Slipology from the 1997 Who Knows Where the Time Goes album

[dooovall [Daniel]]

I've had the Who Knows Where the Time Goes CD on repeat play for a couple of hours and have grown to appreciate the instrumental track titled Slipology (written by Ric Sanders) a great deal.  Was it ever featured in a live set?  

[PaulT]

I'm pretty sure I saw the chaps play it during one of the acoustic tours...

[Peter H-K]

I definitely remember them doing it on the Winter Tour in '97 and/or '98.

[Dan O.]

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a very underrated FC album, CL's recorded FC debut, DM's last stand, don't hear too many people discussing it these days. Love Slipology as well as The Golden Glove, Here's To Tom Paine, John Gaudie, Bowman's Retreat, Spanish Main, Dangerous and the lovely twin fiddle version of WKWTTG they play to this day.

[GubGub (Al)]

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a very underrated FC album, CL's recorded FC debut, DM's last stand, don't hear too many people discussing it these days. Love Slipology as well as The Golden Glove, Here's To Tom Paine, John Gaudie, Bowman's Retreat, Spanish Main, Dangerous and the lovely twin fiddle version of WKWTTG they play to this day.

I agree. It is probably my favourite of the post '85 albums (though Gladys' Leap & The Five Seasons run it close) and imho is the last really consistent album they made until The Festival Bell (which nearly gets there but for a couple of tracks) last year.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

I could be 100% wrong, or thinking of something different, but wasn't Slipology originally called something like 'All About The Skirl'?

[Jim]

I could be 100% wrong, or thinking of something different, but wasn't Slipology originally called something like 'All About The Skirl'?

everything but the skirl?

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

I could be 100% wrong, or thinking of something different, but wasn't Slipology originally called something like 'All About The Skirl'?

everything but the skirl?

I was wrong and Jim has a better memory that me. That's worrying.

[Will S]

Everything But The Skirl is another Ric Sanders tune, but its on XXV

[Metro96 (Keith)]

Everything But The Skirl is another Ric Sanders tune, but its on XXV

A pedant writes:
XXXV    

[Peter H-K]

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a very underrated FC album, CL's recorded FC debut, DM's last stand, don't hear too many people discussing it these days. Love Slipology as well as The Golden Glove, Here's To Tom Paine, John Gaudie, Bowman's Retreat, Spanish Main, Dangerous and the lovely twin fiddle version of WKWTTG they play to this day.

Never much cared for Dangerous myself: it was always known as "the Billy Joel song" in our house. Couldn't abide Sailing Boat either. On the other hand, I've always liked Wishfulness Waltz, which I seem to remember wasn't very popular at the time.

[GubGub (Al)]

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a very underrated FC album, CL's recorded FC debut, DM's last stand, don't hear too many people discussing it these days. Love Slipology as well as The Golden Glove, Here's To Tom Paine, John Gaudie, Bowman's Retreat, Spanish Main, Dangerous and the lovely twin fiddle version of WKWTTG they play to this day.

Never much cared for Dangerous myself: it was always known as "the Billy Joel song" in our house. Couldn't abide Sailing Boat either. On the other hand, I've always liked Wishfulness Waltz, which I seem to remember wasn't very popular at the time.

I'm the other way round on those. I like Dangerous and Sailing Boat but I have never really liked Wishfulness Waltz which borders on tweeness for me, a crime of which the band have been repeatedly guilty over the last 15 years.

[RobertD]

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a very underrated FC album, CL's recorded FC debut, DM's last stand, don't hear too many people discussing it these days. Love Slipology as well as The Golden Glove, Here's To Tom Paine, John Gaudie, Bowman's Retreat, Spanish Main, Dangerous and the lovely twin fiddle version of WKWTTG they play to this day.

Never much cared for Dangerous myself: it was always known as "the Billy Joel song" in our house. Couldn't abide Sailing Boat either. On the other hand, I've always liked Wishfulness Waltz, which I seem to remember wasn't very popular at the time.

