(2-CD set) Over the past five decades Martin Carthy has been one of the most dedicated practitioners of English traditional music. He has been an essential figure in most of the significant developments in folk music during that time and has a remarkable international reputation. His early work was an inspiration to both Bob Dylan and Paul Simon; Martin's reading of Lord Franklin became the template for Bob Dylan's Dream, whilst his arrangement of Scarborough Fair was the basis for the popular Simon & Garfunkel hit. More recently his influence has been widely acknowledged by artists as diverse as Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Richard Thompson, Martin Simpson and Fleet Foxes.