The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the debut album from Anne Briggs, number 483 in The List.
As with the other folk albums we’ve listened to so far for SpaceAce Sunday, this is another artist who was apparently very influential in the British folk revival of the 60s. If you (like me) don’t know anything about Briggs, I’d recommend checking out her Wikipedia page – she sounds like an interesting person, and there’s a ton of musical connections to explore. One thing that jumped out at me was that she plays bouzouki, and played it while touring in the late 60s with an Irish band, Sweeney’s Men (it can also be heard on the second last track – and my favorite – of this self-titled album). The Wikipedia notes that the instrument was rare in Ireland (and Britain) at the time; I can’t help but wonder if Briggs’/Sweeney’s Men’s bouzouki playing laid any sort of foundation for the Irish folk community’s later acceptance of bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan, who we met in a previous spotlight. My mind wanders…
This album was just re-released this April as a deluxe edition for Record Store Day with an additional 7″ that has four extra songs. I would think SpaceAce likely grabbed a copy of it – if my memory serves, he posted at least a few times about Anne Briggs records.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/08/25/spaceace-sunday-anne-briggs-anne-briggs-1971-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #AnneBriggs #bouzouki #BritishFolk #folk #folkMusic #SpaceAceSunday