Fairport Convention - Live Across the Centuries

Fairport Convention has often been credited as the first English folk-rock band, the first to send electricity coursing through the veins of the traditional folk scene. The band’s 1969 album “Liege & Lief” has widely been recognised as the one of the most influential folk albums of all time and certainly, from its early beginnings playing American “West Coast-style” cover versions, the band quickly developed its sound into an exciting and innovative blend, combining rock music with traditional English folk songs and tunes.

This album is a compilation of what are considered the bands finest moments on stage around the world. Through numerous personnel changes and coming together again, Fairport continues to attract new audiences and this 2CD allows us to realise quite why this intrinsically English band have been able to survive for so many years as a live force.

Listen to CD1 -  track 1 - 5:

Listen to CD2 -  track 1 - 5:

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Track-notes.

Furs And Feathers / Cell Song / The Ballad Of Ned Kelly / The Hexhamshire Lass /
It’ll Take A Long Time – all taken from the album “The Airing Cupboard Tapes ’71-‘74” released originally in 1981 and then on compact disc in 2002 with bonus tracks. The album contained rare live performances spanning the years 1971-1974 and came from concerts at Sydney Opera House, The Troubador in Los Angeles, The Rainbow Theatre in London and University dates in both Britain and the U.S.A. Sandy Denny was a guest of the band during the 1974 dates that saw them perform “It’ll Take A Long Time” at the Troubador and “The Ballad of Ned Kelly” at Clark University.

Rising For The Moon / Restless / Down In The Flood / Sir B.McKenzies /
Who Knows Where The Time Goes– all taken from the album “Who Knows?” an exuberant collection of live tracks recorded on a British tour in 1975 and featuring the Lucas, Donahue, Rowland era line-up, with Sandy Denny on vocals and piano and Dave Swarbrick on fiddle.

Crazy Man Michael / The Naked Highwayman / Frozen Man / Portmeirion
–  all taken from the “Acoustically Down Under” release, a documentary of a 1996 Australian tour dubbed “Unplugged & Half-Cocked!” It featured Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders and Maartin Allcock.

Good Fortunes / Now Be Thankful – taken from the 2005 compact disc release of “The Wood & The Wire” and recorded live in Vlissingen in The Netherlands in 2000.

Jack O’Diamonds / Million Dollar Bash / Rosie / Meet On The Ledge – all taken from the “Festival Cropredy 2002” release. As usual at a Cropredy set, there were many guesting musicians and “Jack O’Diamonds” featured Richard Thompson on lead guitar and vocals and Ashley Hutchings, Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews alongside the Fairport regulars. “Million Dollar Bash” (another Dylan composition) featured Vikki Clayton and a lead vocal from Marc Ellington. Dave Swarbrick’s “Rosie” featured the man himself and a lead vocal from Chris Leslie and final encore “Meet On The Ledge” featured practically everyone who performed at that year’s festival!

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