Help with Prog-folk

Get "John Barleycorn Must Die" by Traffic. It's a masterpiece, and the band's take on the titular traditional folk song is the best I've heard so far. Great musicianship and Steve Winwood's vocals make this album special. Their following two studio albums, "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" and "Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory", are also excellent and highly recommended.

Strawbs - From the Witchwood fits your criteria perfectly and is probably one of the finest albums of the genre anyway. Grave New World is also excellent but a bit more electric; a real mix of styles.

Red Queen to Gryphon Three and Midnight Mushrumps are more mediaeval/classically based but are also great.

Harmonium is an interesting band too; I think they are distinctly folk based but are, for some strange reason, classed as symphonic. Their second album is a classic.

Mostly Autumn's first 3 albums have strong folk bases and are all quite brilliant but might be a bit heavy and electric in parts which might put you off.

Iona are also fantastic. The Book of Kells is a total masterpiece. The idiot who gave it a 1* rating should be shot immediately; only a total cretin could rate such a brilliantly composed and played album as poor.

Good luck in your exploration of this brilliant genre.

If you want to check out Mostly Autumn, I'd suggest The Spirit of Autumn Past to start, as it's got their most memorable folk passage from Styhead Tarn to When Waters Meet. Then go for For All We Shared or The Last Bright Light (the best album I've heard bar Argus and The Snow Goose).

I'd also endorse Ghost Rider's recommendations. Traffic are not my personal favourites but they are definitely worth investigating. Fairport and Pentangle are more folk than prog but great bands. Steeleye aren't really prog (folk rock) but always make good music.

Linda Perhacs album may do the trick too, but maybe not prog enough...

Jade may also do the trick, but I've not heard anything by them.

Nick Drake has some great folk rock albums (i dont think many people consider him as prog-folk though). Try Five Leaves Left, Pink Moon, Bryter Later or Time of No Reply.

Kotro wrote: If you wan't a bit of kitch in it, try Blackmore's Night.

Believe me, you won't.

Ulver's Bergtatt, is a nice relaxing acoustic folk album.

"Harmonium is an interesting band too; I think they are distinctly folk based but are, for some strange reason, classed as symphonic. Their second album is a classic."

They can get classified differently depending where you focus. The first two albums are certainly quite folky. The third album (and also the live one, which is the third album played live) is very symphonic, almost "Days of Future Passed" level on the studio version, and more all out symphonic prog on the live version since they did not tour with the orchestra.

For stuff sounding somewhat like Harmonium, there is:

* Ere G - newer band, album "Au Dela des Ombres"
* Melia - also a newer album, album is called "Certitudes". This one is a bit borderline for me as it's a bit poppy but it captures the Harmonium vibe in places and even covers a Harmonium track.
* Demi Heure - Quebec city group from the era, maybe a bit derivative. Vinyl only though.
* Engoulevent - Ok not much like Harmonium at all but hard to think of folk rock much better than this, also on vinyl only at this point but the vinyl is easy to find.

Regards,
Sean / ProgQuebec

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