- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on an album download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
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.
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Their second album captures Fairport Convention poised between the more embryonic, American-influenced rock of their debut and the more pronounced British folk-rock that would follow. Newly arrived vocalist Sandy Denny contributes her haunting songs and indelibly husky voice, Ian (later Iain) Matthews lofts his angelic tenor into the mix, and the set list is the most diverse they would ever offer, stacking solid covers of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan beside traditional English songs and stirring originals from Denny, Matthews, Richard Thompson and Ashley Hutchings. As such, Holidays works both on its own terms and as a position paper on Fairport's emerging ambition to find a distinctive accent for their alternately hearty, witty and somber music. --Sam Sutherland
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic album that still sounds fresh,
By
This review is from: What We Did On Our Holidays (Audio CD)
From the first gentle guitar notes of "Fotheringay" until the quiet epilogue instrumental "End of a Holiday" this has always been an album that grabs you and doesn't let go. Between these opening and closing tracks of the original 1969 LP (and the 1990 CD release) we are treated to a variety of musical styles, all played superbly with panache and/or sensitivity. There are songs by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, two 'trad/arr' songs, with the remainder composed by various members of the band. This is the album where the Fairport male/female vocalist style, pioneered by Judy Dyble and Ian Matthews on the first album, reached its peak with the pairing of Matthews and Sandy Denny. The other members of the band here are Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings and Martin Lamble, who all contribute high quality playing.My first listen to the remastered version was a revelation - although the music was familiar I began to hear this album with a new clarity and, in particular, I could distinguish some individual instruments and voices in the mix which were hard to separate previously. For example, Claire Lowther's cello playing on "The Book Song" comes through more strongly. There isn't a bad track here, but my personal favourites are Sandy's exquisite "Fotheringay", a soulful performance of Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine", and the definitive version of Thompson's "Meet On The Ledge". There are three bonus tracks. "Throwaway Street Puzzle" is a Thompson/Hutchings song that was the B side of the "Meet on the Ledge" single, since when it has been included in a remixed form on the Thompson collection "(Guitar/Vocal)". Pleasant, but not outstanding, "Some Sweet Day" was recorded as a possible single but has never been released until now. Sandwiched between them is a BBC recording of "You're Gonna Need My Help" which has appeared on Volume 1 of Ashley Hutchings' "The Guv'nor". These are 'nice to have' tracks which give additional value-for-money to a classic album that still sounds fresh 34 years after its first appearance.
61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Fairport's best,
By
This review is from: What We Did On Our Holidays (Audio CD)
Fairport Convention's second album was recorded scant months after their debut, but it's light years ahead. The band had improved in every way: the playing and arrangments are tighter and the production is much, much cleaner. Importantly, they had added the peerless vocal talents of Sandy Denny. Not only was she a great singer but she was a pretty decent songwriter as well and the album opens with her beautiful song 'Fotheringay', a haunting portrait of Mary Queen Of Scots in her fortress prison. Pretty much every band member gets some form of songwriting credit, although Richard Thompson was responsible for the bulk of the original songs, showing himself to be a composer of remarkable assurance, especially on the timeless 'Meet On The Ledge' which remains Fairport's set closer to this day. Good as Richard Thompson's songwriting was, it was nothing compared to the dexterity of his guitar work which was truly prodigious. His solo on 'Nottamun Town' is one of the best I've heard, if not THE best. Prior to the release of 'Heyday', 'What We Did On Our Holidays' was the only Fairport Convention album where Sandy Denny and Ian Matthews could be heard together and they harmonize beautifully throughout. However, Matthews evidently felt overshadowed and left the band soon after.Besides the band compositions, the song list also includes a number of well chosen Dylan and Joni Mitchell covers (their version of the obscure Bob Dylan song 'I'll Keep It With Mine' really is outstanding) and two tradtional numbers, which Sandy Denny presumably brought with her. Neither sounds particularly like the material that would later make them famous: 'Nottamun Town' is an American folk song (Bob Dylan used the tune for 'Masters Of War') while 'She Moved Through The Fair' is a well-known Irish staple. The performances of both songs are exceptional. Like all of their pre-Liege-And-Lief material, 'What We Did On Our Holidays' will hold strong appeal for lovers of mellow, late 60s, American-style folk-rock. On this album they did it better than anyone else before or since. As with the other recent reissues, the quality of this release is very high with detailed notes, rare photos and some nice previously unavailable tracks. 'What We Did On Our Holidays' should be on the shopping list of all music lovers, right between 'Liege And Lief' and 'Heyday'.
33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime & beautiful,
By ajs@ajsiviter.fsnet.co.uk (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: What We Did On Our Holidays (Audio CD)
This second Fairport record sees the first hints of the Folk-rock sound and showcases the wonderful voice of Sandy Denny. From the opening 'Fotheringay' to the whistful 'End of a Holiday', the record posesses an otherworldly charm that the band never quite captured again. Also noticeable for the emergance of Richard Thompson as a songwriter of note. A must-buy for any collection.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
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 subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
