Seasons They Change: The Story Of Acid And Psychedelic Folk

Meanwhile, both Britain and America are home to intensely innovative artists continuing the tradition of delving simultaneously into contemporary and traditional styles to create something unique. Seasons They Change tells the story of the birth, death and resurrection of acid and psych folk. It explores the careers of the original wave of artists and their contemporary equivalents, finding connections between both periods, and uncovering a previously hidden narrative of musical adventure.

Author Jeanette Leech is a writer, researcher, DJ and music historian. She writes regularly for Shindig! She writes extensively in the health and social care fields. Seasons They Change is her first book about music. Saturday, 15 January A wonderful, imaginative, insightful and comprehensive book written by my friend Jeanette Leech has just been published. I asked Jeanette to write something for the Coptic Cat website, which follows: It was like being an orphan and then realising you have a father.

I don't mean that in a arrogant sense, but what I though I was doing with Love Charms was totally new, and what I was looking for didn't have much of a reference. It was different after that". View all 18 comments.

Smart books for musical minds

Jun 22, Leftjab rated it really liked it. I was only passingly familiar w most of the 60s stuff and beyond Current 93 and Animal Collective wasn't too familiar with the contemporary musicians either. Something to do with the rise of internet music and the ease of locating the most obscure albums?

Also - where's the discography?

Would have loved to have a chronolgical list of the of the author's fave albums. Jun 22, David Manns rated it liked it Shelves: Folk music is a very broad church. From traditional purists like Ewan MacColl to folk-rock acts like Fairport Convention to folk-tronica and all shades in between, Folk Music has something for everyone.

One of the most elusive strands to pin down is Acid or Psychedelic Folk. That it is a noble failure is more to do with the nature of the music and the author's basic premise than any lack of research. Because this book Folk music is a very broad church. Because this book has been exhaustively researched.

But it is not until the arrival in the mid 60's of the Incredible String Band that the term Acid Folk starts being used. The psychedelic elements that found their way into folk music made for some strange, disturbing and beguiling music. It also made for some unlistenable tosh, but you can say that of any musical genres. Leech has assembled a formidable history of her chosen subject and if her descriptions can be a little florid at times, you can forgive her because the detail is amazing.

She has tracked down and interviewed countless obscure acts who at times made only one album before fading away. It has certainly given me a whole host of new music to listen to, much of which is available on Spotify. The high point of Psychedelic Folk was the late sixties and by the early 70's the music industry's focus had shifted.

Acts were dropped by labels and folk music once more became unfashionable. Leech attempts to trace a line of continuity through independent, self recorded artistes, but the links are tenuous and their influence on later musicians debatable. Music come and goes in waves. What ebbs one decade, flows once more in another. Folk music resurfaced in the late 90's under various guises, but Leech is mainly concerned with so-called Freak Folk, which she sees as the natural successor to Acid Folk.

Acts such as Devendra Banhart, Circulus, Espers, Tunng and the like took the music and retooled it using new sensibilities and modern technology, while drawing inspiration from the previous generation of psychedelic folk musicians. Again Leech interviews a vast array of artistes, but the new generation is harder to pin down and even harder to label. So, a fascinating and informative read which, if you want, will lead you to a wealth of great music. It is a flawed book but a brave attempt none-the-less to pin down an elusive genre. Dec 23, Dave rated it really liked it Shelves: Folk music, along with its plethora of variant prefixes, is a genre that is difficult to tame into any sort of worthy chronological retrospective.

Its origins, often shrouded by the mists of early history, compete with the improvisational and collaborative nature of folk musicians to thwart any but the most stubborn researcher from unraveling the stories, the relationships, and the inspirations behind those timeless sounds. Freelance writer and music historian Jeanette Leech, armed with a blazin Folk music, along with its plethora of variant prefixes, is a genre that is difficult to tame into any sort of worthy chronological retrospective.

Freelance writer and music historian Jeanette Leech, armed with a blazing passion for her subject, tackles a small "slice" of the genre that is often referred to as "acid" or "psychedelic" folk. Given the somewhat simultaneous origins of acid folk in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe, the author ping-pongs across oceans and borders as she narrates the emergence of the style through the music of outfits such as The Incredible String Band and The Holy Model Rounders.

While the larger known artists are discussed and often referred back to, the vast majority of Seasons is devoted to the lesser-known musicians and their obscure bodies of work. Therein lies the real treasure!

Leech sticks to the obscurities as she traces the downfall of psychedelic folk in the '70s through to its ultimate resurgence as experimental, or "freak", folk of the '90s and the 21st century. Contemporary bands such as The Iditarod and Animal Collective are put into perspective with their conscious and sub-conscious influences of decades earlier until the author closes the book ruminating on what the future may hold for the nebulous genre. While the book contains innumerable references to bands and albums, it is not organized into a traditional "discography" or chronological reference.

The reader will have to make an effort to mine the text for "want list" additions, though a convenient index of artists does make the task rather simple. Most of the albums mentioned by the early progenitors of acid folk are long out of print and only had minuscule press runs, so prepare yourself for a bit of sticker shock. Seasons They Change is well-written and thoroughly-researched, although a good number of direct quotes of artists are culled from secondary sources.

Leech, in describing the sound and style of the many albums she mentions in the text, often takes on the hyperbolic prose of an indie music reviewer - which may or may not induce a little bit of eye-glaze, depending on your tolerance for such things. Ultimately, though, fans of the more experimental side of folk music will want to digest the wealth of information contained within. Apr 30, Sean rated it it was amazing Shelves: A friend bought this for me as a gift and I'm quite thankful.

I meant to buy it when it was first published, but it became one of those books on my list that I hadn't quite got round to buying. Who knows - if it isn't, it's pretty damn close, for my money. Leech had a daunting task - first to try and define psychedelic folk music, then to try and trace it's roots and various branches into the present day. She did an admirable job and this book ma A friend bought this for me as a gift and I'm quite thankful. She did an admirable job and this book makes for an interesting read and a good reference tool though my only small complaint would be that I wish a relevant discography for all of the acts mentioned was included.

Hell, she even got me to reassess Joanna Newsom, whom I'd dismissed as a warbly novelty what with the harp and all. I've been checking out Newsom's "Ys" album and I'm enjoying it still getting used to the voice, however. Be warned, though, if you're like me--it'll cost you, as you'll soon be trying to track down and purchase a lot of the albums Leech has spotlighted.

Jul 26, Michael D rated it really liked it. An extremely well-researched and highly readable study of psychedelic folk music. My highlighter pen has almost dried up because I have been picking out so many new, unheard albums to check out from within the text. Chris rated it really liked it Jan 17, Jurgen Van den Brand rated it really liked it Jun 09, Christopher rated it liked it Sep 29, Harry Sumnall rated it really liked it May 13,