Fairport Convention - "Liege & Lief" (1969)

Voted by the people as the most influential folk rock album ever, and is considered to be the start of the British folk rock scene (which of course can be argued). Can it be anything else than great? No, it can't. Liege & Lief is a really good album. Recorded just after the tragedy when drummer Martin Lamble and the guitarist Richard Thompson's girlfriend died in a traffic accident. New drummer in the band was Dave Mattacks, and violinist Dave Swarbrick had also been added. It was the third album the band recorded in 1969.

Liege & Lief is a mix of the band's original songs and traditional material, English and Celtic folk songs. and their own pieces go in the same spirit. Electrified English / Celtic folk may be a term that is suitable.The songs are often evocative and quite dark. The story of the fairy queen and Tam Lin is a good example, a seven minutes long fairytale drama with a happy ending, where the Devil himself is involved.

One thing that appeals to me most with the album is the singer Sandy Denny. She has an amazing voice. However, she left the band before the album was released to embark on further adventures. Unfortunately, she died already in 1978.

Sandy Denny was the one who was behind Fairport Convention's clearer focus on folk music on this album. Although she left the band, Fairport continued on this path and actually still remains on it. The record is highly recommended, one of my own favorites. I have a reissue, of course, to find an original release was a project I had for a long time but had finally to see me defeated.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Come All Ye 5:01
2. Reynardine 4:34
3. Coiled Groves 8:10
4. Farewell, Farewell 4:24

Side B
1. The Deserter 4:24
2. Medley: The Lark in the Morning / rakish Paddy / Foxhunters' Jig / Toss The Feathers 4:08
3. Tam Lin 7:13
8. Crazy Man Michael 4:38

Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra - "Nancy & Lee" (1968)

The duo's first album together, and what can you say? Of course it's good. Lee's deep voice combined with Nancy's more fragile voice, it can't become anything else than successful. They are in a sense each other's opposites, both in voice and appearance. But it works.

But if we study the album more carefully, not all is that great, to be honest. Lee on his own is generally a bit more interesting, more dark humor and more surprising compositions. Together with Nancy, it becomes a little too sugary sweet sometimes. Nancy & Lee has a number of those, such as You've Lost That Loving Feeling or Storybook Children. They are just too cheesy. The albums with both of them together, I think became more commercial products than Lee's solo production.

This, however, is by far outweight by the album's groovier songs, like the psychedelic classic Some Velvet Morning. This song alone makes the record worth buying. I read in an interview with Lee that he was impressed by the band during the recording of this song since they were able to play it straight through.  Lee thought this would be difficult as the song jumps from the verses' 4/4 time signature to the chorus' 3/4. No problem for the musicians. According to me, one of the psychedelic era's greatest compositions.

Another one of my favorites is Sundown, Sundown, with its mighty horn and string arrangements. It sounds better the higher volume you have. So far, no neighbors have complained. Other groovy and well known songs from the album the 60s connoiseur will know: Summer Wine, Sand and Ladybird.

Absolutely an album to recommend even though some of the songs drip with sugar sweetness. One can not say the sound is timeless, you'll absolutely hear that it was recorded almost 50 years ago. But I think that's pretty nice.


Tracklist

Side A
1. You've Lost That Lovin 'Feelin' 3:23
2. Elusive Dreams 3:12
3. Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman 2:35
4. Summer Wine 3:39
5. Storybook Children 3:10

Side B
1. Sundown, Sundown 2:35
2. Jackson 2:46
3. Some Velvet Morning 3:45
4. Sand 3:41
5. Lady Bird 3:00
6. I've Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up To Me) 2:49

United States of America (1968)

United States of America recorded one album, this eponymous piece from the politically turbulent year of 1968. A few months after the release, the band split up because of differing ideas about the band's future direction, this has surely helped the album achieve a somewhat mythical status. Personally, I for some years cherished the hope of finding this album used, an original from 1968, but none of Montreal's record shops could deliver. I guess I was naive, in the end I  bought a reissue.

