Live Fairport with Maart

[hendo (Dave)]

Now don't get me wrong (he says getting his retaliation in first). I like Chris Leslie as a bloke(based on the few times i have talked to him and the fact he offered to play at our wedding))  and as a musician but..... Occassionally ,with the benefit of hindsight .I wonder what Fairports would sound like if PJ Wright had joined instead of Chris.

Who knows?  More of a folk-rock band I suppose?  

I still think Chris is the/was the PERFECT replacement for Swarb, so I'd have him in the band, just not in the rather odd role he has filled for the last 13 years or so.  I suppose they went in a very different direction with Ric (hasn't his quarter of a century with the band been rather underplayed?) because he wasn't another Swarb.  Which worked well for them.  But still, I'm afraid for me, left me slightly disengaged from the band I fell in love with.  But that's my problem, not theirs!

Mine too. As someone has said in this thread you probably fall in love with thee first lineup you see, for me RT and Sandy. I have to accept that was a band of 40 yrs ago and when i go to see fairports now i am watching  a completely different band who to their credit aren't doing  a'medley of their hits' but doing new stuff. I do like some of Chris's writing and he has brought a lot to the band in that respect, but i do miss guitar riffs ripping across the melody.
Chris on fiddle, PJ on guitar... but that would be a different band ........

[Nick Reg]

Cant we have a Fairport Big Band?

[davidmjs]

Cant we have a Fairport Big Band?

The Ceilidh Band managed to include the Maart lineup, Swarb, the Marriotts and Mr Crabtree (anyone else?) didn't it....

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Cant we have a Fairport Big Band?

Of course we could - and we could have it at Cropredy every year    They could do their annual touring with the current line-up but for Cropredy they could bring on lots of ex members and let it rip.

[Adam]

I've got a radio recording of a Maart line up show - Red Tide is an absolute stormer - what a great, dark brooding song that is!

[hendo (Dave)]

Cant we have a Fairport Big Band?

Now that's a very good idea and i suppose it happens sometimes at Cropredy with a particular combination of guests.

[Harbottle (Martin)]

I loved Fairport with Maart in the lineup. Not that keen on the double fiddle lineup. Although I could never stand that Hiring Fair song with the god-awful keyboard sounds. I used to leave for a pee-break when Mattacks got off his drumkit.

The current lineup is OK, but Fairport needs some electric guitar. It's all gone a bit like the music from those crappy stalls you used to get in town centres selling that dreadful Irish stuff by people like Brendan Shine. Spuds, Carrots and all that rubbish.

[Ancient Muse (Andy)]

I love Chris Leslie's songs and his voice and his fiddle, he is perfect for the way they sound at the moment and it was magic when he and Ric AND Swarb all played together at Cropredy.

I can't imagine FC without Chris or Ric (though I REALLY couldn't imagine it without Simon and Peggy!) but I remember the band with Maart and DM on drums and they were magnificent.

The first time I saw Fairport was about 1975/6 and to be honest I can't remember the line-up - it just wasn't as important to me as the whole band and the wonderful sound they made. Still takes me ages to get used to the names of individual members in any band.

[ThomA]

I'd have no issue with seeing Maart returning to Fairport to beef up their current sound, but I doubt that's an option.

Nonetheless, I'm sure they're due a lineup change soon, right?  

If and when this does happen, whether adding a sixth member or replacing a departing member it'll probably point to the future of Fairport.  I've read some comments from Simon (I think) who's suggested the band name continues with newer personnel beyond the tenure of the original members, which I'm slightly dubious about (though have a lot of time for the mid-70s Fairport lineups that had no original members), but can see the logic in that.  

How many returning members have FC had?  DM, Sandy and Simon are the only ones I can think of...

[davidmjs]

How many returning members have FC had?  DM, Sandy and Simon are the only ones I can think of...

I think that's it, unless one counts Chris Leslie's brief 1992 tenure    (and DM gets a special mention for 3 stints!)

[PLW (Peter)]

I can't imagine FC without Chris or Ric (though I REALLY couldn't imagine it without Simon and Peggy!) but I remember the band with Maart and DM on drums and they were magnificent.

I can remember thinking in early 1971 that Fairport would be unimaginable without Richard Thompson. Then, when Simon left a bit further down the line, thinking - well, they can't exist now, because they don't have any original members. Then they had a golden period when there were no original members. So I had to re-think that.

In my dreams I'd love to see Fairport as a 7-piece: the current line-up augmented by a brilliant female vocalist and a rocky lead guitarist. But I guess that's an economic impossibility.

