Liege And Lief

You know this list has done a number on you when you’re looking forward to British folk records from the late 60’s and early 70’s. How beaten down am I that I wake up on a Sunday, check in to this website and think, “Fairport Convention…sweet, this should be good”? Seriously, though. The British folk on this list has been the most consistently enjoyable genre that I was previously unfamiliar with. It’s surprising because I typically don’t have the time of day for American folk music. The British folk I’ve been exposed to because of this list tends to be less tied down by tradition and more willing to experiment than their American counterparts. Fairport manages to strike a great balance between tradition and modern, with atmospherics and progressive song structures weaved into these traditional songs. The amazing guitar work of Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny’s exceptional vocals are standouts, but, really, the entire group is firing on all cylinders. Leige and Lief is an engaging and exciting folk rock record; highly enjoyable on a grey spring morning.

Simply, the apogee of British folk rock. Possibly the genre's greatest ever album. Opener aside, everything else comes from the archives of Cecil House but Fairport Convention play the material as if it was their own. Sandy Denny is at her peak here - variously gentle, imperious, confiding and raucous. Listen to the way she inhabits each character as if an actor on both 'Matty Groves' and the most remarkable of all, 'Tam Lin'. I grew up on this stuff.

The band slaps hard and Sandy Denny's voice, both beautiful and otherworldly carries the melodies superbly. There's a ton of subtext and depth to the songs and arrangements, leant an extra level of emotion due to the personal tragedy and upheaval the group went through around (or just before) the time they met to record the album. Blending the ancient with the supernatural and turning it into something distinctly modern yet timeless this is the ultimate folk-rock record.

I am generally pretty wary of folk music but I think that mostly applies to American folk music with it's tendency towards an often forced twang. This, however, works for me. I don't know if it's just being that much closer to the source or if it is that it actually rocks pretty damn hard when it wants to. I think alot weighs on the power of Sandy Denny's voice and Richard Thompson's guitar playing.

yay! more folk rock

A beautiful album that made my hairs stand on end, even on the 3rd or 4th listen. Highlights include Reynardine and Matty Groves. The arrangements are brilliant and the vocals are gorgeous. An album that took me completely by surprise and one that I will revisit often.

Fantastic Proto Bardcore. Makes me want to go to Ren faire

N'étant pas un grand fan de techno, cet album m'a tout de même donné envie d'avaler trois cachets d'ecstasy et de passer une nuit entière en rave party au milieu d'autres personnes baignées dans leur sueur.

So I really like this! I think I would consider buying this whole album, actually.

Actually quite enjoyed this style. Would love to explore more of this British folk rock.

Only on 'Reynardine', but I'm really feeling this. Sandy Denny has a gorgeous voice. I'm leaning 5 stars on this one, I'm such a big fan of this electrified yet traditional folk vibe.

Cool mix of folk style with more modern/electric instruments

Loved it. What a great way to communicate folk music. There's clearly a tradition here I haven't come close to tapping. That is, I liked playing folk forms at one point and am intrigued by some contemporary avant-garde approaches to old tunes, but felt like the pop-folk approaches were mostly cheap. I was wrong.

Traditional folk played like it was classic rock. For some reason, it was trendy in the pop-rock world for a few years. For even less obvious reasons, it's been highly regarded ever since

Reynardine is a hell of a way to scare the listener off. Get past that and enjoy the folk impurism on offer. Thompson's guitar and Denny's drugged-out voice are too rock for chastity lullabies and keep the spectre of let's-go-back-to-purer-times idealism-cum-conservatism at bay.

Far too much folk and country music in this. "Most Influential Folk Album of All Time"? I'll take your word for it. I'll give it an extra star for that. 4/10

This is a real stinker. Easy-listening folk rock with not much going on. 2/10

i was surprised the first time i heard them and realized i really really liked them. i hadn't thought i would, but here we are. this album is no exception - i really enjoyed it, especially the droning, washing guitar. huge soft spot for richard thomson after vincent black lightning.

A magnificent meeting of Celtic and British traditional music and electricity. Utterly timeless with accomplished playing to boot. And, of course, Sandy.

A beautiful album right up my alley. It’s hard to overstate the significance this album had on the traditional music scene back in the day. It was met with scorn and derision by many and yet turned an entire generation of Romantics on to the literature of their tradition and culture. The musicianship here is too rate with Richard Thompson’s guitar and Sandy Senny’s string, controlled voice being backed by Dave Swarbeck’s fiddle. It’s a perfect marriage of traditional aesthetic and electric 1960s sound. You can hear the band trying to figure out how to work with this music behind the lyric. Thompson was the gift that made this all work. His little guitar fills and harmonic designs made the bridge possible and the band made the journey complete.

