I Ain’t Marching Anymore

A sweeping history of the passionate men and women in uniform who have bravely and courageously exercised the power of dissent

The Greenwich Village folk scene burned bright in the mid- 60s, with artists congregating to road test material in club crucibles. If you ever see an Elektra album from this period with the names Jac Holzman, Paul Rothchild and William S Harvey on the sleeve, you’re in for something unusual; these discs illustrate that perfectly.

Five CD set that highlights the absolute finest recordings for the Elektra label during their first (and some say finest) decade: 1963-73. Features the label's biggest hits, most famous artists and plenty of obscure classics as well. 117 tracks from the likes of Judy Collins, Eric Clapton, Tom Rush, Paul Butterfield, The Lovin' Spoonful, Queen, Dennis Linde, Carly Simon, Bread, The Wackers, David Ackles, Harry Chapin, Mickey Newbury, The Doors, The Stooges, Love, MC5, The Dillards, Tim Buckley, Nico, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs and many more. Rhino. 2006.

While "folk music" originally defined the sort of indigenous music that was passed from one self-taught musician to another over years and even centuries, by the '60s the phrase came to refer to the work of singers and songwriters who used acoustic melodies as a vehicle for lyrics that often carried personal, social, or political messages. Featuring 30 songs, The Only Folk Collection You'll Ever Need offers a bit of the former and a great deal of the latter; along with performances by legitimate folk legends the Carter Family, Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, Mississippi John Hurt, and Woody Guthrie, this set also features classic tracks from most of the major folk stars of the '50s and '60s, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Gordon Lightfoot, Donovan, Judy Collins, and many more. Though it is far from the only folk collection one might need or want, this set does feature an impressive cross-section of important and essential artists, who are for the most part represented by their most celebrated works. As a sampler of the cream of the postwar folk boom, this collection does a fine job, and would be a good starter for a youngster eager to learn about the folk and singer/songwriter movements.

Travel back in time to the decade that changed everything. Greatest Ever 60s Legends collects 80 slivers of pop perfection from artists who continue to enthral all these years later. You'd expect a great variety of styles and this album doesn't disappoint: the 1960s had so much to offer. It was a time of superstar beat groups like The Searchers, Herman's Hermits and Gerry & The Pacemakers. There was classic soul music from Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Sam & Dave. Rock powered up via The Animals, Jeff Beck and Status Quo. For those more inclined towards easy listening, here come Matt Monro, The Everly Brothers and The Shadows.

This Compilation is part of the first 441p paperback edition of
"Follow The Music - The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture" by Jac Holzman and Gavan Daws.

Martyn Joseph is a completely unique and mind blowing artist. Take everything you think you know about singer songwriters… and rip it up. For one man and a guitar he creates a performance with a huge far-reaching sound that is energetic, compelling and passionate. Be it to two hundred people or twenty thousand, he blows the crowd away night after night. He is gifted with the rare ability to speak to the soul with his expressive and poignant lyrics and has a career spanning 30 years, 32 albums, over a half a million record sales and thousands of live performances. In addition to his 5 top 50 UK hits, the importance of his work has been recognised by programmes such as BBC Radio 2's prime time series on Singer/Songwriters.