MARTIN CARTHY - An Introduction To Martin Carthy - CD

CD 

An Introduction to Martin Carthy introduces 17 of his finest tracks covering mainly his solo released material. Influential and inspired Martin Carthy is truly one of the true greats of Folk Music.

In December 1962, when Bob Dylan arrived in London for the first time, he hung out with Carthy, one of the few British folk revivalists to give him the time of day. Carthy's guitar playing and knowledge of traditional folk song impressed and inspired Dylan. He wrote 'Girl From the North Country' and 'Boots of Spanish Leather', both using melodies he learnt from Carthy's arrangement of 'Scarborough Fair' and his arrangement of 'Lord Franklin' was the foundation for 'Bob Dylan's Dream'. Both these songs - alongside the likes of 'Byker Hill', 'Sir Patrick Spens' and 'Sailor's Life' - are tantamount to Martin Carthy's 'Greatest Hits'. It was largely though being heard on Carthy's albums that they became folk club staples during the 1960s.

This latest compilation of Martin's solo work doesn't end in the 60's although since then his regular solo recordings, most of which are represented here, came side by side with a variety of other group projects. Martin has played in Steeleye Span, the Albion Band and Albion Country Band, The Watersons and Waterson: Carthy. This compilation does not include tracks from those bands but does include a couple of tracks from the remarkable 1980's quintet Brass Monkey, boasting a bizarre line-up combining trumpet and trombone, various squeezeboxes (courtesy of fellow stalwart John Kirkpatrick), guitar or mandolin and percussion. And although this is ostensibly a collection of traditional material, Carthy is equally gifted in interpreting contemporary songwriters. His version of David Ackles' doomy 'His Name is Andrew' is one of his finest vocal performances.

Tracklist: 

1. The Trees They Do Grow High
2. Ye Mariners All
3. Lovely Joan
4. Dream Of Napoleon
5. Eighteenth Of June
6. The Handsome Cabin Boy
7. A-Begging I Will Go
8. High Germany
9. The Famous Flower Of Serving Men
10. Scarborough Fair
11. The Ballad Of Springhill