Customer Reviews

Sandy

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Sandy Denny was, quite simply put, the finest "folk/rock" singer of her time. From her first tentative recording with British band "The Strawbs" and her solo acoustic debut, it was obvious that there was something going on that had never been exprienced in the realm of popular music! There was the huskiness of her lower register...her uncanny ability to hold notes for what seemed like minutes, then suddenly change timbre and crescendo...the sheer range - perhaps 5 octaves...her lack of fear in crossing over the falsetto boundary...the frequent, perfectly executed ornaments... but all of these remarkable aspects of her talent cannot describe the experience of hearing her sing! I had the pleasure of seeing her live, with the "old" Fairport lineup, in 1976. (This would have been shortly before she died.) Her on-stage presence was powerful, and at the same time, intimate. I'm in full agreement with the statement by the gentleman above about her cover of Dylan's "Tomorrow Is A Long Time." This poignant song will never be paid greater homage by any singer. It's breathtaking! Others to listen to: "Black Jack Davey," a Fotheringay outtake; the timeless and haunting "Who Knows Where The Time Goes," of her own composition; her flawless rendition of "Whispering Grass," by the Inkspots and "The Sea," again with Fotheringay. The list goes on and on...there are very few "dogs" in Ms. Denny's oeuvre. About the worst I can say is that she occasionally missed pitch by a quarter tone or so - but not often! I can't recommend this artist highly enough. Her work spans all styles and is best described as Classic. Thanks for reading!

There never has been, nor likely ever will be, a better female vocalist that Sandy Denny. Period. If her voice doesn't give you chickenskin, and bring up a tear at least once an album side (oops, showing my age there), you're dead. Period. Sandy's songwriting is outstanding, and she surrounds herself here with an excellent cast (Fairports and others) who play with passion and depth throughout. Sandy sometimes missed on other releases by attempting to record light/playful songs--her voice doesn't work for this material, and she is at her best when she sings the heavy material, often dark and melancholy. There are no missteps here. Every song hits the mark dead-solid perfect. This album will tear you up. It doesn't get any better than this. Cue up "It'll Take a Long Time", and hold on. This is her best solo work--the release that feels truest to her nature, with no concessions to other's expectations or to material that doesn't show her in her best light. This album will always be in my Top 10. She is sorely missed.

Sandy Denny is the most beautiful singer I have ever heard. This is not to say that she has the finest voice (although it is magnificent); rather, she has an emotive quality that can draw in the listener. The only problem that I find with some of her music is that it is over-produced. This is not a problem with this CD. She is also an excellent songwriter, and many of the best songs on this album are examples of her finest work. Of the 10 songs, I would say that 6 or 7 are magnificent, and none are less than decent. Her voice is front-and-center, ranging from the clarion call of "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" (by Richard Farina) to the wistful (yet strong) "The Music Weaver". If I could choose only one CD to keep from my collection, this one would be a strong contender. One other indication of the quality of this CD is the number of DIFFERENT songs that people have mentioned in their reviews. It is well worth the extra money to buy it.

The tragic death of Sandy Denny, aged just 31, left an unfillable gap in the British folk music scene. She had a voice that could make you feel warm on the coldest day of the year, never finer than on this 1971 recording. Backed by some of Britain's best folk musicians, including members of Fairport Convention, she delivers an exquisite package of haunting melodies. "Listen Listen" is arguably her greatest moment, the richness of her voice complimented by a lush orchestration and soaring chorus harmonies. Nearly as good is "Bushes and Briars", a sparse, low-key arrangement giving full rein to a subtle tune with enigmatic lyrics. "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" is revamped from an earlier version with lovely accapella harmony singing. "It'll Take A Long Time" showcases the outstanding musical talent assembled for this recording, especially the violinist Dave Swarbrick. "The Lady" is another rich orchestral journey, Denny just as home playing piano as guitar. I could go on, but I get a bit emotional when I start talking about this record. I saw Sandy twice in concert and, nearly 30 years after her death, I still miss her terribly. Listen and understand why.

