Customer Reviews

Liege And Lief

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I first heard Liege & Lief nearly 20 years ago, when my brother purchased a vinyl copy of the album. It took me some time before I fully got into Fairport Convention, but I had the best entry point a fan could possibly have--this was the record that has defined the band in the years since its release, with Sandy Denny's beautiful vocals, Richard Thompson's stinging guitar work, and Dave Swarbrick's always-excellent fiddle.
Thus, when I spotted the remastered and expanded CD here at Amazon, my first thought was "About freakin' time!" It was the only one A&M bothered to keep in print in the States, and the CD remaster from 1988 was only a minor improvement over the original LP. The original tracks burn as intensely as ever, with greater clarity and width of sound; the bonus tracks are revealing. "Sir Patrick Spens" is a bit slower and not quite as good as the final version on Full House, but Sandy does well enough with the vocals, or as well as one vocalist can manage (remember, the final version had Swarb, RT and Simon Nicol all harmonising); "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" is rather too slow, however. I much prefer the version from Sandy's 1972 solo album Sandy, and rather wish that the band's cover of "Ballad of Easy Rider," recorded during the L&L sessions, had been included here rather than on the expanded remaster of Unhalfbricking...but there you go. Fine work nonetheless.

At the end of 1969 Fairport Convention were to release an album that was to change the face of British rock, and define a whole new genre folk/rock. The fact that the album was released at all was astonishing in itself. But these days it stands the test of time as a groundbreaking work of genuine originality and bravery.
Fairport Convention first took wing into the realms of the British rock scene in 1967. Coming out of the North London folk scene, at first the line up was kept very flexible, until they released that they might be onto something here. The line up stabilized to Simon Nicol on guitars and vocals, a great man to have in any band as adaptability was his middle name, and enthusiasm he kept in bags. Ashley Hutchings took over the bass responsibilities and being steeped in traditional British folk music became the unspoken leader come spokesman for the band. On lead guitar and vocals was one of the nicest men on the planet, who also just happened to be one of the most original guitar players of his day, a distinctive vocalist, and a talented songwriter, so all round a pretty useful chap to have on board... Martin Lamble sat behind the skins and was the drummer that every band envied, as not only could he keep time, but brought with him a style of his own. Judy Dyble was the female singer that fronted the band, who had a fine clear folk voice enabling her to tell the stories the musicians were portraying. But Judy Dyble left the band preferring to stick to her solo folk roots and was replaced by the impeccable Sandy Denny. Now it is beyond any doubt that Sandy Denny was the finest female vocalist ever to come out of modern music. If you have ever heard an angel sing then you have some idea how Sandy Denny sounds. She had a startling career, including appearing on two Led Zeppelin tracks singing with Robert Plant on 'Battle Of Evermore' and 'Going To California which rather proves the point as at the time Led Zeppelin could of chosen anybody to sing on their albums. Ian Matthews was then added as a second vocalist and the band went into the studio after signing a contract with the newly formed Island Record Company.
Their first album `What We Did On Our Holidays' (1969) was an excellent album, showing great variety of style, and hinting at things to come with a radical swing to traditional British music that was to follow.
Dissatisfied with his role in `Fairport Convention' Ian Matthews left after contributing to one track on the next album, understandably as it was very hard for him to compete and be compared to Sandy Denny. But fear not, no need to feel sorry for young Matthews as he went off and formed 'Matthew's Southern Comfort' and was Number One in the British charts by October 1970 with his version of Joni Mitchell's 'Woodstock'.
The new album from the Fairport Convention was a cracker released only six months after their debut album. 'Unhalfbricking' (1969) was a definite step down the road of development, for the first time including the talents of long time friend and fiddle man Dave Swarbrick for this album as a session player, but his future influence on Fairport Convention and British folk rock were swathing.
Due to their popularity Fairport Convention were almost constantly on the road, and just when everything seemed to be on the up and up disaster struck. In June 1969 returning from a gig in Birmingham their Van ran off the motorway, in this terrible crash the lives of Martin Lamble and Richard Thomson's girlfriend Jeannie Taylor were snatched away.
