Winter Tour 2007 - Your reviews & comments

[PLW (Peter)]

Spotted this in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph "Seven" supplement.

"Fairport Convention at the ICA are two groups in one. There is an acclaimed, honoured group called Fairport Convention who in the late 1960s helped to invent folk rock and are now celebrating their 40th anniversary. There's little sign of their existence.

There is also a group called Fairport Convention containing only one of the original members, who are some kind of home-baked tribute to the idea of a Fairport Convention that helped invent folk rock and released legendary albums.

Mostly they tend to muck around like a bunch of assiduous, cheerful blokes who act as if they are in some kind of comedy group. This Fairport Convention are not as such honouring the original pioneering Fairport, give or take the occasional sentimental rendition of an early classic, as creating a kind of dog-eared caricature. The original innovative Fairport is overwhelmed by this deteriorating, corny Fairport, who gamely keep the name alive and have a lot of fun but who should now perhaps be called Fairport Nonvention."

Harsh words.  Okay, of course things have changed - it has been 40 years for a start! I know plenty of us have views about the different Fairport eras, and fair enough, but I thought this reviewer (one Paul Morley) was pretty hard on the Chaps.

Well, I saw them in 1970, when they were an "acclaimed, honoured group who helped to invent folk-rock" and I'm happy to report that they never mucked around in those days, but were serious students of the art of re-interpreting traditional music for the second half of the 20th century. And they wore tweed jackets and brogues, and smoked pipes on stage. And my nephew is a primate.

I reckon Mr Morley would be even quicker to criticise if they looked and sound as they did in the late 1960s. ie had they not changed. I'd even say that if they'd failed to change, no-one would be going to see them at all, let alone tens of thousands.

[Jan_]

I didn't notice Paul Morley in the crowd.

But I have to agree to a certain extent that the music now is far lighter than the Fairport of even 10 years ago, and could be seen as larking about by a real stalwart of serious music (as I know Paul Morley to be). They had a lot of fun, but it didn't really rub off on the audience - so is it an "old boys club" now?

Well, the music is certainly not cutting edge, and I'm struggling to enjoy SOO - whereas the roots that have been set down by earlier, more earthy songs seem to give more scope for improvisation and character (cf. Matty Groves). I can't see a heavy improv taking place with Edge Of The World, or Keep On Turning The Wheel  

Did they not 'lark about' in the old days, then?  I wasn't there of course, but that video clip on Youtube - you know, the one with the helicopters - was very funny.  I've read plenty of stuff which indicates that Fairport certainly did their fair share of 'larking about' - on and off stage! Don't get me wrong, I love the early stuff.  It reminds me of my long lost youth.  I also love what they do now.

I just thought Paul Morley was a bit mean and to resort to name calling detracted from a supposedly serious article.

At the end of the day, they are five guys trying to make a living (which I reckon is quite modest) by doing something they're good at and which they enjoy doing.  Not much different to most of us, I suspect.  I'm not cutting edge at what I do but I do a good job for the most part and there are plenty of people who appreciate it.  If I read an article like that about me, I would be hurt.

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

I think the article was meant to be hurtful...

[Jan_]

Oops!  Sorry PLW.  I seem to have repeated some of what you said.  (Maybe I should take notice of the red warning in future )

[Mark]

I wouldn't bother worrying about Paul Morley's opinions. The guy (like so many of his contemporaries at the NME in the late '70s) mistakes his role in the world of music. He seems to imagine that commentating on the aftermath of the punk generation makes him a creative force of some merit.

In reality he is a pretentious p***k, as anyone who has read any of his inane scribblings in the last 20 years will testify to.

[Jan_]

I think the article was meant to be hurtful...

Exactly - which is why Christie Moore's Scallcrows springs to mind.

[cat]

for what its worth I love the mandolin and bazouki sound - too many heavy guitars and you have a band sounding like all the other run of the mill bands around - keep fairport unique I say  

[Bob Barrows]

I think the article was meant to be hurtful...

Exactly - which is why Christie Moore's Scallcrows springs to mind.

That went sailing over my head. Google is of no help. Could you please explain?

[Jan_]

I think the article was meant to be hurtful...

Exactly - which is why Christie Moore's Scallcrows springs to mind.

That went sailing over my head. Google is of no help. Could you please explain?

Don't worry, Bob.  Lots of things go sailing over my head round here.  

Christie Moore wrote a song about newspaper reporters, castigating them for their hunger to wound innocent people.

 ... your pointed beaks as sharp as knives, as you tear strips from people's lives...

I think the song is really aimed at reporters who are much worse than Mr Morley, so I may have overreacted a bit, but you get the idea.

PS  My misspelling of Christy may have hindered your google search.

[Polly Oxford (Andie)]

Well I love the mandolin, it gives a distinctive Fairport sound, but I also love that 'duelling fiddles' sound that was more prominent several years back, but best of all I love it when those 'old fellas' let rip and enjoy themselves and rock like they did 40 years ago (and last month!)  

[Ollie]

Am I the only one that likes the mandolin in the current FC then??

No...but it's a question of balance.  It's (and certainly on record) a too one-dimensional 'light' sound at present...I've always thought of Fairport as having all sorts of textures to them and a lot of those textures have been missing for a while....although the latest tour appears to have been a good step in the right direction on the live front.  I'd love to see them mix it up in the studio and get out of the safety zone they currently operate in there...

Why doesn't Chris get his electric guitar out more, I'd much rather have two electrics on Tam Lin than mando and one electric (this is coming from a mando player)

[PLW (Peter)]

What's all this stuff about the mandolin being recent additions to Fairport? They were there in 1969 on Unhalfbricking (Million Dollar Bash, anyone?). Flatback Caper on Full House - well nigh seven minutes of duelling mandos and not an electric guitar in sight. Angel Delight? All over it. Nowadays you have the luxury of fiddle and mandolin at the same time! And electric guitar. Never satisfied some people  

[David W]

Chris needs to resurrect the batocaster

J

[Keith]

Who said the mandolin was recent? My problem is it being so dominant in the mix and being the focal instrument of too many songs making Fairport on record sound...well, lovely.

I can only take so much lovely.

[davidmjs]

I can only take so much lovely.

Spot on.  'Lovely' is almost as bad as 'nice'.  Which is horrid  

[Cocker Freeman]

Don't you come in here using abusive language like that!

Nice!

You ought to be ashamed, David.

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

I don't think you can ever have tooooo much 'lovely'...  as opposed to 'unlovely'!

So there!

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Ah I love a really good discussion.  

Just to put the record straight, as it was my comment on the mando that started this, I like mandolin and I think it's right and correct that FC feature it in a few of their repertoire. Recently, however, they, or rather Chris, has used it a little too much and this in my opinion has led to a twee sound on occasion. I prefer a rockier sound. It hasn't stopped me from enjoying the new album but I do feel it would have benefited from a little more electric guitar. Folk-rock rather than electric-folk.

That's all! BTW I love the two-fiddle sound.  

[Anna]

Chris - Electric guitar?  Now, there's a thought...

Would totally blow out of the window my theory about fiddle/mando players not playing guitar and vice versa...

AND would give a whole new scope for arrangements!  Goo-oorn Chris, you know you want to!!  (Don't forget the whistles though - there's still room for a pukka flautist)

[Paul]

Chris doesn't play electric guitar, it is a stratocaster type body, with a bouzouki neck fitted.

I too have felt recently the sound is too folky, and not enough electric, but that is only a personal opinion. I did really enjoy the Maart era, with the heavier electric guitar sound. I also like the earlier Richard era guitar sound.

Paul