Fairport Convention - Fairport Unconventional [Long Box]

Artist:

Fairport Convention

UPC:

020286009825

See Also:

Fotheringay Beatles (The) Matthews, Iain Swarbrick, Dave Denny, Sandy Thompson, Richard Andersen, Eric Hutchings, Ashley The Albion Band

Description:

All but a handful previously unreleased, these 72 tracks serve up an alternate history of Fairport Convention in a manner that doesn`t simply befit Britain`s longest-running folk-rock soap opera, it actually amplifies the group`s achievements beyond any past (or possibly future) collection ever could. The "official" story of the band, after all, can be traced on any number of collections, ranging from the original 1972 History Of album through to 1998`s Fiddlestix and 2001`s Some of Our Yesterdays. The group`s often superior outtakes, radio sessions, and live odds and ends, however, have generally been scattered piecemeal across a plethora of other releases, many of which don`t even appear under Fairport`s own banner -- anthologies of Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings, and Richard Thompson, odd folk collections, passing label samplers, and so much more all bear treasures that even the hardcore collector might have missed. Fairport Unconventional, though it by no means scoops up each and every one of these, does at least reference them in the accompanying voluminous (170-page) booklet, then sets out to offer even more esoteric fare, drawn from sources as disparate as early TV and radio sessions, world tours, session outtakes, rehearsal tapes, and festival dates, spanning the full history of the band. Indeed, the earliest performance is a 1967 recording that marks the band`s first-ever demo, and the latest is a cut from 2002`s XXXV 35th anniversary album. In between, there`s probably not a "favorite" Fairport song that doesn`t get an airing, be it a BBC broadcast of the epic "Tam Lin," a live take on "Sloth" with Denny unexpectedly audible on the chorus, a Liege & Lief-era stab at "Sir Patrick Spens," or a Cropredy reading of "The Hiring Fair."
The fact that the all-star Cropredy gathering itself is responsible for only nine of the 24 post-1979 tracks included speaks volumes for the versatility of this compilation. Another area in which Fairport Unconventional stands alone is in its refusal to bow to the tyrannies of chronology. Rather, the four CDs are presented in strictly thematic style -- even the first disc, "Fairport -- A History," only arranges the song titles themselves in chronological order. The performances themselves date from all over the place. Of the other discs, "Rareport Convention" emphasizes live and session recordings, "A Fairport History" purports to teach the history of Britain through folk ballad and rocker, and "Classic Convention" re-creates the "ultimate" Fairport compilation from the ultimate Fairport rarities. A Pete Frame family tree poster, the Cropredy Chronicles souvenir booklet, a wealth of related flyers, a mail-order fifth CD of Cropredy rarities, and the aforementioned historical/discographical booklet complete a well-stuffed package, but perhaps the most notable inclusion is the penultimate track on the fourth CD. "The Matty Groves Megamix is a seven-minute tapestry built up from any number of different performances of that particular song, one line at a time. It`s a remarkable concept, an astonishing execution, and a true labor of love. Just like the box set itself. ~ Dave Thompson

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Meet on the Ledge (Overture)
2. Wings - (live)
3. If I Had a Ribbon Bow
4. Lay Down Your Weary Tune - (previously unreleased)
5. Shattering Live Experience, A
6. Nottamun Town
7. Si Tu Dois Partir
8. Come All Ye
9. Tam Lin
10. Dirty Linen
11. Staines Morris
12. Journeyman`s Grace
13. Angel Delight
14. Time Is Near - (live)
15. Polly on the Shore - (live)
16. Rising For the Moon
17. Reynard the Fox
18. Rubber Band
19. Naked Highwayman
20. Wood and the Wire, The
21. Crowd, The
22. One Sure Thing

DISC 2:

1. Sir B McKenzie
2. Suzanne
3. Time Will Show the Wiser
4. Mr. Lacey
5. Reno, Nevada
6. Percy`s Song
7. Dear Landlord
8. I Don`t Believe You - (previously unreleased)
9. Deserter, The
10. Farewell to a Poor Man`s Son
11. Sad Song - (previously unreleased)
12. Autopsy
13. Maverick Child
14. Fiddlestix
15. It`s Now or Never
16. Lady Is a Tramp, The - (previously unreleased)
17. General Taylor - (live)
18. Accountancy Shanty, The - (previously unreleased, live)
19. Sailor`s Life, A - (live)

DISC 3:

1. Sir Patrick Spens
2. Wat Tyler - (live)
3. Flowers in the Forest - (live)
4. Fotheringay
5. To Althea From Prison
6. Red and Gold
7. Lord Marlborough
8. Adieu Adieu
9. Here`s to Tom Paine - (live)
10. Bonny Bunch of Roses - (live)
11. Breakfast in Mayfair
12. Battle of the Somme
13. Summer Before the War
14. Get Together - (previously unreleased)
15. Genesis Hall
16. Jewel in the Crown - (live)

DISC 4:

1. Walk Awhile
2. John Gaudie
3. Hexamshire Lass
4. Slip Jigs and Reels
5. Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman
6. Crazy Man Michael
7. Rosie
8. Farewell Farewell
9. Now Be Thankful
10. Hiring Fair
11. Stranger to Himself - (live)
12. Sloth - (live)
13. Who Knows Where the Time Goes
14. Matty Groves
15. Meet on the Ledge

Album Information

Release Date:

04/12/2005

Type:

Boxed Set

Genre:

Rock & Pop

Subgenre:

British Folk Rock

Label:

Free Reed Records (UK)

Catalog Number:

35

Original Release Year:

2002

# of Discs:

4

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Portions copyright 2005 Muze Inc. All rights reserved.