New Fairport CD

[GubGub (Al)]

I like Al's definition of Twee. Was their Twee folk stuff in the 60's , 70's ?

There definitely was. To me it is that brand of cozy, unthreatening , major chorded, singalong "folk" that was perpetuated by the likes of The Spinners and to some extent The Seekers, that was entirely embraced by our parents and which was the very thing that Liege & Lief was delivering us from. Unfortunately Fairport have repeatedly lapsed into this territory since 1985.

[Peter H-K]

I like Al's definition of Twee. Was their Twee folk stuff in the 60's , 70's ?

The Houghton Weavers were going in the 1970s. Twee as they come. Good lads though: I grew up in the small town that they're from; one of them used to work with my dad, and helped us move house once.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

Just getting a wee bit off topic  

[GubGub (Al)]

Just getting a wee bit off topic  

Not really Colin. We are talking about some of the material on the new CD, or at least our perception of it.

[blagden]

Just getting a wee bit off topic  

Not really Colin. We are talking about some of the material on the new CD, or at least our perception of it.

Agreed.

[Tony Mc]

Are they relying too much on Chris Leslie these days? They used to have a team like Ralph McTell, Steve Tilston etc who regularly wrote a diverse and interesting range of songs. If you stick to one main writer you will get similar songs. Think about Status Quos output over the years. The albums people are referring back to had a very different personnel, RT, Sandy etc. If you like the current style, you'll be fine and well looked after, if you don't, move on.

[PJayBe]

I like Al's definition of Twee. Was their Twee folk stuff in the 60's , 70's ?

To me it is that brand of cozy, unthreatening , major chorded, singalong "folk" that was perpetuated by the likes of The Spinners.......

At risk of further derailin this thread, I have to say that without The Spinners, through whom I first heard Matty Groves and enjoyed many concerts, I would probably not have the same love of folk music that I have today.

[Tony Mc]

Yes, the Spinners were a very harmonic chatty group who knew what their audience wanted and gave it to them! Didn't change much over the years and remained very popular. Hmmmm.....take note .

[Adam]

Are they relying too much on Chris Leslie these days? They used to have a team like Ralph McTell, Steve Tilston etc who regularly wrote a diverse and interesting range of songs. If you stick to one main writer you will get similar songs. Think about Status Quos output over the years. The albums people are referring back to had a very different personnel, RT, Sandy etc. If you like the current style, you'll be fine and well looked after, if you don't, move on.

I think that you've hit the nail on the head, although I think Mercy Bay and a couple of others are standout tracks precisely because they sound a bit different to his other compositions.

[StephenGiles]

Frankly, the oomph in the band only returns with RT & DM

[davidmjs]

Are they relying too much on Chris Leslie these days?

Yes, but not to his enormous strengths.  I often lay awake at night worrying about his poor fiddles sobbing themselves to sleep unloved and unplayed.

[Albie]

I like Al's definition of Twee. Was their Twee folk stuff in the 60's , 70's ?

The Houghton Weavers were going in the 1970s. Twee as they come. Good lads though: I grew up in the small town that they're from; one of them used to work with my dad, and helped us move house once.

Did they move to some kind of twee house?  

[Alan2]

Just getting a wee bit off topic  

A twee bit off topic?  

[Tony Mc]

Are they relying too much on Chris Leslie these days?

Yes, but not to his enormous strengths.  I often lay awake at night worrying about his poor fiddles sobbing themselves to sleep unloved and unplayed.

I get a bit fed up with the high pitched urgency of mandolin ( or whatever that fiddly instrument is).

[JJ (Joanna)]

Frankly, the oomph in the band only returns with RT & DM

...and Maart!! We need Maart!!  

[LarWes]

 Got the cd a few says ago (very fast delivery to Sweden I must say) and at first I did'nt understand the logic or concept of the album, half new recordings and half live recordings. A throwaway or missed opportunity, I thought. But now that i've listened to it four or five times I really like it.  "Eleanor's Dream" is a really strong opener and "Step by Step" grows on you ( a simple but beautiful song). "The Lady of Carlisle" with Jacqui McShee is another keeper. On the negative side "Our Bus Rolls On" and "Summer by the Cherwell" are both syrupy and selfgloryfying (and I didn't like "The Crowd" either). Instrumentally they sound good but the lyrics... The quality control must have been out for lunch. The live recordings are mostly very good (two songs from 70:s, one from the 80:s, one from the 90:s and two recent songs) that cover a part of the bands history. But I could've done without yet another recording of "Portmeiron" (when you've heard it a couple of times it becomes quite boring)
And then there's the fine version of "Jesus on the Mainland" with mr Plant on vocals.  Re the "twee discussion": Maybe two of the 14 tracks fall into that category but the rest definitely not.

[Henry Tompkins (Pete)]

 Got the cd a few says ago (very fast delivery to Sweden I must say) and at first I did'nt understand the logic or concept of the album, half new recordings and half live recordings. A throwaway or missed opportunity, I thought. But now that i've listened to it four or five times I really like it.  "Eleanor's Dream" is a really strong opener and "Step by Step" grows on you ( a simple but beautiful song). "The Lady of Carlisle" with Jacqui McShee is another keeper. On the negative side "Our Bus Rolls On" and "Summer by the Cherwell" are both syrupy and selfgloryfying (and I didn't like "The Crowd" either). Instrumentally they sound good but the lyrics... The quality control must have been out for lunch. The live recordings are mostly very good (two songs from 70:s, one from the 80:s, one from the 90:s and two recent songs) that cover a part of the bands history. But I could've done without yet another recording of "Portmeiron" (when you've heard it a couple of times it becomes quite boring)
And then there's the fine version of "Jesus on the Mainland" with mr Plant on vocals.  Re the "twee discussion": Maybe two of the 14 tracks fall into that category but the rest definitely not.

Are you Swedish LarWes?  If you are - please excuse the pun - your English is tweemendous.  

[LarWes]

 Got the cd a few says ago (very fast delivery to Sweden I must say) and at first I did'nt understand the logic or concept of the album, half new recordings and half live recordings. A throwaway or missed opportunity, I thought. But now that i've listened to it four or five times I really like it.  "Eleanor's Dream" is a really strong opener and "Step by Step" grows on you ( a simple but beautiful song). "The Lady of Carlisle" with Jacqui McShee is another keeper. On the negative side "Our Bus Rolls On" and "Summer by the Cherwell" are both syrupy and selfgloryfying (and I didn't like "The Crowd" either). Instrumentally they sound good but the lyrics... The quality control must have been out for lunch. The live recordings are mostly very good (two songs from 70:s, one from the 80:s, one from the 90:s and two recent songs) that cover a part of the bands history. But I could've done without yet another recording of "Portmeiron" (when you've heard it a couple of times it becomes quite boring)
And then there's the fine version of "Jesus on the Mainland" with mr Plant on vocals.  Re the "twee discussion": Maybe two of the 14 tracks fall into that category but the rest definitely not.

Are you Swedish LarWes?  If you are - please excuse the pun - your English is tweemendous.  

Thank you. I can't deny that i am indeed Swedish even though I support Finland when it comes to icehockey and, of course, West Brom in all footballish things...  

[Mark J Salt]

As much as I like it, I do think that Mercy Bay has run its course, for a while at least.

[davidmjs]

Thank you. I can't deny that i am indeed Swedish even though I support Finland when it comes to icehockey and, of course, West Brom in all footballish things...  

Never has an "of course" raised more questions than it answers...