I Dreamt an Ocean - Songs of the Sea

I Dreamt an Ocean - Songs of the Sea

Fantasy mingles with time-old reality in an expansive & epic dream of titanic proportions. An enduring voyage. Tales of leaving and staying, farewells, great journeys, adventure, mermaids, endurance, stormy seas and calm, survival, reflection and then a final acceptance that nature is greater than man. We are of this world born and so on it we do depend. Eclectic folk rock mixtape.

 

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Cat Stevens makes a rare appearance on the blog with three 1970 tracks from Tea With the Tillerman. I've been asked why we seldom play Stevens, a goliath of the folk world. Now then, while we have dropped two or three songs before I personally always found Steven's approach often a little bit too clean & precise for my taste (a bit too straight - the opposite of Jansch, for example). The sheer quality & pure imaginative genious of his writing or his fantastic voice & playing, however, cannot be denied or understated. Here's Cat now anyway starting with On the Road to Find Out.

 

Show of Hands help us haul off with a meditative reverie aptly entiled Drift. Two atmospheric cuts of The Captain Cries/Fountains flowing (Roud 602) from Angelina Morrison & John Renbourn. Interesting Renbourne duets with Doris Henderson from the 1966 LP Watch the Stars also. Spotlight on original singer-songwriter Richard Shindell with three great deep cuts. John Gorka is brings the same kind of depth & insight to his compositions. The topic lends an opportunity to do another Seth Lakeman highlight with four of his seafaring songs. Powerful folk rock with strong vocals and captivating lyrics. Neil Young must be essential listening for any ocean voyage with those epic relaxing guitar solos. Featuring two tracks with his short-lived San Diego band The Ducks live in 1977. Windward Passage is a deep one as is Danger Bird with Crazy Horse (Zuma 1975). SF guitarist & hornsman  Bert Keely's 1979 LP Take Me Home is an underrated folk rock masterpiece. The track Ocean is an epic, uplifting and flowing progressive suite complimented later by Counting the Stars. Staying with the folk rock vibes The Sea by Eliza Carthy & the Wayward Band is just stunning, as is Carolanne Pegg's Fair Fortune Star.

 

Jon Raven & The Halliard represent the Black Country vocal tradition in memorable fashion. Reclusive folk legend Anne Briggs does two laments about being left behind at home; On the Shore and Living By the Water. Unaccompanied traditionals by Frankie Armstrong and Christine McClenaghan. Two big topical songs apiece from singers Kate Rusby, Karine Polwart, Andy Irvine, Archie Fisher and also The McCalmans, the Battlefield Band and the talented singer-songwriter & guitarist Chris Briain.

 

Enjoy the music and drama on the high seas. Sweet dreams...

 

Continuous mix 2hrs35

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If you enjoy the music on our mixtapes and become familiar with the featured artists please do go out & support them directly on their own platforms. Thanks to all Keeping the folk music tradition alive....