Patrick Sky

Sky was one of the numerous folky singer-songwriters to be placed in the new Dylan camp during the '60s (and, for that matter, ever since). Although the comparison with Dylan is basically unfair, and his talents were not without modest charms, they didn't measure up to Dylan in the slightest. On this 1965 debut, Sky did present a mixture of original and traditional material that, inadvertently or not, recalled Sir Bob's early acoustic efforts in their basic arrangements and keening phrasing, although Sky's voice and compositions are ordinary. Not everyone knew it at the time, but this brand of folk, and of singing-songwriting, was on the verge of being rendered totally passe. But as a '60s folk recording of this style goes, it's an adequate job, including some of his most famous compositions ("Many a Mile" and "Love Will Endure," the latter of which was covered by the Blues Project), and committed interpretations of "Wreck of the 97" and songs by Tom Paxton and Peter LaFarge. ~ Richie Unterberger