Folk Roots, New Routes is a meeting of two consummate artists who came out of the English folk tradition. Davy Graham was a highly eclectic and original guitarist, drawn to Jazz, US folk and Eastern music. Shirley Collins had quite simply one of the most beautiful, crystalline voices ever recorded (and it's interesting to note that prior to making this recording she accompanied Alan Lomax on a folk song collecting trip to the Southern United States). This mid-60's collaboration, rooted in the English folk ballad tradition, but taking in the influences mentioned above, is one for the ages.
Everything here is excellent, but some special moments for me are "Love is Pleasin'", which will move anyone who has ever lost a love; "Rif Mountain", an Eastern-flavored solo feature for Graham; and last but not least "Bad Girl", in which the words "cold as the clay" (when we realise that the protagonist is dead) never fail to send a shiver down my spine.
One of the highlights of recorded music, full stop.
EDIT: Sound samples from
Amazon.com.
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