| | |  | PUNK ROCK VIDEOS | Home » » » In Search of the English Folk Song / Ken Russell, Fairport Convention, Osibisa, Percy Grainger Chamber Orchestra | | | | | | | Description: | | Ken Russell's knowledge of English folk music is rooted in music written by some of his favorite composers. The melodies of Ralph Vaughn Williams, Percy Grainger and Frederick Delius all owe a debt to the folk tradition. And recently, after decades of suppressed existence in the form of re-imported Country and Western, the New Age has brought a renaissance to the folk culture of England. The nation's authentic music is once again making its mark in a more eco-conscious and irreverent generation. Russell's turns out to be a mystic journey: from a village in the New Forest, Hampshire, to Fairport Convention's festival at Cropredy and on to Glastonbury, taking in a colorful collection of musicians and enthusiasts in an attempt to extract the essence of England's music from its more popular fusion with the spirit of the Celtic and New Worlds.Brigg Fair - Siân-Elizabeth Rees
Kick It: So What
Gonna Put a Bar in My Old Car: Gary Fenna
The Fawley Flame: Bob Appleyard
Down at Greenham on a Spree: Lynne Fortt
The King of Rome: June Tabor
Seventeen Come Sunday: Fairport Convention
Sunshine Day: Osibisa
Good Morning, Mr Walker: Eliza Carthy
Young Man Cut Down in his Prime: Chris While with The Albion Band
Stars in my Crown: Waterson Carthy
Nirvana: Donovan
Shepherd s Hey: Edward II
English Country Garden: The Percy Grainger Chamber Orchestra, Conducted by Joe Conway | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Various Artists | | Director:
| Ken Russell | | Format:
| Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, German | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| KULTUR VIDEO | | Run Time:
| 60 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| January 29, 2008 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 3 reviews |
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| New | |
| $10.97 | New | | | $10.99 | New | | | $12.32 | New | | | $12.94 | New | | | $13.05 | New | | | $13.12 | New | | | $13.33 | New | | | $13.33 | New | | | $13.64 | New | | | $13.78 | New | | | $14.49 | New | | | $15.34 | New | | | $16.99 | New | | | $16.99 | New | | | $17.99 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $20.98 | New | | | $53.97 | New | |
| Used | |
| $12.20 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $13.85 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | Used
- Good | | | $17.97 | Used
- Mint | | | $20.98 | Used
- Mint | |
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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 "Gonna Put A Bar, In My Old Car And Drive Myself To Drink.."Aug 19, 2009
By Paul Ess.
Ken Russell's stomp through rural England in the search for the archetypal folksong is bright and fun, but chatting politely about pigeons with June Tabor, or picking daisies with the lefty ladies of Greenham Common does not an overblown, self-indulgent, black comedy make - so anyone with pre-set ideas of the elderly 'enfant' need to be wary about this outing.
Regardless, Russell digs deep in his quest: from Fairport Convention's tangible rock frisson at a huge festival, to a gang of janners cawing away in a churchyard, he applies equally impressive honesty; he is lucid and keen, and far too eccentric to EVER be considered a cliché.
His subjects on the other hand are certainly of a type: cider imbibing, dungaree sporting, flute toting soap dodgers to a man. This type of anti-fashion is resolutely uniform in every sense; as decisively conservative as the obligatory shots of bonnie country lasses in muddy fields, and the fibrous yokel accents of people whose fathers were in the Hussars. The whole environment appears socially mechanical, it's only the warmth and sheer psychotic enthusiasm of Russell that prevents a fair percentage of them disappearing down the Ouse...
There's Barry Lowe, a big beardie given to writing 3 songs a week about American Indians (he hates Custer and claims the Sioux have adopted him!) and has penned such immediate anthems as 'You Don't Need to be in the Ku Klux Klan to be a Wizard Under the Sheets' and 'I'm Gonna Put a Bar in My Old Car, and Drive Myself to Drink'. There's charmingly intense Bob Appleyard, whose excellent songs chronicle his local industrial environment; a fierce folk-thrash turn called So What play a chaotic set at Ken's local; fetching Eliza Carthy does something sexy with a fiddle and the whole odyssey is completed with a virile rendition of 'English Country Garden' by the Percy Grainger Chamber Orchestra, whose conductor seems to be having some sort of amusing fit.
Only 60's dullard Donovan is truly uninteresting; droning on about pretentious, well-after-the-event Beatles-and-gurus tripe. Russell susses him immediately; he and his producer/chauffeur Maureen can hardly keep straight faces as they cheekily chant "Nirvana, Nirvana" after the oaf; who despite undoubtedly thinking the whole programme should be about him and his worthless philosophies, only has a suspiciously brief two minutes (thanks Ken) in the final cut.
The quality of the music is hugely variable, and there isn't much middle-ground; some of it's very good, some very bad. It doesn't seem to matter to Russell (sporting some hideous attire, including a scary socks-and-sandals combination and an alarming line in gaudy shirts), who interviews them all politely and diligently, while directing some nicely droll promos and lashing wine down him at every jiffy.
'In Search of the English Folk Song' is one of Russell's relatively calmer ventures, how entertaining you find it depends entirely on your tolerance of rustic British music.
It quietly reveals snippits of the man himself: his charming Blyton-esque cottage in the New Forest (which burnt down!), his bluff and simplistic humour, and engagingly, his happy optimism about pretty much everything.
Well, if you'd been divorced as many times as Ken Russell, you'd certainly have that, wouldn't you?
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Uncle Ken provides delightful romp while exploring English Folk Music of the Modern EraOct 27, 2009
By D. Johansson
"SleepyLestat"
I have always enjoyed Ken Russells films, but only recently have I been able to listen to the man talk about the things he loves in life, or his opinions of film via his commentaries. So when I saw he had made a special on English folk music, something he loved, I knew I had to see this. The film is far beyond my expectations. Taking a fun look, almost like a childerens show but with a witty edge for adults, at the current state of English folk music.
Ken travels around his neighborhoods and near by villages, interviewing local musicians to learn what has evolved from traditional folk music. As his quest continues, he meets up with the likes of June Tabor, and even Donovan (the pop singer from the 60's) and many others. Ranging from private performances, to music festivals, we see many enetertaining songs ranging from simple to political to popular, to controversial.
A great movie, and proof that Mr. Russell should do more films such as this!
Must see for folk music and Ken Russell fans alike!Nov 26, 2011
By ARSENAL GUNNER
Very wonderfully talented and light hearted look at folk music in the UK. Ken Russell steps away from his Gothic, Sci Fi and high art personas to get right in the pub with his friends and neighbours and on the road travelling all about the UK. This was originally shot for UK's Channel 4 so this is not a feature film documentary though Ken's camera work is of course top notch, light and crisp. Ken is such a great biographer and chronicler of artists both centuries renowned and totally unknown that he opens up new worlds for anyone who watches. So many highlights In Search of the English Folk Song but I especially loved So What doing "Kick It" in Ken's local pub, the sensual and wild Native American enthusiast/singer song-writer Barry Lowe who is known as "the Oliver Reed of Grosewood Films" Ken's production company and Osibisa. Will make a great gift for any singer/musician of folk, classical, jazz or world.
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