Fairport Convention album by album thread

Well I'll have a crack at resurrecting this thread. Unfortunately the next album up is not a strong one….


The Five Seasons released in 1990
Side one

1. "Claudy Banks" (Traditional) - 5:53
2. "Cup of Tea!"/"A Loaf of Bread"/"Miss Monahan's" (Allcock, Traditional) - 3:16
3. "All Your Beauty" (Barry Lowe, Martin White) - 2:55
4. "Sock In It" (Dave Whetstone) - 5:29
5. "Gold" (Peter Blegvad) - 5:06

Side two

1. "Ginnie" (Huw Williams) - 4:10
2. "Mock Morris '90" (The Green Man/The Cropredy Badger/Molly On The Jetty) (Ric Sanders) - 4:53
3. "The Card Song"/"Shuffle the Pack" (Allcock, Mattacks, Nicol) - 4:26
4. "The Wounded Whale" (Archie Fisher, Traditional) - 6:43

Bonus Track on CD release

1. "Rhythm of the Time" (Dave Whetstone) - 5:52

My CD version also includes "Caught a Whisper" and the track order is different.

The lineup is the same as the previous one for Red and Gold -stability at last! Unfortunately the resuts are not near as strong. The opener, 'Claudy Banks' is a well-covered traditional and it is a fairly lifeless version here and an odd choice for an album opener. It gets a 2.5/5 from me. All Your Beauty is a mid tempo filler song saved by a nice Ric Sanders solo (3/5). The rousing instrumental Cup of Tea… is lively and fun -a reel hoot! 5/5. And then the somber 'Gold' is a pretty ballad sung earnestly by Simon that does nothing for me (2/5) Up next on my CD is "Rhythm Of The Time" -another slow dirge that fails to do much for me 2/5. The Card Song… at least raises the energy level a bit with a tempo that get your foot tapping -it's a novelty tune that works ok (3.5/5). Mock Morris '90 is sprightly instrumental with fine work from Ric and nice production that raises this instrumental above the norm (5/5). Sock It In is a rock song that is filler to my ear (2.5/5). Ginnie is a nice ballad -pleasant singing from Simon works better here than on previous ballads (3/5). Wounded Whale is a slow, orchestrated, dirge that bores me (2/5). Caught a Whisper is a live track (not sure where it was recorded) -a nice mid-tempo song that works well with a nice electric solo from Simon (3.5/5).

So a mixed album that definitely pales next to the albums that book end it -but per usual, there are some fine songs worth hearing and cherry picking for your own playlist.

 

According to the Fairport unConventional book, 'Caught a Whisper' was source from the 1994 Cropredy festival.

 

Well not much (or any) interest in keeping this thread going apparently, but a bump just the same.

 

O.K, for posterity and the benefit of the curious who may read this thread later, I will continue to post my thoughts on later Fairport Convention releases.

And now it is time to review their late-ear classic, 1995's Jewell In The Crown.



From Wiki: An album that had been recorded in two stages. Initially a few tracks had been partially recorded with recording engineer Tim Matyear. Tim's departure from Dave Pegg's Woodworm Studio led to producer-engineer Mark Tucker being hired to continue with recording the remaining material. At a very late stage in the production legendary producer Gus Dudgeon made a contribution to the mixing of the songs; "Jewel In The Crown", "The Naked Highwayman", "Closing Time" and "Red Tide". Some subtractive edits were made to "The Naked Highwayman" as Dudgeon felt the song was too long. Overall it's generally considered one of the most satisfying of Fairport's releases, post-Nine. It was also the last studio album recorded by the Nicol, Pegg, Mattacks, Allcock and Sanders line-up.

From Me: This album benefitted from plenty of resources -over 20 songs were demoed for the release, allow the band to cherry pick the best. And the best is what they got for a final release. Strong songs with several featuring in their live act for years -a fitting final release for the most stable Fairport line-up to date. Maarten Allcock would bid adieu after this release.

