Mojo's How To Buy Sandy Denny Top 5

[Jules Gray]

Mojo are doing a How To Buy feature on Sandy Denny next month.  They will be compiling a Top 10.  Yes, a Top 10 for Sandy.  She barely released that many records in her lifetime!

Nevertheless, they're asking for us to email in our Top 5s to mojo (at) bauermedia.co.uk

Here's mine:-

1) Fairport Convention/Liege & Lief - A true landmark album.  The birth of British electric folk music.  A solid masterpiece beginning to end.

2) Sandy Denny/Sandy - The standout of her solo LPs.  All her various strengths are on display here, and Trevor Lucas's production in this instance is perfectly judged.

3) Sandy Denny/The North Star Grassman & The Ravens - Her debut solo album remains one of her best.  Includes some of her finest performances.

4) Fotheringay/Fotheringay - Sandy included some of her finest compositions on this overlooked gem.  The Pond And The Stream and The Sea are a perfect pair of watery meditations.

5) Fairport Convention/Unhalfbricking - Somewhat lacking in cohesion, it does however include Sandy's signature tune, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, which is as lovely song as anyone has ever written.  Also includes the epic A Sailor's Life.

One to avoid:-

Sandy Denny/19 Rupert Street - They are unearthing so much previously unreleased Sandy Denny material of late (indeed this Top 10 would be impossible to compile if they hadn't), that sooner or later the sound of barrel scraping was bound to become audible.  And here it is.  Even completists are thinking twice about this collection of lo-fi informal recordings.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

Five is a stretch isn't it. Mine would be (possibly controversially)

1. Gold Dust. The voice is fading. The backing has been (tastefully) tinkered with many years after the event but it is still the Sandy record that I return to most often.

2. The Best of Sandy Denny. I know, I know, it is a compilation so it is cheating but it is a damn fine one and covers most of the essential bases from her entire career.

3. Fotheringay. Perhaps her crowning achievement in the studio. A natural progression from her work with Fairport and perhaps where they would have gone had she stayed when Ashley Hutchings left.

4. Sandy for all of the reasons Jules has already mentioned.

5. Rising For The Moon for the title track and One More Chance, unaccountably missing from The Best Of. I can't conceive of a Sandy collection without those two songs.

One to avoid: Sandy & The Strawbs. One for the archivists. Interesting as a historical artifact but neither especially representative of Sandy's gifts or particularly enjoyable.

[Dan O.]

Totally cheating here, but one of the finest starter packs on Sandy is the 2cd compilation The Music Weaver:Sandy Denny Remembered - it covers Fairport, Fotheringay, Solo stuff, BBC sessions and also contains The Battle Of Evermore (her biggest ever recording)...

[Alan2]

Five is a stretch isn't it. Mine would be (possibly controversially)

1. Gold Dust. The voice is fading. The backing has been (tastefully) tinkered with many years after the event but it is still the Sandy record that I return to most often.

2. The Best of Sandy Denny. I know, I know, it is a compilation so it is cheating but it is a damn fine one and covers most of the essential bases from her entire career.

3. Fotheringay. Perhaps her crowning achievement in the studio. A natural progression from her work with Fairport and perhaps where they would have gone had she stayed when Ashley Hutchings left.

4. Sandy for all of the reasons Jules has already mentioned.

5. Rising For The Moon for the title track and One More Chance, unaccountably missing from The Best Of. I can't conceive of a Sandy collection without those two songs.

One to avoid: Sandy & The Strawbs. One for the archivists. Interesting as a historical artifact but neither especially representative of Sandy's gifts or particularly enjoyable.

Have to disagree, Al, But then, I came to Sandy via the Strawbs before I got to Fairport. Even now, with much more familiarity with all of her material, I have a great love for S&TS -All our Own Work. I love the kicking start to songs like 'On my Way' 'All I need is You', and I love  the beautiful, string-adorned Stay Awhile'. I even like DAve's embarrassing indiscretion 'How everyone but Sam etc.' Sandy's voice on this album is as good as it ever was, and the naivete of the material, if that's what it is, gives it an edge. Something to do with artists taking their greatest risks when young, I feel.

[PaulT]

1. Liege & Lief - as close to folkrock perfection as anyone will ever get IMHO
2. Rising For the Moon - the title track, One More Chance and White Dress being my favourites
3. The BBC Sessions CD on (I think) Strange Fruit  - just because I managed to get one before it was deleted; raw and unadorned
4. Gold Dust - for much the same reasons as Al
5. Like An Old-Fashioned Waltz - for the title track, Solo (my 2nd favourite Sandy song after WKWTTG),  and I just love Whispering Grass!

I'd also recommend last year's Thea Gilmore/Sandy project as an intro for people coming to Sandy's work from a position outside of folk or rock.

I've not heard the Rupert St album, but it seems to be one that many people don't rate that highly.