Naturally the rest of the members of the band were distraught, and at first could not bare the idea of carrying on without their fallen comrades. But Joe Boyd Fairport Convention's manager rented a remote cottage in Farley Chamberlayne, near Winchester in Hampshire (You can tell how remote it was by the address). The remaining members of the band were invited to live their, and Dave Swarbrick was made a permanent member of the band. A replacement for Martin Lamble had to be found to allow the band to continue recording and touring. Dave Mattacks seemed to have the right temperament, was an excellent drummer, and above all made a superb centre half for the Fairport's football team. Fairport Convention were a band again.
Collectively it was decided that a new direction had to be taken as the others could not imagine playing the old songs without in particular Martin Lamble on drums.
They as many others were impressed by the new music coming out of America particularly 'The Music From The Big Pink' by The Band. In their country recluse they could not stop playing the LP. They loved it, but at the same time they were shocked. It was so deeply American, so fully immersed in the roots of American culture that the Fairport's felt that the goalposts may have been moved too far. They could never inhabit the space occupied by The Band. But perhaps they could accomplish something parallel to 'Big Pink' if they set their minds to it. Maybe they could create a repertoire as English as the Band was American.
Ashley Hutchings and Sandy Denny shared a love for old traditional English folk songs , almost everyday the two of them would arrive back at the house with reams of new songs to show and play for their friends and band mates. Everybody was in agreement this was the way forward. . Once the band had decided where they were going the music was laid down quickly and almost effortlessly. Daytimes were spent playing football in the spacious gardens, or taking long walks with Dave Swarbrick's Collie dog. But in the evening they would pick up their instruments and get down to work.
The results were stupendous, a landmark in rock 'n' roll history. Of the eight tracks, the album opens and closes with originals the Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings 'Come All Ye' sets the mood perfectly, whilst 'Crazy Man Michael' by Dave Swarbrick and Richard Thompson brings the album to a fitting close. In the middle there is Richard Thompson's beautiful 'Farewell, Farewell' In-between are five songs dug out by Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings which have been arranged by the band. All of them little gems. The medley in the middle is a joyous collection of tunes, jigs and reels. But perhaps the stand out track on the album is 'Matty Groves' all eight minutes of it, as it tells of love between the classes. At first Sandy Denny's beautiful voice leads us through the story, with its sad conclusion before the band break in rampaging towards the climax with a fine musical battle between fiddle and lead guitar.
'Liege and Lief' (1969) to this day is the British folk rock album. A seminal work which said it all, and launched a thousand imitators. Certainly Fairport Convention's finest hour. Unfortunately in their wisdom Island records have decided to add two further tracks onto the original album, both of which are outtakes never meant for the paying public and do nothing to enhance the album.
Strange then that before the album had hit the record shelves in the shops, and after one radio broadcast, an appearance on Top Of The Pops to promote the non-LP 'Si Tu Dois Partir' which actually got to 21 in the charts, and only nine concerts. Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings left the band. Sandy Denny to form 'Fortheringay', and Ashley Hutchings to 'Steeleye Span'. Especially strange as these were the two musicians who had taken the band off in it's new direction. Of course the others quickly got over the shock, picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and carried on. Having a new album in the charts by the following July 'Full House'(1970).
A band under the Fairport Convention banner still record and tour to this day, keeping the Fairport ideals alive. Ashley Hutchings was to reappear in the bands line up over the next thirty odd years every now and again when the whim took him, and is always welcomed back with open arms. Sandy Denny re-joined the band in 1975 for another year of touring and one more album 'Rising For The Moon' (1975) but left again in 1976. Sadly she died of a brain hemorrhage on Friday 21st April 1978 after falling down some stairs at a friend's house the previous Monday, a great loss to the world. But her beautiful voice lives on as can be heard here on this exquisite album.

