaddling Songs" and the truly original Comus With " First Utterance" . The term Acid Folk is a good description of a music based on British trad music that was turned stranger , more experimental and diverse by the use of L.S.D. , the musicians at the time were probably indulging in .
One band grouped in with the freak folk wave of the early 2000's was Black Bright Morning Light. I "got" to see them at Neumo sharing the bill with Mojave 3 who were very enjoyable, BBML, on the other hand, left me scratching my head. Not influenced by psychedelics, but more like barbiturates or PCP. Not folk at all. I'd call them downer rock. At least I got some chuckles out of seeing them.
Linda Perhacs' "Parallelograms" would fit perfectly here. I was half expecting Judy Henske and Jerry Yester's "Farewell Aldebaran."
Totally loved this video Mazzy my friend!! Cheers from Italy! thanks
Mike
My favorite music! 🤩💖✌🎶🌈🎧
Excellent, thank you for informing, and reminding me of all this great wealth of music that's out there. Some I know and love, but many I've yet to discover. Love your channel!!
Loved seeing John Martyn mentioned, his ‘Bless the Weather’ album is near perfect.
Mazzy - I love that your presentation videos are about the MUSIC (and musicians) - not about the pressing quality or other technicalities (like many others).
Keep up the good work - thanks!
Thank you Mazzy for this video. I love folk music and I would like to watch more videos about this genre.
Great video Mazzy! Just a few suggestions for you: Ryley Walker, especially Primrose Green and Golden Sings, great freak folk records I’m sure you’ll love. Meg Baird her solo record is great as is her Espers records and the Heron Oblivion record.
this is just great, Mazzy...your record collection makes me just breathless....
Thank you. I really enjoy pulling different segments of it to showcase...
A worthy video. Nice going. Thank you. This material has been and continues to be quite dear to me. So many others might be brought on board but it is not my place to mention them. After all, this is your show. Cheers!
Fascinating video Mazzy. I have only heard Syd Barrett's (completely Madcap...) music but you have inspired me to take a proper listen to the featured artists. Obviously via streaming, but that is just a starting point.
No Comus?
Great music , I love 90%, the other 10% I don't know but will check out.
Mazzy you and line up almost exactly on the freak folk. Thanks for a nice video. Otto
Thanks for the delightful video, Mazzy. I love this genre...I've always called it acid folk. Essra Mohawk/Sandy Hurvitz and Earth Opera are worth mentioning in this context as well. Cheers!
Great topic. Thanks, Chris
Absolutely nailed it, these records are the sound track for my home universe.
Good to hear. Thank you!!
Every video you make. you teach me abt new music artists . Your knowledge is amazing. Thx
Happy to turn you on to tunes
Nice to see someone traversing the great expanse of folk music with so many great examples. I might hasten to include the sublime BILL FAY, ROY HARPER, and British avant folk duo EYELESS IN GAZA to that roll call.
Mazzy- Thanks for reminding me of some artists and introducing many more that I know nothing about.
There's always something new for all of us to discover.
Donovan was an all time favorite as is Buffy st Marie. Always impressed on the deep dive of your collection. Well done.
I love showcasing different aspects of the music I love. I always appreciate your comments....
I love Sufjan Stevens. He definitely has aspects of freak folk. Smog and Joann Newsom are all in there too . Great video
Nice compilation, I have quire a few of those, all the early ones, brought The Fugs and Tom Rapp to my college back in the day. Need to check out some of the later ones.
All these artists you mentioned are superb. They made music like they don’t care who’s going to listen to.
as a lover of pagan folk and neofolk this is a scene I need to dig deeper into.
Oh!; Mazzy... Right In My Wheelhouse As Well Here!!! Oh!!! Yes Yes My Friend!!!!!
Great job!
You got ‘em all in-
Way to curate-
Of course there are many more to discover.
Norman, Outstanding video. Some of my all time most cherished music here. Tom Rapp, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, Tim Buckley, Robyn Hitchcock, Incredible String Band, etc. Another outstanding video !
Thank you. A cool sub genre and amongst my favorite✌🏽
David Crosby's Debut solo album, If Only I Could Remember My Name, seems to be the quintessential album of this category. How did you miss him???
Great content
Well thank you!!
