{"title":"Robert Lester Folsom","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"robert-lester-folsom-sunshine-only-sometimes-archives-vol-2-19721975-184923610314","title":"Robert Lester Folsom - Sunshine Only Sometimes: Archives Vol. 2, 1972-1975 Standard Black Vinyl","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSunshine Only Sometimes: Archives Vol. 2, 1972–1975 continues Anthology Recordings’ excavation, and exploration, of southern singer, songwriter, and psychedelic serviceman Robert Lester Folsom’s bountiful archives. Recorded across Georgia in various bedrooms, a barn, and a motel room with a reel-to-reel and a revolving cast of whip smart studio musicians in the first half of a dazed and confused decade, Sunshine Only Sometimes furthers Folsom’s place in the canon of long lost but eventually found independently spirited, high-flying American folk rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhen Anthology’s reissue of Music and Dreams, the sole contemporaneous album released in 1976 by Folsom, surfaced in 2010, little else was known of Folsom’s nearly five-decade deep archive of unreleased demos and fully formed studio recordings. Born and raised in Adel, Georgia—both then, and now, a sleepy hamlet with a population of less than 5,000—Folsom was fortunate to be minded after extremely supportive parents. Exhibiting a precocious affinity for music, things went widescreen when he observed the same ferry from ‘cross the Mersey as many others of his generation, carrying the four musical moptops to their paradigm shifting appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSoon thereafter, Folsom began religiously absorbing every morsel of musical output The Fab Four offered, as well as that of their contemporaries. Yet, it wasn’t long before observation transformed into a motivation to create. Even a children’s record player bought by his parents as a gift to him was traded off to a neighborhood friend for a stringless, disheveled guitar (which Folsom’s father shined to prime and function for him in short order). As time went on, Folsom’s innate drive and field of vision broadened; he began enlisting neighborhood friends, classmates, and family members to fulfill his small-scale musical dreams, which would increase in weight with the passage of days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOver the next several years, while employing ingenious, home brewed over-dubbing techniques with his “love at first sight,” a Sears 3440 two-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, Folsom served as the de facto producer\/arranger for any and all scrappy garage band or aspiring singer songwriter in the radius of Adel. Abetted by his mobile recording unit, across a number of unusual locations, and assisted by guitarist and collaborator Hans VanBrackle, this period produced the bounty of Folsom’s self-penned compositions which make up Ode to a Rainy Day and Sunshine Only Sometimes. And eventually, this period of woodshedding led to the formation of his rural-tinged, progressive, southern rock outfit Abacus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThough carrying Folsom’s own singular sound and vision, Music and Dreams, in equal measure, chartered the seas of smooth West Coast AOR before the yachts to come, while tracing the distinctly Californian sound of Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter soft rock Americana, which tussled on the waters before the large vessels overtook the big blue. Folsom’s earlier compositions found on Sunshine Only Sometimes reflect a darker-hued mixture of mellow folk, downer vibes, and rural tones, revealing his talent for melody and hook was intact far before Music and Dreams, with a keen sense of introspection making the dark and light equally resonant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSunshine Only Sometimes offers up another sterling set of tonally-shifting, sub-underground, alternate timeline classic rock. The C\u0026amp;W-influenced, sprightly-pop of George Harrison—whose Dark Horse Records is one of a handful of record companies Folsom and VanBrackle submitted demos to—is invoked in the uber-melodic “Ease My Mind.” “Julie” brings to mind Nixon-era ragged ‘n’ ramshackled country-blues from the Glimmer Twins’ pen, and the semi-acoustic, heavily-flanged, out-of-time psych-pop of “Lonely Lovers” sits somewhere between a forward-looking glimpse at Music and Dreams and a demo from a would-be Cosmic American Music king.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUnlike similar iconoclasts with crystal vision who held forth with the oppressive thumb of a musical dictator, Folsom was ever in service of song, standing equally aside his collaborators, which uniformly engendered affinity and respect lasting to this day. While a tick higher than the second-tier, the mountaintop was always narrowly out his grasp. Though, with the right set of opportunities, bolstered by talent and drive, Folsom, if not as a stand-alone, star-quality artist, could have led the career of any number of songwriters behind the curtain who rode the magical musical continuum across the decades with faceless success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePerhaps it was Robert and company’s playing “weird spacey stuff and ballads,” as guitarist VanBrackle describes, in small town Georgia skating rinks, bowling alleys, and school dances expecting Top 40 dance-ready hits which held them down. Perhaps it was simply location. Though, the music of Sunshine Only Sometimes is composed of an intrinsic ability to hear the music truly playing, as opposed to the space in air heard by the lay-ear, which places Folsom’s music in a timeless space primed for perennial (re)discovery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anthology Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47589451694381,"sku":"184923610314","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0846\/5802\/8845\/files\/ARC103_RLF-SunshineOnlySometimes_ProductShots_02.jpg?v=1700510135"},{"product_id":"robert-lester-folsom-music-and-dreams-184923600711","title":"Robert Lester Folsom - Music and Dreams Standard Black Vinyl","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert Lester Folsom’s story isn’t all that uncommon in the parlance of his era. He spent the ‘60s growing up in Adel, Georgia, a small town nearer to Valdosta and Florida’s northern border than anything resembling rock \u0026amp; roll, obsessing over his guitar as his craft and skills grew. Folsom would write and record a wealth of material in the early ‘70s, which make up the backbone of \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde To A Rainy Day\u003c\/i\u003e – the first time these songs have been heard in decades. \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e showcases both impeccable