A stunning, genre pioneering album by the mighty Fairport. As someone who has seen them live many times, it was refreshing to hear all their well-known tracks as they were originally recorded with the unforgettable Sandy Denny.

That was really fun! I started this one completely blind, then looked up some background as I listened. I thought it was cool that most of the tracks were traditional Celtic or English folk songs.

This is such a great record! I love sandy Denny’s voice and the arrangements here. I could listen to it again and again and again.

Sandy Denny had such a beautiful voice, I can still remember how shocked I was to read of her death. Such a loss. Great album, easy to listen to at any time of the day or night.

Just got started but I'm loving it already. Surprised I've never heard of them before.

Turns out I am a big fan of 60’s British folk music. Who knew? Just a wonderful salve to my aching soul.

I'm not a big folk fan, but that was really good.

Nearly a whole album of my favourite Fairport Convention tracks. Crazy Man Michael the only dud for me.

I don't know what it is about Fairport Convention, but their music just hits the spot. Combination of beautiful vocals, great melodies, some guitar solos, a bit of melancholy in the music, it just creates a perfect blend, just like the previous record by Fairport on this list. Great music, easily 5/5. Looking for some vinyls straight away.

This is one of my favorite albums. I love that the idea of English "folk" is so different - and so much more ancient - than ours. Richard Thompson's guitar work is awesome, and Sandy Denny has one of my favorite voices.

Folk rock perfection on this one.. Matty Groves is just outstanding.. Sandy voices and Thompson's solo at the end. Then there is Tam Lin.. Wow..

Yes. OK maybe not the production but everything else about this album is perfect - Sandy Denny's singing, the playing of each of her five bandmates, and the compositions. Crazy Man Michael and Farewell Farewell are two of the finest songs ever created, and never performed better than here.

Drone-y occult folk

lekker folksy

This here is a beautiful record. Sandy Denny's voice makes the fog lift. The view is perfect. The land is majestic and full of life. Listening to these songs is like witnessing the reconciliation of time, and this is what good folk music does. Honouring the tradition that brought us here while encapsulating contemporary emotions and atmosphere. The playing here is gorgeous, keeps us attached to the world and to community, while whatever Sandy Denny does brings out the magic, the heart, and the sense of something that is there without being seen. She sings the river that runs below the river and gives a voice to the ghosts. Beauty.

I think I liked Unhalfbricking a little more, but this record still felt like a time capsule into a fantastical past, and I loved it.

Very interesting and immersive album. It feels like I'm transported to a tavern in Middle Earth listening to a famous band play for a rowdy dancing crowd. I loved it. Especially the solo on Matty Groves. Albums like these make me happy I started this project. I doubt I ever would have found this on my own

1969 - British Folk Rock

Now I get it. Having heard Unhalfbricking earlier, I was a little baffled as that album didn't seem as strong. However, this album definitely deserves to be on the list. A classic traditional blend of "plugged in" and acoustic Celtic folk that reminds me of bands like Clannad and Capercaillie and artists like Lorena McKennitt and Enya. So many good tracks on this album but Matty Groves is my favorite. Adding this one to my favorites.

Joooonge, was hab ich da verpasst / Jefferson airplane vibes - prog-parts, die nach Rush klingen /. Mega Texte / Legendäre Bass und Gitarren Riffs / Teils stark folkloristische Elemente 5/5

oikein jytistelevää brittifolkkia! varmaa eka levy näistä mitä oon kuunnellu, johon ei ollu minkäänlaista aiempaa kosketuspintaa, josta oikeesti tykkäsin! miinuksena et spotifyssa on vaa joku ihme 2007 deluxe versio, mutta hyvin sai alkuperäsen osion kuunneltuu anyhow. matty groves sopi hyvin just tähän aamuun ja jäi kyl päällimmäisenä mielee.

