Ian & Sylvia were a folk and country duo who first began performing together in 1959, got married in 1964, and then divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. The duo received a contract with Vanguard Records in 1962 with the help of Albert Grossman, who was Peter, Paul & Mary’s manager and would soon be Bob Dylan’s manager. The duo began to incorporate more country flavors throughout their career, and are regarded as country rock pioneers as well. I’m always excited to hear more folk music from the 1960s, so I’m pretty stoked to check out this album. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“You Were On My Mind” starts grooving right away with some really sweet acoustic folk guitar. Oh wow, the vocals are super interesting, as there seems to be a bit of a country twang that I’m really digging. The counterpoint between the two different acoustic guitar lines is really pulling me further into the music. Super sweet track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Moonshine Can” picks up with a bluegrass sound in the quick, plucky acoustic guitar work. Oh wow, the vocals seem to follow that bluegrass sound with the quick, upbeat performance. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “The Jealous Lover” begins with some really sweet acoustic folk guitar that reminds me of an old British folk tune of some sort. Oh wow, the vocal performance is very different from the previous tunes, and combines with the acoustic guitar nicely to create an air of mythos in the soundscape. I really dig the low, distant, bouncing bass in the backdrop of the soundscape. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Four Rode By” gets moving right away with some quick, plucky acoustic guitar that seems to walk the line between American folk and bluegrass music. I really dig the guitar work in this track. Great upbeat tune.
Oh wow, “Brave Wolfe” starts out with a low, droning sound that combines with some distant acoustic guitar notes in the background. Oh wow, this track reminds me a lot of an old British folk tune in both the instrumentation and vocal approach in the track. Oh wow, the track keeps building on itself and gradually bringing the instrumentation more into focus. I’m really digging this track so far. Great track.
Oh wow, “Nova Scotia Farewell” picks the pace back up a bit with a soundscape befitting that of a weary vagabond that can’t stop wandering about. Oh wow, the guitar comes more into focus really nicely as the tune nears its end. Great tune.
“Some Day Soon” starts out with with some super sweet country flavors that I’m really digging. The twangy guitar work has a sound that evokes visions of a small town in the old southwest. Super sweet track.
“Little Beggarman” has some plucky guitar work at the beginning that reminds me of both American bluegrass as well as the folksy style of Richard Thompson from his album, Strict Tempo! (1980). Super sweet tune.
“Texas Rangers” starts out with Ian & Sylvia singing an a-cappella harmonized and twangy vocal that I’m really digging. I’m not sure if there will be any instrumentation in the track at the moment, but I’m really digging what I’m hearing so far. There’s a really nice reverberation to the vocals, making the song sound even sweeter in the process. Wow, awesome track.
“The Ghost Lover” starts out with some country folk guitar. So far the only vocals I’ve heard are from Ian, whose vocals create a sound reminiscent of a folksy Marty Robbins a la “El Paso”. Wow, super sweet track.
“Captain Woodstock’s Courtship” starts with some really folksy guitar that sets a continually rambling sound that I’m really digging. Oh wow, Ian and Sylvia are going back and forth with their vocals, as though they’re having a conversation within the song. Oh wow, the vocals finally meet up at the end of the track for a super sweet harmonization. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Green Valley” starts out with a rapid raining of mandolin notes coming into the soundscape, and reminding me a fair deal of the David Grisman and Jerry Garcia albums the two made together. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Swing Down, Chariot” starts out with some really earthy and folksy acoustic guitar and a bouncing bass line alongside it. Oh wow, Ian and Sylvia finish the album off with this super sweet and fast-paced tune that really ties together the listening experience nicely. Great track, and a great way to end the album.
I’m glad I finally took the opportunity to listen to Ian & Sylvia. I’m a really big fan of the American folk revival of the 1960s as well as the early days and origins of country rock. To add to this, there were a lot of bluegrass and British folk flavors that enhanced the listening experience for me. If you’re a fan of country folk flavors and enjoy the folk stylings from America in the early 1960s, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A