The Ship - A Contemporary Folk Music Journey (1972) [Reissue 2009]

A surprising late folk entry in the Elektra Records catalog – recorded in the early 70s, and with some sublime production from the great Gary Usher! The sound is definitely contemporary folk, as promised in the title – but there's more of a singer/songwriter sensibility too – more mature songs than straighter folk, made even more so by Usher's production – and harmonies on some of the vocals that almost recall the post-folk world over at Atlantic. Steve Melshenker and Steve Cowan wrote the album, and do most of the vocals – and both play acoustic guitar too – alongside piano, flute, dobro, bass, and cello, which makes for a warm acoustic sound. Titles include "The Ship", "The Order", "The Man", "The Calm", "The Storm", "The Return", and "The Reason".