Imagine one part traditional Celtic folk music, one part American west coast bay area psychedelia, and one part progressive rock, and voila: Fairport Convention, one of the greatest groups I’ve never heard. American folk rock emerged in the mid-1960s combining the energy of electric rock music with the lyrical depth of acoustic folk music- the Los Angeles quintet, The Byrds, being a prime example. Bob Dylan, who many crowned the King of folk rock when he went electric, hated the term himself, rebuking any attempt to define his new sound with this genre. But it stuck nonetheless, and off it went, spawning groups like the Mamas and the Papas, and the Lovin’ Spoonfuls. All that is to say that American folk rock is one thing, while folk rock emanating from the UK is a whole other matter. 'Liege & Lief' is one of the first major folk rock LPs from this tradition. Most of the songs are free adaptations of centuries-old British and Celtic folk material, containing a wide range of lyrical themes- werewolves seducing maidens, lovers’ rescued from the Queen of Fairies, humans in the form of ravens whose true identity is revealed in death- but delivered in such a way that any reasonably intelligent American with no knowledge of UK history would be able, easily, to follow the plot. One does not have to know that ‘The Deserter’ is concerned with Britain’s Recruiting Act of 1703 to understand the song’s general meaning. Musically, every member of the group possesses talent and passion, yet not without skilled restraint. The ‘jams’ are never over-prolonged, the vocals carefully synched, the arrangements tasty and tasteful. If there were any rogue egos at work here, I didn’t hear ‘em. Fairport Convention plays as a cooperative unit. Here’s the bonus, though: Fairport Convention manages to retain the authenticity of the original ballads while at the same time infusing them with a bit of Jefferson Airplane (NOT Starship, please). And then, to make things really interesting, from time to time they even toss in some changing time signatures, ala prog rock. ‘Tam Lin,’ a traditional Scottish ballad, is a great example. I doubt the bagpipers of old ever changed back and forth from 3/4 to 4/4, with a little double time 6/8 throw in for good measure. On the third cut, ‘Matty Groves,’ just when you think the downtempo ballad has come to an end, the band breaks into an uptempo jam, an electric hoedown, Grateful Dead style, but also seasoned with the flavor of Jethro Tull. Don’t hold me too tightly to any of this, though. It would be a mistake to affix any permanent boundaries defining Fairport Convention, at least on 'Liege & Lief.' This LP rambles over hill and dale, and down many winding roads. ‘So come all ye rolling minstrels,’ invites lead vocalist Sandy Denny on the opening number (and one joyfully extended, encouraged even, to you and I to become part of the chorus, a surprisingly clever technique that draws the listener in immediately), ‘and together we will try to rouse the spirit of the air, and move the rolling sky.’ That’s a tall order, lads and lasses. And Fairport Convention serves it up throughout this terrific LP, at times steaming hot like a plate of corned beef and cabbage, and other times creamy cool like a foamy pint of Guinness. An eight course/track delightful and satisfyingly filling meal.

I tried to get into Fairport Convention when I was a teen after hearing the lady that sung on The Battle of Evermore was in the band. But since they had 20+ albums and Sandy Denny only sang on three of them I was more confused than anything. I wish I had heard this one back then. Absolutely amazing.

Te transporta a mood especial. Canciones con estilo celta y también a lo Daisy Jones. Un sonido muy natural.

"Liege & Lief" is the fourth studio album by British folk rock band Fairport Convention. Many consider this the first major "British folk rock" album. The album was recorded following a motorway crash which killed drummer Martin Lamble and guitarist Richard Thompson's girlfriend Jeannie Franklin. It featured female lead singer Sandy Denny and contained both traditional British and Celtic folk songs and original compositions, both performed with a more rock back drop. Other band members included Dave Swarbrick (violin, viola), Simon Nicol (rhythm guitar), Ashley Hutchings (bass) and Dave Mattacks (drums). Commercially, the album hit #17 on the UK charts. The band comes out a stomping on the uplifting "Come All Ye." Acoustic and electric guitars, fiddle and Sandy Denny's fabulous voice. An original composition which is a rousing start. The traditional "Matty Graves" has layered guitars, more fiddle and just bounces. Thompson and Swarbrick's violin just rock this out. I did not know there was a folk rock "Freebird" but here it is. I actually heard prog elements. Denny tells the story of an adulterous tryst between a young man and a noble woman which does not end well. The band slows it up on "Farewell, Farewell." A melancholy song which is most likely the result of the recent deaths the band experienced. "The Deserter," a traditional song, starts out slow and picks up the pace. Dramatic, telling the tradional story and song of a solider forced to death for deserting. The band takes the traditional "Tam Lin" and rocks it out in the folk rock sense. Great Thompson guitar. For some reason, I kept hearing Jethro Tull's "Aqualung." The album closes with the Thompson penned "Crazy Man Michael." Slower. Another song Thompson admitted to writing over his loss and guilt of his girlfriend. It's a murder ballad where Michael mistakes a raven for his true love and the kills the raven ( his true love) with his dagger of fire and ice. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Very strong vocals by Sandy Denny. The musicianship is top notch especially Thompson and Swarbrick. It's dramatic and at times uplifting. The pace changes between slow and more rockin' songs. The stories are compelling with the music fitting them. A very high recommendation.

Un increíble LP de Folk británico liderado por la increíble voz de Sandy Denny, quien complementa sumamente bien las atrapantes melodías de la banda con un timbre casi ritualístico. Un disco muy cautivante que corona el año debut de la banda con un sonido que puede considerarse sumamente influyente para el panorama de la trova europea.

Authentic Renaissance Faire energy! Fairport Convention have dwelled in my musical blind spot for decades, but no more. Rough-hewn and enchanting, highlighted by lithe and mystical vocals from Sandy Denny. It's fascinating to hear the music than influenced so many Led Zeppelin songs!

