Now Playing (the past week or so): Patrick O'Hearn, Steeleye Span, Ray Thomas, Ravi Shankar, etc

I've been too busy (or lazy) to post each and every album I've been listening to the past week (or so). So here's a wrap up!

Steeleye Span's "Below The Salt"

My good friend Craig Danger gave me this from his collection recently. He decided he wasn't into the whole English folk thing. Lords and Ladies and castles and raise your cup of mead to the celebrate the harvest etc. I get it, I can only take it in small doses. I think it's a nostalgia trip for me. My dad (who's birthday is today, btw, RIP) played a lot of folk around the house growing up. I genuinely love this stuff, and at least early Steeleye Span. Their first album, Hark! The Village Wait, is still my favorite by far, and until now the only album by them I owned. Below The Salt is their 4th album in only 2 years, apparently they had a lot of line up changes in these early volatile days. I love this album, and especially love the album art. You can almost smell the feast they are enjoying...

Patrick O'Hearn - Eldorado

This album was only $2 at Folk Arts Rare Records (my favorite shop), so I had to pick it up. The last time I heard this record was in my college days, early '90s. My best friend eric was an ardent fan of the "New Age" genre, and I was just as ardent a hater of it (even though, as he would often point out, I was a massive fan of the ambient electronic scene of the time- a lot of which is pretty similar). I remember him playing this album a lot, and me hating it. A lot.

Fast forward to now. I'm older and wiser (well, older). Times have changed. In recent years (apparently) there has been a whole resurgence or renewed interest in "New Age" music, past and present. And I'm always trying to keep an open mind, so what do I think of this record now? Eh, it's okay, for what it is, I suppose. Is it corny and cheesy as fuck? Sure is. But I'm better now at embracing that, I like to think. That said, I don't see myself pulling this one out again anytime soon.

Ray Thomas - From Mighty Oaks

I have always been a massive fan of the Moody Blues (through most of their career). This weekend at Folk Arts, I took the opportunity to expand my vinyl collection of theirs, and happened upon this solo effort from Ray Thomas (their long-time flautist, singer and cowriter). I was especially drawn to the cover art, evoking impressionistic and Maxfield Parish vibes. The music? It's okay. Listenable, but a little "take-it-or-leave-it" to me.

Improvisations - West Meets East - Album 3: Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, Jean-Pierre Rampal

Anytime I see the name Ravi Shankar, my eyes and ears perk up and I hafta havit. I've been a fan of classical Indian music since I was a kid- another side effect of my dad's record collection, most likely. And weekly Sunday broadcasts of Music From India on public radio. Anyways, this album is great, and now I want to collect other albums from this series. Oh and Hazel liked it, too (see below)

That's all for now. Happy listening!