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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"...Love Is A Lesson To Learn In Our Time...", 31 May 2009
Subtitled "An Island Records Folk-Rock Anthology", this UK-released May 2009 mini box set offers 44 tracks across 3 CDs and compliments its Reggae equivalent "War Ina Babylon" (see separate review). Both have been released to celebrate 50 years of Chris Blackwell's Island Records label (1959-2009) and having lived with "Ledge" a few days now, it's both brilliant and infuriating in equal measure (with the good far outweighing the bad it should be said).
First up is the complaint that there's too many familiar tracks and therefore doesn't warrant buying - you'd be wrong. The 2009 remastering by DENIS BLACKHAM (of Skye Mastering in Scotland) on the tracks you already own is truly fantastic - I felt every track sounded like an upgrade - and the obscure tunes you don't own are well chosen and worth your attention - many seeing CD light of day for the first time.
The sound quality needs some explaining. Take track 2 on Disc 2, "On The Road To Find Out" by Cat Stevens - it's a superlative lesser heard gem tucked away on Side 2 of his "Tea For The Tillerman" LP from 1970. Most fans will probably have the 2000 remaster of the album (the Deluxe Version from 2008 is unfortunately exactly the same) but this is a new remaster and the sound quality is STUNNING - absolutely gorgeous. The instruments just leap out of the speakers with wonderful clarity. The same applies to "Living In The Past" by Jethro Tull on Disc 1 - I adore this tune and have various remasters of it - but this is without doubt the best-sounding version I've ever heard.
There's also clever track choices - a badly needed new remaster of the live version of Richard Thompson's slow bluesy "Calvary Cross" from the 1976 double "Guitar, Vocal" rather than it's 1974 studio original, the stripped down BBC Sessions version of John Martyn's beautiful "May You Never" with just him and his guitar from 1977 [lyrics above] and the truly affecting 1987 "Real Time" version of "Meet On The Ledge" by Fairport Convention (again instead of the 1968 7" original) which finishes the box off and brings the musical journey full circle. Cool stuff.
On the rock side too, there's the inclusion of Bryn Haworth's lovely "Darlin' Corey" from his 1975 album "Sunny Side Of The Street" (he was the guitarist in the 60's psych act Fleurs-De-Lys) and even better is Bronco's "Time Slips Away" from their 1971 album "Ace Of Sunlight" - a fantastic choice - Jess Roden's soulful vocals backed up by Robbie Blunt's tremendous guitar work [he later played for Robert Plant's band].
The annotation is good too - the 32-page booklet featuring a biog on each artist (photos too) with the whole set has been curated and researched by DAVID SUFF with skill (owns and runs the award winning British folk label Fledgeling).
If I was to point out a real downside it would be the omissions - with playing times of 67:56, 72:06 and 65:32 - it's hugely disappointing that more tracks weren't used - how about "Say No More" by Smith Perkins Smith (1972), "Whims And Ways" by Bryn Haworth (1974) and "The Sea" by Fotheringay (1970) to name but a few. And as rocking as Richard Thompson is, do I really need the full 11 minutes of "A Sailor's Life" - no. And the liner notes mention "The Chieftains 5" album on Island from 1975, but then don't include them - on a Folk box?
Still, these are niggles - what is on here is stupendously good - and sounding absolutely spiffing.
I've enjoyed hearing this box so much - and I suspect it will send many folk and rock music fans scurrying back into second-hand record shops trying to hunt down original palm-tree label LPs - those things we adored so much - all those years ago.
Despite some reservations - this is a top job done - and recommended big time - especially given the upgraded sound...
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Bit More Effort Next Time, 31 May 2009
I feel a bit short changed by this compilation. Granted, the music is by and large fantastic but there are too many songs by the same artists. Out of 46 tracks, 6 are by Fairport Convention, 6 by John Martyn (7 if you include the one with his then wife Beverley), 3 by Sandy Denny (5 if you include the Fotheringay recordings) and 3 by Richard & Linda Thompson (5 if you include the two solo tracks). There is also some repetition with the previous Island compilation, Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal with the following songs appearing on both: Banks of the Nile by Fotheringay, A Sailor's Life and Meet on the Ledge by Fairport Convention and Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal by Doctor Strangely Strange.
It would have been nice to have a couple of rarities thrown in or even some unreleased tracks to tempt the completist, the people most likely to buy this type of compilation. The fans of Island music in their late 60's, early 70's hayday will no doubt own most of these tracks already. With four years between this and the Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal compilation, I would have expected more. Island were once known as an innovative label and the music does clarify that, but this is a lazily put together compilation.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Island's Golden Age!, 26 May 2009
Meet On The Ledge contains over three hours of music from the archives of Island Records golden age of folk-rock. If you could choose your own tracks would you select the same ones? Probably not. Do you already own a lot of them? Most likely!
However, as a celebration of what Island Records was all about in the late sixties and early seventies this set stands up well and is very well produced. The box contains the three CDs in card sleeves and a thirty two page illustrated and informative booklet. Some of the tracks featured have been difficult to get elsewhere in recent years whereas others will be in almost every CD collection.
Personally, I found Fairport Convention to be featured too highly - I love them, but I've already bought these tracks many times over! There are no previously unreleased tracks or alternative versions just tracks you know and probably love. However, if you are lucky enough to be discovering this music for the first time this set will offer some amazing moments!
The music, the price and the package make this a five star product, but some will see it as an opportunity missed. As a part of the celebration of Island's fifty years in the business it does the job, but highlights the most creative ten year period for this genre.
There is a companion Reggae Box Set which is also well worth considering, and a complete label overview called Island Life will be released at the beginning of June. Island is still quite innovative in their choice of artists, but they will never again match the breadth of talent contained in the period covered by this folk-rock anthology.
Don't be put off by the amount of tracks you already own - the ones you don't have will compensate!
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