When can we expect a new CD from Fairport and what will be on it?

[Bob Barrows]

I would love a live cd from the vaults. I too would like a lead guitarist and some grit on new material. They now sound like adult contemporary instead of folk rock. Was the last folk rock track by FC Spanish main in 1997? Has there been any other rocky songs?

Hawkwood's Army?

...  I wouldn't really describe it as folk-rock myself but it's closer than most of the band's recent material.

Interesting ... what's it missing that would make it folk-rock?

Folk and rock possibly!

Facetious? If not, please explain.

[GubGub (Al)]

I would love a live cd from the vaults. I too would like a lead guitarist and some grit on new material. They now sound like adult contemporary instead of folk rock. Was the last folk rock track by FC Spanish main in 1997? Has there been any other rocky songs?

Hawkwood's Army?

...  I wouldn't really describe it as folk-rock myself but it's closer than most of the band's recent material.

Interesting ... what's it missing that would make it folk-rock?

Folk and rock possibly!

Facetious? If not, please explain.

Yes, facetious to some extent but it is a debate we have had many times on the board. The current line up tends toward a sort of comfortable acoustic AOR. I realise that they still dip into traditional song and I realise that there is a rhythm section but to me the rock element is muted and the folk element blunted whereas there is much music in the band's history that is the precise opposite of that. Sense Of Occasion was another album in the vein that really began with The Wood & The Wire. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the songs but as albums they have been stylistically less than I hope. The last real "folk rock" track they did, instrumentals aside, (IMHO) was "John Gaudie". That fits right in with my definition. A story song. A great set of fiddle tunes and a strong electric backing, even the guitars.

[Bob Barrows]

Not really wanting to beat this to death, but I'm still puzzled: the song seems to contain all the elements you've both talked about: story song, nice bass groove, strong rock beat ... everything except a lead electric guitar solo, I guess: someone's playing rhythm on an electric, I think.

Is that it? If they had included a lead guitar solo rather than the twinned mandolin/fiddle breaks (I think that's what they are), it would have qualified as a folk-rock song in your eyes?

[GubGub (Al)]

Not really wanting to beat this to death, but I'm still puzzled: the song seems to contain all the elements you've both talked about: story song, nice bass groove, strong rock beat ... everything except a lead electric guitar solo, I guess: someone's playing rhythm on an electric, I think.

Is that it? If they had included a lead guitar solo rather than the twinned mandolin/fiddle breaks (I think that's what they are), it would have qualified as a folk-rock song in your eyes?

I think we are at cross purposes Bob. I've just realised that you are talking specifically about Hawkwood's Army whereas I was talking more generally about the Sense Of Occasion album. I do actually like Hawkwood's Army, largely because it rocks. But like Jules, for me it doesn't quite fit my notion of folk rock. I'm not sure I can quite put my finger on why. I guess it is a delicate balance and maybe this track, unusually for modern day Fairport, falls down too heavily on the rock side of the equation.

[Jan_]

Is Tam Lin (on SOO) folk rock?

[Jim]

yes but its only the latest bit of  the re-recording the oldies project
its a bit like live albums with a few new songs

[Jan_]

I've said it before, but I would like FC to have a go at some previously uncovered traditional songs.

For me, there are two dimensions to Fairport - the electric and the acoustic.  On the winter tour I like to hear predominantly electric and on the acoustic tour I like to hear predominantly acoustic.  As far as I am concerned, the more that both are set in a folk context, the better.  A CD needs to reflect both dimensions, in my opinion.

[Harbottle (Martin)]

Not really wanting to beat this to death, but I'm still puzzled: the song seems to contain all the elements you've both talked about: story song, nice bass groove, strong rock beat ... everything except a lead electric guitar solo, I guess: someone's playing rhythm on an electric, I think.

Is that it? If they had included a lead guitar solo rather than the twinned mandolin/fiddle breaks (I think that's what they are), it would have qualified as a folk-rock song in your eyes?

I think we are at cross purposes Bob. I've just realised that you are talking specifically about Hawkwood's Army whereas I was talking more generally about the Sense Of Occasion album. I do actually like Hawkwood's Army, largely because it rocks. But like Jules, for me it doesn't quite fit my notion of folk rock. I'm not sure I can quite put my finger on why. I guess it is a delicate balance and maybe this track, unusually for modern day Fairport, falls down too heavily on the rock side of the equation.

Stuff like Hawkwood's Army is fake to me - a contemporary songwriter writing a corny little story about a historical event, but without the emotional impact (And universal message) of something like Red & Gold. Fairport should be covering stuff like Steve Knightley/Show of Hands, IMHO, and rocking it up.

