TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

While playing I-tunes on random Let's Get Together from the BBC box came on, yes sound quality is not the greatest but what a great cover of a great song and suddenly all was well with the world. Wings also has the same effect as does the distorted version of Sloth from the Airing Cupboard tapes and Ye Mariner's All from Cropredy 08.

So what song makes your heart soar.

Neil

For some reason, the medley ending with John Barleycorn on 'Tippler's Tales' really gets me excited. The part of 'The Deserter' where the young man is pardoned still gets the adrenaline rushing (though, of course, the ending is actually a little less than happy). The version of 'The Journeyman's Grace' played on the French TV show in the 70s gets my heart soaring, particularly the point at which RT chimes in with the 'Lead my weary flesh & bones.' 'Wake Up John' likewise -- oddly enough, it was my first Fairport song so, besides being a stirring conclusion to a really great album, there are some awesome memories associated. I think I could go on and on and on. Fairport music just tends to make me happy, even when it also makes me melancholy (particularly 'Crazy Man Michael' and 'Cell Song').

Good idea, Neil!!!

Morning Glory from the Beeb sessions.

Now Be Thankful.

Sir Patrick Spens.

Jules

'Polly on the Shore' from Nine.

In its own way as beautiful as the Trees version.

Are we just talking Fpt. here, btw? I could name a lot of others.

Oh, and 'To Althea' on the same album. Intensely moving.

I was about to say 'Fotheringay', but as always my eyes started to mist over at just the echo in my head, so not a' heart soaring', but definitely a miss a beat...

Sailor's Life.
I still vividly remember the first time I heard this in the late 60's in my late teens. It sounds pretentious but was a seminal moment.
This was the song/tune that hooked me in to folk rock and led me to discover folk(ish) acts and over almost 45 yrs later I still have the same appetite to discover (!) 'new' stuff.
Meet on the Ledge
Oh,  a bit obvious but MOTL  is now so tied in to saying good bye to really close friends, Gareth , Wes, where it was played and we sang, at both their funerals and although it's now an overplayed  song it touches me every time and in an uplifting, not sad, way.
Tread lightly on Gareth's ashes, which we 'sprinkled' on the field in 2012 during MOTL.

MOTL, though always tinged with sadness as I remember people and of course is signals the end of another Cropredy.

The other two are pretty predictable as well, Matty and Sloth.

Yes Andy, Sloth does it for me too and WKNWTTG . Just made me bung history on the CD

Sloth, One More Chance, Bring Em Down, Poor Will, The Journeymans Grace to name but a few.

And this will be a contentious one but in a live context, The Wounded  Whale.

Ah, 2 of us who like the Wounded Whale! I still love the end of the recorded version. Marrt and Ric going OTT. Loved the live Tam Lin with Maart for the same reason.

Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Preferably Sandy's version but Simon's interpretation is excellent.

Doh!  How could I forget that one.  It's my number 2 Fairport record (after Now Be Thankful).

Jules

A curious one for me but the first song on the first side of the first album,

The opening of Time Will Show the Wiser is amongst my favourite pieces of recorded music, and then they play Jack o Diamonds later on ...

DW

That song rocks!  It has the spirit of Buffalo Springfield or Moby Grape.  And as for Jude's harmony part in the chorus - WOW!

Jules

Walk Awhile is one of my 'having a bad day need something happy sort of songs' which I shall never tire of. Still remember the first time I heard it. I thought it one of the best things I had ever heard.

Claudy Banks-particularly at the "now my heart was filled with joy" part. Gives me a chill every time.

How Many Times for much the same reason as Walk Awhile.

The Rose Hip/Portmeirion-hard to choose between these two but they always make me happy.

Slip Jigs And Reels-one of the better story songs by a contemporary writer in their repertoire. I think the way Fairport drove it along with their accompaniment was much better than even Steve Tilston's version and the version from The House Band.

I could go on...varies depending on the day....not repeating what others have chosen, etc etc!  :D

 :)

Three of us.....that and the FC version of Dark Eyed Molly got me into Archie Fisher.

Same for me. None of the others come close to that for perfection (imho)

Sandy Denny's "The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood."

Sandy's version of Who Knows Where The Time Goes and all of tracks on Liege & Lief.

Oh yes Sam, absolutely!  8)

Walk A While was the first Fairport Convention song I ever heard and it makes me smile to this day.

Fotheringay is magnificent.

