Album of The Week – Martin Carthy

Written by celtic music radio on March 30, 2024

With more than 40 studio albums under his belt, MARTIN CARTHY has re-released his self-titled 1965 debut gem, which has been rightly described as “a must-learn checklist for budding guitarists and folk club organisers.”

To this day, it remains an essential listen for anyone attempting to find their way into traditional English folk music.

The 14-track album offers a snapshot of the work Martin was doing at the time, immersed at a grass-roots level and plying his trade in the folk clubs, where the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon sought him out.

The album also introduces Martin’s earliest collaborations with Dave Swarbrick, an enduring and much-copied partnership that lasted, off and on, until the latter’s death in 2016.

It is a blueprint for how guitar and fiddle duos ought to sound and is Martin’s favourite from his glittering catalogue.

“I always stand by the first album. I love it. There are some things on it I think I couldn’t have done better. There was a clarity of purpose,” said Martin.