Fairport Convention - A Fairport History

Title: A Fairport History Artist: Fairport Convention Release Date: 2002 Label: Free Reed Records Album Type(s): Greatest Hits UPC: 5016700923827 Genre: Rock Styles: Psychedelic, Folk-Rock, British Folk, British Folk-Rock Moods: Dramatic, Earnest, Passionate, Pastoral, Amiable/Good-Natured, Autumnal, Bittersweet, Intimate, Literate, Witty, Energetic, Gentle, Intense, Laid-Back/Mellow, Melancholy, Organic, Reflective, Rollicking, Searching, Sophisticated, Wistful Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 2 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Sir Patrick Spens [Liege and Lief Rehearsal Tape]
2. Wat Tyler [Live in York]
3. Flowers of the Forest [Live in London][Version]
4. Fotheringay [Symonds on Sunday]
5. To Althea [Cropredy]
6. Red and Gold [Cropredy]
7. Lord Marlborough [El Pea Island]
8. Adieu Adieu [TV Performance]
9. Here's to Tom Paine [Weston-Super-Mare][Live]
10. Bonny Bunch of Roses [Live in Australia]
11. Breakfast in Mayfair [Babbacombe Lee Documentary]
12. Battle of the Somme [la Troubadour]
13. Summer Before the War [BBC Concert]
14. Get Together [First Radio Session][#][Version]
15. Genesis Hall [Cropredy]
16. Jewel in the Crown [Oxford Apollo][Live]

Year Type Label Catalog # 2002 CD Free Reed Records 38

No other editions were found for this album.

A fascinating, if somewhat contrived compilation, A Fairport History purports to detail the history of Britain through 16 tracks drawn from throughout the 35-year lifespan of Fairport Convention, arranged chronologically according to the historical period they document. As such, the cohesion is very much in the ear of the beholder -- if you are already aware that "Sir Patrick Spens" refers to the succession crisis that struck the Scottish throne in 1290, that "To Althea From Prison" was written by a Cavalier poet in 1642, and that "Adieu Adieu" refers to the formation of Britain's first police force around 1750, then A Fairport History offers a neat, if distinctly episodic trot through the last 800 years. But if you're not, then it's a mixed bag of Fairport eras that jumps back and forth between the band's manifold lineups, as a 1969 Liege & Lief-era rehearsal rubs shoulders with a 1992 live cut, a 1967 BBC radio session leads into a 1993 Cropredy recording, and so on. It's disjointed, then, but that doesn't detract from the sheer pleasure of the listening. A positively spellbinding "Bonny Bunch of Roses," caught live in Australia in 1977, is at least on a par with the version released as the title track of the group's then-current album, while "Here's to Tom Paine," a song that is obscure even by Fairport standards, is a priceless reminder of the dexterity that still attends the band -- it was recorded live in 1997, but the arrangement sparkles with all the alchemy of an earlier age. All but two of the tracks here are previously unreleased -- the exceptions are an alternate version of "Lord Marlborough," pulled from a 1971 Island label sampler, and a stirring "Battle of the Somme," from the House Full document of Fairport's 1970 shows in L.A. Elsewhere, "Breakfast in Mayfair" was specially recorded for the BBC TV documentary of the Babbacombe Lee album, and can be found on poor-quality bootleg video. This recording, however, is flawless, one of several highlights in what amounts to an excellent gathering of songs. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide

Name Credits Fairport Convention Arranger Neil Wayne Producer, Coordination Nigel Schofield Research, Producer, Concept