[Hans Valk]

1. North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Surely not an album of greatest hits, but the most excentric record she eve made. It has an atmosphere that has never been equalled on any other of her albums. Although Like an Old Fashioned Waltz has something of an atmosphere as well. Next time around still almost brings me to tears.
2. Unhalfbricking. Sandy on her absolute top as a singer. WKWTTG and A Sailors Life (the REAL start of folkrock).
3. Fotheringay (1). Consistent is the word. Not one weak song (a least not by Sandy..)
4. Like an Old Fashioned Waltz. The title song's lyrics at first seem pink and sweet. But there's a dark side to them. And of course No End, one of her best songs ever. Never mind the two jazz classics.
5. Live at the BBC. Mainly because of disc 2 'In Concert'. Contains 7 songs recorded at the Paris Theatre, Together with the Ebbets field recordings these rank among the best live tracks by Sandy available to us.

--
greetings from Holland,
Hans Valk

[mickf]

1. 'The North Star Grassman and The Ravens' - contains 'Late November'.  For that sublime track alone I would rate it as a must have.

2. 'Rising for The Moon', for the title track, 'After Halloween' and the lovely 'White Dress'

3. 'Sandy' for being an all round brilliant album - but especially for 'Listen, Listen' and 'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood'

4. 'Liege and Lief' for all the reasons ever given for cherishing this album.

5. 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' should be on any list of great Sandy Denny songs, so for that one reason 'Unhalfbricking' is my number 5

[Jonathan]

1) Who Knows Where the Time Goes (3 CD set).  Kind of cheating, because it is a compilation.  Though, I guess if this one's cheating, so is the BBC set    I love the version of "Knocking on Heaven's Door.  I think it's with Fairport, but I'd have to double check.  Just a good selection at times.  I've heard/read complaints that the choice and order is a little random, but I like that about it.
2) Gold Dust.  Can't really add anything to what others have written.
3) Sandy.  "Bushes and Briars," "It Suits Me Well" and pretty much every song on the album.
4) The North Star Grassman and The Ravens.  Again, can't really add to what others have written.
5) Before the Moon. O.k., very much a Fairport album, and has lots of instrumentals and extended jams.  But it also has some great Sandy solo spots, just her and the piano.  Just really great, I love it because it saws all facets of Fairport at that time, including Sandy.  

[Mr Cat (Lewis)]

1.  Liege and Lief for the reasons stated above

2.  Unhalfbricking for the reasons stated above

3.  Rising for the Moon - the title track and One More Chance (one of my favourite CD vocal performances)

4.  Fotheringay - 1st album

4. North Star Grassman [imho SD never made a truly consistent album away from the confines of a band..]

[Jules Gray]

North Star Grassman [imho SD never made a truly consistent album away from the confines of a band..]

I'd argue that she didn't manage it at all, Liege & Lief excepted, though Sandy comes closest for me.  Plenty of 'nearly there's though.

Jules

[Darren_j]

1.  Liege and Lief for the reasons stated above

2.  Unhalfbricking for the reasons stated above

3.  Rising for the Moon - the title track and One More Chance (one of my favourite CD vocal performances)

4.  Fotheringay - 1st album

4. North Star Grassman [imho SD never made a truly consistent album away from the confines of a band..]

That would be my top five too - in that order.

[iPat]

1. What we did on Our Holidays (She moves through Fair: one of her best studio performances)

2. FC BBC (all the old Heyday stuff, plus '75 lineup...)

3. Fotheringay

4. Liege and Lief

5. North Star (nicely under-produced, with RT as a real collaborator)

[Nick Reg]

Ignoring compilations (the 19 CD box would always win then)

1. Holidays
2. Unhalfbricking
3. North Star
4. Liege and Lief
5. Sandy

[Sir Martin]

1.  Liege and Lief

2. Northstar Grassmen

2.  Unhalfbricking

3.  Rising for the Moon - the title track and One More Chance (one of my favourite CD vocal performances)

4.  Fotheringay Essen 1970*


*This might be because its 'new', and could easily be replaced with Ebbets field, but I will go with it for now,

[Jules Gray]

4.  Fotheringay Essen 1970

Really?!?!  The sound quality doesn't put you off at all?

Jules

[Alan2]

1. SAndy.

2. North Star Grassman.

3. Sandy and the Strawbs.

4. Holidays.

5. Unhalfbricking.

Rising for the Moon a very close runner up. If only for 'One More Chance' - great performance.

[Jules Gray]

Rising for the Moon a very close runner up. If only for 'One More Chance' - great performance.

The highlight of that album for me also.

Jules

[Glen S]

I've just these two...which I adore!

"No More Sad Refrains" Anthology...A really nice (and great value!) sampler covering all points of Sandys career...There is obviously going to be some duplicating of tracks though if you decide to go ahead and buy the individual records !

"The North Star Grassman and The Ravens" Deluxe edition...Listened to this last night...Completely essential, and the bonus tracks are mostly wonderful !

I think I will treat myself to "Sandy" Deluxe edition which is released in May, and then probably leave it at that...I think ?...

I've never been a completist of any artist...but sometimes it's quite hard to resist...

PS...Ooops...Almost forgot Fairports "Liege and Lief"...Sublime !

[Dave.P]

deffo
1 Rising for the moon (White Dress and One more Chance)
 I find those two make the hair on my arms stand up

2 Holidays ALways my fave version of MOTL..
hte one I hear whenever its played

[Dave.P]

3)  Liege and Leif with the brill Tam lin

4 Unhalfbricking for WKWTTG and Percy's Song

5) Listen Listen
    Has a fair representation of Sandys work including The Music Weaver
    and Like an Old fashioned Waltz