Liege and Lief - Fairport Convention
Once again I would like to repeat that these albums are appearing in no particular order. And sometimes a day late - yesterday I didn't have a chance to post. I'll try to catch up tonight.
If they were this wouldn't be appearing for quite a while. It was a difficult choice between this and Unhalfbricking as the Fairport album to include.
Unhalfbricking, amoung others has the magnificent Who Knows Where the Time Goes but this has its equals, and doesn't have a weak track. The highlight for me is Matty Groves. I just love the existential howl of Richard Thompson's guitar at the end. I don't think it fanciful to hear some of the grief and pain which he was going through at the time expressed in his playing. The band had been involved in a car accident and drummer Martin Lambe and Thompson's girlfriend were killed. These lines must have been difficult to hear.
"And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free.
I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you and your finery"
And then there is Sandy Denny's voice. Both Thompson and Denny are still in the running to put in another appearance on this list.
I have to confess to only owning 'Greatest Hits' from FC therefore don't know the songs in situ. Ditto for Sandy. 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' is a timeless beauty. I never cease to be surprised by its potency; here's a reminder:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xODjbfYw8
I am a big fan of the musicians in the the band; Richard Thompson in particular; once he'd left to perform with Linda and then beyond for his fine solo work. Who else could write a heartbreaking love song to a motorbike?
Highlight for me too. Great version with Richard singing on Live at the LA Troubadour. Staple of Planxty too under the name Little Musgrave.Tom Waits covers it as Mathie Grove on the vinyl version of Orphans.
ReplyDeleteBrendan
@Trevor - The first few albums are really worth listening to as albums. They produced an awful lot of good music in a very short time period.
ReplyDelete@Brendan - Yes, know and love the Planxty version. Must dig out the Waits as I don't know that one. I had switched to buying cds by Orphans. The Live at the LA Troubadour goes on the list too.