Search - Les Barker :: Probably the Best Album Ever Made by Anybody in Our Street

Daft, punny humor

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 05/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Manchester-based British folk parodist Les Barker is, perhaps, the trad scene's equivalent to garage rock's Billy Childish -- an absurdly prolific songwriter, poet and comedic performer, Barker has written over sixty books of poetry and prose, and recorded numerous high-concept, low-budget, middlebrow albums, often with the help of some of England's greatest trad-folk talent. Barker's label, Mrs. Ackroyd Records, is named in honor of his late (yet beloved) pooch, Mrs. Ackroyd, who was infamous for her folk club appearances, onstage naps, and occasional nips. Barker's work is certainly an acquired taste, but with pals like June Tabor, Pete Morton, Martin Carthy and the whole Waterson clan in his camp, the guy's gotta have something going on... This is a best-of collection which covers some of the highlights of his career."