[GubGub (Al)]

Not really wanting to beat this to death, but I'm still puzzled: the song seems to contain all the elements you've both talked about: story song, nice bass groove, strong rock beat ... everything except a lead electric guitar solo, I guess: someone's playing rhythm on an electric, I think.

Is that it? If they had included a lead guitar solo rather than the twinned mandolin/fiddle breaks (I think that's what they are), it would have qualified as a folk-rock song in your eyes?

I think we are at cross purposes Bob. I've just realised that you are talking specifically about Hawkwood's Army whereas I was talking more generally about the Sense Of Occasion album. I do actually like Hawkwood's Army, largely because it rocks. But like Jules, for me it doesn't quite fit my notion of folk rock. I'm not sure I can quite put my finger on why. I guess it is a delicate balance and maybe this track, unusually for modern day Fairport, falls down too heavily on the rock side of the equation.

Stuff like Hawkwood's Army is fake to me - a contemporary songwriter writing a corny little story about a historical event, but without the emotional impact (And universal message) of something like Red & Gold. Fairport should be covering stuff like Steve Knightley/Show of Hands, IMHO, and rocking it up.

I'm not quite sure I understand the distinction that you are making here. Surely both Steve Knightley and Ralph McTell (author of Red & Gold) are also contemporary songwriters? Personally I feel that importing so much material from external writers has been at the core of the problem with Fairport albums over the last 20 years (though there are certainly songs that I like amongst them). But as Simon has said, until Chris Leslie joined the band, it had not contained any writers since Swarb so using external material was what enabled the band to continue at all! Nevertheless, I would like to see them trying to generate all of their material internally or from "traditional" sources. Get Simon to play electric throughout, switch on Ric's effects pedals and persuade Chris to pick up that red solid bodied thingy that he played on stuff like Spanish Main on his first tour with the band.

[abby (tank girl)]

in direct response to the question in the thread title, sometime in the future, and, most probably, some songs.

harumph.

[Staffan]

 

[Tasha]

I too prefer the folk rock Fairport Convention of the past to the more MOR Fairport of today but I am glad that they still exist and are producing new material I will still see them on the Winter tour this year and always support the band that has provided me with the soundtrack to my life.It was a privilege to see Liege and Lief performed on a certain field in 2007   I was too young first time around

[Keith]

Old Dakota to Manchester indeed.

Among the worst set of lyrics ever released by Fairport  

SoO is most definitely a hot potato - in that it never stays in the hands of anyone I lend it to for long.

IMO there have only been 4 decent albums in the last 20 years (Gladys' Leap, Red and Gold, Jewel In The Crown and Over The Next Hill), but that *does* mean they got it right four times with almost the same lineup. I agree that Maart would inject a huge amount into the recording band.

[GubGub (Al)]

Old Dakota to Manchester indeed.

Among the worst set of lyrics ever released by Fairport  

SoO is most definitely a hot potato - in that it never stays in the hands of anyone I lend it to for long.

IMO there have only been 4 decent albums in the last 20 years (Gladys' Leap, Red and Gold, Jewel In The Crown and Over The Next Hill), but that *does* mean they got it right four times with almost the same lineup. I agree that Maart would inject a huge amount into the recording band.

Just goes to show how subjective this is though. My reasoning would be the same but I would swap Five Seasons & WKWTTG for Red & Gold & Jewel respectively. Even OTNH does not wholly convince.

[Keith]

I did say "decent" rather than "great". None of them stay on my playlist for that long.

[PaulT]

As long as they don't decide to re-visit "London River"...

[davidmjs]

IMO there have only been 4 decent albums in the last 20 years (Gladys' Leap, Red and Gold, Jewel In The Crown and Over The Next Hill), but that *does* mean they got it right four times with almost the same lineup. I agree that Maart would inject a huge amount into the recording band.

Some really good tracks on the first three...don't like OTNH at all, I'm afraid.  But those three are my favourite albums of, well, actually it's the last 30 years isn't it.  Gulp....

[MarkC]

As long as they don't decide to re-visit "London River"...

Could somebody please explain the overt hostility shown to this song? I know it's all subjective, but I have always enjoyed it very much.

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

As long as they don't decide to re-visit "London River"...

Could somebody please explain the overt hostility shown to this song? I know it's all subjective, but I have always enjoyed it very much.

I agree and actually like "South Dakota" too. In fact much of the output on recent albums (i.e. those within the last 25 years!) has been the triumph of presentation and execution over material.

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

As long as they don't decide to re-visit "London River"...

Could somebody please explain the overt hostility shown to this song? I know it's all subjective, but I have always enjoyed it very much.

I like it too. It's a jolly singalong song and a good one to start with after the break when everyone's a bit sluggish and need bringing back on track.