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Originally Posted by Bêthberry
Great reviews of Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention, Morthoron. Both very fitting, I'd say.
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Thank you very much. Tull and Fairport are two of my favorites. I've always appreciated musicians who go decidedly against the grain. Would that there were more bands with such independent spirit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bêthberry
Nightwish covered a song by Gary Moore that is steeped in British military tradition, with versions going back over several centuries. Moore's and Nightwish's lyrics aren't exactly Tolkienish, based as they are on adultery and deceipt (a sort of British 'Long Black Veil', without the capital punishment), but the haunting melody and drums evoke for me a sense of Middle-earth. Nightwish brings in Viking elements while Moore brings in Celtic.
Here's some YouTube version and then a link to the traditional versions of the song.
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Thanks for the links. I've played 'Long Black Veil' in the different bands I've pub crawled with for years (the version by
The Band is my favorite), as well as 'Matty Groves', a Fairport tune that is another of the cautionary tales regarding adultery that seemed to proliferate in 15th/16th century England. I could not find a Sandy Denny recording of 'Matty' on YouTube, but here is a reunion version of the song with various Fairport members old and new (Sandy Denny died several years ago, and I do not know this singer's name, but the great Richard Thompson is playing guitar). The quality of the video is iffy, but you'll get the general idea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6PMJ...elated&search=
Here is a Sandy Denny/Fairport version of Tam Lin, a 16th century tale of Faery abduction and enchantment which definitely captures the more fey aspects of Middle-earth...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJrLg...elated&search=
As far as Tull, here's something a Hobbit might be singing on a long journey...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rioYOoFqyAo
And a lusty air from 'Songs from the Woods' (Velvet Green)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NyvT...elated&search=