Customer Reviews

Fogarty's Cove

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It has been ten years since I picked up my first copy of Fogerty's Cove, and I still get the shivers when I hear "Fisherman's Wharf" - no other song has ever managed to capture the distain/nostalgia many maritimers have for our past quite like Stan's hymn. If that was the only song on the album, it would still be worth the price! But throw in "Watching the Apples Grow", "Athen's Queen", and "Forty-Five Years" (one of the sweetest songs ever written) and you have a record no one should be without. Note to first time listeners: Before "Barrett's" comes on - take one glass whiskey, one glass beer, and mix thoroughly in stomach. Fetch another glass of beer, bang repeatedly on table, and sing lyrics at the top of your voice. Rewind and Repeat.

Well now that was a time, eh? We saw Stan perform many times between 1976 (Philly Folk Festival) and 1981 (PFF again) and each time was pure delight. I bought my copy of Fogarty's Cove from Stan himself and still consider it a treasured possession and a masterpiece; each song is brilliant in both lyrics and execution. His other albums are all classics but there was something uncluttered and pure with his first. You live with Stan's songs; from Rawdon Hills and Make and Break Harbour to Lies, White Squall and the Lockkeeper. The narratives are fascinating, the arrangements (with brother Garrett's great contributions) where right on target and, of course, that voice could either make you cry, laugh, or raise a ship from the bottom. Thanks Stan.

My husband is a Haligonian, and Stan Rogers is a true icon in Canada. His music exemplifies the lives many East Coast Canadians live(d), yet is immediately accessable to anyone, even us Americans! <g> His voice is beautiful, his songwriting abilities are staggering, and his love songs to his wife make me cry. What a pity we lost him... Buy this, Norwest Passage, or Home in Halifax if you're looking for quality folk music with an East Coast flavour.

In an age when really good music exists, but is hidden away in the "shops" of Internet-land, because the high street sell chart music, 95% of which (in my opinion) is pap, and do not have room for this kind of material, I have discovered Stan Rogers and I am proud to have done so!

As someone who like to look out for different music, I was looking for Jimmie Rodgers when I came across Stan. It fired my interest, so I checked out Amazon for his albums and reviews - and to try and hear a clip of some of the tracks. Very promising.... so I take a chance and buy "Fogarty's Cove".

The result is a glorious album of stories about Canadian life and times, sung in a wonderful baritone voice, with an acoustic band which is as tight as a drum. Don't ask me to say which of the 12 tracks I like the best - they are all very special, but if push came to shove, I would plump for "Firty-Five Years", "The Maide Of The Shore", "Finch's Complaint" and "The Maid Of The Shore" - see, I can't pick one!

Remember, this album was released 27 years ago, but it sounds as fresh as a daisy, as if it was made yesterday. I would suggest the topics are as relavant today as then, so I conclude that this is a timeless album.

The tragic end to his life - as a passenger on the ill-fated Air Canada flight 797 which caught fire at Cincinnati Airport - must not take away his music or his memory.

I doubt if he would have had the exposure to be a superstar, but, in my mind, he is. He comes from a land of brilliant artists and bands, but he ranks with the best.

This album is an absolute gem and the more people know it, the better. Go and buy it and luxuriate in Stan's view of Canadianism......you won't regret it.

When I listen to Stan Rogers, one word comes to my mind: passionate. Although he's considered a "folk singer", his style doesn't fit neatly into that category. That doesn't take anything away from his talent. On the contrary, he's added a bit to the usual folk genre, by his ability to communicate a song, and put his heart and soul into a tune. When I want to hear folk music that has a little more life than some other performers in my collection, I put on Stan. Some songs on his other CDs are a little too exuberant, and too country-oriented for my tastes. But, overall, he's definitely one of my favorites. This CD, in particular, is a great display of Stan Roger's great singing style and my favorite. It's a compelling example of his art. I highly recommend it. "Forty-Five Years" is an especially beautiful song about his love for his wife.

This was the one that got me hooked on Stan Rogers. These songs, mostly of Canada's sailors and fishermen, showcase both Stan's gorgeous deep voice and his ability to tell a story. Sometimes early efforts are weaker, but not here; Stan was still singing 'Forty-Five Years', one of the first songs he wrote, at every concert until his death.

I've long been a Stan fan, I was actually at his last concert in Halifax, hence the CD "Home in Halifax". It was wonderful and I'm glad I was there, as it was his last. If you haven't already purchased it, may I suggest Northwest Passage. This album and Forerty's Cove are the Stan I loved. Everyone can claim some piece of the lyrics as their own.

Stan Rogers was one of the greatest voices in Canadian history. He always stayed true to telling stories of Canada and especially the Maritime proviences. Forgerty's Cove represents a lot of what Stan was about. My personal favorite is "Forty Five Years", his only love song that he wrote. "Watching the Apples Grow" and "Plenty of Horn Pipe" offer very upbeat jigs that make you want to get up and dance. While "Make and Break Harbor" paints a story of the plight of fishermen. "Barrett's Privateers", "Giant", "Wreck of the Athens Queen" and the title track are all good listens. If you are thinking of another CD to get of Stan's as well, try "From Fresh Water".

One of the best Stan Rogers compilations. Great maritime stuff as well as real working-man stuff. Who's better - Stan Rogers or Gordon Lightfoot? Lightfoot is prettier, but Rogers is more powerful by far and away. Check out Black Swan in Vancouver, BC for Harris and the Mare on the "Poetic License" CD.

Can it really be nearly 30 years since Canadian singer/songwriter Stan Rogers died in an airplane fire? Wow time passes!

Rogers, like his fellow Canadians Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Tyson, represents the best of male Canadian songsmiths, though he is probably less well known in the US than then other two. I always thought of Rogers as the "Pete Seeger of Canada" both from his style of singing and how he wrote songs that would encourage folks to sing along. (But he wasn't as versatile as Seeger in the variety of instruments he played.).

"Fogarty's Cove" was Rogers' first album and it has been released on CD a few times. Honestly, I haven't heard the earlier versions - for which Amazon, as it does often, has grouped ALL the reviews of all CD versions together - but I do pull out my VINYL copy periodically.

This review is based on the 2011 release from Borealis. The original producer, Paul Mills, has remastered the album and new liner notes added. The liner notes really don't mean much. It's the improved sound. Listening to this album with headphones on, I felt Stan was there with me in the room. (Again, I can't compare with the previous CDs but feel that Mills wouldn't go to the extra effort if he didn't get improved sound.

The songs that made Rogers well known to the "folk community", like the title track, are all hear and there is a nice variety of song styles, plus the unaccompanied poem for the last track.

I'll leave you to read other reviews as to the albums contents. I'll just suggest that, when reading about the sound quality or packaging, that you note the DATE the review was posted.

I hope you found this review both helpful and useful.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"