Various Artists
Album: Electric Eden Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music
Label: UMC
Tracks: 20,16
Website: http://www.electriceden.net/

Sometimes the worth of an artist isn't really understood until after they're dead, a cult following at the time becomes an opportunity to be declared an innovator once daisies are metaphorically being pushed up, Nick Drake being a classic case in point. Recognised by peers as being an innovative songwriter during his unfortunate and short life, but decidedly unable to turn that innovation into commercial success.

Other musical innovators seem able have had an opposite track respected by peer and public alike, able to have turned ideas into albums that the public were able to take to their hearts at the time, but who somehow either lost touch with their public and/or creative drive and have steadily slipped out of the public consciousness only to retain a following of devotees to remember what it was like once, Traffic arguably falling into that category.

Still others of this distinguished breed have retained that creative streak and applied across their life as they shift mercurially from one genre to the next, developing new fans and dropping others , losing links with their original creative pools. Here the multi-musical personalities of David Bowie probably rule the roost, Aladdin Sane and the Thin White Duke remembered where David Jones vanishes into the ether.

Finally you come to the glorious flew that maintain that connection to their innovative past as they continue to innovate along the scene and continue to move it forward, brief transgressions into other genres often forgotten and forgiven. Chalk up the likes of Richard Thompson and the late great, Bert Jansch in that group.

Over a double album and the narrow time frame of the late sixties, "Electric Eden" throws all four types into the rich melting pot as it covers that point in musical history where folk music started to find its self being plugged into the mains and diversifying into genres like folk rock and psyche folk and a fascinating collection of songs it is to.

There are times when it does get a little heavy going, similarly there are some real surprises that it pulls from its potpourri of songwriters and performers and those surprises are going to change depending on how extensive your knowledge of the period is. What is for sure is that pretty much regardless of your background, you're going to understand what it is about the collection of songs and their creators here that still sees them sighted as influences today, some forty odd years later. A collection well worth getting off the sofa for, one that may get your failing memory back on track or simply serve as an introduction to a rich pool of creative juices.

Neil King