Thanks for the extensive overview of a vast subgenre. As other have pointed out there are a few notable omissions. These include from the late '60s/early '70s UK perspective: Trees - arguably the quintessential UK acid folk group with both 'Garden of Jane Delawney' and 'Polly on the Shore' being supreme examples of acid folk (although not really freak folk); and Roy Harper, especially 'Folkjokeopus', 'Flat, Baroque & Berserk' and the sublime 'Stormcock'. Deeper dive UK artists from this period include Fresh Maggots, COB, Mellow Candle, Meic Stevens, Magnet, Stone Angel, Forest, Duncan Browne and the recently departed Michael Chapman. For pure freak folk try Comus.
Micheal Chapman 's renaissance after the Millennium provides a good link to more recent exponents including some of Steve Gunn's albums, James Blackshaw, Dean McPhee, various Meg Baird related groups (Espers, Heron Oblivion etc), Nick Castro, recently Gwenifer Raymond, and, my favourite, Voice of the Seven Woods/Thunders.
Finally, wearing my pedant's hat, not everyone from the UK is English - Donovan, Bert Jansch, and at least some of the Incredible String Band were/are Scottish.
Buffy Saint Marie wrote Up Where We Belong. I like her more contemporary work. Nice to see her mentioned. Thanks for this video!
Just like to thank you Mazzy for introducing me to pearls before swine. I've been listening to One nation underground, it's magnificent. Cheers
Happy you enjoy it. Their catalogue is really interesting ✌🏽
wonderful selections Mazzy. I love just about everything here, big segment of my collection. You mentioned Anne Briggs and Karen Dalton. You would love them, especially Dalton. A documentary is coming out on Dalton which looks to be excellent. Well done though!
Saw Coco Rosie about 10 years ago in St. Pete, FL. Amazing show. Otherworldly.
Otherworldly is a perfect description of them live.
Great video, one of my favorites of yours so far. I just may mention Buzzy Linhart as a candidate, I recently got a Buddah 2LP comp of his first 2 albums Buzzy and Music (never knew the guy... just picked by hunch!) Not overall folk albums for sure, but has songs (i.e. Sing Joy, Willie Jean) that could well fit in freak folk sub-genre if there ever was one.
Showing a album sleeve with Tom Rapp .... I am ALL IN!!!!
The Pearls Before Swine albums had sort of themes, or got "subtitles". Balaclava was the war-album for instance. All my albums were stolen some 20+ years ago but I was later able to get the music when released on CD-
I made a list while listening to your list of the 10 most influental albums and Balaklava is one of them. I originally bought that album becuase of the cover and was totally blown away. "I am trumpeter Landfrey, one of the surviving officers ..."
In my humble opinion, the best video ever :) Really, thank you! Each of these bands mean a lot to me. And just the fact that you mention Tom Rapp and the Pearls Before Swine...and your albums look so much cleaner than mine :) Amazing stuff. If you have the chance, and if you didn't do that already, try to check out a record (reissued by Mike Stax, who publishes the great Ugly Things magazine) called "Apache-Inca", by Craig Smith (under the name Maitreya Kali). You'll love it and it would perfectly fir in this amazing video of yours. It was original a private pressing and it's impossible to find these days, but the reissue is just amazing and Mike Stax even wrote a book about Craig Smith that needs to be read. Amazing stuff. Just like this video....Thank you for this.
Well firstly I do keep my records in good shape and all those Pearls albums I bought starting around 1969 as some of them came out. Just took care of them. Thank you for your comments. This is one I've been wanting to do for a long time and still I left out artists from my own collection. It could be a very deep dive but I hope I shined a light on some artists that may not be known by some viewers.
Hi mazzy great subject. I love that Joanna newsom lp. Better saying British folk as John martyn. Bert jansch. Donavan. And the incredible string band are Scottish. Davy graham was another great folky. Have a good one.
My favorite subject! (acid folk, psych folk)
bring on the dirge!...the internal sound of leonard cohen.....and the melancholy of nick drake.....i love antony's voice...so subtle and pure....and gruper sounds like an interesting one i have to check out.....great stuff all around...be well my friend...peace...rocky
The Holy Model Rounders did "Do Ya Wanna Be A Bird" on the Easy Rider soundtrack album. Was a very fitting song for the scene it was played over in the movie. Thanks for posting.
Excellent selection of records, you mention many, many, of my very favorites! Donovan, Syd, Nick, Sandy, Skip, Pentangle, etc.
