VINYL IN STOCK NOW £25!
AVAILABLE NOW for the first time on vinyl since the original release in 1965: INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED £25 including postage and 4 Limited edition photographic prints
Folk, Blues & Beyond
Davy Graham
180g vinyl pressed by Pallas
Strictly Limited Numbered Edition of 500
With bonus track: Anji
Originally released in 1965, this is the LP that cemented Davy Graham's status as a legend among guitarists, weaving Middle Eastern techniques with blues and folk tunes, resulting in one of the most eclectic and beautifully-played records of that, or any other time. Frequently namechecked as a primary influence by such luminaries as Bert Jansch, Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, John Renbourn and John Martyn, Davy has pushed and continues to push the boundaries of playing guitar 'for the guitar', and this record illustrates perfectly his modus operandi. Wondrous to behold, and available again at last on vinyl!
"Congratulations! The Davy Graham album arrived on Monday and I have had a chance to play it through a couple of times. There was never any doubt as to the skill of Mr Graham, but the pressing and presentation of the album is superb. I think that it is the quietest piece of vinyl I have (or should that be haven't) heard in many a year.
There is an argument to be made that the mercurial Davy Graham has never truly been captured on record. Rather, what has been preserved is merely a slight impression of the man and his playing. Certainly those that crouched at his feet at Les Cousins, Soho’s cellar-based folk Mecca, have claimed that, as the ’60s dawned, Graham’s performances were nothing short of mesmeric. For those of us who missed out on the intoxicating pleasure of seeing him way back then, this groundbreaking 1964 set is the closest we’re likely to come and it remains an arresting, dextrous display. While at times Graham’s well-mannered vocal inflexions can appear a little too Anglican (most specifically on blues covers like Rock Me Baby), his guitar playing has lost none of the intoxicating Eastern quality that so seduced everyone from Bert Jansch to Roy Harper and Jimmy Page. The opening figure of Leavin’ Blues provides proof of that as does the instrumental Maajan (A Taste Of Tangier) which draws on the man’s nomadic excursions. If Folk, Blues And Beyond remains a key work in the career of arguably the most influential British acoustic guitarist of all time, even more significant is his 3/4 EP, released in 1962 – all five tracks from which are included on this CD reissue. Among them is Anji (then titled Angi), the track that introduced the Graham’s DADGAD tuning to his many admirers. Put simply, this tuning eschewed the traditional EADGBE in favour of the aforementioned heavier, Moroccan-influenced string-tightening, opening to a more textured, mystical approach to acoustic music. Anji itself would be covered by Jansch almost immediately, while Jimmy Page would adapt Graham’s She Moved Through The Fair – itself a reworking of a traditional song – into his own instrumental White Summer, first with The Yardbirds and then with Led Zeppelin. Indeed, the addition of these tracks here serves to underline Graham’s remarkable power and impact, adding to the absorbing, eye-opening experience that is Folk, Blues And Beyond.
Phil Alexander, Mojo Magazine, 5 Stars...