The Songs:

1. "Jewel in the Crown" (Julie Matthews) – 3:32
2. "Slip Jigs and Reels" (Steve Tilston) – 4:52
3. "A Surfeit of Lampreys" (Maartin Allcock) – 3;19
4. "Kind Fortune" (Traditional, arranged by Fairport Convention) – 2:37
5. "Diamonds and Gold" (Ben Bennion/Maartin Allcock) – 4:14
6. "The Naked Highwayman" (Steve Tilston) – 4:32
7. "The Islands" (Ralph McTell/Maartin Allcock) – 4:33
8. "The Youngest Daughter" (Traditional, arranged by Maartin Allcock) – 2:06
9. "London Danny" (Jez Lowe) – 3:50
10. "Travelling by Steam" (Huw Williams) – 4:57
11. "Travel by Steam" (Traditional, arranged by Ric Sanders) – 3:47
12. "She's Like the Swallow" (Traditional, arranged by Maartin Allcock) – 3:14
13. "Red Tide" (Rob Beattie) – 4:36
14. "Home Is Where the Heart Is" (Clive Gregson) – 4:41
15. "Closing Time" (Leonard Cohen) – 5:40

The album starts strong with 'Jewel in the Crown'. Great energy from all on this one and some fun lyrics that alternate praise Britain and revel in the contradictions in this great country. This song was often included in their live repertoire (5/5). Slip Jigs and Reels is my personal favorite. A ballad of a Billy the Kid-type character with a great chorus and real pathos (yes I tear up at the end). Another live favorite (5/5). A Surfeit of Lampreys is the first and best instrumental -plenty on energy and some fine slap bass from Peggy, another live favorite (4/5). Kind Fortune is a strong ballad which a nice lilt and melody -a winner! (5/5). Next up is Diamonds and Gold, with nice keys from Maarten, but a little too formulaic for my taste (3/5). The Naked Highwayman would be another fan favorite often played live, according to Simon, people keep hoping to hear him choke on the delivery of the this fast-delivers funny story (5/5). The Islands is up next, a brooding account of the impact of an oil spill on a North Sea shore, its pretty nice (4/5). The Youngest Daughter is a brief, excellent instrumental with some great production and playing from all (4/5). London Danny is a nice ballad that would have fit Roy Orbison's paranoid take on life. A nice melody and vocal from Simon (4/5). Summer in December is the 3rd and last instrumental -a slow tempo with some fine violin from Ric (4/5). Traveling by Steam is an up-tempo tune, not too distinct, nice filler (3/5). She's Like a Swallow is a pretty dirge-like song -not too great (2/5). Red Tide really demonstrates some fine arrangements and production the song creates tension as it progresses and begins to rock, (3/5). Home is Where The Heart Is sounds a bit to trite for me, the melody is no great shakes either (2/5). Closing Time is a 'Pub Rock' classic that would be fun to stomp around to in a bar (4/5).

So go out and get this late period high water mark and if you don't like it you can blame and curse me out

 

After every peak there is a decline…


Old New Borrowed Blue is a 1996 album by folk rock band Fairport Convention, although for this release, they were billed as "Fairport Acoustic Convention" as it was the band's first all-acoustic album in 29 years.Part studio, part live, it was recorded to publicise a tour of the United States and consisted of cover versions, new songs and classic tracks dating back to the band's early career. Dave Mattacks, who had provided drums and electronic instrumentation for previous albums, was absent.

Studio tracks

1. "Woodworm Swing" (Ric Sanders) - 3:08
2. "Men" (Loudon Wainwright III) - 3:45
3. "Aunt Sally Shuffle" (Dave Pegg) - 1:22
4. "There Once Was Love" (Paul Metsers) / Innstück (Maartin Allcock) - 4:45
5. "Frozen Man" (James Taylor) - 4:20
6. "Mr Sands Is in the Building" (Maartin Allcock) - 2:06
7. "Lalla Rookh" (Words: Chris Leslie / Music: Maartin Allcock) - 4:27

Live tracks

1. "Foolish You" (Wade Hemsworth) - 3:34
2. "Crazy Man Michael" (RichardThompson/Dave Swarbrick) - 5:09
3. "The Widow of Westmorland's Daughter" (traditional, arrangement by Fairport Convention) - 4:05
4. "Genesis Hall" (Richard Thompson) - 4:13
5. "The Deserter" (John Richards) - 5:43
6. "The Swimming Song" (Loudon Wainwright III) - 3:24
7. "Struck It Right" (Huw Williams) - 4:26
8. "The Hiring Fair" (Ralph McTell/Dave Mattacks) - 6:07
9. "Matty Groves"/"Dirty Linen" (Trad. Arr. Fairport Convention) - 10:06

My Take: A stop-gap album put out to support their acoustic tour. Not much more to add and no song by song analysis, though a big shout out for 'Woodworm Swing', a jazzy instrumental that would see a lot of time in their live sets moving forward. The '96 tour did yield the album 'Acoustically Down Under' which I think had a better set-list (focusing on more recent material) and a great sound.

