"Liege & Lief" by FAIRPORT CONVENTION (May 2002 Universal/Island Remasters 1CD Reissue - Gary Moore Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Come All Ye Rolling Minstrels…"

Voted in 2006 as the 'most influential Folk album ever' by those lovely peopleoids at the BBC - "Liege & Lief" finished out an astounding year for FAIRPORT CONVENTION - 1969. They gingerly popped out "What We Did On Our Holidays" in January, "Unhalfbricking" (with "Who Knows Where The Time Goes") in July and the mighty "Liege & Lief" in December of that momentous year. 

Other bands who put out three great studio albums in one year are The Rolling Stones in 1965 (USA), The Lovin' Spoonful in 1967 (USA), Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969 (USA) and with a slight Fairport tie-in - Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970 in the UK. 

But with their three 1969 albums (all on Island Records) - England's Fairport Convention practically introduced Folk-Rock to the world as well the gigantic singer-songwriter talents of vocalist Sandy Denny and guitarist Richard Thompson. "Liege & Lief" was some achievement really. Here are the Rakish Paddies, Crazy Man Michaels and Farmers Tossing Feathers...

Released May 2002 - the single CD version of "Liege & Lief" by FAIRPORT CONVENTION on Universal/Island Remasters IMCD 291 (Barcode 731458692928) breaks down as follows (55:21 minutes);

1. Come All Ye [Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings song]

2. Reynardine [Traditional Air Arranged By Fairport Convention]

3. Matty Groves [Traditional Air Arranged By Fairport Convention]

4. Farewell, Farewell [Richard Thompson song]

5. The Deserter [Traditional Air Arranged By Fairport Convention] - Side 2

6. Medley: The Lark In The Morning, Rakish Paddy, Foxhunter's Jig, Toss The Feathers [Traditional Air Arranged By Fairport Convention]

7. Tam Lin [Traditional Air Arranged By Dave Swarbrick]

8. Crazy Man Michael [Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson song]

Tracks 1 to 8 are their 4th album "Liege & Lief" - released December 1969 in the UK on Island Records ILPS 9115 and May 1970 in the USA on A&M Records SP 4257.

9. Sir Patrick Spens (Sandy Denny Vocal Version) [Traditional Air Arranged By Fairport Convention]

10. Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood (Take 1) [Traditional Air Arranged By Sandy Denny, Words by Richard Farina]

Both 9 and 10 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (Take 4 of "Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" was released on the 1986 retrospective box "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" - not Take 1)

The 16-page booklet on this single-disc remaster is a pretty affair - colour montages of the band, historic references and plates on subjects that inspired the songs, liner notes by original Producer JOE BOYD and band member ASHLEY HUTCHINGS remembering the making of. GARY MOORE carried out the gorgeous and warm remaster with both Joe Boyd and Ashley Hutchings in attendance. Moore's name has graced Thin Lizzy, Elton John and T.Rex remasters for Universal and his much-praised work is of the same calibre here - warm, detailed and full of life.

Recorded across 4 sessions (16, 22, 29 October and 1 November) - the band was Sandy Denny (Vocals), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicols (Lead Guitars), Dave Swarbrick (Violin and Viola), Ashley Hutchings (Bass) and Dave Mattacks (Drums). Retreating to a large country house called 'Farley Chamberlayne' in Hampshire to recover from a horrific car crash that took the life of Drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend Jeannie Taylor - the circumstances surrounding the recordings couldn't have been worse (on the verge of breaking up). Yet somehow digging down deep into English Roots for material and the warmth of the area and place seemed to heal and galvanize the proceedings. And although "Liege & Lief" is categorized as 'Folk' (the jigs of "Toss the Feathers" are purely that) - I've never heard the album in that straightjacket way and many Rock buyers thought so too. For us Folk-Rock had arrived.

Side One opens with an absolute belter "Come All Ye" - a Denny/Hutchings song that sounds like its been in someone's repertoire for 300 years or so - and just now dusted off for the modern world. The first Traditional "Reynardine" is a ballad where 'old music is played on new instruments' - floating like its haze on a country river in the morning. The eight-minute "Matty Groves" is likely to send many an English schoolteacher into a Morris Dance - Dave Swarbrick's Violin and Richard Thompson's guitar licks trading off a gorgeous Sandy Denny vocal. In fact we must talk about Sandy. When Australian Trevor Lucas joined with her in Fotheringay - the two shared lead vocals - and while he has a fabulous voice - Sandy Denny had a tone that felt like vocal honey. Her English charm and sincerity seemed unforced, real and effortless. When she begins the gorgeous Side One finisher "Farewell, Farewell" - there's a faint croak in her notes - yet it works precisely because it's so fragile (a little like herself). Ghosts of Sandy Denny fill every Kate Rusby album.

"The Deserter" is a soldier's lament given a Swarbrick/Thompson background of floating Violin and plucked Guitars. The three-part "Medley" leads us into proper Folk Music with the added backbeat of drums. You can just hear a whole pub chucking aside their wooden stools as they prance about to the jigs and reels like - well drunken sailors. "Tam Lin" and the pretty "Crazy Man Michael" bring proceedings to the close with history and melody. Of the two extras - there's a barnstormer. The ten-minute "Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" (based on "She Moves Through The Fair") is a trippy Acid Folk workout where a lone bongo is accompanied by a violin and what sounds like a fuzzed-up Jews harp - all of it wrapped around sublime Sandy vocals. It's a properly fabulous extra.

