I understand your point, but to describe her departure as a "blip" is like describing the Sun as "a little bit of heat"...
That's about the size of it. It took me a long while to get my head around Babbacombe Lee. It was the live version of the album by the current band that helped it click for me.
Agreed. However, if John Tams had been with them longer... I may pick differently. I'm amazed Tams isn't discussed more -- such a brilliant songwriter and singer both solo and with Home Service.
Was that the tour with Christine Collister as support act? I saw RT/DT/DM with Christine joining them for a few numbers and then Ian Matthews popped in for s few numbers - that was an unexpected delight - c.1994 I think. Thompson was previewing You Me Us material.
He's one of my favourite singers. A shame The Home Service didn't do more, but Alright Jack is one of the pinnacles of English folk rock.
I'm not sure how pitting a great singer-songwriter vs a great guitarist is apt. I love White as much as anyone, but The Byrds 2.0 had some lazy, boring songwriting (and I say this as a country-rock fanatic). IMO, Byrds 2.0 had one album's worth of good material throughout their entire run (and two of 'em are the songs Clarence sang lead on. They really should have given him more songs.) But back on topic... Kiss is a very fair dude when it comes to judging a band on the premises of music only-not PR. And he is correct to champion post-Swarb FC. They are great and he's helped me collect as much of their work as I can. My own opinion, however is that the 60s/70s incarnations of the band is still the best, PR or no, and that Sandy is responsible for cementing them in the folk pantheon to the point where the post-Swarb FC can "coast" on the brand a little and take some chances on newer material that they may never have been able to without having the "classic" material to fall back on. My own take on post-Swarb is that they're fantastic, but it's almost impossible to compare the eras because their sound is so "modern" and I prefer the "sound" of old FC (not to mention the songs). However this is a case of recording technologies upgrading so no band can be faulted for a change in "sound" or techniques, etc. All this is to say that I think post-Swarb FC is very good, a fine continuation of the group but also a very different sounding one. One thing Kiss and I unanimously agree on is the absolute genius of Swarb. We are two of the slap-happiest fans around.
Sandy Denny was my main attraction to Fairport. I find Thompson's Fairport work plodding, maudlin, and depressing. Their American style country and rocknroll is phony and unlistenable to me, I can't stand that British cowboy crap, be it Fairport, Stones, or Beatles. I love Richard Thompson's post Fairport work.
I'm American, so Iain was where it was at for me. In fact, it was Iain whom I was introduced to FC by. As a Monkees fan I found Iain because Mike Nesmith produced his Valley-Hi album. Then I found out about FC afterward. (Interestingly that wouldn't be Nesmith's only connection to FC, being backed by Peggy and Mattacks in the mid 70s for some UK shows). That said, as crazy as I am about FC's members I still haven't clicked with Thompson yet, and to add to the irony, I have Linda's solo albums sans Richard! EDIT: It has always bothered me how flippant some FC fans can be about Matthews' involvement. He has one of the greatest voices (and still. I've seen him over the past couple years and he still has it in spades). His voice work with Denny is some of the best moments in pop history, IMO.
I first saw Fairport on the Five Seasons tour having only heard Red and Gold and Nicol's Before Your Time. I was hooked and went to three Cropredys and started exploring their music in more depth. In the context of their history Sandy's (and Judy's) voice is a novelty amongst the predominantly male front men. I got into Richard and Linda a lot quicker than I did Sandy. Linda's voice is just more beautiful, and Richard is a more versatile and varied songwriter and performer. I do now love Sandy's material as well. But she wouldn't be in my top five from the whole history of Fairport Having worked backwards and forwards from the Maart and Ric line up I have to say I miss Martin Allcock's talent as an arranger, especially on the instruemetals. Its the one thing that got lost when Chris Leslie replaced him. Chris Leslie is the best songwriter the band has had since Richard Thompson left, and yes that does mean better than Sandy. Not in my top five , but I must say I seem to be a lonely advocate for Trevor Lucas's singing voice. He had the tone of a great country singer. Him and Jerry Donahue were a great team on the more country sounding numbers.
Trevor Lucas is much maligned, sadly. He was fab. It was like having Gordon Lightfoot in the band for a while. Chris' songs have been a breath of fresh air for the band. Great voice too.
I'll give props to Ken Nicol as well, since I was less fond of him in Steeleye. I think my favorite frontwoman is Anna Ryder, even though she was never actually in the band!
A gem from Martin Allcock. Listen to how this arrangement develops over the course of just two minutes. No one else brought this skill to the band.
Well at least your thread has encouraged some great debate about Fairport. It has been great reading so far.
I came to represent Dave. Sandy flew to greater heights in Fatheringay and solo, and Richard is a very close second. If a band has a special drummer and I like their music I'm all in. Mattacks could really drive the band, played with humour, always had a superb drum sound and most importantly had great feel and pocket. Lastly I think Dave made the band sound more comtemporary and along with Richard "hip". Perhaps Dave not knowing anything about jigs and reels helped when he first joined the band. Walk a While.
This was in February 1995. Christine was there, but I'd forgotten that Ian/Iain was also there until I found the details online: February 23, 1995 (Thursday) - Beck Theatre, Hayes, Middlesex UK Easy There Steady Now, Mingus Eyes, Waltzing's for Dreamers, I Feel So Good, Al Bowlly's In Heaven, Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shands, Dimming of the Day, Vincent Black Lightning, Now That I Am Dead, Poor Ditching Boy*, From Galway to Graceland*, Reno Nevada*, Turning of the Tide, Hide It Away, Last Shift, Razor Dance**, Wall of Death**, Ghosts In The Wind**, Valerie** (* with Iain Matthews on vocals, ** with Christine Collister)
