25 July 2021
There s much more to folk rock than its hey nonny nonny roots, as Jimmy Page will attest. These ten essential albums prove it
(Image credit: Gems/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images )
Rock musicians spent half the 1960s nicking ideas off the folkies. You only have to take a brief listen to Jimmy Page’s
Black Mountain Side instrumental on Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut alongside folk guitarist Bert Jansch’s
Black Water Side (see what he done there?) on his 1966 album,
Jack Orion, to realise that they are even closer than the (not so) subtle title change suggests.
Fast forward to
Off The Record: Richard Thompson Looks Back On His Early Years
Revered guitarist Richard Thompson has enjoyed a long and storied career but perhaps his most iconic run – from his time with Fairport Convention to the early collaborative albums with Linda Thompson – has been captured in his new autobiography
Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975. Written with the late music journo Scott Timberg, the book traces the early years of Fairport to the recording the classic
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. In the first part of an interview on
Off The Record, Richard chats about writing the book, early influences and playing