- Discover more great music in our Proper Music store, and read about the very best of Proper Music's latest and forthcoming releases in Properganda Issue 19 (online flash version).
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. Mercy Bay |
| 2. Rui's Guitar |
| 3. Danny Jack's Chase |
| 4. Reunion Hill |
| 5. Wouldn't Say No |
| 6. Around The Wild Cape Horn |
| 7. Celtic Moon |
| 8. Ukulele Central |
| 9. Albert And Ted |
| 10. Darkside Wood |
| 11. The London Apprentice |
| 12. Johnny Ginears |
| 13. Rising For The Moon |
| 14. Danny Jack's Reward |
| 15. The Festival Bell |
Product Description
Review
As quintessentially English as the gentle knock of a cricket ball on willow, it’s 43 years since Fairport Convention released their debut album. Their place in the cultural and physical landscape seems set to continue long into the future after their name was recently inscribed onto a new bell installed at St Mary’s Church, Cropredy, near the site of Fairport’s celebrated annual three-day festival. That the peal of a bell bearing their name will ring out across the fields and hedgerows surrounding the Oxfordshire village long after the rest of us have shuffled off this mortal coil seems wonderfully apt for a group so intimately connected to long-standing tradition.
Clearly on robust form, their first studio album since 2007’s Sense of Occasion has them crisscrossing, as ever, through different narrative streams, with Chris Leslie (still regarded as a new boy after a mere 14 years of being with the group) providing some of Festival Bell’s strongest songs. Mercy Bay, featuring Simon Nicol’s stout vocals, thrums with dramatic intensity, relating tales of heroism on the high seas of 1850; he displays similarly fine form on Around the Wild Cape Horn, the latter being one of two Ralph McTell covers.
Revisiting their heritage, there’s a comfy-cardigan remake of the Sandy Denny-penned Rising for the Moon. Forceful, sprightly instrumentals are found in violinist Ric Sanders’ Danny Jack’s Chase and Danny Jack’s Reward. Both ripple with a tricksy jazz-rock sensibility that wouldn’t have been out of place in his late-70s pre-Fairport outfit, Soft Machine.
Whilst Festival Bell lacks the visionary presence that made 1969’s game-changing Liege & Lief so influential, and established the group’s pre-eminent position in the folk-rock firmament, this album nevertheless confirms Fairport’s reputation as an ongoing repository for quality songwriting.
Product Description
2011 studio album from folk rock legends. Includes a remake of Sandy Denny's Rising For The Moon. UK only CD.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A new studio album from Fairport is an event to look forward to. This is a mixed bag. You'll find not a single "trad/arr" here, but there are good contemporary songs from the likes of Ralph McTell, Chris While, Richard Shindell, Carolyn and Mark Evans, Chris Leslie (the band's main songwriter for many years) plus a nod to the band's history in a reworking of a Sandy Denny song. Ric Sanders and Dave Pegg contribute the instrumental tracks. A common theme running through the songs is that they tell stories, based on fact, fiction or a combination of the two.
The title track by Chris Leslie is a short but jolly celebration of the new bell that was cast for Cropredy church to commemorate Fairport's annual Festival - held every August in the village for many years. The opening track "Mercy Bay" is also by Leslie and benefits greatly from being sung by Simon Nicol - it suits his style well with a melody based around a haunting and atmospheric riff. Rui's Guitar is another Chris Leslie song but quite different in style with a catchy melody and sung by the writer, as is "Wouldn't Say No" - probably his weakest song on the album. Ralph McTell contributes "Around the Wild Cape Horn", one of the outstanding tracks that really rocks along, and the more reflective "London Apprentice". Another strong track is Richard Shindell's "Reunion Hill", which features a fine vocal delivery by Simon of a fictional retrospective on the American Civil War. Dave Pegg may not have the strongest of voices, but in this rare outing he gently delivers "Celtic Moon" a lovely little song by Carolyn and Mark Evans - with a restrained but catchy accompaniment.
