New album 2007

[Sir Martin]

Just bring back the quality control (although I actually thought Over the Next Hill was quite decent).

Jewel in the Crown stands out from the field - because there was a lot moore concentration on quality for it. If you can do it once, then you can do it again.

They can sing the telephone directory for all I care, as long as they a) do it with some passion- not on remote control b) don't cover it with cheesy synth sounds and c) use the ability they quite obviously have to stretch themselves as instrumentalists.

As for 'the core audience wil buy anything' - I gave up on that & still don't own Wood and the Wire or XXXV.

[Jim]

look, i think we're bound to get tam lin as its back in the set, but lets not go down the road of being a RT or fotheringay covers band.
 Fairport should be able tosource an albums worth of new trad/ contemporary songs. assuming 3 CL originals and 2 tunes from Ric then they'll probably need another 3 or 4 songs to flesh the cd out.
 So quality control heads on please chaps, astonish and delight us with your choices. you know you can do it
      

[greglin (Gregg)]

Sorry, Greglin, but this statement doesn't stand up: "definite reason to take another look at the genre that really launched the band". Ask Jude. 'trad;arr' did not launch the band.

Appreciate what you say......my point was that the significant rise in profile given by L & L - however you define it as a re launch or a natural progression - meant that the majority of FC fans probably came to the band as a result of that album and, ergo, that genre. That's not to diminish the pre L & L achievements.

With the greatest respect to the band ( and Jude ) and their musicianship - had they continued in the Dylanesque vein, I wouldn't be a fan. That's personal - I just don't relate to Dylan.

Who knows what would have happened - look at the number of similar bands who felll by the wayside - the sheer longevity of FC may have been related to the direction taken with L & L.  It also seems that the fan base which was significantly broadened by L & L has been a little disappointed by the recent studio releases, and would like to see a return to the trad based tunes / songs. The comment regarding the material on Tipplers Tales is well made - some of the tunes were originals but in the trad genre and it was a well rounded album for it.

Horses for courses - I'd just like to see this line up do a trad arr album. I reckon it would be a wonderful dispay of musicianship !

[Paolo]

Dear Boarders, I also vote for a few new trad. arr. numbers

All the best

Paolo

[davidmjs]

assuming 3 CL originals and 2 tunes from Ric then they'll probably need another 3 or 4 songs to flesh the cd out.
 So quality control heads on please chaps, astonish and delight us with your choices. you know you can do it
      

I think this is exactly the problem with Fairport these days...."We'll have 3 Leslies, 2 Sanders, a revised oldie and an.....there that will do".  If a Leslie song is good enough it should be in, if it's not then it shouldn't.  They need somebody with the guts to tell 'em when it's not.  How about giving that man Joe Boyd a call?

I've heard all of their output at one time or another but I have to say I've virtually no inclination to listen to any of their studio recordings post-85.  There is some good stuff in there but overall all of their albums (inc Jewel which is probably the best of a bad bunch) lack the overall standard one, well I at least, expects.  Personally, I'll stick to listening to live recordings which normally bring out the best in the boys to my mind.

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

I love (almost) ALL their recordings.. and am only too happy that they are still there to brighten up our lives and give us the immense pleasure that they do.. for me at least!!

Whatever the new album brings it will be sure to be a celebration of their longevity and we have that to be thankful for.

Sycophantdescendingfromsoapbox

[Jim]

assuming 3 CL originals and 2 tunes from Ric then they'll probably need another 3 or 4 songs to flesh the cd out.
 So quality control heads on please chaps, astonish and delight us with your choices. you know you can do it
      

I think this is exactly the problem with Fairport these days...."We'll have 3 Leslies, 2 Sanders, a revised oldie and an.....there that will do".  If a Leslie song is good enough it should be in, if it's not then it shouldn't.  They need somebody with the guts to tell 'em when it's not.  How about giving that man Joe Boyd a call?

I've heard all of their output at one time or another but I have to say I've virtually no inclination to listen to any of their studio recordings post-85.  There is some good stuff in there but overall all of their albums (inc Jewel which is probably the best of a bad bunch) lack the overall standard one, well I at least, expects.  Personally, I'll stick to listening to live recordings which normally bring out the best in the boys to my mind.

i didnt put dave up to this.
 honest

[PLW (Peter)]

I think we should let the artists get on with creating the art. No great work was ever created by following popular opinion.

Leave them to get on with it, I say. You might like the results, you might not. The important thing is that they are true to themselves.

[Jim]

isn t that the problem with fairport for far too long now
"no great work"

[PLW (Peter)]

isn t that the problem with fairport for far too long now
"no great work"

That, of course, is a matter of opinion. But you miss the point. No great work was ever created by the public barking at the artist what they should do. It can only come from the artist being true to him or herself.

