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The Unfairground
 
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The Unfairground

~ Kevin Ayers
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
Price: £6.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Audio CD (10 Sep 2007)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Lo-Max
  • ASIN: B000UUELJQ
  • Other Editions: Audio CD
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 32,212 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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1. Only Heaven Knows
2. Cold Shoulder
3. Walk On Water
4. Friends And Strangers
5. Shine A Light
6. Wide Awake
7. Baby Come Home
8. Brainstorm
9. Unfairground
10. Run Run Run

Product Description

CD Description

'The Unfairground' is the sixteenth studio LP from former Soft Machine mainman Kevin Ayers. A delightful mixture of folk and skewed psychedelia, this album is a real return to form for Ayers, helped in part by cameos from Teenage Fanclub, Euros Childs and Candie Payne. Includes the tracks 'Walk On Water', 'Brainstorm' and 'Run Run Run'.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars the father of the underground, 26 Sep 2007
By John H (Leeds) - See all my reviews
This new album from Kevin Ayers is simply wonderful. This is the first time I have been motivated to write an Amazon review. Yes I love this cd that much! It really is the sort of album that makes one remember why song and music is so important. From beginning to end it has incredible edge. A very shear edge of honest expression. It is not the edge Ayers gave us with his early albums when he was the darling of the underground. How could it be? Times change. Though Kevin Ayers is as authentic and as very convincing as he has ever been with his best work. Long ago he shrugged away the world of glamour and pop bubble reputation to live his own life. But what he has so clearly not left behind, as can be heard on this album, is his very apparent and extraordinary craft as a song writer. And it is this he uses to take stock of life with heart wrenching honesty. What we have here with The Unfairground is a collection of 10 sublime tracks with music so honed that every note expresses something true to the song it accompanies. Superb arrangements with at times strings that remind one of Forever Changes as on Friends and Strangers or the entreating horns on Baby Come Home that hint at the dry barren landscape of longing, the latter featuring vocal accompaniment from Bridget St. John. Only Heaven Knows has got to be one of the best album opening tracks ever. It's style echoes light hearted vaudeville yet asks "what do you do when it all behind you / every day something else reminds you / when the times were sweet......." At 35 minutes long you get the highs and lows, the joie de vivre to comfort fear and the stand up and fight of a life time.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A return to form... , 23 Feb 2008
By Greville Rob "peter60780" (Malvern, Worcs, UK) - See all my reviews
Unprolific gentleman rocker Ayers cocks a snook at detractors of his 80's output, bookending eight new songs with re-workings of 'Only Heaven Knows' and 'Run Run Run', highlights of an admittedly fallow period, in his first new album in 15 years. It's successfully valedictory: they, in common with the rest of this slight but elegant work, are at much more at home in the velvety warmth of analogue. 'The Unfairground' is only some 34 minutes in length, but the quality of writing and performance is consistent. Chums and acoloytes such as Teenage Fanclub, Phil Manzanera and Bridget St John pop in with some too-brief cameos (26 musicians are credited in the slipcase) in a rich acoustic construct with mariachi, strings and girl choruses so busy in parts as to boss the star's brown baritone from the mix. Minor carp aside, 'The Unfairground' is a smooth and knowingly-retro ride for an individual writer and performer, back on early form.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars So cool.....and concise!, 1 Nov 2007
By Cartimand (Hampshire, UK.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
After a long loooong wait for a new studio album from one of rock's coolest characters, I was delighted to find The Unfairground at my local HMV. Got home, sat back, glass of fine (well decent enough) Bordeaux at hand and started to listen.

Hmmm. First time through, I must confess to mild disappointment, not the least of which was the whole shebang lasting just over half an hour! This wasn't an instant classic like Dr. Dream or Whatevershebrings. A few definitely catchy tunes in there though. Next listen, a day or so later, after work and I found myself foot-tapping and humming along, not to mention spotting some evocative hat-tips to Kevin's earlier work (that IS the craftily twisted riff, semi-reprised from irreversible Neural Damage, isn't it?). By the third listen, I was singing along with gusto (much to my lady's horror). This is definitely a grower! It's going in the car next, where my dulcet tones and enthusiastic steering-wheel tapping will annoy no-one.

Would have liked a bit more - especially one epic track, rather than lots of shorties. They are goodies though. Mr Ayers has matured like far finer wine than I can afford!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime English music. For believers in a better musical future
I become quite tongue tied when trying to describe music. I grew up (ie spent my early teens) in the 1970s and the rules of music were different then. It was more ... Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Barnes

3.0 out of 5 stars Only buy if you are a die-hard fan!
Unless you are a keen fan of Kevin Ayers this is not the best place to start. I first listened to him around 19702. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mikey

5.0 out of 5 stars No change here then...
Another collection of beautiful songs with a slightly left-field twist. Just like he's been doing for the past forty years, and not a trace of cynicism after all those years... Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2007 by Fatboy

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as ever!
First time through I was wondering what all the hype was about. But this is a grower and it's really grown on me.
Very different from "Still life.. Read more
Published on 27 Sep 2007 by Jerry

3.0 out of 5 stars A long time coming
15 years since his last studio release this album is good without being great. Gentle tunes, familiar themes (dreams, lost love), it lacks the edge of his best work. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2007 by fat-boy-fat

5.0 out of 5 stars The Return of The King
I approached this release with trepidation. Could it really be 38 years since "Joy of a Toy"? On playing, no such reasons to be worried. Where did the last 38 years go? Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2007 by P. Ardron

5.0 out of 5 stars Just adored this
I am lucky enough to have a pre-release copy of this wonderful CD. Fantastic harmonies, instrumentation, lyrics. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2007 by D. Dykes

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
I have been taping most of this off BBC6 in the last few weeks-- that is not to say that I wont be buying it as I already have it on order but the six tracks I have heard are just... Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2007 by Greg H

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