 

Who Knows Where the Time Goes? is a mixture of studio and live tracks recorded by Mark Tucker at Woodworm Studios, Oxfordshire, The Cropredy Festival 1995 and the Fairport Convention Winter Tour 1997. (retitled "The Wishfulness Waltz" in 2000 with 4 bonus live tracks)

And 1997 brings the new addition of Chris Leslie, a multi-instrumentalist with an emphasis on acoustic instruments, primarily the fiddle. The guy was also a shot in the arm for the band on the composing front. This album is a bit of a mixed bag, but there is some great material to cherry pick.

1. "John Gaudie" (Chris Leslie) - 5:05
2. "Sailing Boat" (Anna Ryder) - 5:25
3. "Here's to Tom Paine" (Steve Tilston) - 5:14
4. "The Bowman's Retreat" (Ric Sanders) - 3:02
5. "Spanish Main" (Martin Allcock/Chris Leslie) - 4:28
6. "The Golden Glove" (Traditional lyric, tune Sally Barker) - 6:04
7. "Slipology" (Ric Sanders) - 3:00
8. "Wishfulness Waltz" (Alan Franks)/"Moonlight On The Water" (Benny Thomasson) - 5:42
9. "Life's a Long Song" (Ian Anderson) - 2:35
10. "Dangerous" (Kristina Olsen) - 4:38
11. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong) - 3:50
12. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" (Sandy Denny) - 6:31

John Gaudie is a nice opener from Chris. More folk than rock, but it all works well, it will remain a standard for their live sets for years (4/5). Sailing Boat is a ballad I don't care for much (2/5). Here's to Tom Paine -an earnest history lesson that is ok (3/5). The Bowman's retreat -some excellent dueling fiddles in this rouser (4/5). Spanish Main is a plodder with a nice instrumental, rocking, bridge (3/5). The Golden Glove, a syrupy ballad that is a bit of a bore, saved by some fine mandolin (Peggy or Chris?) (2/5). Slipology is instrumental #2 and a nice, jazzy and swinging one it is, it would also feature in future live sets (4/5). The Wishfulness Waltz is a nice waltz to dance to I guess, very pretty (4/5). Life's a Long Song is a cover of the Jethro Tull classic. It can't help but pail to the original, but it is well done all the same and another highlight (4/5). Dangerous is their rocker for the album, it's ok with a nice groove (great bass work) but still only so-so (3/5). Heard it Through The Grapevine is a live recording with Richard Thompson singing lead. It is well done but does not really fit the album (3/5). Who Knows Where The Time Goes? is heartfelt and a fine vocal from Simon, still I need to hear Sandy's version for the full effect (3/5).

So a pretty good album, but with a few highs and too much filler.

 

By the 90s Fairport (damn spell correct keeps changing it to "Airport") had developed a sterile, overly polite sound, at least IMO. It's been a while, so I should probably revisit them.

 

The Five Seasons - 'Wounded Whale' - love this interpretation. The band included this one quite often in their live sets and there was some real 'muscle' in the performances but as a 'deep cut' it didn't get the audience response the band had hoped for and they therfore, reluctantly, dropped it from the set.

'Jewel In The Crown' Peggy, in particular, put huge efforts into promoting this album, with a reasonable degree of success. The songs are strong, the performances and arrangements interesting and the band were on top form on the first tour promoting it.

Simon knew Julie Matthews well from their time together in the acoustic Albion Band and was happy to 'borrow' the title track. A number of songs from this album were prominent in the live set for quite a while and were always popular with audiences.

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue was an odd album but again the band toured (acoustically) behind it with some degree of success. Personally, I thought 'Lallah Rookh' was the standout track.

Who Knows Where The Time Goes - Simon intoduced Sandy's signature song with great poignancy during the tour behind this album, explaining how the song resonated in an even greater way for the band (and others) with the passing of time. Pegg's bass playing on this and in subsequent live performances is stellar and something he is - quite rightly - very proud of.

For a while 'Spanish Main' took the place of 'The Wounded Whale' in the live sets, with Chris Leslie adding additional electric guitar but again, the band were disappointed with the response from audiences and it has hardly benn played since (if at all).

John Gaudie has remained in the setlist on and off, but interestingly, few others (especially in comparison with 'Jewel In The Crown').

Although these albums are a little inconsistent I still find much to enjoy in them and they all rank higher than Gottle O' Geer !!!

Best Wishes,
David

 

I should give Lallah Rookh another chance.