The original came wrapped (as did my reissue)

The band's leader, Joe Byrd, leaned towards an avant-garde direction and wanted the group to deliver musical and political radicalism combined with performance art. Other members were Dorothy Moskowitz, Gordon Marron, Rand Forbes and Craig Woodson. The focus Byrd had might scare some people, but the music is not at all difficult. The album received OK reviews when it was released, but over the years people's opinion obviously has escalated, for now it's hailed in the most different contexts.

The music is like a mix of early Pink Floyd à la Barrett, Jefferson Airplane, The Moody Blues and maybe some Beatles. Most Jefferson Airplane, according to me. Maybe it's because Dorothy sings on many of the songs which creates some Grace Slick vibes.

The opening song, The American Metaphysical Circus is my favorite number, a song that would have fit well at A Piper at the Gates of Dawn. There are lots of electronic effects in this and in many of the other songs. This is not always great when it comes to music from the late 60's since the electronics wasn't so developed, sometimes it can sound a little too primitive, somewhat cheap. United States of America may touch at times at this, but generally I think the electronic effects contribute to make it fun to listen to the album. Sure, we hear that this is yesterday's technology, but it doesn't matter so much.

And I imagine they had fun when they made this record, lots of experimenting and the songs offer many different styles. It feels like the pop/rock music during that time still was largely unexplored land, and the bands were competing to find new paths. And record companies allowed them to experiment relatively freely. Those were the days.

A nice album, simply put. I might not sing along in the choirs that celebrate the record as a masterpiece, but it has absolutely its place in the collection and get a rating above average. A recommendation if you like the 60s music, preferably with a psychedelic touch.


Tracklist

Side A
1. The American Metaphysical Circus 4:55
2. Hard Coming Love 4:43
3. Cloud Song 3:18
4. The Garden of Earthly Delights 2:39
5. I Will not Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar 3:52

Side B
1. Where Is Yesterday 3:07
2. Coming Down 2:40
3. Love Song For The Dead Che3: 25
4. Stranded In Time 1:50
5. The American Way of Love 6:

The Pleasures of the Royal Courts (1976)

Sometimes you have to break the old patterns - leave everything and start a new life somewhere else, singing loud in the grocery store or listen to music from the Middle Ages and to top it all, write a blog post about it.

Classical music has never been my thing, I've done tame attempts to learn to appreciate it, but have always failed. With "classical music" I reflexively mean music from the 1600s onwards - Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi and the other guys. But you go back even further, the 11-, 12- and 1300s, well, then it suddenly becomes interesting. Medieval music. Music of knights. Music of thieves(?).

Perhaps it is that it's often simpler music than the rather complex orchestral pieces that were created later. Fewer instruments. Not a bunch of different parallel parts. Not an orchestra with 50 members. The simple suits me better. Moreover, there are quite cool instruments, different kinds of flutes and horns, small portable organs, simple drums, harp. And some vocals on that.

David Munrow, director

I really know nothing about the epoch from a musical point of view. The companies who released these kind of LPs probably knew that, as the back of the covers are filled with facts. If you have the energy to read it. Personally, I read it quite absentmindedly while I appreciate the music.

On this particular LP, The Early Music Consort of London plays, and the director is David Munrow, apparently a legendary figure in the niche. He tragically committed suicide the same year this album was released. On the album, there is early music from, amongst others, Spain, Italy, Germany and Burgundy, from the 12s to the 1500s. When this record is spinning on the turntable I disappear from the living room and find myself sitting by a long table in an old castle, eating wild boar with a sword, ready to be swung. And that you also often find these kind of albums for $ 1 doesn't make things worse.


