Liege & Lief – FAIRPORT CONVENTION****

Come All Ye/Reynardine/Matty Groves/Farewell Farewell/The Deserter/The Lark In The Morning-Rakish Paddy- Foxhunter’s Jig-Toss The Feathers (Medley)/Tam Lin/Crazy Man Michael

Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief is considered to have launched the British electric folk rock movement. The group would soon suffer a loss of direction with the departure of vocalist Sandy Denny. (UK:14)

“This, Fairport's best album, played a lead role in kick starting the British folk rock movement and it remains a key point of reference for lovers of the genre. Rest assured, there is not a duff track on this masterpiece. What follows is a veritable banquet of classic song after classic tune. This is the sound of a band at a creative peak and the album sounds as fresh and vital now as it did upon its release.”

“This is among Fairport's best, with rockers and ballads deeply rooted in traditional songs. Sandy Denny's vocals are haunting throughout, and Richard Thompson's guitar stellar and stinging, but always within the Brit-folk and Celtic idiom here - no Dylan covers or contemporary rockers. The lead instrument throughout is really Dave Swarbrick's ever-present fiddle, which snakes in and out of the melodies and dances with Thompson and Denny.”

“While Fairport Convention has made many fine albums, Liege & Lief is their best effort. There is not one weak track on the whole LP. A spectacular performance by Sandy Denny and the band is instrumentally note perfect.”

“Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief is an exciting folk rock album, probably the best in the genre of folk-rock. Each track conveys a mood of 'rolling minstrels' telling tall tales of kings and queens, cut-throats and peasants, and sad tales of the insane. Everyone shines on this album, from Sandy Denny's haunting vocals, to Richard Thompson's guitar, to Dave Swarbrick's shredding violin. This album is a masterpiece.”

“On Liege & Lief Fairport Convention made their definitive break away from previous 60s folk rock precedents. It is spoken of as a groundbreaking album, but the real inventiveness rests in the arrangements rather than in the compositions themselves, with mellow electric guitar solos and the like being worked into the mix so naturally, you'd have imagined these songs were originally composed for electric instruments.”