I have no issue with the “freak folk” or “psychedelic freak folk” monickers, please don’t apologize for that.
Some other faves in this realm………I bet you know all these
Linda Perhacs-Parallelograms (picture Joni without the emotional baggage, but still heartfelt, and very trippy in spots, songs with beautiful melodies and lyrics that would cross over well in to other genres)
Bridget St. John- Ask Me No Questions (Picture Nico singing prettier and more in tune, lovely personal songs, a contemporary of Nick Drake’s)
Kevin Ayers- Joy of A Toy (Whimsical, late 60’s British folk baroque, was pals with Syd Barrett)
Kaleidoscope- Tangerine Dream (More whimsical British Pop-Psychedelia, top shelf songs, later got more folky and renamed themselves The Fairfield Parlour)
I met the legendary Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine when we both performed at the University of London at Terrastock, a music festival derived from the Ptolemic Terrascope magazine. I believe this was in August/September '99.
If you ever get a chance to safely see Robyn or Devendra (again) I highly recommend it!
Cohen!!!! Conscious thinkers. Donovan, Ed Sanders, Michael Hurley, Karen Dalton. Thom Rap, Nick Drake. Stellar artists.
You should check out an album named Cross Between that came out in 1971 or so by a San Francisco band called Lamb. Very obscure but very unique and in places quite psychedelic. One of those albums you have to play a few times to really fully appreciate, but it's very beautiful. You can listen to it on TH-cam.
I adore that Buffy St. Marie album. My college sweetmate used to give me so much crap for owning it. ☮️
Yeah it is a very different record from her.
@@mazzysmusic This album is more electronic, but some of her other albums are just as freaky because of her intense, incantatory delivery and vibrato (e.g., Little Wheel Spin and Spin).
Fantastic deep dive. I completely agree with your Donovan. I just found that Pearls before Swine album in a thrift store. I couldn't believe it. The Rounders are sooo good! Newsom has such a coool voice.
Nice thrift store find...
@@mazzysmusic I was really surprised! Thanks for drawing attention to what they were up to. I really appricate your channel and the clear effort to share all kinds of stuff with the world. I've learned a ton from you.
Based on your discussion here, I just ordered the Deluxe Sandy Denny CD and Grouper (the Deer Up A Hill one) and requested A Group CD (Ruins) and Buffy Sainte Marie (Illuminations & It's My Way!) from the library. There's so much!!!! And now for recommendations you probably are familiar with da da da!!! Miranda Lee Richards, Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions also Mazzy Star, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Their Satanic..., Strung Out In Heaven, Take It From The Man!). I don't know how much each of them fit into freak folk psychedelia - maybe. BJM are typically labelled shoegaze. But... I wear bare feet. Anyway, thanks Mr. Mazzy!!!! You have awesome music always!!!!
As always, thanks for your thoughts. There are so many artists from the old era that fit snuggly into this sub sub sub genre. To paraphrase the Congressman or maybe it was a Supreme Court Justice, I don't know what it is, but I know it when I hear it. When Pentangle's version of Sally Go Round The Roses pops up, you're know you're hearing it. Amongst latter day bands hanging out in these lands, I'd say The Decemberists, particularly on the early albums, are hanging around comfortably. Let's just say it's a rich lode, and even in my ever-nearing senescence, I've not heard the half of it.
Hello Mazzy! Just discovered your videos and I love every one I've viewed. Another artist that you could add to this particular genre is Kevin Coyne.
Great suggestion! But I don’t know a lot about him ✌🏼
Robbie Basho was amazing! Died at the chiropractor's office.
Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart is one of my favorite freak folk albums
The City of Gold is the only one PBS album still missing from my collection!
Well, get on it 🤠
Cool list, I have a few of those albums myself and love them. My favorite album in this genre is the Jan and Lorraine album “Gypsy People” - amazing. It’s on TH-cam, check it out.
