#428: Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (1969)

Zack: While I was listening to the album, I kept wondering why precisely it was being included. It seemed to me to be a perfectly fine representative of the folk rock genre, but beyond that I wasn’t really sure what made it so special. Folk isn’t really a genre known for innovation I guess, and the artists that succeed aren’t necessarily the ones who try bold new things like in other genres. But Liege and Lief really just sounded like a generic version of a couple of artists we’ve heard before, like The Byrds and Cat Stevens. And it didn’t seem to have much in the way of storytelling going on, which I’ve felt really can lift things up quite a bit. Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed by Liege and Lief. It was fine, but that was about it.

Favorite Tracks: Matty Groves; Tam Lin; The Deserter

Emily: This is yet another example of the British bias on this list. There is a plethora of influential late-'60s folk rock out there, but I don't really think Fairport Convention deserves top-tier recognition when the main action in the genre was going on in the U.S. I think it's really interesting that this album pulls from traditional British and Celtic folk songs (according to Wikipedia) and rearranges them for the then-modern audience. But I don't know enough about these traditional songs (or anything really) to really understand if and how they had been changed by Fairport Convention. Absent any real context, I think this album is best relegated to an afternoon set on a side stage at the folk festival - definitely not top billing.

Favorite Tracks: Matty Groves; The Deserter; Tam Lin

#427: Koffi Olomide - Haut De Gamme (1992)

Zack: This is, I believe, the first time I’ve really come across Congolese music. We’ve listened to a few artists from South Africa (Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba) and I’ve encountered some from neighboring Mali (Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen) and Niger (Fela Kuti, Bombino), but the Congo had remained sonically unexplored by me at least. After listening to Haut de Gamme, I can’t say that I was terribly impressed. Koffi Olomide chiefly operates in a genre of music called soukous, which is a type of dance music. Right away, I should have known I was in trouble. I haven’t typically gotten too into most types of dance music, since I listen to these albums usually on the couch while doing work or something. Not exactly an environment conducive to dancing. It just seems like Haut de Gamme is not an album made for me to enjoy. But, hey, if you do like dance music, especially variations on the rumba, this may be worth checking out.

Favorite Tracks: Désespoir; Obrigado; Koweit, Rive Gauche

Emily: World music is always an opportunity to explore a genre of music that I haven't encountered before and likely won't encounter again. Koffi Olomide's Haut De Gamme introduces us to soukous, a Congolese genre of dance music that was derived from the rumba. The name even comes from the French word for "to shake." And shake is what you will do when listening to this album. Maybe some elaborate dance moves will break out when Koffi Olomide comes on at a Congolese party, but some mild butt-shaking and shoulder-grooving from the comfort of your couch will fit as well. Either way, it's music that compels you to move.

Favorite Tracks: Elixir; Papa Bonheur; Qui Cherche Trouve