By Mott The Dog.

Few albums truly merit the overused 'seminal' tag, but 'Liege & Lief' can stand proud among the best of 'em.
This, Fairport's best album by a country mile, played a lead role in kickstarting the British folk rock movement and it remains a key point of reference for lovers of the genre.
Rest assured, there is not a duff track on this masterpiece. If you get to the end of the opener, 'Come all Ye' without indulging in some serious foot-tapping, then the album's instant magic clearly hasn't woven its spell on you.
What follows is a veritable banquet of classic song after classic tune. This is the sound of a band at a creative peak and the album sounds as fresh and vital now as it did upon its release, all those years ago.
Buy this, and then tell your friends to buy it too. They'll thank you for the recommendation.

"Liege & Lief" was Fairport Convention's fourth album and represented the group's transformation from a rock band with a love of folk music to a group that reinterpreted traditional English songs. You will only find one original song on this album, "Come All Ye" by Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings, who were already on their way out the door when this 1969 album was being recorded. The rest are traditional English folk songs, but done with gorgeous harmonies backed by a splendid mix of acoustic and electric guitars that suddenly made this type of music artistically and commercially viable. It is hard to pick favorites from this album because everything on it sounds great. At the moment I like "Reynardine," "Matty Groves," "Farewell Farewell" and "Tam-Lin" the best, but ask me again next week and you will probably get a different album. Fairport Convention was never really popular on this side of the pond, but few groups anyway could match their singing or their instrumentation (think of them as a mix of the Mamas & the Papas with the Byrds for a rough idea) and with Sandy Denny on lead vocals they had the pre-eminent British folk-rock singer of her generation. Consequently, there is something of an understandable bias towards the work of Fairport Convention during this early period, although the signature sound they developed on "Liege & Lief" would be continued for well over another decade by the group's new lineup.

For this one, Fairport did traditional folk pieces using both modern and traditional instruments. Regardless of what instruments they were using, they had the beauty of Sandy Denny's voice to carry the day along with Richard Thompson's guitarwork. Denny dominates this disc and why not- she's very good here. After this record, fairport would start their endless game of musical chairs with the personnel of the band but this is the most popular version of the band at their best. All songs here are very good with the epic TammLinn the standout. It's a shame they couldn't milk this formula further- it worked great for them.

Fairport Convention was absolutely one of the best of the British folk/rock groups, and they had perhaps the best female vocalist you'll ever hear in the late and great Sandy Denny. Her voice was just so beautiful, and the "Liege & Lief" album is one classic from that late 60's/early 70's era. All the songs on this album are great, my favorite happens to be "Tam Lin," which has a great rocking sound with excellent guitars by Richard Thompson. The fiddle work on this album is outstanding as well, and some say that this is not their best effort and work, but I would have to hear the other Fairport Convention albums to be the judge on whether or not this great album is the best of what they did, but all I have left to say is that this is a truly great album, and it's worth getting if you've never heard it, or you're just getting into the British folk rock music, and there's literally dozens of other outstanding groups similar to Fairport Convention, but they would have to be up their on the top of the list as the best, or one of the best for sure.
Glenn Signal Hill,CA USA

This is my favorite Fairport album. Picked this up in the early 70's and fell in love with it. Saw them live a few times in St. Louey. Man they rocked the place. Dave Swarbrick's fiddle playing was amazing, along with Richard Thompson's guitar and Sandy Denny's beautiful voice made this band a pleasure to see live. Just love the ballads whether hand pinned by the members or the traditional ones. To bad this line up didn't hand around long.

This CD is, hands down, one of the most important CDs in British folk-rock history. It sparked a musical movement, and Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, and the rest of the "gang" are at the top of their game. It has rarely left my stack of CDs I listen to frequently since I first bought it 15 years ago.