Tracklist

Side A
1. The Courtly Art Of The Trouveres: 7:26
(A) Rondeau, Tant con je vivrai
(B) La sexte real estampie
(C) Ductia
(D) Quant je voy YVER
(E) Fines amouretes ai
(F) Souvent souspire mon the speaks
2. The Burgundian Court Of Philip The Good 9:31
(A) Lower Dance, Falling con misuras
(B) Ballade, Entre vous noviaux Maries
(C) Chanson, Vergine Bella
3. The German Court Of Emperor Maximilian 7:19
(A) Isbruck, ich muss dich lassen
(B) SpanyolerTancz And Hopper Dancz
(C) Nun wollt ih horen neue March '

Side B
1 The Italian Music of the Medici Court 10:17
(A) O fallace speranza
(B) Tua volsi esser semper mai
(C) E quando andarete al monte
(D) Zorzi
(E) Pavana into passe e mezzo
(F) de la saltarello Pavana
(G) La Manfrolina
(H) El Pomo de lo Pomaro
(I) La Rocha electricity Fuso
(J) Non e tempo
2. The Spanish Courts In The Early 16th Century 11:00
(A) primera y segunda Recercadas
(B) La tricotea Samartun
(C) Diferenciassobre 'La Dama le demanda'
(D) Rodrigo Martine
(E) Ay triste que vengo
(F) Pase electricity Agoa ma Julieta

Blondie - "Parallel Lines" (1978)

For a long time I was suspicious towards Blondie. All I'd heard was Heart Of Glass, sure, a cool song that found its way into my childhood through a dance competition at a disco where my brother won it, but still a relatively commercial disco song that the musically conscious Markus couldn't quite accept as a member in the collection. Blondie was a band that created commercial pop that amused the masses. Nothing for the connoisseur. This idea lingered on until quite recently. I was of course wrong, as so often when it comes to ideas about music you never actually heard. Blondie created, at least on Parallel Lines, really nice stuff. And yes, I have come to understand that music that speaks to the masses can actually be pretty good.

Of course, Blondie is the name of the band and not the singer, as I and so many others have believed. The singer is Debbie Harry.

When I first listened to this album I realized that I actually knew one other song with the band, One Way Or Another, was one of many hits from the album. I was only six years old when it was released, so obviously it is this song together with Heart Of Glass which have been best transferred to later generations.

The Australian Mike Chapman has produced the album and he has described that Blondie was the worst band he's ever worked with in terms of musical knowledge / performance. He urged several members to focus on songwriting instead of playing. But thanks to studio technique (I guess) I don't notice this. The atmosphere in the studio wasn't the best either, since none of the band members really liked each other, according to Chapman, besides Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of course, who were a couple.

Anyway, the record contains a string of pearls. It's usually described as a pop / new wave album, and I think you can clearly hear traces of punk in several of the songs. Heart Of Glass is not a representative song of the album, as it is quite alone in its disco sound. Half of the songs were released as singles, but my favorites are among those who wasn't - the more evocative and calm Fade Away And Radiate and the Bowie smelling Pretty Baby.

In general an up-tempo, cocaine-soaked, record with many qualitative songs. Debbie and Chris Stein got a few years later so severe drug problems that they more or less lost everything they owned, according to what I read on the reliable source internet. But in 1978, life was still pretty fun.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Hanging On The Telephone 2:17
2. One Way Or Another 3:31
3. Picture This 2:53
4. Fade Away And Radiate 3:57
5. Pretty Baby 3:16
6. Know Bur I Do not Know 3:53

Side B
1. 11:59 3:19
2. Will Anything Happen? 2:55
3. Sunday Girl 3:01
4. Heart Of Glass 3:54
5. I'm Gonna Love You Too 2:03
6. Just Go Away 3:21

Talking Heads - "True Stories" (1986)

A soundtrack, one would think, to David Byrne's film of the same name. But it's not, it's the Talking Heads version of the songs from the film. In the film they were sung by the actors. David Byrne apparently regretted this album, he felt that the songs should be performed by the actors and noone else, but the financiers of the film thought differently.

