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Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief Audio CD

A fair review of the Fairport Convention "Liege & Lief" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Fairport Convention reviews here, or go back to the Fairport Convention tabs.

Fairport Convention Band: Fairport Convention
Title: Liege & Lief
Rating:
Release Date: 2007-08-20
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Come All Ye 2: Reynardine 3: Matty Groves 4: Farewell, Farewell 5: Deserter 6: Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish Paddy/Foxhunter's Jig/Toss the F 7: Tam Lin 8: Crazy Man Michael 9: Sir Patrick Spens 10: Quiet Joys of Brotherhood 11: Ballad of Easy Rider 12: Tam Lin 13: Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish Paddy/Foxhunter's Jig/Toss the F 14: Sir Patrick Spens 15: Reynardine 16: Quiet Joys of Brotherhood 17: Lady Is a Tramp 18: Medley: The Lady Is a Tramp/In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon) [#]

Fairport Convention
When I received the CD, I remembered why. I had this on vinyl many years ago and it was a favorite. It is excellent. Sandy Dennis has such a pure, strong voice. Thank you for an excellent product. Takes me to a place far away.


nice edition, perfect album
Not sure what the "middle" release offered, but in terms of a booklet this one beats the standard (no-bonus-track/original packaging) release hands down. Well, since I couldn't locate a copy of the one-disc remaster with bonus tracks, I finally went and sprung for this, even though I had nearly everything. . . . a nice essay and a bunch of great photos from the house-in-the-country rehearsals where they developed these tunes.

Just to confirm, the final track on disc 2 (Lady Is a Tramp/Fly Me to the Moon) is just a goof-off instrumental from the rehearsals, which demonstrates the humorous side of this heavy band & album but otherwise for completists only. While some thought has been put into the running order of the bonus disc and its flow, I agree with a previous reviewer that more could have been included: namely, more rehearsals. The unConventional box hints at tantalizing alternate-arrangement attempts at Tam Lin, and even includes an early (admittedly lower quality) version of Farewell Farewell, and one of Crazy Man Michael, too (unless it's an alternate mix). At the very least, the alternate mix of Come All Ye from that box should've been included here; there's no Swarb fiddle on it, but consequently there's alot more of Thompson's guitar so it's a more rocking mix. Both versions are equally perfect, but one hasn't been widely heard.

As for what is here, it's hard to complain if you HAVEN'T been collecting whatever was previously out there: the BBC session in full (also available on the BBC box), and the official studio outtakes from the album. Of these, Sir Patrick Spens is the one true lost gem that belongs on the album; I'd have had no problem with it being added to disc 1, as I think it would've had there been room on the original LP. I'd never had either of the Quiet Joys of Brotherhood takes; they're haunting and great. But Reynardine already fills the meditative, Sailor's Life slot on Liege and Lief, so I can see why they left off Quiet Joys. Nice to have them, though; not sure who's playing the droning instrument on this song, or what instrument it is, even; I assume it's Thompson, but then again there's no fiddle so maybe it's Swarb.

Anyway, a five-star classic album, a great bonus disc, and a great booklet. So I certainly can't give this deluxe package less than five stars, but diehards will still wish there were additional rarities. So many have been unearthed in recent years (including the stuff here) that fans have gotten spoiled. Just to confirm, if you haven't heard this BBC stuff, make no mistake, it's pure gold. (And demonstrates that Sir Patrick Spens was indeed a legitimate part of this material. ).


come on now, it's a cd....
if your going to make a 2 cd set, how about filling it up to justify the high price. there is about 70 minutes of space unused on this 2 cd set. make no mistake, this is great music but go with the regular single cd edition. this is a rip-off.


Tracklisting (Japan version)
COME ALL YE
2. 1. REYNARDINE
3. MATTY GROVES
4. FAREWELL,FAREWELL
5. DESERTER,THE
6. MEDLEY
7. TAM LIN
8. CRAZY MAN MICHAEL
9. SIR PATRICK SPENS(SANDY DENNY VOCAL VERSION)
10. QUIET JOYS OF BROTHERHOOD(TAKE4)
11. BALLAD OF EASY RIDER,THE
12. TAM LIN(BBC SESSION)
13. MEDLEY(BBC SESSION)
14. SIR PATRICK SPENS(BBC SESSION)
15. REYNARDINE(BBC SESSION)
16. QUIET JOYS OF BROTHERHOOD(TAKE1)
17. LADY IS A TRAMP(BBC SESSION),THE
18. IN OTHER WORDS(FLY ME TO THE MOON).


Five Stars if You Don't Own the Single Disc Remaster...
. . but if you do this is a bit of a rip-off. This is a rip-off because it's so good! This is the way the previous edition should have been.

I fully approve of keeping bonus material separate from the original album in all but a few very exceptional cases(see "Unhalfbricking" for example)because, I find that, out takes, demo's, live and 'alternate' versions are so often a distraction or a dilution of the original album's quality. Yes I know, you can program them off, or even just be ready to press stop at the point the original would have ended, but I prefer it if such concerns are absent from the listening experience. In this case I think that there is such an odd blend of extras that keeping them separate is a very sensible idea.

However at the price it seems to me that it is not really for the casual fan looking to `see what all the fuss is about' and the `very keen fans' will have, all but a couple, of the extra tracks already. Most importantly the record company could/should have released it at the same time as the 'single disc re-master' as this would have avoided the accusation that owners of that version are being cynically manipulated into making an additional purchase that they shouldn't have to.

This is an excellent presentation of a truly great album and if you don't already own a copy and/or don't mind paying the extra money then this is definitely the best available edition.
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