Martin Carthy
Martin Carthy had already made a name for himself in the English folk revival when he made his first album. The songs--all traditional except Ewan MacColl's "Springhill Mine Disaster"--come from all the British Isles. What distinguishes him is his voice; Carthy doesn't just sing, he inhabits a song, making it fresh and relevant. The guitar playing, though good, hasn't yet become distinctive. Probably the most notable track here is "Scarborough Fair," which Paul Simon borrowed, virtually intact, to help make Simon and Garfunkel into household names. It's still the sound of a young man, a scholar of the traditions, who has yet to really find himself, but who obviously has something very special to offer the world.--Chris Nickson