The album are not the most consistent -but there is still lots of good material to cherry pick and enjoy, and the cds are now available for very small money making it easy to collect 'em.

 

If you want to check out the strongest from this period I would go with Jewel in the Crown and XXXV. These two albums have far more good than filler, the other are either 50/50 or worse.

 

I'd agree about 'Jewel In The Crown' but would probably substitute 'either 'Who Knows ...?' or 'The Wood and The Wire' for XXXV.

Whilst all of these later albums do include filler, I would argue that the better tracks really are good, and, in some cases, exceptionally good.

BTW - many thanks for resurrecting the thread.

Best Wishes,
David

 

For a while 'Spanish Main' took the place of 'The Wounded Whale' in the live sets, with Chris Leslie adding additional electric guitar but again, the band were disappointed with the response from audiences and it has hardly benn played since (if at all).

Best Wishes,
David[/QUOTE]

I never got to see the band play"Spanish Main" but have seen clips of them doing it , a real rocker ! I didn`t know Chris Leslie had played on it ever, I thought it was just played by Martin Allcock towards the end of his tenure. I will have to hunt down a version with Chris !

I find I really miss the Allcock period band, they were so much fun and played with more abandon than the present lineup (not there is anything wrong with the present lineup ).

 

I've got most, if not all, of this period, I just haven't spun any in a while, except maybe Who Knows on my iPod.

 

I never got to see the band play"Spanish Main" but have seen clips of them doing it , a real rocker ! I didn`t know Chris Leslie had played on it ever, I thought it was just played by Martin Allcock towards the end of his tenure. I will have to hunt down a version with Chris !

I find I really miss the Allcock period band, they were so much fun and played with more abandon than the present lineup (not there is anything wrong with the present lineup ).[/QUOTE]


If memory serves me well, the band included Spanish Main in the setlist on the first tour after CL had joined,

Best Wishes,
David

 

If memory serves me well, the band included Spanish Main in the setlist on the first tour after CL had joined,

Best Wishes,
David[/QUOTE]
Yes, your memory serves you well according to the Fairport Unconventional book they did include Spannish Main in the '97 tour set list.

 

The Wood & The Wire (2000)

From Wiki:
Gerry Conway returned to Fairport on drums for his first appearance since 1973, but the album most strongly features Chris Leslie, who alone and with Nigel Stonier, composed and took lead parts on most of it. The result, according to Allmusic, was that "Leslie seems to have been part of this "moveable feast" for much longer than three years.". Dave Pegg would later comment "Nigel Stonier is a great producer, writer and musician. He has really been very beneficial in helping with Chris Leslie's songwriting. The two of them have written some great songs together which seem to fit the Fairport repertoire really well."

The shop shown on the cover is in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and the boy looking into the window is Chris Leslie's son, Sam.

Track listing
All tracks credited to Chris Leslie/Nigel Stonier unless otherwise noted

1. "The Wood and the Wire" - 4:08
2. "The Dancer" (Chris Leslie) - 4:23
3. "Wandering Man" - 4:51
4. "The Heart of the Song" (Peter Scrowther) - 3:41
5. "A Year and a Day" (Ric Sanders) - 4:14
6. "The Game Pieces" - 4:13
7. "Close to You" (Chris Leslie) - 4:21
8. "Still a Mystery" - 2:40
9. "Banbury Fair" (Chris Leslie) - 4:37
10. "The Lady Vanishes" - 4:52
11. "The Good Fortunes"[6] (traditional, arrangement by Sanders/Leslie) - 3:59
12. "Western Wind" (traditional, arrangement by Simon Nicol/Dave Pegg/Ric Sanders/Chris Leslie/Gerry Conway) - 5:07
13. "Don't Leave Too Soon" - 4:26
14. "Rocky Road" (Steve Tilston)/"The Quaker" (traditional, arrangement by Nicol/Pegg/Sanders/Leslie/Conway) - 5:01

Bonus live tracks on 2005 release

1. "The Good Fortunes" ( Trad. Arr. Ric Sanders / Chris Leslie) - 4:29
2. "Now Be Thankful" (Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick) - 3:44

