Black Cat Bone

Album - What We Did.....

Song - Matty Groves

I discovered Fairport only a few years ago, but they're now a firm favourite.

Album - sorry, can't choose

Song - too many to mention but if push comes to shove, I can whittle down the dozens to these five:

Autopsy, Genesis Hall, Crazy Man Michael, Farewell Farewell, Sloth

It's very hard to choose one song and one album when they've regenerated so many times. I'll cop out by choosing Who Knows Where The Time Goes as song, then Full House as album so long as its the expanded version with my other choice, Now Be Thankful on it.

Both of which will be played at my funeral (along with Do you Realise by the Flaming Lips, in case you're interested)

Errant Panda wrote:It's very hard to choose one song and one album when they've regenerated so many times. I'll cop out by choosing Who Knows Where The Time Goes as song, then Full House as album so long as its the expanded version with my other choice, Now Be Thankful on it.

Both of which will be played at my funeral (along with Do you Realise by the Flaming Lips, in case you're interested)

Hey - I want Who Knows Where the Time goes at mine. (I did want another song as well, but I've been put off it here )

The Donut Kid wrote:

Bonnie Brown Hare wrote:

The Donut Kid wrote:

toomanyhatz wrote:Song - Too many to name. But off the top of my head- best song Thompson wrote for them- "Meet on the Ledge."

I can't get into that one at all. It's strange, I wonder....everybody cites it as a real classic. I just....I dunno.

I love 'Matty Groves', tho'. And 'A Sailor's Life' (which surely everybody has to like, no? I mean everybody in the whole world)

Good god coan, you surprise me liking those. Though yes, personally I can't see how anyone couldn't.

Meet on the ledge - do you know what it's about?

No! Go on...

'The Ledge' was their nickname for a branch on a tree that they used to sit on when they were young - back when they were young and innocent, and it was the bast of times etc.

So the song is about longing to go back to simpler times & how when they
die they will return there in an elysian fields kind of vibe.

It is a great song, although I prefer to remember Sandy for 'Who Knows' etc.

To borrow a phrase from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: go like this (making "ok" sign with thumb and forefinger) and say "wrong"!

toomanyhatz wrote:they hung on way too long.

If you only count their career through the '70s, then yeah. But they've been at it again since 1985 or so, and while I can't say I'm familiar with their recorded work from this period, they're still a great live band.

Last week I found out they were playing in LA (Cal Tech Pasadena) over the weekend, and having blown the opportunity to get Ric Sanders' autograph on my Soft Machine family tree last time I saw Fairport (Roxy 1999), I stopped by during sound check on Saturday. Listened for a while outside, then went in after they finished. Ric not only signed the booklet, but invited me back to hang with him for 20 minutes when their dinner arrived. We talked mainly about music and old movies (two subjects near and dear to my heart), and I gave him a copy of the Kevin Ayers live CD, which he was thrilled to receive. When he found out I didn't have a ticket or the cash to get one, he put me on the guest list, which was very nice of him. The current tour is just him, Chris Leslie (vocals, violin, mandolin, etc.) and Simon Nicol - no drums, no Dave Pegg - but it was still excellent. Mostly songs I'd never heard (plus lovely versions of Now Be Thankful and Meet On The Ledge), lots of joking between songs, and an appreciative audience of maybe 300. I was surprised not to see you there, Dave; did you know about it?

toomanyhatz wrote:I ultimately think the Byrds had a better career overall.

You're kidding, right? I love the Byrds, but even if you just take both bands' work up to 1972, I'd still say Fairport comes up the winner. And if you factor in Sandy Denny's post-Fairport albums up to that point, it's no contest. (I also have a soft spot for the album she did with the Strawbs, before joining Fairport.)

toomanyhatz wrote:And early Steeleye Span is better. And Maddy Prior is a better singer than Sandy Denny.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA! You're killing me, Larry! I've been listening to the Boxful Of Treasures set a lot these last couple of weeks, and it just reinforces my belief that there is no better singer than Sandy Denny.

toomanyhatz wrote:But if you cut 'em off in about '75, they're one of the greats.

Okay, I'll agree that the late '70s albums aren't so hot (although each of those albums has at least one or two songs worth hearing). But their current incarnation is definitely not trading in on past glories, and their continued existence is justified by the Cropredy festivals alone.


Album - probably What We Did On Our Holidays, with three or four others tied for second

Song - impossible to pick one, let alone a top 20 - one of my favorite bands for the last 30 years, and the next 30 as well

Album: Full House

Track: Farewell Farewell

zoomboogity wrote:If you only count their career through the '70s, then yeah. But they've been at it again since 1985 or so, and while I can't say I'm familiar with their recorded work from this period, they're still a great live band.

