Customer Reviews

Who Knows Where The Time Goes

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sandy remains in my mind, nearly as influential as Joni Mitchell. She wrote her own wonderfull material, as well as doing incredible interpretations of traditional folk songs of the British Isles. She could also rock with the best of them, though she rarely did. There are quite a few tracks here that I hadn't heard prior to listening to this. Some are somewhat muddy sounding live recordings and yes, there are a few tracks that seem conspicuously absent, but these are minor qualms. I have to agree that she possessed one of those rare voices that could send shivers up your spine. "Now And Then" is a prime example of the way another reviewer descibed her ability to adorn her vocal phrasing with such difficult ornaments, and yet make it sound as nartual as breathing itself. She had the abilty to convey sadness with an inner strength like nobody ever did before or has been able to do since.

There are songs on this set that will freeze your heart with their beauty and sadness.

I remember sitting in a laundromat in 1978, reading a music magazine, and suddenly seeing the unbelievable news that Sandy Denny was dead.

There are performances on this set that will cause you to reevaluate and redefine the way you think about folk music.

I remember standing in a light drizzle next to Sandy's grave in 1990, with one of these 3 CDs playing "Take Away the Load" (recorded by Fairport Convention as "Sandy's Song") in myheadphones as i thought about what a loss we had suffered when she left us, and tears mixed with the raindrops on my cheeks.

This set covers aspects of Sandy's entire, sadly short career, and shows us many sides of her talent as singer and writer; lets us hear again her beautiful voice and sure-handed interpretations of her own material and other songs, both traditional and contemporary.

This is not exactly the set that i would have compiled, as it omits a couple of pieces -- Dylan's "Percy's Song" with Fairport and the title song from her last album with Fairport "Rising for the Moon", particularly -- but it is still an excellent selection and value for the money.

If you remember Sandy, you know you need this set.

If you're too young to remember Sandy (has it really been 22 years?), but you are a fan of British folk and folk/rock, i'm telling you you need this set.

And if you just like beautiful vocals and haunting songs, then you probably need this set.

While many will remember her as the soaring voice in Led Zep's "Battle of Evermore" (which was my unexpected introduction to her as well), Sandy Denny's best works were in her self-penned songs. This is the very best compilation of her work and at a very good price. A voice of truly timeless beauty...

Having listened once again to this instantly recognizable voice, feeling the shivers up and down the spine, it becomes obvious: Excellent female vocalists abound, singing excellent songs. But there was only one Sandy Denny. And the expression she formed, well documented in this compilation, sounds stronger, deeper and more relevant now than ever. All this talk about morbid death cults of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake misses the mark: They were, and are, irreplacable. Deeply missed - all the more privileged we are to have a documentation of what we lost in Sandy Denny, and the opportunity to let this voice tug at heart strings, over and over again.

Sandy was a great artist, both with Fairport Convention and on her own. Though some of her solo work did not measure up to her greatest moments with Fairport, there is still an embarrassment of riches to be found in this box set. Simply one of the most beautiful, evocative voices to be found anywhere.

ONE OF SANDY'S BEST COMPILATIONS, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED PRICES, I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE MUSIC SPECIALIST ON E BAY, THEY ALSO HAVE A STORE IN GEMM, ANTEATERMUSIC. SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF CASH.
CHEERS!

I received this as a gift in 1994 and simply adore it! Sandy's voice is mesmerizing and this is a great box set if you don't have alot of Sandy's other work. The only other thing I knew Sandy by, was Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore" and the Fairport Convention album, "Liege and Leaf" (another must-have, by the way.) The version on this box set of "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" is quite different than the a cappella version and the song, "What Is True?" is actually, more beautiful on this box set, as it's just Sandy singing to the piano.

What a talent she was!

Now we know where Kate Bush got her mojo. I have never (after Kate) heard such a vocalist who tugged at my heart strings so strongly. I wish I could vocally do what Sandy Denny did in the few years she was alive. Between the work she did with Fairport Convention and on her own, she has made me more aware of my own sense of music integrity.

There's so much heart in this collection, I'm touched every time I listen to any of it. Sandy's known for her stunning voice--a soulful blend of sadness and warmth that's influenced countless others such as Natalie Merchant and Dolores Keane--but her writing is perhaps her greatest gift to us. She was a true poet who, like her former bandmate, Richard Thompson, could capture in a few words what most artists fail to express in a lifetime. Her songs were very personal which makes her versions of them far superior in feeling to even the loveliest cover versions. If you care at all about folk, folk-rock, or singer-songwriter artistry, you owe it to yourself to pick up this wonderful collection.

This album is one I play when I'm alone. It's wistful wisdom and truthful yearning touches me each time I hear it. Words are not playthings, but messages from the heart and soul; the musical arrangements are without doubt, powerful and right in tune with the spirit of human emotions felt deeply. It is a memorable album..one of my favorites. Leaves me wanting more....