Fairport Convention: A Change Of Heart
Written: Aug 04 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible Vocals, Great Electric Guitar
Cons: Off-putting old ages feel
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| musicinsight's Full Review: Liege & Lief by Fairport Convention |
Liege and Lief is a wonderful album. I could recommend that everyone reading this review go out and buy it, but I won't. This music can either strike the listener as contrived and boring, or as a beautifully crafted masterwork. I know, because, since I purchased it, I've held both opinions.
Why I Bought It
I don't remember anyone ever recommending the band or the album. I do know that Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson had a successful solo career after leaving the band. Like the Replacements, he seemed to be one of those hidden gems who wasn't huge commercially but was well-regarded by lovers (and makers) of great music. I wasn't so sure, but I also vaguely remembered that vocalist Sandy Denny had a good reputation, too.
Why I Didn't Like It
I was sick of this album after hearing the first ten seconds of the first song, Come All Ye. It featured a forgettable acoustic melody, with a middle-ages feel and a screechy violin meandering in and out. And the lyrics. I had a hard time imagining anything more ridiculous than:
"Come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the earth
And move the rolling sky "
Yuck. I thought to myself, "Methinks thy renaissance faire drivel is verily boring and thou art sentenced to a year on my shelf". And I sent it off to serve its time.
But Then Again, Maybe It's Great
A year later, I picked up Liege and Lief and decided to give it a second chance. I put it on my stereo, cringed at the horrible opening lyrics and started using my computer. Every so often, I'd realize that the music was actually pretty good. It had a definite Old English feel to it, but it also featured some blazing guitar work by Richard Thompson. The band had started as a folk ensemble, but wanted to explore the electric side of things and ended up with a sort of electric-medieval fusion. It was as if Eddie Van Halen ditched his guitar, and picked up the lute.
The clincher was the vocals. Ohhhh. Sandy Denny had a voice whose tone was so mesmerizing that it can singlehandedly turn a clunker of a tune into a thing of beauty. Like Natalie Merchant and Van Morrison, she could sing her laundry list and the result would be magical. It had taken a year, but I was converted.
Blow By Blow
Two of the standout tracks are Farewell, Farewell and Crazy Man Michael. Both feature high-quality, sedately crafted acoustic melodies with breathtakingly mournful vocals. Matty Groves is a traditional ballad which explores the timeless theme of infidelity:
``Well it's true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse
And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can''
Tam Lin is another souped-up, electrified version of a traditional Old English ballad. And I mean old. The oldest known version was dated 1729. It's a sprawling, seven-and-a-half minute time capsule of a tune. It's got everything; a great, slashing guitar figure, and lyrics about how love could go wrong in the olden days:
"Oh they will turn me in your arms
to a newt or a snake
But hold me tight and fear not,
I am your baby's father. "
There's a lot to like about this album. It features some quality acoustic folk, with flashes of brilliant electric guitar. The vocals are top-notch. The only thing that might scare listeners away is the goofy medieval tone. It might be a bit much for the 21st century listener. But if you can get past the rolling minstrels and the newts, you just might end up like me: a fan of the real oldies.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
musicinsight
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Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 5 members
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