songwriting across light folk, downer pop, front porch rock and woodshed country tropes, combined with ingenious arrangements and technical skills across primitive recording equipment. The beauty of \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e lies in its tracking of the seasons in its cycle, how each song feels like a different time of year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFolsom’s legitimate debut would have to wait until 1976, when he self-released the album \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e, which brings the ideas presented on \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e into clear, polished relief, lushly appointed with synthesizers, clavinet, an army of percussion, and multiple tracks of orchestration and arrangements that’ll make you feel like you’ve heard any of these wonderful songs before. Folsom provides a homespun challenge to then-established artists as farflung as Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, and KC \u0026amp; The Sunshine Band, albeit with touches that credit his upbringing from the decade prior. Had the record any manner of major label backing, it could’ve been a hit; as it stands, \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e has quietly amassed a cult following, with original copies trading for handsome sums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAnthology Recordings is proud to make \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e available once again, and beyond ecstatic to present the music that led up to it on \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde To A Rainy Day\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anthology Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47589452054829,"sku":"184923600711","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0846\/5802\/8845\/files\/ARC007_RLF_MusicAndDreams_front.jpg?v=1700510060"},{"product_id":"robert-lester-folsom-music-and-dreams-184923600728","title":"Robert Lester Folsom - Music and Dreams CD","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert Lester Folsom’s story isn’t all that uncommon in the parlance of his era. He spent the ‘60s growing up in Adel, Georgia, a small town nearer to Valdosta and Florida’s northern border than anything resembling rock \u0026amp; roll, obsessing over his guitar as his craft and skills grew. Folsom would write and record a wealth of material in the early ‘70s, which make up the backbone of \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde To A Rainy Day\u003c\/i\u003e – the first time these songs have been heard in decades. \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e showcases both impeccable songwriting across light folk, downer pop, front porch rock and woodshed country tropes, combined with ingenious arrangements and technical skills across primitive recording equipment. The beauty of \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e lies in its tracking of the seasons in its cycle, how each song feels like a different time of year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFolsom’s legitimate debut would have to wait until 1976, when he self-released the album \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e, which brings the ideas presented on \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde\u003c\/i\u003e into clear, polished relief, lushly appointed with synthesizers, clavinet, an army of percussion, and multiple tracks of orchestration and arrangements that’ll make you feel like you’ve heard any of these wonderful songs before. Folsom provides a homespun challenge to then-established artists as farflung as Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, and KC \u0026amp; The Sunshine Band, albeit with touches that credit his upbringing from the decade prior. Had the record any manner of major label backing, it could’ve been a hit; as it stands, \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e has quietly amassed a cult following, with original copies trading for handsome sums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAnthology Recordings is proud to make \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMusic And Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e available once again, and beyond ecstatic to present the music that led up to it on \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOde To A Rainy Day\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anthology Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47589452775725,"sku":"184923600728","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0846\/5802\/8845\/files\/ARC007-Cover_1400.jpg?v=1700510032"},{"product_id":"robert-lester-folsom-if-you-wanna-laugh-you-gotta-cry-sometimes-purple-reverie-vinyl","title":"Robert Lester Folsom - If You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes - Purple Reverie Vinyl","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eProduct Details:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e140g Purple Reverie color vinyl LP with full color jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes: Archives Vol. 3, 1972-1975 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis another magical discovery from Georgia-born singer-songwriter \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRobert Lester Folsom’s\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e oeuvre of soft psychedelia and rural rock n’ roll, written and recorded over 50 years ago yet prophetically resonant today. Born of lost summers, new love (and the breaks that follow), and hippie bluegrass shakes, these spirited takes to 4-track tape open a prismatic window onto a young artist finding their footing, and are testament to why Folsom’s legacy burns bright to this day. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDrawing from the same archive of homespun demos and informal studio sessions rediscovered on the two previous volumes of Folsom’s early musical wizardry from Anthology Recordings, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOde to a Rainy Day \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSunshine Only Sometimes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the songs on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf You Wanna Laugh\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e offer candid snapshots of the hazy yet hugely formative years that ushered in the release of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMusic and Dreams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the revered, privately pressed studio album which serendipitously enjoys its Golden Jubilee this year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs Folsom recalls, most of the songs that weave the tale of this third anthological chapter were written during the long and languid summer vacation days of his late teens, which were largely spent bumming around with friends in his sleepy hometown of Adel, Georgia. The young visionary, accompanied by an eager troupe of local conspirators, spent his free time putting pen to paper and filling tape on his beloved Sears 3440 reel-to-reel in the off-hours that stretched wide between half-hearted summer jobs and hitting the road with eyes turned and ears tuned to the rhythms of the world passing by.