Search - Fairport Convention :: History of

Fairport for Strangers

PHILIP S WOLF | SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA | 07/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was in a Shop in Northern Scotland in 1987, and was purchasing a CD by Fairport Convention called: "In Real Time". The Girl behind the counter informed me that the CD, was a: "Corker" and I was gonna love it. She then said: "Drop by The Shop, Tomorrow" and I could borrow her copy of: "The History of Fairport Convention" a 2-LP Set she had owned for over 10 years. Hey I'm Dumb, but I'm no fool. The next day I returned and borrowed the Record from Kallie, taped the Entire Two Lp's and returned her Records a couple of day's later. A Great friendship with a Wonderful Lass who lived near a Wooded Glen, devolped onwards from there, as did my Love for all Music under the banner: Fairport Convention.



This is the best Single CD Collection of Early Fairport Convention Music that you are gonna find. There are 18 tracks from the first Record through to; "The Hen's March/Four Poster Bed" Single from 1972. This Music spans the Ian Matthews/Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny/Dave Pegg/Dave Swarbrick led Fairport Editions up to Simon Nicol's departure in late 1971.



The Big Songs are here: "Meet On The Ledge", "Sailor's Life","Who Knows Where the Time Goes", "Matty Groves","Now Be Thankful" and "Walk Awhile".

In the Five Years that is covered here {1967-1972} a lifetime of great music was conceived and Produced for a very lucky World.





Fairport Convention will always be remembered as the Band that took Traditional British Folk Music and made that Music Rock. From 1969 onwards thousands of other groups have followed the Path they Created.

This is a Wonderful place to begin to some of the Greatest Music ever brought forth into The Rock Era. You cannot go wrong here, this is a Band that still Performs and Produces Timeless Music. I'm not sure How Many Times {Great Song Title!} I have seen the Chaps play Live, {15? 20?} but I do know the Joy from witnessing those Shows here and in the UK.



If your ears work, Listen to this CD!

Five Stars !!! {With another Thank you... to Kallie.}"

Good things last.....

Mr P Webb | BILLERICAY, Essex, United Kingdom | 08/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vinyl wears, no matter how careful you are, but certain music lasts because it lodges in the heart.To hear the purity of Sandy Denny's voice, pre-empting Eva Cassidy by nearly 30 years; to listen to the poetry of her words in her lover's song "Who knows where the time goes", seeing that deserted shore in our minds eye - this was one of the greatest ballads of the last century.Yet there is laughter and merriment here too. The English folk tunes tumble over one another with the violin getting your feet tapping in tunes like "Four Poster Bed; Hen's March or Toss the Feathers".You must feel sorrow for poor "Matty Groves", who found himself in such an awkward position and such an unfair fight! Never did a young man need to learn the value of saying "No thanks" to such a tempting offer.Fairport Convention was a band that experienced both the cruel and carefree sides of life and put their experiences into their music. There is something for all moods in this excellent compilation.But most of all there is Sandy's haunting, clear voice. It is worth buying these recordings for that alone.."

A solid one-disc compilation of Fairport's greatest period

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 03/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Island compilation covers seven albums from 1968 to 1973, when Fairport Convention recorded most of its best work. Strictly speaking, it's not a "Greatest Hits" album, because Fairport never really had any hits. But this is probably the best place to begin for any newcomer to Fairport. The album touches all the bases: Fairport classics "Meet on the Ledge", "Si Tu Dois Partir", and "Matty Groves", singer-songwriter material like "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and "Book Song", songs that seem to exist outside of time like "Fotheringay" and "Now Be Thankful", the musical interplay of "Sloth", and electrified traditional songs like "A Sailor's Life". The only things that keep this from being fully representative of Fairport's career are the lack of drinking songs and songs about lost maidenheads. The oft-neglected "Babbacombe Lee" album is represented by three songs. There are a few quibbles in the song selection--for example, why is the "Rosie" album represented by the average "Hen's March/Four Poster Bed" instead of the exceptional title cut? Why "Mr. Lacey" and "Book Song" instead of "I'll Keep It with Mine", "Come All Ye", or "Tam Lin"? This version of the CD adds "Crazy Man Michael", which was not originally included. Fairport's first, pre-Sandy Denny, album is not included because it was put out by Polygram and not Island."