If there were a formula for great work, we'd all be producing it all the time.

[Anna]

New album?  Nice.

Without getting into the "this era was/is better than that era" discussion (I have my own opinions here), whoever said:

But given my thought that the band is not too likely to ever abandon reworkings of the back catalogue, I do almost feel that it would be more plausible to encourage an album where different ex-members guested on songs from line-ups that they were not involved in.

(sorry, I cut & pasted and it was so far back up the thread I've forgotten who it was now)

GREAT IDEA!  Could it work?  Would ex-members be willing to do something like this?  Some may, some may not.  Especially, like you say, get people to guest on songs they weren't involved with first time round.  Or any other guest musicians.  I happen to really like the version of Portmeirion on XXXV (?wasn't it) with Ian Anderson.

Outside of that, a few trad;arr songs, especially upbeat lively ones, and (sorry Jim) a couple of CL's and RS's is a good start.  Anything like a Tilston or McTell or even an unknown songwriter - that'd be cool.

But in any event I'll be up for it, whatever's on it and whoever's written/performed on it.  Cos I think they're sounding great just now.  So there!

[Jan_]

It’s hard to imagine how a celebration of FC’s 40th anniversary could take place without some acknowledgement of what has gone before.  It’s also important for the current band members to exercise their creativity and move forward.  A difficult blend and I don’t envy them the task of putting together a CD that will do justice to both elements.  Nevertheless, I have every confidence in them to come up with the goods!

I think they sounded great in the past and I think they sound great at the moment.  I enjoy all the eras for different reasons.  (If that's considered sychophantic then so be it!) 

[Pat Helms]

I also love Witch of the westmorlands.  Stan Rogers does a great version of it.

I agree!  Stan's live version might be definitive, God rest his soul! 

[davidmjs]

I've been to Cropredy,
And heard Hexhamshire Lass
And if that ain't folk rock,
I'll kiss your........
- David Allan Coe

Did DAC really say that?!  Great quote.... :-)

[Adam]

NO REHASHES OF OLD SONGS- PLEASE!!!!

To my mind a pointless exersise - great to hear old songs live, but no need to re-record studio versions (all a bit lazy, I think) especially as old CDs, etc are so easy to come by.  Maybe the only exception would be a radical reworking..Steeleye Span did this on their first and second records(!) - (The) Blacksmith, and a rather stonking rework of Twa Corbies a few years ago.

I agree some more trad. would be great, but I also like Chris Leslie's songs...need a good balance. I disagree that a studio record released next year needs to acknowlegde the past 40 years, as this would best be served by a compliation or a full recording of the Cropredy set!

Cheers

Adam

[Pat Helms]

I've been to Cropredy,
And heard Hexhamshire Lass
And if that ain't folk rock,
I'll kiss your........
- David Allan Coe

Did DAC really say that?!  Great quote.... :-)

Its..........a bit paraphrased:

"I've been to the Grand Ole Opry
And I've met Johnny Cash
And if that ain't Country
I'll kiss your (elegant posterior)."

The spirit is pretty much the same, so I had to give credit where credit was due!

[Paolo]

There is just one reworking I would greet, and it's a new Tam Lin inspired (but just inspired) by Swarb's version in '70 and '71 tours.

best to all and lot of regrets for missing Cropredy again this year. Meybe the next ...

Paolo

[Jack O Diamonds]

Trad Arr presupposes someone to do the Arr and I haven't heard the lads do anything close for years and years and years... Material? Tons.... Trad of Twa Corbies? One of the van Diemen's Land songs?

Jack O'Diamonds - the man who knew his Arr from his elbow...

[David W]

A bit harsh there Jack, a few years possibly but the live version of Seventeen Come Sunday on the Cropredy Box was pretty good, as was Western Wind on Wood and the Wire.

Jackdaw 

[Jack O Diamonds]

A bit harsh there Jack, a few years possibly but the live version of Seventeen Come Sunday on the Cropredy Box was pretty good, as was Western Wind on Wood and the Wire.

Jackdaw 

Not in the same league as Tam Lin... Westron Wynd still at its most beautiful by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior on Summer Solstice... A Sailor's Life... She Moves Through The Fair... When I Was on Horseback... I could go on. "Trad Arr" in an electric (dare I use the word "Rock"??) context requires great instrumentation as well as writing the old words a bit more bleedin' modern like. Think about A Sailor's Life.... chiaroscuro (look it up  )... build up slowly, intricately... dynamics, harmonies. It's difficult to do well. Your examples are average at best.

It's a bit like Chelsea...If you want someone to score goals for fun you buy Schevchenko...  if you want to do Trad Arr a la Electrique get someone in who can do it... NB I don't have a clue who that might be by the way!