Fairport/Cropredy BBC4??

[Sandra]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion of the band and, for such a long serving band that has brought us many and diverse styles, we are all bound to have our favourite era and styles as well as those we don't enjoy so much. That must be our perogative, as being a fan of anything surely doesn't mean blindly accepting and applauding everything someone does if you don't really enjoy it, but it doesn't stop you from being a fan .

If I may take anology many of those who post in the Arms about sport frequently criticise the current line up/form of 'their' team. Does it make them any less fans? I think not and am sure that any follower of a rival team saying the same thing would get an ear bashing. It's the same with bands.

TAW prides itself on allowing everyone to have their opinion and allowing healthy debate - please let's keep it that way.

[hendo (Dave)]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion of the band and, for such a long serving band that has brought us many and diverse styles, we are all bound to have our favourite era and styles as well as those we don't enjoy so much. That must be our perogative, as being a fan of anything surely doesn't mean blindly accepting and applauding everything someone does if you don't really enjoy it, but it doesn't stop you from being a fan .

If I may take anology many of those who post in the Arms about sport frequently criticise the current line up/form of 'their' team. Does it make them any less fans? I think not and am sure that any follower of a rival team saying the same thing would get an ear bashing. It's the same with bands.

TAW prides itself on allowing everyone to have their opinion and allowing healthy debate - please let's keep it that way.

Thanks Sandra.
All I asked was if people thought the bbc4 gig was dull. I didn't say it was, although bits were and Peggy did a song no favours. I have followed this band for over 40 yrs. seen some great gigs, seen some so so gigs, seen some poor gigs and watched a tv concert that I was dissappointed by. This was the band who through Sloth and Sailors life turned me on to fok/rock and influenced 40 yrs of my music choices, introduced me to folk, folk clubs, taj mahal, robert johnson , john martyn, nick drake, IBS etc etc .I could go on. I criticise one concert  I didn't like and ........ Thanks any way.
 

[davidmjs]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion of the band and, for such a long serving band that has brought us many and diverse styles, we are all bound to have our favourite era and styles as well as those we don't enjoy so much. That must be our perogative, as being a fan of anything surely doesn't mean blindly accepting and applauding everything someone does if you don't really enjoy it, but it doesn't stop you from being a fan .

If I may take anology many of those who post in the Arms about sport frequently criticise the current line up/form of 'their' team. Does it make them any less fans? I think not and am sure that any follower of a rival team saying the same thing would get an ear bashing. It's the same with bands.

TAW prides itself on allowing everyone to have their opinion and allowing healthy debate - please let's keep it that way.

Well said, Sandra.  

There is nothing remotely akin to anything unpleasant in the thread that has led to this place - in fact it is all affectionate, friendly and tempered with praise, even the constructive criticism...

[Brendan]

I would say up till and including Jewel in the crown, I had blind devotion to this band, and I still find it hard to believe swarb, ashley, sandy and richard can do any wrong (I wonder why Ian Matthews is never in that group because his was the last concert I saw which was faultless), but the last few years I find I am no longer inspired by the output, everyones opinions will differ obviously and in hindsight, each person I have listed has done some tracks I would find it hard to support, but the recent output has in my opinion lack the fire and originality of some of the previous work, after 45 years, some of which I wasn't even alive any band would find it difficult to maintain these standards and we are all getting old, and some of my support may have wained due to my own desire to not be connected with something comfortable and lacking the passion of youth, but I at only 41 could be described in that way.

[David W]

Thanks Sandra.
All I asked was if people thought the bbc4 gig was dull. I didn't say it was, although bits were and Peggy did a song no favours. I have followed this band for over 40 yrs. seen some great gigs, seen some so so gigs, seen some poor gigs and watched a tv concert that I was dissappointed by. This was the band who through Sloth and Sailors life turned me on to fok/rock and influenced 40 yrs of my music choices, introduced me to folk, folk clubs, taj mahal, robert johnson , john martyn, nick drake, IBS etc etc .I could go on. I criticise one concert  I didn't like and ........ Thanks any way.

I really hope you meant ISB rather than IBS although all that beer and curry ...  

[Shankly (Peter)]

The day that parents and 12 year olds like each others music will be a sad day. My dad still does the 'is that a man or a woman ?' comment if he sees my old Bowie/Bolan etc when I'm watching them.

It's the other way round with me - my kids often say 'What's that terrible row you're listening to! Turn it down!' - their tastes are pretty 'middle of the road' really. Where did I go wrong?

[Jay Peter]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion of the band and, for such a long serving band that has brought us many and diverse styles, we are all bound to have our favourite era and styles as well as those we don't enjoy so much. That must be our perogative, as being a fan of anything surely doesn't mean blindly accepting and applauding everything someone does if you don't really enjoy it, but it doesn't stop you from being a fan .

If I may take anology many of those who post in the Arms about sport frequently criticise the current line up/form of 'their' team. Does it make them any less fans? I think not and am sure that any follower of a rival team saying the same thing would get an ear bashing. It's the same with bands.

TAW prides itself on allowing everyone to have their opinion and allowing healthy debate - please let's keep it that way.

Nothing to disagree with there, except that I wouldn't "blindly" go and see Fairport every other week, or encourage Chris Leslie to tackle Maddy Prior before slamming the song into the back of the net in the grudge match that is Fairport  F.C. vs Steeleye Span, or Albion Albion.  No matter what the line-up.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

It's not often that you get a review from somebody who's musical taste doesn't extend folk rock and has never heard Fairport.

However a friend of mine came home last Friday, turning on the television and saw that there were programs about Fairport Convention. He had heard about them, because they are often mentioned at the pub.

He was very impressed by the Union Chapel concert, despite the rest of us protesting that it was good, but not their best. He insisted that as a live performance you very rarely see musicianship like that and as a man who would normally avoid folk music, he enjoyed it.

