the roots of / rooted apocalyptic folk

...after a somewhat bleak New Zealand election result last night, an overseas friend posted Bill Fay's Pictures of Adolf Again on a social media website, with the words :

“Oh NZ please tell me it's not true... John Key for another few years??? You were meant to remain the promised land. Welcome to the dark hole... hopefully its just a quick passing nightmare.”

Well, yes. NZ does seem to be somewhat rooted... and feeling in an apocalyptic mood ourselves, we decided to dive down the bad-trip rabbit hole, with a show dedicated to the murky 70s English roots of what David Tibet described as “apocalyptic folk” - that's 'folk' as in 'people', not 'genre', but the description works both ways.

Led by the Tibet-rediscovered dark religious-ities and avant-gardisms of Bill Fay and Simon Finn, this is a post-election Apocalypse Blues and Downer Folk special.

[with many thanks to Helga F. for the inspiration]




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Playlist:

1. Bill Fay, 'Pictures of Adolf Again', from Time of the Last Persecution, 1971
2. Bill Fay, 'Time of the Last Persecution', from Time of the Last Persecution, 1971
3. Simon Finn, 'Jerusalem', from Pass the Distance, 1970
4. Simon Finn, 'Accidental Life', live in Paris, 2007
5. Kevin Ayers, 'Song from the Bottom of a Well', from Whatevershebringswesing, 1971
6. John Cale, 'Leaving it Up to You', from Helen of Troy, 1975
7. Robert Wyatt, 'Sea Song', from Rock Bottom, 1974
8. Bridget St. John, 'Broken Faith', from Ask Me No Questions, 1969
9. Bridget St. John, 'Ask Me No Questions', from Ask Me No Questions, 1969
10. Roky Erickson, 'Bloody Hammer', from Demon Angel, 1994
11. The Index, 'You Keep Me', from The Index ('the Black Album'), 1967
12. Michael Yonkers Band, 'Boy in the Sandbox', from Microminature Love, 1968
13. Rocket From the Tombs, 'Life Stinks', from Take the Guitar Player for a Ride, 1975
14. V-3, 'Negotiate Nothing', from Negotiate Nothing, 1992
15. Vertical Slit, 'I Remember Nothing', from Under the Blood Red Lava Lamp, 1986
16. Suicide, 'Frankie Teardrop', from Suicide ('the First Album'), 1977
17. Alexander 'Skip' Spence, 'War in Peace', from Oar, 1969
18. Bob Desper, 'Darkness is Like a Shadow', from New Sounds, 1974
19. Perry Leopold, 'Cold in Philadelphia', from Experiment in Metaphysics, 1970
20. Dave Bixby, '666', from Ode to Quetzalcoatl, 1969
21. Dana Westover, 'Song to Sally', from Memorial to Fear, 1972
22. Current 93, 'All the Pretty Little Horsies' from All the Pretty Little Horses, 1996
23. Current 93, 'Time of the Last Persecution', from Time of the Last Persecution 7", 2004
24. Current 93, 'In the Courtyard', from Jerusalem 7", 2004
25. Sibylle Baier, 'Tonight', from Colour Green, early 1970s
26. Kan Mikami, '銀河の裏街道', from Hoi, 1973
27. Kim Doo Soo, 'Bohemian', from Free Spirit, 2004
28. Morita Doji, 'Horizon', from Good Bye, 1975
29. Patty Waters, 'Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight', from Patty Waters Sings, 1965
30. John Prine, 'Paradise', live-to-air on WFMT, 1970
31. Townes Van Zandt, 'Highway Kind' from Highway Kind, 1997
32. Boots, 'City of Fear', from Boots, 2006
33. Pin Group, 'A Thousand Sins', from The Pin Group Go to Town, 1982
34. Peter Jefferies, 'White Prole' from Electricity, 1994
35. Plagal Grind, 'Receivership' from Plagal Grind, 1990
36. The Terminals 'In and Out of My Mind' from Touch, 1992
37. This Kind of Punishment, 'Words Fail Me', from In the Same Room, 1987

[plus a bunch of bonus tracks for those who were still up listening, or tuning in from other countries... because we just couldn't manage to leave the studio...]