[Paul Mitchell]

I can't imagine FC without Chris or Ric (though I REALLY couldn't imagine it without Simon and Peggy!) but I remember the band with Maart and DM on drums and they were magnificent.

I can remember thinking in early 1971 that Fairport would be unimaginable without Richard Thompson. Then, when Simon left a bit further down the line, thinking - well, they can't exist now, because they don't have any original members. Then they had a golden period when there were no original members. So I had to re-think that.

In my dreams I'd love to see Fairport as a 7-piece: the current line-up augmented by a brilliant female vocalist and a rocky lead guitarist. But I guess that's an economic impossibility.

it would sound amazing though. what they need is somebody to do it for free, in which case i would reluctantly put myself forward for the post of electric guitarist.

[dooovall [Daniel]]

I first saw Fairport live in Pennsylvania in 1991 at a venue called The Hearth.  My first exposure to the band was via the "In Real Time" album which for some reason all the cool kids (or the ones I perceived as cool) were listening to in 1988 (when I was in high school in Westlake, Ohio).  Naturally, the Maart era holds a special place in my heart, as that was the first incarnation of Fairport that I knew.  I've grown to enjoy all forms of the band -- there are standout songs, tunes, and live performances from throughout the band's history.  I wouldn't object if Maart ever re-joined Fairport, though.  Wouldn't a six-piece lineup be nice again?

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Every time I see the title of this thread I get excited thinking "Maart's going to tour with the band!!!!"    

... and then I remember what it was about  

He's not played with the band for ages at Cropredy. I wonder why.  

[Jules Gray]

I'm afraid I never liked that (to me) awful keyboard sound on some songs like the Wounded Whale or The Hiring Fair

I agree.  Just awful!

Its generally the case that the first lineup we see is our favourite, isn't it?

Heh - the first live Fairport I saw was the reunited Liege & Lief lineup.  So that'll be largely accurate then!  

Jules

[Jules Gray]

I still think Chris is the/was the PERFECT replacement for Swarb, so I'd have him in the band, just not in the rather odd role he has filled for the last 13 years or so.  I suppose they went in a very different direction with Ric (hasn't his quarter of a century with the band been rather underplayed?) because he wasn't another Swarb.  Which worked well for them.  But still, I'm afraid for me, left me slightly disengaged from the band I fell in love with.  But that's my problem, not theirs!

I agree with all that.  It's the same for me.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

I'm afraid I never liked that (to me) awful keyboard sound on some songs like the Wounded Whale or The Hiring Fair

I agree.  Just awful!

Now you see, I love The Wounded Whale. I'm not so keen on some of the other keyboard heavy songs and I much prefer the acoustic Hiring Fair on Old, New Borrowed, Blue but The Wounded Whale is one of my favourite FC tracks and live at Cropredy it used to be transcendent. I miss them doing it.

I always presumed that the keyboard string section was Ric sampled and multitracked and then Ric played beautifully over the top of it. Perhaps that was a naive or just plain inaccurate assumption.

[davidmjs]

but The Wounded Whale is one of my favourite FC tracks and live at Cropredy it used to be transcendent. I miss them doing it.

Sorry, but I'm afraid I always transcended to the top of the hill, or the bar....

[Paul Mitchell]

but The Wounded Whale is one of my favourite FC tracks and live at Cropredy it used to be transcendent. I miss them doing it.

Sorry, but I'm afraid I always transcended to the top of the hill, or the bar....

whaaaaaaaaaaaat? the wounded whale is epic. but i was brought up listening to five seasons because of my dad, so i guess you do like what you first hear from fairport.

[Graham B]

As I said I really enjoyed hearing Wounded Whale by the Maart line up. I hadn't thought that people hated it, but then again that's what is so good about seeing Fairport live, they play songs in such variety of styles there's something for everyone.

Adam mentioned Red Tide a few posts back. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this one. I had to dig out “Jewel in the Crown” and have another listen. There is a lot of good stuff on that album.

I have been listening to a lot of the live Maart era albums lately as well and gave “The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” another listen. There is a lot of really great Maart stuff as it's a sort of best of 1986 & 1987 Cropredy collection. And the sound quality of the recordings on this set is excellent - even better than on 25th Anniversary collection.

There's a fantastic version of Sloth on the first disc which, for me, is the best live version available on CD. Also on the first disc is a version of Who Knows Where the Time Goes with Iain Mathews on lead vocals which is excellent. On the second disc there are some really great Maart workouts. For me the versions of The Lark In The Morning and Hiring Fair on this disc are superb. More contenders for that homemade “Off The Desk” that bassline (Mike) has got me thinking about.