Best examples of acoustic playing?

Ted

For me, with a very mainstream taste, the two best examples are:

1. Simon and Garfunkel's 'Mrs Robinson' - presumably this was Simon himself, rather than a session musician, I believe he used a Guild 12 string.

2. Neil Diamond's cover of 'Mr Bojangles' - I think the acoustic work on this was done by a session musician, rather than Diamond himself, but I could be wrong.

It would be interesting to learn of other peoples examples. 

(I like to aim high, even if I keep missing).

drofluf

Richard Thompson, Bert Jansch, Steve Howe, Steve Hackett, Martin Simpson, Pierre Benusan and Nick Drake to name but a few. 

Of the younger generation Toby Hay and Ben Morgan-Brown. 

Ted

Thanks! but i was really asking for specific songs/pieces rather than artists, but I will investigate the above names.

wrinkleygit

Try this, Martin Simpson, Spoonful, 
 https://youtu.be/2wPOIIkvnwU

Tenebrous

Sun Kil Moon cover. The original is amazing & so is this cover.

All 3 of Nick Drakes albums feature some of the best acoustic playing you're likely to hear.

Elliott Smith is a must, also.

Nick Drake & Elliott Smith both make my personal top ten list. I've not listened to a whole load of Sun Kil Moon, but everything I have heard has been impressive in one way or another.

Oh, I quite like this also, but again it's not an artist I've listened to all that much.

Andy79

https://youtu.be/jIwEOoCdyEY

Doesn’t come much better 

earwighoney

Andy79 said:

https://youtu.be/jIwEOoCdyEY

Doesn’t come much better 

Fine choice

Along those lines, here's my addition to this thread

Lewy

For me, this will always be the acoustic performance against which all others are judged...

https://youtu.be/9JFgC3Ub10E

blobb

Waiting - by Phil Lee, played on the Gilgamesh album "Another fine Tune..."

It's a solo acoustic piece so it sounds pretty much exactly the same as this guy doing a version, you can see what's going on a bit better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs3NJyqbW_Y

shufflebeat

Recently deceased - Arty McGlynn

blobb

Tony Cuffe,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zkOpNh79HU

shufflebeat

It seems the older the recording the less apparent effort they seem to show and the more easy the flow.

Maybe I'm imagining it.

Winny_Pooh

shufflebeat said:

It seems the older the recording the less apparent effort they seem to show and the more easy the flow.

Maybe I'm imagining it.

You're not, the older musicians had better marijuana back then.

fendergibson

Anything by Tommy Emmanuel 

VimFuego

can't go wrong with a bit of Tim O'Brien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWx-GVhKZwg

and I really like the playing of Nick Jones, one of the more underrated of the brit folk scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KzrUlflOV0

shufflebeat

Up until about 18mths ago I played like this but eventually gave in to conventional "wisdom". When I see this I'm not so sure I made the right choice:

stickyfiddle

John Butler. I don't usually go in for rhythmy tappy scrapy guitar playing but this is exceptional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYJf_ybyVo

Fuengi

I do love the organic, freeform nature of Josh T Pearson's playing. Emphasised here with the diegetic soundtrack of the city. 

Ted

Fuengi said:

I do love the organic, freeform nature of Josh T Pearson's playing. Emphasised here with the diegetic soundtrack of the city. 

I would'nt have thought it possible to achieve the level of physical co-ordination needed to play at this level and be stoned out of your mind at the same time. But he seems to have squared the circle.

Fuengi

Ted said:

Fuengi said:

I do love the organic, freeform nature of Josh T Pearson's playing. Emphasised here with the diegetic soundtrack of the city. 

I would'nt have thought it possible to achieve the level of physical co-ordination needed to play at this level and be stoned out of your mind at the same time. But he seems to have squared the circle.

"There is a fine line between genius and shit".

Quote - Josh T Pearson. 

jackorion

drofluf said:

Richard Thompson, Bert Jansch, Steve Howe, Steve Hackett, Martin Simpson, Pierre Benusan and Nick Drake to name but a few. 

Of the younger generation Toby Hay and Ben Morgan-Brown. 

Hey! Cheers for the name check, a nice group of players to be included with!

I'd go for Bert Jansch everyday of the week, but I also really like James Elkington, Nathan Salsburg and Julian Lage at the moment...