My Take: Another mixed bag I'm afraid. It starts strong with the title track which could be another later period classic, sung by Simon to great effect, I particularly like the little fast breaks bridges he sings (5/5). Next up is The Dancer that starts like a slow ballad sung by Chris but morphs into a mid tempo piece -not too great (3/5). Wandering Man -another Chris ballad -not much of a melody to distinguish this one (2/5). The Heart of the Song -A Simon-sung ballad with only the nice instrumental break to raise it above a snooze (2/5). A Year and a Day is a pleasant slow instrumental (a waltz?) (3/5). The Game Pieces is a sprightly song with a nice toe tapping structure and some fine chorus singing (4/5). Close to You -another slow ballad sung by Chris? No thanks (2/5). Still A Mystery, a rocker sung by Simon, -a bit formulaic, though the "riff" is driven by the fiddle and is pretty cool (3/5). Banbury Fair has a nice melody that raises it above filler level and the arrangement is a strong one too (4/5). The Lady Vanishes is a pretty, unmemorable slow ballad sung by Simon (2/5). The Good Fortunes gives us a sprightly jig to wake us up and is done well completely with some silliness (4/5). The Western Wind is the well known traditional sung by Simon that includes a first rate arrangement and some fantastic dueling fiddles (4/5). Don't Leave Too Soon -another slow ballad by Chris that leaves me indifferent (just not my kind of song) (2/5). Rocky Road ends the album proper on a high note -a road song in Fairport's hand is a good thing and they really cut it up during the breaks (4/5). The 2005 remaster includes 2 bonus tracks, but I don't have this version (Now Be Thankful appears to be the same version released on XXXV).

So another middling album that includes several songs that should be in every Fairport Convention lover's collection.

 

XXXV: The 35th Anniversary Album (2002)
Track listing

1. "Madeleine" (Laurence Bristow Smith/Kenny Craddock) - 4:23
2. "My Love Is in America" (Chris Leslie) - 4:43
3. "The Happy Man" (traditional, arrangement by Chris Leslie) - 2:48
4. "Portmeirion" (Ric Sanders) - 5:56
5. "The Crowd" (Anna Ryder) - 6:09
6. "The Banks of Sweet Primroses" (traditional, arrangement Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders, Chris Leslie, Gerry Conway) - 4:27
7. "The Deserter" (John Richards) - 6:55
8. "The Light of Day" (Chris Leslie) - 6:11
9. "I Wandered by a Brookside" (music: Barbara Berry/words: traditional, from the Alfred Williams Collection, Swindon Library) - 4:52
10. "Neil Gow's Apprentice" (Michael Marra) - 4:43
11. "Everything but the Skirl" (Ric Sanders) - 4:05
12. "Talking About My Love" (Chris Leslie/Nigel Stonier) - 2:40
13. "Now Be Thankful" (Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick) - 3:45
14. "The Crowd Revisited" (Anna Ryder) - 2:35

Personnel

• Simon Nicol – guitar, vocals
• Gerry Conway – percussion, drums
• Dave Pegg – bass guitar, vocals
• Chris Leslie – mandolin, violin, vocals, tenor banjo, electronic mandolin
• Ric Sanders – violin, electric piano, baritone violin

Additional personnel

• Ian Anderson – flute
• Cropredy Crowd – clapping
• Chris Knibbs – trombone
• Julie Matthews – vocals
• Chas McDevitt – trumpet
• Anna Ryder – piano, accordion, french horn, vocals, penny whistle
• Mark Tucker – electric guitar, e-bow
• Chris While – vocals

Lots of remakes on this one, I should hate it, but I actually find this it one of their strongest and most enjoyable late-period albums. It starts with the rocker Madeleine -complete with some swing it really works well and is one of Fairport's better attempts to rock particularly helped by a great arrangement and fun lyrics (5/5). Next is a ballad by Chris, and these usually leave me cold, but not My Love is In America, the melody and lyrics are effective and evocative -I love it (4/5). The Happy Man accepella (sp) delivery is fun and a great traditional feel -another winner (4/5). Now the remake of Ric Sander's classic 'Portmerion' and it is an improvement over the version on Expletive Delighted with a stronger arrangement and a fan static flute contribution from Ian Anderson (5/5). Anna Ryder contributes the next highlight "the Crowd" she guests with Simon on vocals too. What a great song! I love it and particularly enjoy the arrangement, complete with penny whistles (5/5). The Banks of the Sweet Primroses is a traditional song sung by Chris that is a bit to tame for me (3/5). The Deserter is a strong anti war song, I think it was an Albion Band song that Simon had sung, but not sure. The story is captivating, but the music and arrangements don't do it justice (3/5). The Light of Day is an odd one with it's changing tempos and interesting effects, sung by both Chris and Simon -pretty good one (3/5). I wandered by the Brookside was an older Chris ballad that unfortunately does not work for me (2/5). Neil Gow's Apprentice is a good fiddle ballad (3/5). Everything but the Skirl (love the title) is about what you would expect a rousing instrumental with 2 fiddles starting at a deceptively slow tempo and raising it to a breakneck by the end (4/5). Talking About My Love -A mid tempo rocker that feels like filler (2/5). Now Be Thankful -a remake of a classic, and though it does not surpass the original, it is very good. Chris's vocals work very well on this piece and almost match Swarb's emotional impact -you can tell this was a work of love (4/5). The Crowd Revisited is a fantastic coda for this fine album (4/5).