Ric Sanders' two 'bookend' instrumentals, "Danny Jack's Chase" and "Danny Jack's Reward" sound OK, but they lack real bite on this recording and really need to be heard in live performance. Sanders and Pegg's joint contribution to their fathers "Albert & Ted" also falls into this category - good, but better live. In contrast "Ukulele Central", which has been in the live set for a couple of years now, comes over well here with the massed ukuleles of the band boosted by the addition of Joe Brown and Frank Skinner, also on ukulele, and assisted by Gerry Conway on washboard - a good time is had by all. Finally, it has to be said that the best song on the album is Sandy Denny's "Rising for the Moon", even though the performance cannot match that of Sandy herself. It's a reminder of what a talent we lost all those years ago.
This is an album that contains a good variety of material, well-programmed and well-performed, but it is very much a studio album and comes across as rather clinical in places. To appreciate their music at its best you must hear the band live.
The title track by Chris Leslie is a short but jolly celebration of the new bell that was cast for Cropredy church to commemorate Fairport's annual Festival - held every August in the village for many years. The opening track "Mercy Bay" is also by Leslie and benefits greatly from being sung by Simon Nicol - it suits his style well with a melody based around a haunting and atmospheric riff. Rui's Guitar is another Chris Leslie song but quite different in style with a catchy melody and sung by the writer, as is "Wouldn't Say No" - probably his weakest song on the album. Ralph McTell contributes "Around the Wild Cape Horn", one of the outstanding tracks that really rocks along, and the more reflective "London Apprentice". Another strong track is Richard Shindell's "Reunion Hill", which features a fine vocal delivery by Simon of a fictional retrospective on the American Civil War. Dave Pegg may not have the strongest of voices, but in this rare outing he gently delivers "Celtic Moon" a lovely little song by Carolyn and Mark Evans - with a restrained but catchy accompaniment.
Ric Sanders' two 'bookend' instrumentals, "Danny Jack's Chase" and "Danny Jack's Reward" sound OK, but they lack real bite on this recording and really need to be heard in live performance. Sanders and Pegg's joint contribution to their fathers "Albert & Ted" also falls into this category - good, but better live. In contrast "Ukulele Central", which has been in the live set for a couple of years now, comes over well here with the massed ukuleles of the band boosted by the addition of Joe Brown and Frank Skinner, also on ukulele, and assisted by Gerry Conway on washboard - a good time is had by all. Finally, it has to be said that the best song on the album is Sandy Denny's "Rising for the Moon", even though the performance cannot match that of Sandy herself. It's a reminder of what a talent we lost all those years ago.
This is an album that contains a good variety of material, well-programmed and well-performed, but it is very much a studio album and comes across as rather clinical in places. To appreciate their music at its best you must hear the band live.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Fairport always make good albums, but there have been one or two meanering ones in the last couple of years. This brings them back on form. With a back catalogue like theirs there is an awful lot to live up to, and the more they put out the harder it gets. However, I think this ranks with the Wood and the Wire which was their last belter in my opinion. My only critisism is about what isn't there because I would have liked to have seen a couple of traditional numbers included (but then what do you do with all the excellent material that IS included?)
If you have been wondering whether or not to buy this, then stop procrastinating, and get hold of a copy.
Then once you have heard it, listen to one of the other reviewers and go and see them live - a group of musicians that can actually play their instruments properly.
If you have been wondering whether or not to buy this, then stop procrastinating, and get hold of a copy.
Then once you have heard it, listen to one of the other reviewers and go and see them live - a group of musicians that can actually play their instruments properly.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fairport are back with a new studio album. There hasn't been a lot over the past few years so it is welcome to get another. This is a very strong album indeed. The album doesn't push any new boundaries but there is new original tracks that live up to the high standard already set on previous albums.
I think a lot of people will see this album as a bit weak because on first listening it can seem like just more of the same sort of thing we have had before from Fairport Convention. But I honestly believe that it is in actual fact an excellent album that will prove itself in time as a classic.