I'm the other way round on those. I like Dangerous and Sailing Boat but I have never really liked Wishfulness Waltz which borders on tweeness for me, a crime of which the band have been repeatedly guilty over the last 15 years.

Ah personal tastes....no two are ever alike, for I agree with Dan that it is a good album, and enjoy all the songs in question. If Wishfulness Waltz is slightly twee, it personally is saved by the segue into Midnight On The Water, a beautiful tune. As for Dangerous I think it vastly improved upon its writers version (one thing I never understood was the notes for that song in the sleeve, something about Fairport choosing the name Michael as opposed to Kristina Olsen's "Kevin" for some reason or another).

[PaulT]

At that time, the name "Kevin" was regarded as being comedic in the UK - probably because of Harry Enfield's stroppy teenager character, on the telly, and to a lesser extent an earlier TV comic character "Kevin Turvey", a rather gormless Brummie investigative reporter, whose catchphrase, while tugging at his earlobe, was "Kevin's 'ere".

No wonder the chaps changed it to Michael.  

[RobertD]

Thanks for the explanation Paul!

[Dave.P]

WKWTTG is one of my fave albums .. Unfortunately my Sierra caught fire on the M27 and was subsequnetly scrapped .. he tape was in the player... So i have the box and some rather pirated copies ( did i say that )

However I have now got most of the stuff on CD .... Golden Glove I found very disappointing but Wishfulness (AKA Smoke on the Water) is an all time fave.( They played it as Smoke on the Water at Martin Carthy's 60th in Oxford with Swarb on stage playing a very lightweight fiddle at a part of his really low ebb period)
I do like Simons rendition and accompaniment to Dangerous ... He carried the whole tune for the First verse until Peggy comes in with a very driving bass line ( Not dissimilar to the accompaniment he added to Harvey Andrews Hey Sandy back in 19frozentodeath)

The album rounds with I heard it through the Grapevine which if my memory serves was the Roy Wood Big Band and Fairport together at Cropredy
(Of course you have to allow for the effects of Vodka and xxxv for memory lapse here) Possibly one of the best Mowtown songs of all time... and a great track
 The album was one of the first collaborations featuring Chris Leslie ...(Playing mainly fiddle and Heading with Rick) I remember the first concert at  I saw at Medina IOW ( poss the second time that line up ( with Dave Mattacks ) perfomed .. Standing ovation throughout the theatre and a lot of new followers for the band ...... Although the WKWTTG content was not finalised at that time.. If anyone has a tape copy ( without a box) there is money to be made

[Will S]

Rather a favourite of mine too - I love a lot of songs on that album, including Sailing Boat, Golden Glove, John Gaudie and even Wishfulness Waltz.  If I had to leave anything off it, it would be Life's A Long Song...

[Will S]

Everything But The Skirl is another Ric Sanders tune, but its on XXV

A pedant writes:
XXXV    

Oops! Slip of the keyboard...

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Rather a favourite of mine too - I love a lot of songs on that album, including Sailing Boat, Golden Glove, John Gaudie and even Wishfulness Waltz.  If I had to leave anything off it, it would be Life's A Long Song...

Totally agree there - to be polite it's awful   I first heard it about 2 years ago and I had to play it twice as I couldn't believe it the first time. The only track I FF on the album though.

[mickf]

Rather a favourite of mine too - I love a lot of songs on that album, including Sailing Boat, Golden Glove, John Gaudie and even Wishfulness Waltz.  If I had to leave anything off it, it would be Life's A Long Song...

Totally agree there - to be polite it's awful   I first heard it about 2 years ago and I had to play it twice as I couldn't believe it the first time. The only track I FF on the album though.

I absolutely love Fairport's treatment of 'Life is a Long Song' - but I don't care for 'Sailing Boat'.  Once again opinions are everything!