Are Fairport folk?

[Keith E Rice]

M of F's comment in the 'Folk-Rock Boom' thread leads me to pose this question.

Well...?

Personally I don't think they would see themselves as folk - and judging from comments Simon made to Hutchings' biographers, when setting Ashley's scholarly approach against Fairport-as-a-band's approach, I don't think he sees the band as 'folk'. (Care to comment, Simon?)

Sort-of in the folk-rock idiom, but with the freedom to explore jazz (eg: 'Autopsy'), hot club ('Bankrupted'), metal (25th Anniversary 'Matty'), chamber music stylings (any half-dozen of Ric's things) and anything else that takes their fancy.

Drawing on 'the tradition' to varying degrees - from non at all (eg: first album, 'MOON') to totally ('L&L', 'BABBACOMBE LEE' - even though there's only one true 'trad; arr' on it) to generally (the Vertigo albums, 'GLADYS') to middling-ly (most of the post-85 albums).

And they rely on a huge groundswell of affection among 'folkies' in general. (I suspect the Swarb-Simon club duo of the early 80s had a lot to do with getting to the *real* folkies.)

But *folk* in the sense that pre-Steeleye Carthy was or how Ashley went in the 70s...? I don't think so.

[fat Billy(Bill)]

Who Knows?


Who cares?


They always sound rather good to me!!

[jude]

There seem to be so many bands around that don't fit into any category, little bit folk, little bit rock, little bit jazz, that it seems silly to try and put them into any sort of box.

And if you do try, they just jump out of the box.

Like most musicians they will go where their music takes them

And you'll just end up all cross and grumpy with a headache.

Jude (as nicely as possible)

[Mix (Mic)]

Are Fairport folk?...

am I bovvered?
This question seems to appear every now and again, and I don't think there really is an answer. They're a band of musicians/singers, they make music that excites/pleases/causes emotional responses/is adored by thousands. They're an extended family with many talented cousins who are happy to drop by and tune in.

How about we invent a new genre?
Fairportian? Greatmusic? Wonderstuff?

Whatever... they're the best!!!

Mic

[Keith E Rice]

FAIRPORTIAN?

Excellent!! Now, will somebody tell Ashley....

[PLW (Peter)]

Keith - if you haven't already, have a look at the "Folk music - what is it?" thread in Active!

Personally, I reckon "folk-rock" is a pretty good cover all label for what Fairport do.

[David W]

IMHO -

Chris is a folk musician, Peggy and Gerry are rock musicians, Ric is a jazz musician, Simon is a m.o.r. musician/singer.

Put that lot together and who the heck knows what you end up with!

Jackdaw

[Mix (Mic)]

IMHO -

Chris is a folk musician, Peggy and Gerry are rock musicians, Ric is a jazz musician, Simon is a m.o.r. musician/singer.

Put that lot together and who the heck knows what you end up with!

Jackdaw

Heinz 57? 

Mic

[abby (tank girl)]

what you end up with is a whole lot of threads bickering about who is what and what fits where and no talk of, 'oo, did you hear that, that was really good!'
'no, i didnt hear it 'cause it didnt say on the cover if it was folk or pop.'
i'm with mix on this one.... am i bovvered?
 

[martin driver]

Who cares about labels, I think for people who enjoy music there are just two catagories, good and bad. If the music moves you, brings a smile to your face or a tear to your eye, it's good, if it doesn't, then it's the latter. 

[Alex Lyons]

The unfortunate thing about the "folk-rock" label is that it tends to get shortened to "folk". Fairport were never part of that scene, they didn't come up through the folk clubs, but rather through the underground scene with bands like Pink Floyd, and then the 70s university rock circuit. So I've always classed them as a rock band with folk influences, although granted, post-1997 there has been a change in style.

Interesting Keith should mention the affection among the folkies, generally the folkies have never really taken to Fairport - not regarding them as a proper folk act (for good reason) - and Fairport's fans only tend to become slightly "folkie" via Fairport. I think broadly speaking, a Fairport fan tends to be more a rock fan who likes the folkier touches, rather than a folk fan who likes a bit of electricity.

And I was listening to a fascinating c. 1969 Swarb & Carthy interview the other day, with them talking about the absolute venom that a lot of the folkies felt for them at the time 

[jones the steam]

there's too much crossing of genres to really be able to classify anything now musically, how about allocating colours to the spines of your collection to help simplify things? you can get at least six different stickers down the edge of a cd box. 

[Anna]

I've gone the other way with my CD collection...  There are only 6 genres of music in my world and once you're in one of them you're stuck!  It does lead to some interesting combinations, especially when randomly playing "all folk".  AfroCelt Sound System to Fairport to Kate Purcell to Shooglenifty.  And where exactly does Pop become Rock become Metal?  Ah but, you see, it's all in my  MP3 player, so it really doesn't matter.

But I never say "I don't like that because it's such-and-such a genre".  "I don't like that because I've listened to it and it's cr*p!" is much more likely.

[jones the steam]

yup, the (possibly illegal?) home compilations are the best way to enjoy music, have a feeling that when we get our mp3's for Christmas though that the alphabetical listing i'm expecting will end up sending me back to the random button on the stereo and the safety of tattered old cassettes.
build up, chill down, i even reroute album tracklists to that end, much to the distress of mrs groove, the rise and fall of ziggy being a stick subject...

if the tune fits, stick it in a folk coloured hat.

[Jan_]

IMHO -

Simon is a m.o.r. musician/singer.



Jackdaw

Does that mean he can turn his hand to anything?  If so, I agree.  Not sure about singing, but I'm sure he could play guitar in most styles.  I'd like to hear him have a go at a classical guitar piece.  I bet he'd be pretty good.   

[PLW (Peter)]

IMHO -

Chris is a folk musician, Peggy and Gerry are rock musicians, Ric is a jazz musician, Simon is a m.o.r. musician/singer.

Put that lot together and who the heck knows what you end up with!

Jackdaw

Not sure about all that - they are just musicians. They are what they play.

Peggy played bass with the Ian Campbell Folk Group - what does that make him? Martin Carthy played skiffle before he played folk - but no-one would call him a skiffle musician now.

[That Girl]

Does it really matter whether they fit into a category or not? if you like them you like them - if you don't then you don't. Whatever they are they are bloody brilliant and long may it continue. 

[Joss]

and ........... the people who go to Cropredy are ........., yes you've guessed it : Festival Folk !!!!


see www.festivalfolk.co.uk

[Nick Duxbury]

Does it really matter whether they fit into a category or not? if you like them you like them - if you don't then you don't.

Thank Christ someone is above it all!  Who gives a sh*t?!  Music's music... and they play music, therefore they are a band who play music.

[Mix (Mic)]

Nick, trawl back through the thread, you'll find quite a few said...
Am I bovvered?

but this is a forum, i.e. a place to discuss and debate, so that's what we do, or it would be an empty place

Mic - bring on the next argument debate