Lindisfarne – Nicely Out Of Tune (1970)

I am not sure if I first heard this debut album on John Peel or not, but he certainly loved and heavily played it.   And what an album, in some ways it is pure folk, but there is far more crossover into singer/songwriter and even rock territory.  Ironically, just as The Beatles were breaking up new bands were forming and writing and recording amazing music in the first few years of the Seventies.  Extremely talented, both musically and as songwriters this North-Eastern band were among the very best.  The band name is an island just off the coast of Northumberland and they were proud of their Tyne-side heritage.  I saw them a few times and their live shows were riotous and superb.  This album starts off with the haunting ‘Lady Eleanor’ and doesn’t draw breath until ‘Scarecrow Song’ at the end.  The main singer and songwriter was Alan Hull, who left the band after three albums, had a mixed career and died suddenly at age 50.  The band still limps on but hasn’t released new material for 20 years.  Other great tracks on this one are ‘Winter Song’, ‘Clear White Light’ and ‘We Can Swing Together’.