Let us now praise Fairport Convention's "Liege & Lief"

Talking of which, does any London ilm-er know whereabouts in Wimbledon the striking cover was photographed (Sandy Denny's parents house)? I'd love to see the location 40 years on.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a82/bobbysixer/unhalfbricking.jpg

Arthur Road, Wimbledon - apparently. But I couldn't find any recent photos - fans are so lazy these days.

Let us praise it, indeed. I just soak up this kind of old-style British stuff like a sponge.

Come on, who is awake who knows this album? Speak now.

get the "new " fotheringay joint that just came out
great sandy stuff on it!

^yeah totally looking forward to getting the fotheringay thing when my emusic downloads reset

Playing the rec right now thanks to your revival, Bimble!

Can't spell "Mattacks" without "attacks"!

What is "the rec" Myonga? The record?

And what is this bloody fotheringay stuff. Might as well give a drunk Bimble a link and not make him figure it out on his own, aye?

Why can't I die in England? If only to die on English soil! I don't know why...I just can't explain the subsconscious feelings I get when I hear stuff like this. I really can't explain it at all. I know it makes me look daft, but I can't figure out how to explain it. Deep in my ancestry, some kind of really deep memory thing. I can't put it into words at all.

info on the lost second fotheringay lp, now available..

http://brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7139&Itemid=1

Thanks, Jim.

I thought the "Unhalfbricking" pic was photographed somewhere near the entrance to Hyde Park, but if it is from Wimbledon I guess it just looks typically English then.

I raved about Unhalf a while ago, got it in Fopp Cambridge for £3.

Went for this to follow on, and um, ... sigh... it's .. not... there for me.

Maybe I have to go backwards, i.e. "What we did hols" more.

it was sandy denny's parents house, with her parents posing in front. apparently her mother was a bit of a monster and was responsible for a lot of sandy's chronic self-esteem issues

In the back of the latest John Peel "sessions" book, the log entry for the Fairports has a demo tape of one Alexsandra Denny with a note from her mother saying that they should audition her as "she is very good".

Just sayin' like.

.. from around 1965 or so, I should have added.

yeah, i'm sure there's 2 sides to the story, i read some article about a bio of sandy that came out a few years ago. the portrait of the mom was pretty unflattering. but sandy's husband trevor lucas is also seen as a bad influenece on her. ultimately as an adult she was responsible for getting her shit straight but never could. i do think a lack of confidence was crippling for her, and that usually starts in childhood, but don't mean to slander her mom as i'm sure it's a very complicated story

I always loved that photo though, the genteel Daily Mail (1960's) old couple, and those frightful hippie friends of their daughter camped out on their lawn..

It does suggest the 'cold' relationship, in the same way as those pics of the incredible string band always suggested how the relationship between the 'couples' actually were irl.

Rec = record, yes

When I first got Unhalfbricking (after hearing this one) I really thought I was gonna like it, but soon concluded it was pretty inessential.

"A Sailor's Life"! Tom Verlaine plays with the Velvets! While an english Nico sings!

Autopsy!!! For those two alone it's essential.

also I cannot wait to hear that 2nd Fotheringay record.

Yeah, well I do recall one or two stand-out tracks, to be sure. Don't remember what they were, though. Oh well.

whoa i brought this record to work and listened to it hours before i saw this thread! weird. i think i prefer unhalfbricking these days, but i mean, its a pretty sweet choice to have to make.

^yeah totally looking forward to getting the fotheringay thing when my emusic downloads reset

i didn't know this was on emusic. i'll grab it tonight, thx.

from upthread:

The Hutching Mattacks rhythm section are actually kinda funky.

i'm not sure they're actually funky, but they definitely have some groove. i think that sort of loping feel they give the music is key to connecting the trad stuff with the rock stuff. it provides a setting for the melodies that updates them without feeling contrived or boxing them in.

Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Lady : A Tribute to Sandy Denny

Monday 1 December 2008, 7.30pm

In the 30 years since her death, Sandy Denny has emerged as one of the UK's greatest singer-songwriters. A very special line up of artists including former colleagues and young admirers re-interpret her songs in this very special tribute showcasing her work with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and her solo career.

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/music/productions/the-lady-a-tribute-to-sandy-43399

If Joe Boyd is behind this (no idea if he is), this could be very good indeed.

I think if I were that guy I'd sneak a look at your shoes and your hairstyle before taking a musical tip, no matter how vehement.
― Momus, Friday, May 10, 2002 12:00 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark

Thank god this twit isn't around anymore.

"When I first got Unhalfbricking (after hearing this one) I really thought I was gonna like it, but soon concluded it was pretty inessential."

WTF?!?! That is crazy crazy stuff.

xpost isn't that just a floral way of saying "cheeck the guy's visible taste, if it's OK, maybe the tip is as well" ?

shit, a lot of people dress well, but i don't think that makes their taste in music any more or less valid.

I find the first Fotheringay record slightly too polished sounding. How is the production on the "new" one?

I have to say Ian is OTM here.

sure, I don't even mean "well", just 'similar to you'...

It doesn't mean it's more (or less) valid

No love for "What We Did On Our Holidays"? That's the one I play most!

Richard's web Q&A from this month has an awesome tidbit:
The Wikipedia entry for Judy Dyble contains the following gem:

Q: Famously, she sat on the front of the stage at the Speakeasy club knitting, while Hendrix and Richard Thompson jammed. Is this true? Did you really jam with Hendrix? If so, what was she knitting, a drum kit or a bass guitar?

A: Jimi jumped up on several occasions at the Speakeasy. I think he just liked to play. We didn’t feel especially privileged, because he’d get up with everybody. Jude’s knitting, of course, was a creative reflection of the music, and would change shape and stitch with the musical mood.

although Dyble is certainly overshadowed by Sandy in terms of Fairport female vocalists, her coolness factor just went way up.

I only know "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and I love that. How does this compare?

"Liege and Lief", you mean? More traditional folky.

yeah, but still electrically electrifying! one tune on this record that gets overlooked sometimes i "Reynardine" -- seriously, how do they do it? The music just hangs there, floating in space. I play in bands, and I cannot figure out how to pull this off.

this album rulz

Okay, it probably deserves its own thread, but this Fotheringay 2 thing is really something to be reckoned with.

Their debut is often overlooked, but is actually a great UK psych pop album. A little less "folk" influenced than their later stuff but it has some elements already in there (after all, Joe Boyd was around already), only more English psych in addition.

MATTY GROVES