So maybe the problem with Fairport celebrating their 45th year, is that we have 45 years of performances to compare with.

[Jay Peter]

So maybe the problem with Fairport celebrating their 45th year, is that we have 45 years of performances to compare with.

That's pretty good. It's an extraordinary thought. How many gigs is that? How many picks, strings, pints? I was astonished and humbled when Simon said in the documentary that he was 21 when he first left FC, and they already had a distinguished history behind them.

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

My sons were brought up on FC music.. And hated it once they reached the age of 'cool'.

Yesterday my d in l told me that they watched some of the programme.. And Andrew said to her
 "Don't tell mum".

She has met Maart  but was really surprised to see him on telly...
"I didn't know he was in the band" she said!!

[Viv G]

My sons were brought up on FC music.. And hated it once they reached the age of 'cool'.

Yesterday my d in l told me that they watched some of the programme.. And Andrew said to her
 "Don't tell mum".

She has met Maart  but was really surprised to see him on telly...
"I didn't know he was in the band" she said!!

Our sons were also brought up on FC[the first gigs they attended were inutero]
One loathes and detests them and has done since his teens and the other loves them to bits[those of you who know us will guess who that is ]
However, the non FC fan will always let us know if he sees anything about them so we don't miss out be it gig, tv prog or an article somewhere

[leahdon (Donna)]

It's not often that you get a review from somebody who's musical taste doesn't extend folk rock and has never heard Fairport.

However a friend of mine came home last Friday, turning on the television and saw that there were programs about Fairport Convention. He had heard about them, because they are often mentioned at the pub.

He was very impressed by the Union Chapel concert, despite the rest of us protesting that it was good, but not their best. He insisted that as a live performance you very rarely see musicianship like that and as a man who would normally avoid folk music, he enjoyed it.

So maybe the problem with Fairport celebrating their 45th year, is that we have 45 years of performances to compare with.

As you can imagine, we are having a similar discussion on the FC list... I think this above is a very good point so can I post it there Colin? I will of course say that I got it from TAW, and will or won't mention it came from you, as you prefer.  Or would you prefer me not to at all?

Edit: No problem, whatever Colin

[Albie]

I watched the FC doc, and enjoyed it. Also watched the RT doc, which I thought was much better, a really good effort, and nice to hear the voice over of the music loving John Plee.

I didn't watch the concert. I enjoy them at Cropredy, but really only when they play the (very) old songs or have some guests on. The 2011 Babbacombe Lee recreation was great fun.

As mentioned above in the thread, the "problem" they have is the 45 years and also the brilliant back catalogue. They are judged by very high standards, which were set by FC themselves.

[Jules Gray]

I watched the FC doc, and enjoyed it. Also watched the RT doc, which I thought was much better, a really good effort, and nice to hear the voice over of the music loving John Plee.

Yeah, I always loved John Plee.  

Jules

[Albie]

I watched the FC doc, and enjoyed it. Also watched the RT doc, which I thought was much better, a really good effort, and nice to hear the voice over of the music loving John Plee.

Yeah, I always loved John Plee.  

Jules

I know, I always think of him that way. I realise he didn't start every one of his shows with "good evening, the music loving John Plee here..........." but he did it often enough for it to stick.  

[hendo (Dave)]

Thanks Sandra.
All I asked was if people thought the bbc4 gig was dull. I didn't say it was, although bits were and Peggy did a song no favours. I have followed this band for over 40 yrs. seen some great gigs, seen some so so gigs, seen some poor gigs and watched a tv concert that I was dissappointed by. This was the band who through Sloth and Sailors life turned me on to fok/rock and influenced 40 yrs of my music choices, introduced me to folk, folk clubs, taj mahal, robert johnson , john martyn, nick drake, IBS etc etc .I could go on. I criticise one concert  I didn't like and ........ Thanks any way.

I really hope you meant ISB rather than IBS although all that beer and curry ...  

Well spotted. Since i have suffered both over the yrs...............

[Henry Tompkins (Pete)]

It's as if the wonderful Sandra 'landlady at arms', had poured some Gaviscon down the neck of the discussion, isn't it Dave?  

[PLW (Peter)]

Chris made the most telling statement in the doc. "Fairport have never sought to hang on to a sound for the sake of hanging on to a sound".

If the band still played the same stuff they played in the 60s and 70s sounding exactly as they did in the 60s and 70s, they would have disappeared into obscurity a very long time ago.

[davidmjs]

Chris made the most telling statement in the doc. "Fairport have never sought to hang on to a sound for the sake of hanging on to a sound".

If the band still played the same stuff they played in the 60s and 70s sounding exactly as they did in the 60s and 70s, they would have disappeared into obscurity a very long time ago.

Not sure this really makes sense as they never did have a 60's and 70's 'sound' - they had dozens of them, which is exactly the point Chris was making...but, imho, (virtually) all of them were fab.

Where the argument falls down is that since 1985 (after holding the previous 4-play 'sound' for the best part of a decade) they've only really had 2 (or variations on 2 - the Maart era had a much wider variety of sound than the Leslie one).  

Personally, I think Chris's argument is right for the first third/half of their career. What, of course, kept things dynamic was the instability of the personnel in the band.  Keeping the same lineups (and sound) for 11 and then 14/16 years is both a sign of great success and stability, but also a very strong (I'd argue a killer) argument against Chris's thesis.  Great for the sound.  Bad for the business side of things, I'm sure.

It's a real Catch 22.  Personally, I'd love them to mix things up again.  They won't.

[Jules Gray]

Personally, I'd love them to mix things up again.  They won't.

Agreed on both counts.

Just having Jerry Donahue back on board letting rip on lead guitar would be a decent start.

Jules