Cool video.
holy modal rounders..love it.....john martyn bless the weather..peabo bryson ..robyn hitchcock..joanna newsom...divers...milk hotel and all the rest i have not heard...thanks for the list which I shared here also for readers...like to see the list in print or this page...thanks More Modals please...how about playing a choice song or two from each or the best of these. while you talk or as you have on screen comments with the music background...like that style and can hear the songs.. especially good in the 60's was the short rock folk trip of 2 to 4 minutes which hits it in the nose...such as NAZZ open my eyes among a hundred examples... yardbirds, deep purple ...even floyd did it if not included with multiple parts making a song symphony.. Hey PANEAGLESONG and I have one like this called NU ARC the solar vessel with 28 parts or song versions instrumental and with lyrics...pretty cuul like the concept album idea also comes to mind... best the solrocker paneagle speaking from the real freseum solarium and freedom muse-eum studio floriva gardeden and blue pott springs... and I havent been smoking too much pot....actually havent any drugs since 1973 when i was 22...so put that all in your pipe and smoke on the water...smile
Don't forget the Espers ✌😊
Yes, about Sandy Denny. Her four record box set is worthy.
Yeah I have that box. It's a good overview.
Many of these are in either my Acidica - MicroDots playlist or my Acid (:) Tabs (:) playlist.
One of my favourite genres of music. BUT I've never ever known it as "psychedelic freak folk acid'!
People make genres names up all the time...after the fact. Silly but fun.
Late to the party...but love your stuff, specially this 'genre' which you nail so well. To add to your (fairly) contemporary artists list, I'd suggest The Trembling Bells, a full drummer-led (?) band heavily influenced by the ISB.
Psychedelic Freak Folk Acid Artists HaHaHa love it 😀😀😀
Buckley's Happy Sad is a favorite of mine
Yea one I have only on CD but it is great!
Great, great album, kind of a piece with his "Lorca" and "Blue Afternoon" albums. A similar band setup as Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks," with the same kind of moody voice-throwing emotive acrobatics. I would classify this more as Jazz than Folk, but I guess who gives a shit, right?
Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman (1969). One of David Bowie's favourite albums. Great session players including Rick Wakeman.
Oh not Donovan again! Not taken seriously in England, just 2 or 3 hits. Saw the Incredibles, best album 5000 Spirits. Much overlooked and I've yet to see anyone mention The Insect Trust.
Well the UK got jt wrong about Donovan. His record company really screwed up there at the time. ✌🏼
Liz Harris's Grouper project is amazing. You might want to search out early 70's obscure 1st album by Comus 'First Utterance" and early 80's output of Current 93 (Earth covers Earth)
I thought of CURRENT 93 as well. One of the more interesting acts to emerge from the "apocalyptic folk" ethos.
Norman, this may be your strongest topic. Alexander Skip Spence Oar, I saw that coming. He was in Jefferson Airplane briefly, IIRC, which many times I don't 😉 just looked, he wrote My Best Friend ✌
Yeah I should have mentioned Jefferson Airplane as they started as a folk rock band and morphed into psychedelic rock. Country Joe & the Fish too.
Ha ha, you got The Holy Modal Rounders (totally separate but the same as Unholy Modal Rounders 'Have Moicy!' figure that one out freak fans) and Robyn Hitchcock( I Often Dream of Trains is a favorite, any will do though really, Softboys are great also) always thought of Donovan as a gateway artist, a fanciful enabler of all things mystic and unique, yet very accessible. Nice journey from Vashti to Sufjan. Well done. Have you done the Neo-psych from the late '70's early mid 80's? I think you did actually. Side note: Chris Hillmans new autobio is a good read, You'd like it. Cheers from the Bleeding Heart of Texas
Learn from you so much different music. Have you ever heard of the band Rubicon from So. Cal. Their self-titled album released in 1978 is a funky killer.
Under appreciated if not just unheard of in the VC is Craig Smith aka Satya Sai Majtreya an acid casualty from the 60s. His albums (Kali & Apache) may have been re-released but both worth picking up, imo. Also do a search on him on YT buy putting in Acid Casualty, it's a rather sad doc on his life.
What’s interesting, Mazzy, is I hear you struggling to explain to today’s audience what you’ve chosen, and why, and how it forms a sub-genre when to anyone from the era, the mid to late ‘60s, it all makes perfect sense. This was a significant part of the music culture of it’s time.
That's not true at all. I was born in 1967, but I know and love almost everything Mazzy cites. Some of this stuff wasn't even that well known when it came out and lot of it disappeared from circulation in the 1970s, but it has been resurrected by canon-forming music critics and a spate of fancy reissues.
