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Album
Folkjokeopus
Roy Harper →2,964 listeners36,949 plays
singer-songwriterfolk-rockfreepurp1e1969ayler
about this album
Folkjokeopus is the third album issued by English folk/rock singer-songwriter & guitarist Roy Harper, released in 1969. It is notable for the lengthy track, "McGoohan's Blues", which Harper states was "inspired by actor Patrick McGoohan's depiction of the establishment rebel in his TV series, The Prisoner". "One For All" was dedicated to tenor saxist Albert Ayler, whom Harper had known in Copenhagen. The album title was borrowed to provide the name of a Minneapolis record store, Oar Folkjokeopus. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
why this is interesting
# Folkjokeopus: A Singular Achievement This 1969 album rewards attentive listening for its intellectual ambition and musical inventiveness. Harper constructs extended narrative pieces that blur folk and rock conventions, most notably "McGoohan's Blues," a meditation on dissent and nonconformity that draws unexpected depth from its television inspiration. The album reveals Harper's gift for weaving cultural references—including a tribute to saxophonist Albert Ayler—into personal artistic statements rather than mere name-dropping. What distinguishes *Folkjokeopus* is Harper's refusal to settle for conventional song structures; instead, he builds layered compositions that prioritize lyrical substance and improvis