Less obvious one, but Come All Ye works for me..great statement of intent, driving rhythm guitar/bass/percussion with concise lead work from RT and DS..it sets up the material which follows very nicely, thank you.

Also go for Now Be Thankful and from the later years, Wounded Whale, a great song for Simon to sing and one of the times the Maart/Ric line up really got to grips with the material.

Most of the above mentioned do it for me :) Another one I love to hear is I'm Already There, one of Chris' finest IMHO (as of course is the sequal, Mercy Bay, but IAT definitely doesn't get played as much as I think it should).

I'm very fond of I'm Already There too, particuarly live with Chris and Ric and their "dualling fiddles". Reminds me of a particuarly fine FC gig in the 100 Club, probably the best I've ever seen them...  :)

Sandy doing 'It'll Take a Long Long Time' on the Sandy album. What an opening track, and what an arrangent. It just builds and builds.

A few for starters...

'I'll keep it with mine', 'A Sailor's Life', 'Genesis Hall' and 'One More Chance'...there are many many others...and these far out weigh the ones I don't respond too very well.

I only recently discovered this is the same tune as 'My Lagan Love', which I don't think Fpt ever recorded.

Indeed.  Sinead O'Connor has done a great version of it though.

Jules

I'll add that one to my list. I think it is the finest ever version of that song and maybe the best cover of a Dylan song ever too, though it is run close by the recent Blair Dunlop & Larkin Poe recording.

'Late November' by Sandy. It's simply perfect.

All these Sandy songs get to me instantly - but I wouldn't say they make my heart soar exactly, transport me, catch my breath, but for heart soaring how about Chelsea Morning? I defy you not to smile as you listen.

I'll add the demo version of "The Music Weaver", first released on the Island "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" boxed set. Just Sandy and a piano - perfect.

As far as solo-album Sandy compositions go, 'It Suits Me Well' stirs me like no other -- I also love Swarb's version.

Delighted to see I'll Keep It With Mine so highly regarded. For me, it's their best ever song. But it's the early stuff that still grabs me. Tale In Hard Time, Eastern Rain, Book Song, Chelsea Morning. and Ribbon Bow is another that always stops me in my tracks...

If we're talking about outside of Fairport, there are so many. My top one of all time has to be Substitute.

The version with Fairport at Cropredy a few years ago was incredible, as was Percy's Song, which would probably go on my list too.

I was at a Brian Jonestown Massacre concert a few years ago in a fairly small dingy venue in Liverpool. Before they came on there was a selection of 60's psych tracks playing over the PA, one of which was Tale In Hard Time (one of my fave tracks from my favourite Fairport album), played very loud and possibly speeded up very slightly. That made my heart soar. BJM were great too.

Here's another version. Good album, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEhPHzxIPkE

Walk a while was the first non Ashley, Sandy song I heard and even though the vocals sounded a bit uncertain I loved it immediately.

Fotheringay is a great song, listened to it a lot lately.

I'll Keep It With Mine - another song (like MOTL) of loss but also of hope.

'For Althea, from prison'

I'm not a fan of this song (it rather drones on for me) but this piece of film is beautiful  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh5M1pxT5Zg

Bother, I meant 'To Anthea'

Third time lucky, Diane - you meant To Althea.   ;D

Jules

Was that Bruce Forsyth's version?

 ;D

Ahahahahaha!!

He also did Now Be Thankful, Be Thankful Now.   ;D

Jules

To Althea-- I like the 1994 Cropredy version in the big box better than the Nine version.

But my vote goes to Genesis Hall. Edgy, thrilling, it all came together the day they recorded that. What a first line.

Walk a while (the version with Mattacks cowbell) always sets me me off
 now I see Pete T running for his life  (and quite right too) ^-^

Wood and the Wire does it for me too  ;D

Have just noticed the stupid iPad correction....apologies

"The Wounded Whale."

Today. Tomorrow it might be something different...

Blimey, that's 3 of us now that like the Wounded Whale ;D

Clock up a 4th, always been my favourite of the Fairport "prog" tracks by a long way. Live it was even better.

Philip

Five......Gub, Hendo, Me, Mark C, PJayBe.......do I hear six?

Six here, will anyone give me seven?

Yep! I like The Wounded Whale. Haven't heard it in ages. Must rummage through my collection once again.  ::)

I'm not sure that I've ever heard it.

Jules

Eight

Obvs  ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPETE0ggvL0

Thanks for the link, Mike.

I don't like it.  At least I don't like the production and arrangement on this version.  The song itself might sound better live, though I'm not holding out much hope for it being my cup of tea in any form.