1969..... It was an incredible year for Rock music as it was moving now farther ahead, incorporating other styles into it. Led Zeppelin was giving us our first dose of the heavy sound, King Crimson gave birth to progressive Rock, while The Doors and the Jefferson Airplane and Hendrix were at their best. On a much more subdued, though equally important front, was Fairport. They first emerged in 67 with a style not far removed from the Airplane, but with the arrival of Sandy Denny on their second album, took on a much more folkier sound. This sound was refined more towards an electrified traditional sound and by 1969, the band decided to do something that was nearly all just that. The result is "Liege And Lief" and it is pure magic. 31 years have not dated it at all. 5 of the 8 pieces here are traditional. The 2 songs written by Richard Thompson ("Farewell,Farewell" and "Crazy Man Michael") are as compelling as the old folk songs. Sandy Denny's voice is spellbinding, and the jig medley lets one know just how well accomplished these folks were at such a young age. This is a must have for any serious collector of music that crosses genres and creates something unto itself. Denny was to leave not long afterward. She wanted to concentrate less on reworkings of traditional songs and refine her own more modern sound. It's really quite ironic, because it was she who first introduced the band to the old folk songs. She figured it would be a one time deal and they would move on to write more on their own while not completely abandoning their Celtic folk roots. The band opted to keep with the approach of this recording and after another year or so, lost Richard Thompson for pretty much the same reason. They never were to have the songwriting power that was Thompson and Denny, save for a reunion with Denny in 74 and 75 for "Live Covention" which is nothing short of astonsihing and "Rising For The Moon" which contains a few great songs by Denny and some forgettable songs by Dave Swarbrick.

"Liege and Lief" is an undeniably important album and the word "seminal" cannot be overused in describing it. The album virtually single handily launched the genre of British folk/rock, inspired founder Fairprot member Ashley Hutchings to form Steeleye Span and, well the rest is history.

Nevertheless less this very solid album is not Fairport's best. The title belongs to their magnificent third album "Unhalfbicking" with their wonderful second album "What We Did On Our Holidays" checking in in second place.

Part of what keeps "Liege and Lief" from displacing those two are the occasional moments that come of just a mite contrived. The idea of kicking this off with a "calling on song" was a clever one give the albums concept of fully blending late 60's rock and roll with traditional British folk idioms, but that opening tack, "Come All Ye," well technically well accomplished comes across as more of an academic exercise than anything else. Nice try but better luck next time.

A smilier situation exists with the all instrumental track "The Lark in the Morning." Yes, jigs and reels are an important aspect of traditional music, but the execution here, while impressive, doesn't quite prevent the urge to hit the skip on the CD remote.

Much of the rest of the album, however isn't just exciting, it is damn exciting! The traditional "Matty Groves" is a harrowing epic of lust, betrayal, and murder that, in movie form, would have a difficult time getting on TV in these oh so Puritanical times in which we live. For all the songs strengths (and it has plenty to burn) it's pinnacle is the astonishingly passionate vocals from lead singer Sandy Denny who delivery terrifies me each and every time I hear it as she spins this mighty yarn and I've had this album in one form or another for more than 20 years. (Almost as compelling is the ghost story "Tam Lin" which also benefits from Denny's flawless delivery).

But the real highlights are two unbelievably gorgeous ballads, "Farewell, Farewell" and "Crazy Man Michael." Neither of them are traditional -- the first was written by then band member Richard Thompson (yes, *THAT* Richard Thompson) and the later by Thompson and band-mate Dave Swarbrick -- but you would only know that be reading the song credits as both sound like they could be traditional British Isles ballads that date back to the 15th century. Both are unforgettable and "Crazy Man Michael" just may be the bands single finest moment. A timeless classic for the ages.

So "Liege and Lief" is an excellent, but slightly flawed album. It's minor flaws are more than made up for by its heights, but those flaws do prevent it from being Fairport's finest moment, even if the album remains, unquestionably, its most influential moment.