Groundbreaking, first past the post and now a timeless classic - "Liege & Lief" has stood the test of musical time. And this cheap-as-chips deep-in-the-purse CD remaster does that legend proud and cries out for a place in your straw bed and homemade ale casket...

“Later That Same Year” by MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT [feat Ian Matthews] (2008 Beat Goes On CD 'Expanded Edition' Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Sylvie Don't You Cry No More…”

To my knowledge only a few bands in history have released three studio albums in the same year - Creedence Clearwater Revival and Fairport Convention jump to mind - and both of those managed this feat in 1969. The UK's MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT (featuring Ian Matthews - formerly of Fairport Convention) threw out three of such things in 1970 with "Later That Same Year" being the last of the trio before Ian Matthews jumped ship and went solo. And that’s where this wonderful Beat Goes On CD Reissue and Remaster comes galloping in…

UK released June 2008 - "Later That Same Year" by MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT on Beat Goes On BGOCD 807 (Barcode 5017261208071) is an 'Expanded CD Version' of their 3rd and final album and plays out as follows (55:48 minutes):

1. To Love

2. And Me

3. Tell Me Why

4. Jonah

5. My Lady

6. And When She Smiles

7. Mare Take Me Home

8. Sylvie

9. Brand New Tennessee Waltz

10. For Melanie

11. Road To Ronderlin

Tracks 1 to 11 are the British track listing for the album “Later That Same Year” released in the UK in November 1970 on MCA Records MKPS 2015. It was recorded at Morgan Studios in London and produced by Ian Matthews. "Later That Same Year" was belatedly released in the USA (as was the "Woodstock" single) on Decca DL 75264 in April 1971 and had a different 11-track run. If you want to sequence the US LP version from this CD it runs as follows:

Side 1: 12, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Side 2: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

[Note: Track 4 on Side 1 of the UK LP "Jonah" was left off the US LP]

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Woodstock

13. The Struggle

14. Parting

15. Scion

Tracks 12 and 15 ("Woodstock" b/w "Scion") was the band's biggest hit single. Although she famously didn’t attend the August 1969 three-day concert - Joni Mitchell wrote "Woodstock" about the event and initially gave the song to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. They put out a rocking version of “Woodstock” on their 2nd album "Deja Vu" in 1970 which Ian heard and loved. However, Ian Matthews slowed the song down and softened the feel considerably – and in doing so – somehow captured the positive vibe of the time. "Woodstock" was first released in July 1970 in the UK on Uni Records UNS 521 with "Scion" as its B-side - both tracks being non-album at the time. Constant BBC Radio 1 airplay eventually saw it crawl to Number 1 in September 1970. Rather stupidly MCA didn't include it on the UK LP so "Later That Same Year" didn’t even crack the Top 50 album chart – even with a Number 1 single buzzing around it. The US single on Decca 32774 was issued in April 1971 with "Ballad Of Obray Ramsey" as its B-side (see note below) where it reached number 23 on the charts.

Tracks 13 and 14 are also non-album songs. Track 13 "The Struggle" was the B-side to "Colorado Springs Eternal" a single lifted from their debut album "Matthews Southern Comfort" released early in 1970. The British 45 was issued January 1970 on Uni Records UNS 513 and is said to feature Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention on Guitar.

Track 14 "Parting" was the B-side to "Ballad Of Obray Ramsey" lifted off their 2nd LP "Second Spring" - the 45 was issued May 1970 in the UK on Uni Records UNS 521.

I’d have to say that a downside for US fans is the exclusion of "Ballad Of Obray Ramsey" - the USA B-side to "Woodstock" - but it is available on another BGO release which gathers up the first and second albums in their entirety onto 1 CD – "Matthews Southern Comfort" and "Second Spring" on BGOCD 313 issued back in June 1996.

The original tapes have been remastered by ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Performance and the transfer is stunningly clean and clear – a really great job done – especially after having to do with budget-label dull-sounding CDs until now. The 8-page booklet has informative and affectionate liner notes by noted compiler DAVID WELLS and there’s a classy card wrap on the outside (a sort of visual trademark for BGO releases in the last few years).

I’ve always thought that “Later That Same Year” was their best album. There’s three superb Matthews originals – “And Me”, “My Lady” and “Road To Ronderlin”. Even better (and a source of consternation within the band) are the three goodies from guitarist CARL BARNWELL – especially the gorgeous “Sylvie” (lyrics above), which practically defines their mellow and laid back sound. Other notables are the last track on Side 1 “And When She Smiles” and the opening track of Side 2 “Mare, Take Me Home” which were both written by Alan C Anderson (“Big” Al) of the US band THE WILDWEEDS who had a lone album appear in early 1970 in the US on Vanguard VSD 6552. He later joined NRBQ and is still active in writing country songs to this day. The Carole King cover “To Love” (off her “Writer” LP) is a jaunty opener while their version of Neil Young’s “Tell Me Why” is as lovely as his “After The Gold Rush” original.

So there you have it – a really good album - a beautiful remaster and it’s all properly presented too. For those who love their Seventies mellow and melodious – this superb little CD is one to bring you peace, love and understanding…