ASIDE FROM JONI MITCHELL, SANDY DENNY IS PROBABLY THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FEMALE SINGER-SONG WRITER TO EMERGE FROM THE LATE 60'S. THIS IS QUITE A FEAT WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE FACT THAT SHE NEVER ATTAINED THE SUCCESS THAT MITCHELL HAD. HER STINT WITH FAIRPORT CONVENTION PUT HER ON BOTH THE CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL MAPS IN BRITAIN. IN THE U.S. SHE WAS A CRITTICAL IF NOT A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. HER SOLO WORK WAS AT TIMES ERATTIC AND A BIT OVER-PRODUCED. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT THE CASE WITH "SANDY". RELEASED IN 1972, IT SHOWCASES DENNY AT THE PINACLE OF HER POWERS. NOT ONLY WAS SHE A STELLAR SONGWRITER, SHE HAD THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM ANOTHER WRITER'S MATERIAL AND MAKE IT ALL HER OWN. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER COVER OF DYLAN'S "TOMMOROW IS A LONG TIME". PERHAPS THE MOST STAND OUT CUT HERE IS "THE QUIET JOYS OF BROTHERHOOD" WITH WORDS BY RICHARD FARINA SET TO THE TUNE OF THE TRADITIONAL FOLK BALLAD "MY LAGAN LOVE" IF THIS DOES'NT SEND SHIV! ERS UP THE BACK OF YOUR NECK, THEN YOU'RE MADE OF STONE! THE MUSICANS ON THIS ALBUM ARE OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER. FORMER FAIRPORT BAND- MATES RICHARD THOMPSON AND DAVE SWARBRICK ARE FEATURED ALONG WITH HER HUSBAND TREVOR LUCAS WHO PASED AWAY IN 1989 11 YEARS AFTER HER OWN UNTIMLEY DEATH. MUSIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE, SO I WON'T GO ON ABOUT EACH TRACK. JUST SIT BACK, AND YOU'LL SEE HOW SHE HAS HAD SUCH A POWERFULL EFFECT ON THE LIKES OF NATALIE MERCHANT, SINEAD O'CONNOR AND LORRENA MC KENNITT. EVEN KATE BUSH CITES HER AS A MAJOR INFLUENCE. AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING CORNY, SHE'S GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

I discovered this artist about 15 years ago by accident, and have never cooled my obsession for her work. I have enjoyed everything she's done in different ways, but in my eyes, this is her crowning acheivement. Songs such as "Bushes & Briars", "It'll take a long time" and "Listen, Listen" speak directly to the soul. Also enjoyable is her collaberation with Alan Toussaint "For nobody to hear".
All in all Sandy Denny is one of the most talented and undeservedly obscure artists of the last hundred years. Buy this now!!

There are only two songs that have ever brought me to tears. One is Sandy Denny singing "The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" on this CD. This is a transcendentally beautiful piece of work. Sandy sang with all her heart. Possibly her best solo album, and certainly something that you absolutely NEED to hear. Most of today's more accomplished female vocalists (Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan included) were strongly influenced by Sandy Denny. Get this and find out why.

(For the curious, the other one that brings me to tears is "Songbird" off Emmylou Harris' album "Quarter Moon in a 10-Cent Town.")

Just think of how many millions of people there are who have heard Sandy Denny sing only one song. That would be when she sang "The Battle of Evermore" with Robert Plant on "Led Zeppelin VI." For far too many people Sandy Denny was reduced to being a Led Zep trivia question, the same way that Merry Clayton was for the Stones for singing on "Gimme Shelter." But Sandy Denny was the pre-eminent female English folk singer of her generation, whether it was fronting groups such as Fairport Convention and Fotheringay, recording with them as she did with the Strawbs, or producing solo albums as she did with this simply titled effort from 1972. For those who want to know more about the woman who recorded "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" before Judy Collins (or before 10,000 Maniacs if you are Generation-X rather than a Baby Boomer), this is a good place to start.

"Sandy" was Denny's second album after leaving Fairport Convention, and is something of a transitional effort in that she is still singing in what we would call the traditional manner of a folk singer, but with attention being paid to the arrangements and instrumentation that are more sophisticated. Listen to a song such as "Listen, Listen," where the mandolin is reinforced by the sound of strings to evidence the point. But at this point it is a traditional song, like "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood," done in layered a cappella by Denny, but with a violin solo at the end by Dave Swarbrick, that stands out although obviously it is something she could not do in concert. The only other non-original song on the album is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow Is a Long Time," which provides another opportunity to compare Denny and Collins signing the same song. Denny latter did a live version that had much more of a country twang. For that matter, go back and check out Bert Jansch's version of "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" for a different but equally compelling version of that song. Once you start getting into the British folk music scene you are going to find plenty to listen to for quite some time.

Other standout tracks on this album are the first one, "It'll Take a Long Time," the story of John the Gypsy in "It Suits Me Well," and "The Lady," which produces the production values about as far as I want to go when listening to Sandy Denny sing. It terms of presenting original compositions, "Sandy" is far and away the best of Denny's albums. I also like this period of Denny's work, when things are still relatively simple. Unfortunately, Denny would die at the age of 31 in 1977 as a result of injuries sustained when falling down stairs. Of course, that does not have the cache of the drug overdoses that claimed so many stars of her generation, otherwise we would have more reason to be listening to Denny's songs today. There are several solid collections honoring Denny's body of work, but that is much to be said for the stellar simplicity of this particular solo album.

words fail when it comes to talking about sandy. listen, listen is not only the title of a song but an apt disposition for fans old and yet to come. enjoy

Exquisite, ethereal, fascinating. Her vocal overdubs are close to eerie in their harmonic resonance. An all-together transporting musical experience.