Fotheringay OR LP Fairport Convention PINK ISLAND PSYCH
£
35
$
46
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Description
Original UK pressing on the Pink Island label. The gatefold sleeve is in VG+ condition (worn seams and cover wear) and the record is in EX condition.
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Here's a review:
A band actually, rather than a solo release as such, although lack of communication and confusion on the part of producer Joe Boyd led to Sandy splitting the group in an attempt to keep Joe Boyd in England. Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas. Jerry Donahue and a rhythm section of Pat Donaldson on bass and Gerry Conway on drums. Post Sandy of course, Fairport released the eccentric in places 'lads' album, 'Full House'. Sandy forms Fotheringay, a very harmonious, tasteful and classy band. Exceptional players yet well within the confines of musical acceptibility. Indeed, the most common critiscm of this era of Sandy's all too brief career is that Fotheringay were too harmonius a bunch, hence the album lacking some of the fire and tension that produced Sandy's best work with Fairport. Oh, only one of the songs here, 'Banks In The Nile' is traditional. There's no fiddle. The sound is more akin to then contemporary singer/songwriter than folk-rock. Sandy contributes a number of piano based tunes, Trevor Lucas is responsible for penning 'The Ballad Of Ned Kelly' and co-pens 'Peace In The End' with Sandy. He also leads the band through their renditions of Dylan's 'Too Much Of Nothing' and Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Way I Feel'. So, i'll ignore the Sandy penned tunes for a moment and concentrate on what else is contained within the CD. By far the weakest cut on the album is Trevor's 'The Ballad Of Ned Kelly', sitting uneasily as it does alongside the superior Sandy material. He does better with other peoples songs, 'The Way I Feel' for instance featuring a Lucas lead vocal and sterling, storming guitar work that really does make it a highlight of the entire LP set. The Dylan cover is very much in Fairport mode I suppose, yet with such competition in the Dylan covers genre, fails to quite distinguish itself. The Denny co-penned hippy singalong of 'Peace In The End' also sports a Lucas lead vocal and is quite enjoyable. What such Lucas led material adds upto is something solid, yet without moments of sheer magic. Fortunately for Fotheringay as a band, Sandy had a few self-penned aces up her sleeve.
I love the way Sandy's songs seem to occupy their own worlds and sense of time. 'The Pond And The Stream' is vague story-telling, strong impressionism and leaves much to the imagination. The emotion present in the voice lends added emotions, the result is as the singer intended. Certain words and phrases are sung in such a way as to make them focus, such as bold type on a page. The medieval guitar passages are all too fit for a song that's as timeless as it's creators voice. 'Winter Winds' is another medieval sounding piece akin to a new 'Fotheringay' the song, appropriately enough. 'Banks Of The Nile' is pure excersize in Sandy as a singer, and as such is clearly great. 'The Sea' and 'Nothing More' are both among the finest Denny compositions. Her voice is still at full strength, possibly the best it ever was, in 1970. Fotheringay benefitted, but nobody was under any illustions what the main attraction was. Still, half of the best solo Sandy ever and half of a decent and competent folk/country/rock band is still pretty good. As such, this falls just shy of classic yet Sandy's song are enough.
NOTE! Postage indicated in the auction is not the actual postage as ebay doesn't allow a higher postage then 4 GBP in this category. Postage for this item is 6 GBP within Europe and 8 GBP for the rest of the world.
Mail me if you have any questions. Please check my other auctions for similar records.
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