I know it's probably ridiculous to split hairs with genres, but the Freak Folk moniker has usually been reserved for the more unhinged, raw, emotionally troubled, outsider, campfire crazy shit. I love all of the artists you showcased, but only about five I would consider weird enough to be true acoustically oriented "freaks" (e.g., Pearls Before Swine, Skip Spence, Incredible String Band). The rest I would consider squarely in the psychedelic pop tradition. In more recent years, it's those nutty "New Weird America" bands like Sunburned Hand of the Man that have carried the Freak Folk torch. I think core to the genre is a certain unhinged by acid feel (as opposed to enlightened beatification and awe at the world's beauty). It's mostly an aggressive, downer, loser world of true weirdos, not groovy troubadours. Julian Cope did a homage to the genre called "The Skellington Chronicles."
The Sunshine Superman album-- DUH-- he uses Shawn Phillips on sitar! That makes it woo-woo from the start.
Dylan was a rather snide cynic-- Donovan was a ROMANTIC! I definitely come down on the Donovan side of that argument. Donovan had four successful phases:
1. Woody Guthrie period
2. Psychedelic pop hits period
3. Flower Power period: A Gift form a Flower to a Garden, HMS
4. 1970s spiritual folk-rock period: Cosmic Wheels, Essence to Essence.
I think the Incredible String Band were quite popular in the UK but much less so in the US.
I saw Joanna Newsom JUST as she was breaking nationwide, at the University of Wisconsin. My favorite is still Milk Eyed Mender, which is surprising because I usually lean toward an artist's most prog albums, like Ys. Bill Callahan was the warmup act for Newsom.
Glad to hear you mention Sufjan! Love all this stuff!! Listen to his friend and label mate Denison Witmer's ARE YOU A DREAMER?! Sufjan was a chamber-folk artist, but he also likes experimental electronics, prog, and even classical, and has made music in all those genres. No artist has the artistic freedom that Sufjan has! My favorite song of his is: "Pittsfield." My favorite album of his is the original unreleased version of Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage-- hear it on youtube! The weirdest space-pop holiday album in history! It's as if Todd Rundgren collided with a holiday choir! th-cam.com/video/Rx67kBtIw4M/w-d-xo.html
Must check out some of this. Thanks 4 inspiration.
Anyway ...
True: Donovan underestimated and influential. (Current fave: "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" as performed by Dana Gillespie -not folk though)
Couldn't stop listening after purchase @ cut-out: Pearls Before Swine. (Fascinating Tom Rapp became an attorney)
Syd Barrett:
I will need to check out that book. Thanks for the recco
Sandy Hurvitz. Sandy’s Album Is Here At Last.
Thanks some interesting ones I missed at the time.
Back in UK, what about the folk band Trees "The Garden of Jane Delawney" album (1970) with the beautiful voice of Celia Humphris, competing with the Fairports. Same year Kevin Ayers " Shooting to the Moon" album. And Michael Chapman "Rainmaker" (1969). Plus Tyrannosaurus Rex and their "Unicorn" 1969 album.
Oh yeah. I should have included Trees. Totally forgot. !!!
A number of these artists are so unique.
How many artists were like Robbie Basho, Fugs, Rounders, Pearls Before Swine or Nick Drake? It's like the music existed and then they came up with a genre name after the fact.
You should listen to Sung Tongs by Animal Collective. I think it’s Freak Folk but it’s from 2004
I have a lot of these records ..... but when I think on freek folk ...I think of Bobby Callender ....hard to get into ....and when someone suggest Nick Drake ( I have all his original 3 records....by reading an article just after his dead ....i got interested ..... also fauré Requiem from the same article) .... but an artist in the range of Draken and Nico ....is Bridget St. John .... very underrated in here early days
Modern, I'm thinking Cat Power, Fleet Foxes.
Neutral Milk & Honey 😵💫😁
Would you put the first T Rex ( My People Were Fair ..... ) in this sub genre ?
Yes and I almost did. ✌🏽
or Unicorn
Tyrannosaurus Rex! For sure acoustic guitar, freaky, folksy, earthy, hippie, Tolkien, magic, fairies, unicorns.....The three (My People, Prophet-Seers, and Unicorn) are exactly, to me, what the theme of this presentation are about. However, not acid tinged. At the time, Bolan was not drug influenced. Though, that could not be said of his musical partner Steve Took. Cheers!
