Originally Posted by Qwertyy

i think we're still waiting on a few reviews. get movin' folks.

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

artist:Tia Blake
album title: folksongs & ballads
year: 1971
genre: Old-Time, Folk
tracklist:

1. Betty And Dupree
2. Black Is The Color
3. Single Girl
4. I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow
5. Jane, Jane
6. Jimmy Whalen
7. Rising Of The Moon
8. Hangman
9. Turtle Dove
10. Plastic Jesus
11. Polly Vaughn

First impressions: The one thing that first stood out for me were the vocals. They are a bit different I am accustom to hearing, but the music was really good and piqued my curiosity. How a singer sounds makes or breaks it for me. If I don't care for how vocals sound I usually skip over the band or artist. However that isn't always the case. Sometimes it takes me a while to get accustom to a singer. It took me a while to get use to Joni Mitchell, but now I love her voice. Karen Dalton is another one whose singing style took a while for me to get use to, but I didn't pass her stuff by because I knew there was something special there and the same is true for Tia Blake.

So I figured I should compare Tia's vocals to someone else' you might identify with - in case you are interested in checking her out own your own. I went through quite a few female Folk singers to find someone to compare Tia to, and the closest I think is Bridget St John, maybe Shirley Collins - maybe. At times Angel Olsen projects her voice like Tia Blake and other female Folk singers of that era.

Songs:
Betty And Dupree was a Blues number by Brownie McGhee, the lyrics reminds me of Frankie and Johnny by Mississippi John Hurt. Chuck Willis also did a cover of the song. He had a hit with The Stroll turn the music of Betty And Dupree into a song that can do Stroll.
Black Is The Color starts off somewhat similiar to Greensleeves, but changes to a Flamenco-style playing.
Single Girl probably my favorite song on the album, mostly because of the guitar duet in the background. Both play arpeggios and sound similar to style of Chad and Jeremy.
I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow I am familiar with the song because of Roscoe Holcomb. I picked up his album because it was part of the Smithsonian Folkways catalog. I was pleasantly surprised that Bob Dylan mentioned him as influence. The backing track easily sounds like Union Station (who backed Alison Krauss) with Dan Fogelberg sitting in with them. The song resurfaced in again in 2000 with the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" It was performed by the fictitious group the Soggy Bottom Boys.
Jane, Jane starts off just like a Chet Atkins song. - Who's he? Just think of the "Esurance" commercial. The song was covered by Peter, Paul and Mary who treated their version of the song with their usual three part harmony.
Jimmy Whalen it starts off what sounds like wooden flute, and appears again after the first verse. The lyrics do well to visualize the short but sad story.
Rising Of The Moon an Irish folk song.
Hangman The Kingston Trio does a song by the same name, but the lyrics are somewhat different. Peter, Paul & Mary
Turtle Dove is a lovely song. Once it gets started it draws to mind the song John Barley Must Die by Traffic, probably because of the melody and the chimey guitars. It ends with a flute solo.
Plastic Jesus it starts off with a Old Time dobro The song has a melody very close to "Keep on the Sunny Side" a song popularized by The Carter Family. Tia sings it more sincerely than perhaps the author intended it to be?
Polly Vaughn is the last song on the original release of the album. It is a rather strong ending. It is a male/female vocal duet.

Thoughts: Folksongs & ballads is a solid album, it consists of eleven in domain songs that was recorded in Paris. (The best jpg I could find was that of the French release, notice how it has the pronoun wrong in the title. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Que sera sera. ) Not sure if Tia got a recognition for music in her day. So basically I like this album cause it fits in with many of my other favorite one-offs that get recorded and nearly get forgotten about, like Sibylle Baier etc. If it wasn't for someone who cared about their music, helping to get known to the rest of the world it would be all but lost to the ages.

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

^ I thought we had until Christmas. Give a chap a chance!

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I'm not even mad. Seriously I'm not. You're a good dude, and I think and hope you'll become something good

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

aw **** i was going to make a no member albums rule but figured we had all came to a mutual agreement by this point. should've known better i guess.

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

you can take as long you need, i just thought a kick in the pants might give some of the lazier members *cough* batlord *cough* the motivation to finish the review up.

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I'm not even mad. Seriously I'm not. You're a good dude, and I think and hope you'll become something good

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I. Have. A Frown album. **** you. At least an ICP album is fun to mock.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I'm not even mad. Seriously I'm not. You're a good dude, and I think and hope you'll become something good

Originally Posted by MicShazam

Wait... it wouldn't amuse you to mock a Frownland album? I don't even feel like I know you anymore.

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I already did it at ridiculous length once. What more can I do?

Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy

I love how you edited your post to officially out me out of the closet?" It's like you asked yourself if you were a big enough cunt in the post, concluded that you weren't, and added it in to satisfy your postly cunt quota

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

I converted to Islam today.

Allah Supreme.
A Love Supreme.

Originally Posted by Mondo Bungle

saw LeBron James downtown but then I realized I'm just racist