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe resulting sun-soaked takes were recorded at home, across an array of improvised off-spaces in Adel (including the local hog parlor), and at one of Folsom’s favorite local studios at the time in Atlanta. A few tunes were set down as far away as Auburn, Alabama, the college town where Folsom briefly relocated in 1975 along with his bandmates from the short-lived but beloved soft rock outfit \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbacus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. These unpolished, lived-in environments pepper the recordings with a local flavor and characteristic drawl, their singular sonics echoing Folsom’s off-the-cuff songwriting that, then as now, is set alight by an old-soul wit and charm. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike all great wordsmiths, Folsom has that rare ability of always saying just enough, whether he’s translating woozy daydreams about paint colors into offbeat tales of heartbreak (“Burnt Carmine”) or flooring hearts with raw verses of clear-eyed feeling. “I Don’t Know” and “What Are You Thinking Of?” are love songs that transcend time and place, and find the young Folsom at some of his songwriting best, leaning into unfettered rhyme structures and plainspoken emotional turns that touch on universal experiences. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInterspersed throughout the collection is also a bundle of bluegrass-inspired instrumentals that were set off by a fateful encounter with legendary fingerpicker \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDoc Watson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e at a local music festival. “Mountain Air Rag,” “And God Made the Pine Trees Too,” and “Gene Autry” shadow the sudden rise in popularity of bluegrass music that seized the South during the early-to-mid 1970s (and was particularly potent among the hippie set) with Folsom riding the trend’s smoke trails with high-flying charisma.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike a series of old postcards that offer a glimpse into an almost forgotten world, the lo-fi gems on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf You Wanna Laugh\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e welcome longtime listeners ever deeper into Folsom’s inner sanctum, while inviting new ears into the orbit of a songwriter whose work has always existed just outside the frame of its time. Equal parts naïve and knowing, lighthearted and serious, these recordings reaffirm the enduring spirit of an artist that’s kept touring, making music, and living out his dreams until this day. Eternally guided by a golden soul that’s still shining forever young.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRobert Lester Folsom’s If You Wanna Laugh, You Gotta Cry Sometimes: Archives Vol. 3, 1972-1975\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is set to arrive on Anthology Recordings on March 20, 2026. Lester and his whip-smart crew of young collaborators will tour around the release, with extensive North American dates throughout March and May.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anthology Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51743927337261,"sku":"840526502110","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0846\/5802\/8845\/files\/RLF-IfYouWannaLaugh_LP-1.png?v=1768232094"},{"product_id":"robert-lester-folsom-ode-to-a-rainy-day-archives-1972-1975-blue-velvet-vinyl","title":"Robert Lester Folsom - Ode To A Rainy Day: Archives 1972-1975 - Blue Velvet Vinyl","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnthology Recordings is proud to make 'Ode To A Rainy Day' available once on limited-edition \"South Georgia Sun\" orange vinyl. 'Ode' is the first collection of unearthed, unheard material from Georgia's favorite folk hero Robert Lester Folsom. Fans of his 1976 private press grail 'Music and Dreams' will revel in the carefully curated assemblage of mellow gold, including the prescient, potent cuts \"See You Later, I'm Gone\" and \"Heaven on the Beach With You.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRobert Lester Folsom’s story isn’t all that uncommon in the parlance of his era. He spent the ‘60s growing up in Adel, Georgia, a small town nearer to Valdosta and Florida’s northern border than anything resembling rock \u0026amp;amp; roll, obsessing over his guitar as his craft and skills grew. Folsom would write and record a wealth of material in the early ‘70s, which make up the backbone 'Ode To A Rainy Day' – the first time these songs have been heard in decades. 'Ode' showcases both impeccable songwriting across light folk, downer pop, front porch rock and woodshed country tropes, combined with ingenious arrangements and technical skills across primitive recording equipment. The beauty of 'Ode' lies in its tracking of the seasons in its cycle, how each song feels like a different time of year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFolsom’s legitimate debut would have to wait until\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e1976, when he self-released the album 'Music And Dreams,' which brings the ideas presented on 'Ode' into clear, polished relief, lushly appointed with synthesizers, clavinet, an army of percussion, and multiple tracks of orchestration and arrangements that’ll make you feel like you’ve heard any of these wonderful songs before. Folsom provides a homespun challenge to then-established artists as farflung as Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, and KC \u0026amp;amp; The Sunshine Band, albeit with touches that credit his upbringing from the decade prior. Had the record any manner of major label backing, it could’ve been a hit; as it stands 'Music And Dreams' has quietly amassed a cult following, with original copies trading for handsome sums.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anthology Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51771784528173,"sku":"840526502721","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0846\/5802\/8845\/files\/ARC008_RLF-OdetoaRainyDay_Mockup_LP-BlueVelvet.png?v=1769026447"}],"url":"https:\/\/mexicansummer.myshopify.com\/collections\/robert-lester-folsom.oembed","provider":"Mexican Summer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}