I found this album to be rich and one of the best albums of new material that I have heard for a long time.
The title track "Festival Bell" is by the wonderful Chris Leslie with a song that pays tribute to a new bell for the church at the village of Cropredy. This is an important place for the group as the location for their annual Festival venue.
On this album there is no traditional pieces but instead we get a lot of new material from Chris Leslie. As well as the opening track there is "Mercy Bay", "Ruis Guitar", "Wouldn't say no",
There are also two songs from Ralph McTell, "Around the Wild Cape Horn" and "London Apprentice".
Ric Sanders contributes two instrumental pieces "Danny Jack's Chase" and "Danny Jack's Reward" and he joins Dave Pegg to contribute "Albert and Ted".
Other highlights are a song by Richard Shindell' with "Reunion Hill", Celtic Moon" by Carolyn and Mark Evans, a really good song from Chris While with "Darkside wood" and another cover of the Sandy Denny song "Rising for the Moon."
The artwork is very good and the booklet has song words and pictures. However I don't like the packaging. It is a cardboard sleeve that folds out. Into this slips another cardboard sleeve containing the disc that means you have to finger the playing side to get it out because it is a tight fit. Also there is the booklet that also slips inside the sleeve. Yet another stupid idea that is more about modern "fashion" design than actual practical sense.
However, musically this is a good contribution to the catalogue of albums by Fairport Convention.
I think a lot of people will see this album as a bit weak because on first listening it can seem like just more of the same sort of thing we have had before from Fairport Convention. But I honestly believe that it is in actual fact an excellent album that will prove itself in time as a classic.
I found this album to be rich and one of the best albums of new material that I have heard for a long time.
The title track "Festival Bell" is by the wonderful Chris Leslie with a song that pays tribute to a new bell for the church at the village of Cropredy. This is an important place for the group as the location for their annual Festival venue.
On this album there is no traditional pieces but instead we get a lot of new material from Chris Leslie. As well as the opening track there is "Mercy Bay", "Ruis Guitar", "Wouldn't say no",
There are also two songs from Ralph McTell, "Around the Wild Cape Horn" and "London Apprentice".
Ric Sanders contributes two instrumental pieces "Danny Jack's Chase" and "Danny Jack's Reward" and he joins Dave Pegg to contribute "Albert and Ted".
Other highlights are a song by Richard Shindell' with "Reunion Hill", Celtic Moon" by Carolyn and Mark Evans, a really good song from Chris While with "Darkside wood" and another cover of the Sandy Denny song "Rising for the Moon."
The artwork is very good and the booklet has song words and pictures. However I don't like the packaging. It is a cardboard sleeve that folds out. Into this slips another cardboard sleeve containing the disc that means you have to finger the playing side to get it out because it is a tight fit. Also there is the booklet that also slips inside the sleeve. Yet another stupid idea that is more about modern "fashion" design than actual practical sense.
However, musically this is a good contribution to the catalogue of albums by Fairport Convention.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A must for all Fairport fans
Fairport Convention must be the nation's best kept secret. Those of us who watch them live at Cropredy and the Winter and acoustic tours are thrilled by their superb musicianship,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by David
FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Festival Bell
For those that weren't sure (or are just into a bit of trivia) at last count Fairport Convention have recorded a staggering twenty-seven `official' studio and live albums and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Pete Fyfe
Fairport at it's best
Can't follow that ollie review. To me it's one of the best Fairport Records. Goes very well togehter with Sense of Occasion and Over the next Hill. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Molly
Album of the Year?
Definitely a contender for best 'Album of the Year' in my book. There are some great tracks on here - Celtic Moon, Reunion Hill, Mercy Bay, Around The Wild Cape Horn, Rui's Guitar,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by High Speed
Patchy - a few tracks can be skipped altogether
Having seen and listened to the many manifestations of Fairport since the very beginning I have found that post-Denny my enthusiasm has tended to come and go a bit. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ollie39
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