Theres an awful lot of filler, but check out 'Jewel in the Crown' as best of the bunch.
Also the last one 'Over the next hill' is good - very much a 'Chris Lesley' album, so it varies a bit in sound from your average Fairport album.

But seriously, do they have a completely solid all the way through recording since the instrumental "Expletive Delighted" in the mid 80s? And I agree all of their records through the 70s had great moments, but fewer and fewer as the decade wore on- and mostly instrumental by the end of it.

And I ain't denying Sandy's awesome vocal power, but Maddy Prior in 70 & 71 was just unstoppable- effortless multi-octave slides, grit galore and the same otherworldly quality that Denny had in spades. Denny's voice is exquisite, but for sheer breathtaking beauty, I can't think of anything by her that I'd rather hear than Steeleye's "When I Was on Horseback." And sure, Swarbrick and for that matter Thompson have very charming voices, but neither was a match for Martin Carthy.

And as great as Fairport was, they were ultimately not as earthshaking as the Byrds. I'd say the songwriting matches up pretty well, although on balance I might give Gene Clark an ever-so-slight edge over Thompson. Sure, the Byrds don't have anything as epic as Matty Groves or Sailor's Life, but nor did Fairport reach a huge level of success with something as "out" as 8 Miles High. Add to that the fact that McGuinn basically invented the Steeleye/Fairport sound in 1966 (!) with John Riley and I have to hand it to the Byrds.

That said, I have no complaints about any of their records between the first and Angel Delight, and very few bands have ever had as good of a 6-album run.

toomanyhatz wrote:I agree all of their records through the 70s had great moments, but fewer and fewer as the decade wore on- and mostly instrumental by the end of it.

While I wouldn't compare it to their earlier work, I think that The Bonny Bunch Of Roses is the best album from their late '70s period. Nothing on it really sucks, and much of it is good fun.

toomanyhatz wrote:And I ain't denying Sandy's awesome vocal power, but Maddy Prior in 70 & 71 was just unstoppable- effortless multi-octave slides, grit galore and the same otherworldly quality that Denny had in spades.

For me, part of Sandy's power was when she'd underplay it. There's a lot of subtlety in her delivery, which is what has kept me coming back all these years. I don't know that Steeleye song you mentioned, but if it's better than Sandy Denny singing She Moves Through The Fair, Farewell Farewell or Take Away The Load, it must be a real humdinger!

I have to admit to a lack of knowledge in Steeleye Span, but maybe because the material I heard didn't strike me as much as Fairport's. There again, when I first heard Liege And Lief, it didn't grab me straight away either. Wasn't until two years later, when I found a used copy of Fairport Chronicles for two bucks and figured I'd give them another chance, that I saw the light.

I used to have a few Steeleye albums years ago, but it was all the later stuff, which didn't really resonate with me. I also had a double-album best-of, I think it was called Original Masters, and I remember the older material was best; maybe you could hook me up with a comp of their early highlights?

(By the way, I love Pentangle - not quite as much as Fairport, but they're up there.)

toomanyhatz wrote:Sure, the Byrds don't have anything as epic as Matty Groves or Sailor's Life, but nor did Fairport reach a huge level of success with something as "out" as 8 Miles High. Add to that the fact that McGuinn basically invented the Steeleye/Fairport sound in 1966 (!) with John Riley and I have to hand it to the Byrds.

Okay, this is where it gets subjective: you're factoring in chart success and who came first, I'm just stating my own personal preference. Both opinions are valid. Actually, I like both groups in their own way and don't really compare them with each other, but between the two, I do tend to listen to Fairport more often.

Corporate Whore wrote:Theres an awful lot of filler, but check out 'Jewel in the Crown' as best of the bunch.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll be on the lookout for that one.

You could make an argumant for The byrds as the best singles band, but on the Album front Fairport have it I think.

I do just want to announce that I realize that comparing the Byrds and Fairport is silly- different country, different era, different intent, though similar in some ways. I just pointed it out because Matt Wilson assumed I'd pick Fairport, and I had to set him straight.

And the Steeleye comparison to contradict the assumption that any Britfolk fan must worship the ground that Sandy Denny walks on. She's great, but...

Oh, and Zoomy- Steeleye comp will be delivered to you on the 29th.

I would say that Fairport is to Americans what X are to the Brits but there's always guys like you, Dave, to prove that theory bullshit.

Oh God ,Such a great band and to narrow it down to one album and one song? Impossible
My three albums are What We Did On Our Holidays/Full House/Fairport Nine
My Three songs Meet On The Ledge/Sloth/Rising For The Moon

There are so many to choose from with this band and to pick just one album and one song is as I have said impossible. Even three doesn't do this band justice although if it was merely down to my choices I would say that is a fair but very broad sweep

album: Liege and lief
song: Tale in a hard time