Fairport Convention - Nine

Title: Nine Artist: Fairport Convention Release Date: 10/1973 Re-Released On: 6/30/1998 Label: A&M Records UPCs: 731451275623, 0731451275623 Genre: Rock Styles: Psychedelic, Folk-Rock, British Folk, Progressive 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. The Hexhamshire Lass
2. Polly on the Shore
3. The Brilliancy Medley/Cherokee Shuffle
4. To Althea from Prison
5. Tokyo
6. Bring 'Em Down
7. Big William
8. Pleasure and Pain
9. Possibly Parsons Green

Year Type Label Catalog # 1998 CD A&M Records 512756

Nine [Germany Bonus Tracks] Nine [Japan Bonus Tracks]

Fairport Convention's ninth album is their most uneven. The group shows extraordinary virtuosity and musical instincts on folk-based tracks such as "The Hexamshire Lass" and "The Brilliancy Medley & Cherokee Shuffle" (which features some of the best mandolin playing you're ever likely to hear from an English band), but on numbers like "Polly on the Shore" and "To Althea From Prison," where the band supplies the music to traditional lyrics...the numbers are uniformly lugubrious in the way they're treated, even though the playing isn't bad...Where Richard Thompson always came up with something surprising, unexpected on Fairport's songs, Lucas and Donahue stick with fairly routine pop music sounds, more in keeping with the Eagles than the group that recorded Liege and Lief, Full House and House Full. Lucas's "Bring 'Em Down" is a decent song, with some strong singing and playing by the composer and a lovely and powerful fiddle solo by Swarbrick...as well as the upbeat, riff-heavy "Possibly Parsons Green"... ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Bob Davenport Vocals Brian Cooke Photography Dave Mattacks Percussion, Keyboards, Drums, Guitar (Bass) Dave Pegg Bass, Guitar (Bass), Mandolin, Vocals Dave Swarbrick Vocals, Viola, Violin, Arranger, Mandolin Fairport Convention Producer Jerry Donahue Vocals, Guitar John Wood Producer, Engineer Simon Nicol Guitar, Vocals Terry Donahue Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Trevor Lucas Percussion, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)