Fairport Convention

[Pr33t]

A bit of a cop-out, but I don't think you can go wrong with any of the first four albums. Liege & Lief is the pinnacle of the style for me, so that would probably be the best starting place. The earlier albums have a bit more of a psych edge in places, especially the first, which has a breezy San Francisco vibe. Full House is still quite good, but without Sandy, it's not entirely the same for me. I don't bother with anything after that - there are just too many other things to listen to.

[Camelogue]

Thank you for the responses.

Not surprisingly, the compilation discs that I have are titled "Meet Me on the Ledge."

[Reid]

Dave Swarbrick's solo stuff is pretty fine. There's a 2 CD set w/ three albums.

Here's some b&w footage of FC in 1970. This line-up played their arses off, and
I don't miss Sandy Denny at all.

[Modry Effekt]

As for Uhalfbricking, there's no way a King Crimson could ever have held a candle to the immense and transcending force that unfolds in Fairport's rendition of "A Sailor's Life"; this is improvisational creativity at such a level that it was hardly ever outdone in rock contexts.

True perfection.

[Watanabe]

I'd have to agree. There was probably less ale and considerably more hallucinogenics involved with Trees, but there was also less cutting-edge musicality and plain virtuosity or will to break ground. I really love both Trees albums, but they were followers not leaders.

As for Uhalfbricking, there's no way a King Crimson could ever have held a candle to the immense and transcending force that unfolds in Fairport's rendition of "A Sailor's Life"; this is improvisational creativity at such a level that it was hardly ever outdone in rock contexts.

And as for Sandy; although she's mostly wonderful in Fairport, my sincere opinion is that her vocal abilities excelled in Fotheringay and on her first three solo albums.

Add in Henry Cow as well as Crimson in that second paragraph.

[Modry Effekt]

Add in Henry Cow as well as Crimson in that second paragraph.

+ 1

[JeffCarney]

Never get the premise behind randomly criticizing other music in order to bring something you like up in value.

"A Sailor's Life" is brilliant in every way. However, to suggest that Cow or Crimson never attained similar improvisational heights in their chosen (and different) fields is ridiculous, IMO.

[Modry Effekt]

Never get the premise behind randomly criticizing other music in order to bring something you like up in value.

"A Sailor's Life" is brilliant in every way. However, to suggest that Cow or Crimson never attained similar improvisational heights in their chosen (and different) fields is ridiculous, IMO.

I just want to throw gravel and dirt back to cows

[Dan Roth]

They have a new album dropping in May to celebrate their 50th anniversary called "50:50@50". Robert Plant and Pentangle vocalist Jacqui McShee are special guests on it.

[rcarlberg]

However, to suggest that Cow or Crimson never attained similar improvisational heights in their chosen (and different) fields is ridiculous, IMO.

Especially considering the "improvisation" here is just vamping on a single chord.

[Spiral]

I'll second Full House and Babbacombe Lee. Also have to mention The Wood & the Wire from '99 or thereabouts. Understandably different from the classic era, but they felt pretty reinvigorated with Chris Leslie jumping on board.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Add in Henry Cow as well as Crimson in that second paragraph.

Oh no, sweets, there's no fucking way that would ever happen, y'know, 'cause in my so contrarian view HC were always so exclusively exempt, y'know, so the mentioning of KC were just another trait in degrading the objectively decided superiority of the symph as an extension of my very own personal anti-symph grudge agenda.

I certainly hope that fits your always so neatly advanced and insightfully revealing analysis of my "position" on Things, Watanabe dear.

[Scrotum Scissor]

"A Sailor's Life" is brilliant in every way. However, to suggest that Cow or Crimson never attained similar improvisational heights in their chosen (and different) fields is ridiculous, IMO.

Yes, it's preposterously ludicrous. I believe I took the trouble to add an "IMO" and elaborate a bit on this a couple of years back, but here it goes again; "A Sailor's Life" beats the others through its approach by being precisely a (mostly) one-chord jam lasting six minutes (after the actual song ends) of rhythmic drive featuring not a showcase of highlighted solos but a swarm-like quality of free tonal expression above the dynamics. It aimed and ultimately succeeded at meditation in an age when so much rock pertained to accomplish exactly that objective - 'though rarely achieving anything near the results of what Fairport did here. I stated as much in the RIP thread on Swarbrick and I'll say it once more; at their very best, the Fairports were as technically proficient as any name in rock coming out of the UK in that period, and the 1969 recording of "A Sailor's Life" attests to that.

Of course, had I made an analogy to The Grateful Dead instead, the reaction of badly veiled offense by the "proghead" arguably wouldn't have amounted to much.

And HC were added at the personal request of Watanabe as a point of complying with his sarcastically intended protest at me having only used the forementioned post to wage my ever-so-eternally-present anti-symph agenda by mentioning KC (who are symph and recognizable) as opposed to HC (who are "advant" and alien). 'Cause, y'know, there is a war going on between the two sides, and I'm always on the snob elite side who don't partake in the threads of the majority because I think I'm so much better than them. In fact, everytime I don't partake in laymen's popular threads it's simply a statement of how unspeakably contrarian an elitist snob I am. I mean, writing about stuff from South-America and Finland and Poland and New Zealand? It's just a demonstrative way of expressing negation of what most others are taken with, and as such wholly disrespectful.

Also, I abstained from answering to the "prog women's fave artists" thread because I'd only have answered something terribly contrarian merely to further my extreme anti-symph opinions. For instance, if female companions of mine had at anytime NOT been into, say, Porcupine Tree (which is decided upon as the most natural thing for weaker sex to enjoy, and we must all concur on this) but rather enjoyed, say, Art Zoyd or something, that's proof enough of me only showing up to pour salt in the waters of genuine Prog Truth by telling what's most likely lies anyway - I mean, who ever heard of a woman liking Art Zoyd (haw-haw).

Y'know, just to be contrarian'n'shit.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Add in Henry Cow as well as Crimson in that second paragraph.

And your actual input on the actual topic of the actual thread?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Oh, so THAT's what your opinion on Fairport is?