So that's a -1 from me.

Jules

It was a transcendent thing live, especially at Cropredy with lights and smoke and Ric duetting with himself but it was never likely to appeal to your anti prog tendencies Jules.

The Five Seasons was perhaps the third Fairport album I ever owned and their first release after I first saw them live so I knew and loved this stuff before I ever heard any of the "classics" except for Liege & Lief (which i didn't like to begin with because it did not resemble the band that I was familiar with). I still find The Wounded Whale hugely moving and wish the band could find a way to play it now.

Never heard it live but I will throw my hat in for the like column as well. Perfect song for Simon's voice and I love how the music builds up as the song progresses. The Five Seasons is a Fairport album I can say I still have in 3 formats- Cassette, Vinyl and CD  :)

I tried to convince myself I liked it (and the album) at the time, but I didn't really...as illustrated by the fact I've played virtually none of those albums in the intervening decades.  I always pencilled it in as a 'loo break' song during the 4 hour sets of the early 90's.  Very dated now - much more so than that which came so much earlier.  Still, at least it sounds like a band pushing on as a creative unit, unlike so much of what followed...  :-\

That is more or less the last one that I really like beginning to end. I'm not actually that keen on Red & Gold which preceded it. Jewel In The Crown has many admirers but I find it patchy. I enjoy most of WKWTTG and about three quarters of Festival Bell. Otherwise it is just the odd track here and there. It may be because 1990 is more or less where I came in with Fairport and it may be that "new" things still had the capacity to lodge in my consciousness that I have lost as I have got older but The Five Seasons had several cracking tracks that have remained personal favourites (Claudy Banks, Sock In It, Gold, Mock Morris 90) that formed the core of the set of the band that first impressed me when I originally encountered them. Ultimately I fell more in love with much of their back catalogue more but that did not stop me from enjoying this material too.

I am not sure sometimes what the concept of "dated" means when it comes to music. Autobahn sounds dated. That does not stop it from being a classic. Sometimes the sound of a recording makes it very clear when the recording dates from. That doesn't stop it from being enjoyable.

Good point, well made.

I suppose what people tend to mean by "dated" though, is "dated badly".  E.g. that horrible 80s drum sound, or those even more horrible 80s synths.  Nobody has quite the same venom for those really-still-quite-nice 60s guitars.

Jules

Mr "Eighties Man" Bridgwit would totally disagree with you there!  ;D

I realised a long time ago, Bridg, that we disagree more about music (and politics) than we agree.  Luckily you're nice and also quite funny, so I've decided to let you off.   ;)

Jules

I mainly agree Jules BUT I still love and think that Marianne Faithful's,'  Broken English' (1980) is a seminal album.......synths, drum sound and all. Rather than dated, it is of it's time.

Off-topic admittedly, but an 80s album that really makes the heart soar is Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden. I can't believe I only heard it for the first time just over a year ago.

I really never listen to Red and Gold, Five Seasons, or Jewel in the Crown any more. I have to say that in general, I prefer Chris-era FC to Maart-era. But to make my heart soar, there's nothing beats that version of A Sailor's Life from IACRA, at least once June Tabor has relinquished the mic.

Just seen this (been away). Thank you kind Sir :) that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me on a forum! Chuffed   ::)

Sorry to be totally thick, but I'm scratching my head trying to work out what IACRA stands for. I know that as soon as I'm told it will be a 'D'oh!' moment.

It All Comes Round Again. It was a film that was made about the 1987 Cropredy festival and the 20th anniversary of the band generally. It was released on VHS by Island records and is overdue a DVD release but I doubt that will ever happen.

It's on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtms24UBn08

Was glad that it did go up on Youtube as I am deathly afraid to put my vhs copy in the player anymore, and I still enjoy this one.

Thanks - IAMSN (It all makes sense now!! ;D)

Watched this rockumentary for the first time the other day. Enjoyed it, but a little strange watching with the benefit of the last 27 or so years' hindsight.

Absolutely LOVE that album.  Very spiritual.  And completely unexpected from that band at the time it came out.  Couldn't play it enough back then.  Soaring heart indeed.

A great track ... One of Simon's strongest vocals in my opinion. Guitar solo at the end leaves you wanting more.

Do you know Laughing Stock and Mark Hollis' solo album too...they are (in my mind if not in anybody else's) very much a trilogy...  All works of genius to my mind.  Some of the best music ever made.

Like.

Agree with the above.  Inspired stuff!

Jules