So I really like this album and it is the most played of my post '75 releases.

 

I like 'The Wood And The Wire' There was a lot of energy on the tour to support the album. There seemed to be a new-found confidence in themselves and the musical interplay of the individuals as part of the ensemble was first-class. Ric, in particular seemed re-energised by having another fiddler in the band.

In the final couple of years with Maartin, some of the performances bordered on pastiche - everything seems that little bit more genuine now again. Nver for a moment taking themselves too seriously, whilst always honouring the music. Maartin had begun to not take some of the music seriously and that had begun to affect performances

The band was really pleased that they had at last acquired into the ranks a prolific songwriter. This did not stop them from looking beyond the band for good material but it meant the pressure was off.

Quite a number of the new songs were integrated into the live set - 'Rocky Road' in particular always elicited positive responses from audiences and, although the recorded versions of Chris' new songs might appear a little bland with hindsight, the public response on the tour was very positive.

The band enjoyed the tour and found themselves in a good place in their career.

Best Wishes,
David

 

I wish they would tour the USA again. I would love to catch this line up.

 

Time and again I hear people comparing older music to punk, as if punk were the standard by which every other era of rock must be measured against and usually found wanting!

This is wrong, just say no rock fans! It is the other way around. Punk, although mostly fabulous, was merely an imitation and revival of the golden years of rock and roll / Merseybeat / surf and all those exciting and glamorous and NEW things that were around in the late 50s / early 60s.

 

I think it's simply eceonomics.

The band is very aware that they still have a fanbase in the US.

Their set-up here in the UK is very much a cottage industry with a very small number of tried and tested employees/co-workers who look after pretty much everything. When on tour in the UK for example, Simon Nicol himself researches and then books all of the lunchtime meal stops.

Finding a promoter in the US who would be able to get everything done for them , publicise a tour efficiently and make it worthwhile financially is quite a big ask.

Also, these guys are very very busy. They are very 'hands-on' in the organisation of the annual Cropredy Festival, tour a couple of times a year in the UK and within Europe and have a number of side-projects such as the Excalibur events, the Albion Christmas Band etc., so, I guess that finding the time to get to the US with a sufficiently effective tour programme might be a bit of a challenge.

Also ... Pegg will be celebrating his 68th birthday this coming November, Simon Nicol will be 65, Gerry Comway 63, Ric Sanders also 63 with Chris Leslie being the baby at the band at age 59 next birthday. All Mid to late Autumn birthdays by the way.

There is little sign of them relenting just yet - 2017 will be 50 years of the band's existence. Maybe a huge Cropredy event and then a slowing down? Pegg will be 70 in 2017.

Best Wishes,
David

 

I'm glad to see this thread revived for the band's last years, though I don't much to contribute.

The Five Seasons was the last FC album that I bought (other than reissues/remasters); alas, I sold it maybe 10 years ago during a culling of the collection, and no longer have it. I remember liking a few tracks -- I was rather fond of "Claudy Banks" myself, and the instrumentals were good. Overall, though, I thought the album paled in comparison with Red & Gold, and I rarely played it. By the time Jewel in the Crown came out, I figured the band had probably run its course; the high proportion of remakes and re-remakes and re-re-makes on subsequent albums seemed to confirm my suspicion. However, Prognastycator's enthusiastic review of Jewel has me tempted to pick that one up, and maybe XXXV as well.

I did see the band on the Five Seasons tour, and some of the songs that bored me on record (e.g., Wounded Whale) were better live.

 

The band was very proud of its live performances of Wounded Whale and never quite understood the lukewarm response from audiences.

Best Wishes,
David

 

I had somehow missed your earlier comment about the live performances of this song. It's a pity that we were in the minority in enjoying this song in a live setting.

Now I'm thinking that I might have to re-purchase the Five Seasons, if only for sentimental reasons.

 

I think I always liked the studio version too. I find the instrumental interplay exquisite in places and Simon's vocal one of his most masterful performances.

Best Wishes,
David