Indispensable

Received wisdom has it that "The Time Has Come", cut for CBS towards the end of her all-too-brief recording career, is Anne Briggs's masterpiece. Having finally heard that work, I've no idea why it should be so revered; or rather I've no idea why anybody should rate it above "A Collection", which brings together AB's recordings for Topic from earlier in her career. Perhaps years of being unavailable lent a mystique to the CBS set; perhaps it's unfair of me to compare an album that I'm only just getting to know with one that I've come to love over the years. Either way, you should get all the Anne Briggs that you can find; but if you get only one of her albums, my advice would be to make it this one. To what others have said about the music, I'd add that fans of Sandy Denny (whom Anne admired, though probably not as much as Sandy admired her) will love the take on Tam Lin and will thrill to hear, in "Willie O'Winsbury", the source of "Farewell, Farewell".

Essential. End of Story.

I don't think I'm overstating my case here- Anne Briggs' mainly acapella renderings of traditional folk songs manage what only a handful of other singers achieve, and to my mind none as completely as this- to inhabit the songs and make them completely their own, with no trace of artifice or the cloying sense of a medieval theme park which which makes so many performers of british folk music the subject of (in many cases justified) derision. Considering the fact that some of these songs are hundreds of years old, this is no mean feat. Briggs has a voice of utterly stunning purity and uses it with an understatement which only serves further to reinforce the emotional impact of her performance. So much histrionic acoustic rock music is being sold as folk these days that the term is almost degraded- this record is the real deal and I would count it as obsolutely essential.

At Last!!!!!!

Anne Briggs, along with Shirley Collins, is the voice of the english folk revival of the 1960's. Collected here are nearly all her recordings from that decade- there are 2 CBS LPs and one with Ragged Robin and thats all she has released-ever. Her singing had such an effect on the whole of the music scene. This is the woman who inspired Bert Jansch, listen to the tunes covered by the Pentangle and you can see why she is so influential. This is a wonderous collection of some of the best english music. If you have any passion this music is for you.

A legend of the British folk revival, singer Anne Briggs performed an exquisite a cappella — one of the most haunting and distinct voices of the movement. Her influence is far-reaching, and echoes of Briggs can be heard in the work of her key contemporaries, including Burt Jansch, Shirley Collins, Laura Nyro, and many later artists who cited her as an influence. From Kate Bush to the Cocteau Twins and Sinead O’Connor, this strain of folk singing that was entirely Briggs can be heard, yet she was under-acknowledged in her prime of the early ’60s outside of serious folk circles. This collection on Topic compiles all of the a cappella recordings from this period, and four songs with minimal guitar, dulcimer, and bozuki accompaniment. Animating Scottish, Irish, and English traditional forms, some of these melodies will be familiar to fans of the Pentangle who recorded some of the same tunes, including “Willie O’ Winsbury” on their early albums. Also, fans of Jansch — who performed and recorded “Go Your Way My Love,” one of Briggs’ few originals — will know the legendary guitarist’s version. Often performing together, arguably the duo shared the deepest insight, not to mention passion for the Anglo-folk song. This music is simple and sublime and showcases a beautiful storytelling song style with a voice that benefits from being heard unadorned, and being treated with due respect in the remastering. Though standouts are “Blackwater Side,” with its minimal acoustic guitar backdrop, and “Willie O’Winsbury,” an ancient folk song where Briggs shares its melody with a hammered dulcimer to stunning effect. A highly recommended overview of a singer who sits high in the academy of U.K. folk. – Dean McFarlane

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driftways

Just perfect - a clear voice for the ages. As you listen you can hear the seeds of early Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span being sown. I am transported back to when I first heard Sandy Denny with Fairport. Get this!