I would suggest that Folk Rock is indeed one of the better musical genres in the history of known music. While various brands of Classical may express the ultimate and certain elements of Jazz or the Jazz hybrid of Jazz Rock are often where it is no doubt at in most instances, Folk Rock and its variations truly cover a great deal of impressive ground, so allow me to illustrate this point further…

How about Tim Buckley’s introspective number “Dolphins”? It is a confusing song to me, rather complex from an emotional standpoint and apparently name-checking a Monkee’s song in the process. Keep in mind that I am talking about the greater Singer/Songwriter genre as well. Maybe some Power Pop, as that might describe some Big Star material? Yes? No? Psyche Folk is a big monster of a genre…is it not, Mr. Redmond Barry? Or Baroque Pop, it’s like all of this is some sort of big Folk Rock fantasy and a lyrical thing taking place. Syd Barrett solo material is potent and not easy to describe…

“Dark Globe” is a great Barrett number, and huge fan Marc Bolan, later of T-rex, at times created a more light-hearted variation of this sort of Psyche Folk feeling, man. Think about Marc’s energetic Folk jam “Deborah” or look a bit ahead a few years to the quite possibly more introspective “Cosmic Dancer”. This is a genre, naturally melodic and very much lyrically driven as well, albeit, some of it is a bit closer to Vocal Pop, but it just depends upon the artist.

Of course, some of the best of Folkie Rocky music came from across the bloody pond, don’t you know? Very little out of America could produce the complex and simplistic beauty of Nick Drake’s “From the Morning”, which I feel is a truly upbeat cut from an often downcast individual. Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam; could be a complete dork in a great many instances, but some of his cranky Folk ballads really packed a wallop, take “But I Might Die Tonight”, for example. It is powerful and rather atypical of the performer, at least according to my ears…

And of course, you have some of the better material by Neil Young and Dylan. Not everything in the overall genre is pretty, and I refuse to name names and look at this negatively…because some Suzanne Vega material is good, maybe toss in a bit of Lou Reed as well and tons of other good folks that I am forgetting. But I’m just trying to get my point across then…Folk Rock is COMPLEX.

Thank you.

…Oh, and Judee Sill was totally awesome. Do check her out, won’t you now?