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The North Star Grassman And The Ravens
 
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The North Star Grassman And The Ravens [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

Sandy Denny | Format: Audio CD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
Price: £5.77 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
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The North Star Grassman And The Ravens + Sandy + Like An Old Fashioned Waltz
Price For All Three: £15.53

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Product details

  • Audio CD (2 May 2005)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
  • Label: Island Records
  • ASIN: B0007Q6RS6
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,085 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Late November 4:29£0.89
Listen  2. Blackwaterside 4:11£0.89
Listen  3. The Sea Captain 3:07£0.89
Listen  4. Down In The Flood 3:18£0.89
Listen  5. John The Gun 4:36£0.89
Listen  6. Next Time Around 4:22£0.89
Listen  7. The Optimist 3:24£0.89
Listen  8. Let's Jump The Broomstick 2:42£0.89
Listen  9. Wretched Wilbur 2:35£0.89
Listen10. The North Star Grassman And The Ravens 3:27£0.89
Listen11. Crazy Lady Blues 3:22£0.89
Listen12. Late November (Alternative Mix (Island Sampler 'El Pea' IDLP1)) 4:28£0.69
Listen13. Walking The Floor Over You 4:18£0.69
Listen14. Losing Game 3:25£0.69
Listen15. Next Time Around (No Strings) 4:46£0.69

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Bewitching 4 Nov 2003
Format:Audio CD
This neglected classic was Sandy's first solo album following the demise of the short-lived but superb Fotheringay. The cast of musicians she gathered round her to help make TNSGATR included the members of that group and Richard Thompson, whose contributions to the album are uniformly excellent.

Her decision to work with people who were both great musicians and good friends was a wise one. From the entirely sympathetic backing to the understated production and engineering by old Fairport Convention collaborator John Wood, the sound of the album is one of its strongest points. It is less polished than some of her later solo records, and I think it is all the better for that. It also has the most consistent feel and mood.

That mood is one of ethereal beauty. I have spent many an evening listening to this record under the stars by the sea, and it's the perfect soundtrack. Sandy's writing was very elemental, her lyrics often reflecting upon the power of nature and the inevitabilty of change in life. This quality gives the songs a depth and mystery that is both beguiling and timeless, never more so than on Next Time Around...

For this listener, Next Time Around is one of the finest songs and performances ever recorded. Everything about it is perfect, from the startling, abstract lyrics to Ian Whiteman's haunting piano and the gorgeous string arrangement by Harry Robinson. And then there is Sandy's vocal. Was there ever another voice of such bewitching, transcendent beauty? There have been many truly great singers, but none with that quality of other-worldliness that she could convey with such seeming ease. I am still so in awe of her talent - she was only 24 when TNSGATR was released in 1971, yet she sings like a woman who has experienced all the world has to offer, good and bad.

Every one of Sandy's songs on this album is a pearl, my other favourites being Late November and Wretched Wilbur. The only relative low points are the rockier material, covers of Dylan's Down In The Flood and Charles Robins' Let's Jump The Broomstick. Both performances are fine, its just that her voice sounds less convincing on harder-edged songs. I would never pigeon-hole her as purely a folk singer, but I think slower songs drawing from that tradition allowed her voice the room to soar and permeate the space between the other instruments.

All in all, The Northstar Grassman and The Ravens is an exquisite album by a singular talent who is sorely missed but not forgotten. At Fairport's Cropredy Festival in Oxfordshire each August, 20,000 massed voices continue to sing the songs of the greatest female singer that ever came from these green and pleasant lands.

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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is probably Sandy Denny's finest solo effort (though much of the accompaniment was provided by her Fairport and Fotheringay cohorts, with Richard Thompson's guitar and Gerry Conway's drumming particularly outstanding). Now it has been reissued in a beautifully remastered edition which brings out every detail clearly, and features informative new notes (who knew the album's working title was "Slapstick Tragedies"?). Four bonus tracks are added, all worthwhile, though none is a real rarity to Sandy collectors. If you already know this album, this version is worth upgrading to. If not, you are missing out on some fine music from one of the best singer/songwriters to come out of the British folk-rock scene.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Simply beautiful. 8 Mar 2007
By olfulla
Format:Audio CD
While not a big fan of "remastered" albums, I would recommend this one unreservedly to anyone who loves Sandy Denny's work. It has come up all bright and shiny. Her voice is prominent but the accompaniment is warm and crystal clear. It's a beautiful, melancholic album, and the bonus tracks don't spoil the mood as bonus tracks all too often do. The lovely "Blackwaterside" and the chilling "John the Gun" are my picks, but I'd not skip anything on the disc.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Northstar Grassman and the Raven (2005 Remaster): Sandy Denny - Not so...
A few years ago I was introduced to a group called Fairport Convention by a friend. The song she played was Matty Groves, and instantly I was entranced by two things, Dave... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Victor
Patchy but still worth your dosh.
A typically patchy album by Sandy Denny. Did she ever make a fully satisfying one? If so, I haven't heard it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by A. ADAM
Two out of eleven - not good.
I have a few 'best of's and decided to backtrack to the original albums to see if I'd missed any gems; sadly not from this album. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. S. E. Farnworth
A sublime talent lost too early
I purchased my first Sandy Denny Cd a few weeks ago and was entranced by her vocals and lyrics. Here was an artist who relied on raw talent rather than todays pop stars who act... Read more
Published on 13 May 2010 by J. Gould
"...The Depths Of The Waters..."
The two-word secret weapon for this CD remaster is DENIS BLACKHAM.

Now based in Skye Mastering in Scotland, his involvement in restoration, mastering and remastering... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London
Excellent first solo album from Sandy
Having recorded one album with the Strawbs, three with Fairport Convention and one with Fotheringay, Sandy Denny embarked on a solo career, during which she recorded three albums... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2009 by Peter Durward Harris
'Crazy Lady Blues'
Even the much-maligned (by me) 'bonus tracks' on 'TNSGATR' are good. Unforced. Segueing with the album proper so you don't see the join. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2008 by Paul Ess.
Denny's First Solo Album!
Sandy Denny's first solo album was recorded shortly after she had disbanded her group Fotheringay in late 1970. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2006 by Morten Vindberg
Sandy Denny's solo high point
Started as the second Fotheringay album and completed as Sandy's first real solo effort, this is probably the only Sandy Denny album worth owning (a decent "Best of" will sort you... Read more
Published on 24 May 2004 by Midwich Records
Excellent album with a good cross-section of Sandy's styles
This was Sandy's first solo album after the split of Fotheringay and the band's members contribute here in varying amounts - all of them on the first track "Late... Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2002 by Tim Edmonds
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