And as Byrne, I'm not completely satisfied with True Stories either. The band began to see the end of its existence, the relations between the members had been better, something that perhaps was reflected in the band's production the last years. Generally the album feels rather superficial, I guess the songs are quite OK, but they make no deeper foot prints and have never done. I got the album in my teens, and even in those more (musically) uncritical years it was no favorite of mine. It's a pretty fast-paced and energetic album, almost rocky, and it's easy to sing along to the songs if that's your fablesse. One of the band's biggest hits is found on the LP, Wild Wild Life. But I don't know, even if you hear it's Talking Heads, clear echoes from earlier works are heard, it feels pretty uninspired. According to my sources (yes, internet), much of the music was created from previous leftovers.

I like the last three, more quieter songs, the best. They are those which awaken some feelings. So, True Stories - no need in the collection, Talking Heads had done much better and more interesting albums earlier. The most interesting thing with the LP is perhaps, in a way, the song Radio Head, which named another band.

And I have not seen the film. Maybe I should do that, almost 30 years after its creation.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Love For Sale 4:30
2. Puzzlin' Evidence 5:32
3. Hey Now 3:42
4. Papa Legba 5:54

Side B
1. Wild Wild Life 3:39
2. Radio Head 3:14
3. Dream Operator 4:39
4. People Like Us 4:26
5. City Of Dreams 5:06

Kate & Anna McGarrigle (1975)

Why not continue on the theme of artists from Montreal? The sisters Kate & Anna McGarrigle were born in Montreal but grew up in the village of Saint Sauveur des Monts, a short distance away. In my world they are well-known, probably thanks to two of their albums that existed in my parents' record collection during my childhood (albums that are now in my record collection). But fact is surprisingly many Montrealers don't know about them. It never stops to surprise me. But perhaps a big city like Montreal offers so many different artists having existed over the years, so it's easy to be forgotten.

The eponymous debut album was released in 1975. At that time the sisters had sung together since the first half of the 60s. The fact is that Kate was studying engineering at McGill University in Montreal in the 60's, where my wife is now working. Oh yes. Anna studied at art school, also in Montreal. They began performing together and sang their own songs, and continued to sing together until Kate's death in 2010.

The sisters sang mostly in English but on their records there are always a few songs in French as well (they've done one album with only French songs). On the debut album the B-side opens with my old favorite Complainte Pour Ste-Catherine which is in French.

The album is generally quite acclaimed, Allmusic gives it for example 5 stars. But the sisters never became particularly commercially successful or got high spots in the charts. Perhaps the folk niche is a little too small. Personally I think it's an OK album, with some highs and some lows. Their most famous song, Heart Like A Wheel, which many other artists have done covers of, is very beautiful and sad. The mentioned Complainte Pour Ste-Catherine is also really groovy, Swimming Song is another favorite, a funny song. But there are some more boring numbers which pass through my ears without wanting to stay. Many skillful and famous musicians play on the album, but the focus is undoubtedly on the sisters' singing.

Finally, a bit of gossip. There is a connection between the artist in my last post, Leonard Cohen, and today's, in addition to both descending from Montreal. Kate McGarrigle is the mother of the artist Rufus Wainwright. Leonard Cohen has a daughter named Lorca Cohen. Lorca and Rufus have a child together. In other words, Leonard Cohen and Kate McGarrigle were related, in a way. Since Rufus is gay this arrangement got a little more attention than normal.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle's debut album can be recommended if you like folk. The sound is fairly basic, and their vocals are not hidden behind any sound walls. Which is good and bad. Don't get me wrong, they sing really well and the harmonies are beautiful, but sometimes I miss a slightly larger soundscape and fuller production. But that's just me.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Kiss And Say Goodbye 2:47
2. My Town 2:57
3. Blues In D 2:43
4. Heart Like A Wheel 3:08
5. You Foolish 3:02
6. (Talk To Me Of) Mendocino 3:08

Side B
1. Complainte Pour Ste-Catherine 2:48
2. Tell My Sister 3:37
3. Swimming Song 2:26
4. Jigsaw Puzzle Of Life 2:29
5. Go Leave 3:19
6. Travellin' On For Jesus 2:42