Tyrannosaurus Rex!!!
I appreciate starting at Donovan. his crossover b/w folk and psychedelic still resonates with me today. another one I might add is Tea & Symphony, particularly the album, An Asylum for the Musically Insane (1969). and along the lines of Robyn Hitchcock-consider Dogbowl. I'm not sure anyone ever stuck the 'folk' tag on this guy, but his acoustic style and extended storytelling are a bit reminiscent of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant-albeit WAY weirder!
Dogbowl, on Shimmy-disc records, out of New York.
@@resistor27 that's the guy!
I tried to get a friend into Joanna Newsom and he totally hated her voice. The Have One On Me 3 LP boxset is really great IMHO.
I was in the Robyn Hitchcock fan club in the 80s. Received some cool stuff and made a couple of nice penpals from that.
I Often Dream Of Trains would fit in this video.
An interesting potpourri of psyche-folk , Mazzy. Did you consider Roy Harper's 'Flat, Baroque & Berserk'?
I admit that I thought of Roy Harper but don't have any of his albums. Sad!!
Roy Harper was strongly enmeshed in the Rock world as epitomized by Harvest records. Jimmy Page often served as his acoustic wingman, and he sang "Have a Cigar" for Floyd. On Flat Baroque, the song "Hell's Angels" is him backed by The Nice and Roy lays down his first and best electric guitar freakout.
Hey Maz! How about Pick Up A Bone by Rupert Hine. Any thoughts? I think he fits. 🤠👍
✌ 🎸
Must admit Mazzy I had a Donovan album from the late 60s which was really jazzy ( lots of flute) - cant remember what it was called- which helps no one!
Pearls before swine - yep, weird.
Wee Tam was a double album with The Big Huge - very rare as a double album I believe
Sandy had the most wonderful, beautiful voice of all time.
Your knowledge it much greater than mine but Im pretty hot on 60 s British stuff! so can relate to much of what you have to say.
I think a lot of British music of the era was influenced by what was happening in SF - just my opinion
The only person you may have missed out is Richard Thompson - All the best
Donovan dies have a jazz side to some of his music. Also a sort of beatnik angle. His live albums from the 60s is somewhat jazzy too.
YES also To Arlo GuthrieDonovan&Gordon Lightfoot
Marissa Nadler fits in there?
Check out strangers lp and the July lp. Or have you.
Dont forget the Stumblebums
Beard of Stars - Folk Bolan
I think Basket of Light is a bit more in the freak folk vein than Cruel Sister but I love them both.
I love "Basket of Light!"
Hush (1971) by Extradition (Australia). Pay $thousands for the original vinyl.
Could call it acid folk. Apparently John Paul Jones was a session player on some Donovan and he brought in a friend of his to play on Sunshine Superman called Jimmy Page. Didn’t know that until a month ago.
Jessica Pratt. If you ever get the chance to see her life ..
The Incredible String Band were Scottish not English, there from Edinburgh.
British early 70's Acid Folk worth checking out are the truly weird Dr . Strangely Strange who hailed from lreland and featured a young Gary Moore on their second L.P, " Heavy Petting" . Their debut " Kip of the Serenes " is even better . Other albums worth a listen are Shide and Acorn [ from the lsle of Wight ] with " Under the tree" , the dark and eerie Oberon with" A midsummers night dream" as well as Fuchsia , Tea and symphony , Dulcimer . Magna Carta and the jewels in the crown Mellow Candle with "Swaddling Songs" and the truly original Comus With " First Utterance" . The term Acid Folk is a good description of a music based on British trad music that was turned stranger , more experimental and diverse by the use of L.S.D. , the musicians at the time were probably indulging in .
Great suggestions. Thank you ✌🏽
One band grouped in with the freak folk wave of the early 2000's was Black Bright Morning Light. I "got" to see them at Neumo sharing the bill with Mojave 3 who were very enjoyable, BBML, on the other hand, left me scratching my head. Not influenced by psychedelics, but more like barbiturates or PCP. Not folk at all. I'd call them downer rock. At least I got some chuckles out of seeing them.
I've always pronounced Joanne Newsom's album Ys as Wise. Never have heard it pronounced actually.
Is it Wise? Has always been a tough one for me to pronounce..,..,
@@mazzysmusic According to Allmusic it's ease which is what you said.
“Ease”