Que voy a decir de este disco. El mejor del grupo junto al Unhalfbricking.

Banging choons

Really enjoyed this album

Fairport in their Heyday here with the wonderful voice of Sandy Denny sadly for the last time with the band. Some lovely songs on this hugely influential album that some see as the first proper English "Folk-Rock" album. Love "Tam-Lin" and "Matty Groves" which winds up the volume. Rightfully on the list.

Love this, I sometimes think there is no better sound in popular music than Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson together. Fairport basically invented the modern folk genre on this record (for better or worse!), their third of 1969 (and they're all great!), and it's highly entertaining throughout. So many classics on here, esp. Matty Groves which is fucking savage. I could play this all day long. A good week so far!

A superb album - an album that everyone should own. The standout tracks for me are "Matty Groves" and "Tam Lin", plus the hauntingly beautiful "Crazy Man Michael". Sandy Denny's vocals are sublime and her untimely death was a tragedy.

S-tier folk rock!

I like this one. 5

This came up on a strange day where I went on a 40ish-mile round trip after work to pick up a record player. It was a beautiful sunny evening at the very beginning of Spring, and the long country drive helped clear my head. This folk-rock record was absolutely the perfect companion for all that. Leige And Lief is a beautiful blend of rock music with adaptations of classic British and Celtic folk ballads, with a few original compositions added in also. Sandy Denny's beautiful voice ties everything together and creates a chill, moving album that never gets boring. Very good album with a few songs I will certainly come back to. Favourite: Matty Groves

Loved this, had never listened to it before. I only knew a few Fairport Convention songs from Spotify, but will definitely be listening to more of theirs now. Interesting to see what was going on across the Irish sea around the same time that Planxty, Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy were doing similar experiments with trad/rock fusion.

Las vibras de este disco lo son todo 9/10 y nada más para agregar.

This taps into my childhood memories of going to the Kent State Folk Festival. Love British folk. Need to be an independently wealthy white woman.

This album was incredible. Despite it being clearly folksy in nature, there's something about this album, and I can't quite put my finger on it, but it sounds really ahead of its time and quite modern. Really dig this one.

Deep, dark, weird tales of crows and foxes and death and vengeance, intensely performed.

British folk rock. Venga, un 5.

Funny, I just listened to this two days ago and wondered if it was on the list. Glad it is. This album is fantastic, and I'm not even into this genre. These guys manage to do a lot with a little, as these songs tend to be very simple (often centering around one chord), and they also tend to be pretty long. And yet they find ways to keep things interesting: subtle changes in dynamics and intensity, sympathetic performances from the band, and of course Sandy Denny's understated and plaintive performances. Plus, the stories are great. Tam Lin is a favorite. My only complaint is that I wish the mix was a bit brighter and a touch more open, as these songs feel like they were recorded in a closet. So, 4.5 stars, rounded up.

This was great. Loved it.

Been a fan of Richard Thompson for many years and Sandy Denny has such a great voice that can swing from folk to psychedelic rock. This record is a a great listen.

I loved this entire album. It was a vibe, and now I’m listening to everything on the deluxe version.

I absolutely loved this album. Sandy Denny's voice is incredible. Her voice, with the violins and mandolin playing in accompaniment, was just ethereal - and yet fierce. I am not a folk rock listener, but I will look for this album

Love it

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about this music generator is that it has softened my heart to folk music, and "Liege and Lief" by Fairport Convention is another great album that I’ll definitely be coming back to in the future.

Stoned at the Renaissance Fair. feel like i’m off that west-farthing leaf in a tavern or some shit. woodstock in the shire. want on vinyl pissed spotify took off two of the best songs - the fiddle medley and the deserter. but all the songs on this record are good ones i’ll just rip those mp4s

Cet album est clairement un 5/5, je le connaissais et c'est tellement bon que ca pas de sens. Je crois que j'ai 3 albums en 3 jours qui sont 5/5 je suis bel et bien sortit de l'enfer des moyens/mauvais albums.

Fantastic

Wow what a masterful showing of talent. The breakdowns, solos, hell just the playing all over this album are incredible. Sounds like a description for somw prog or metal but this album sounds completely folk the whole way through. Amazing

Loved this! An overlooked folk classic!! My favorite track was Medley: The Lark in the Morning!

This is exactly what the late 60s and early 70s was supposed to sound like. Powerful music, then and now. If you're under 50, spend more time with Fairport Convention.

Liked Songs: Matty Groves Medley: The Lark in the morning I like the jam sessions. I like the singers voice. I like folk music it turns out.

Like a 60s Ren faire

A great folk album. It might've been the moment I listened, but this is one of the first albums I listened front to back in this project. The vocals really took me on a journey that I didn't mind being on, the execution of the ideas on this album are wonderful and made me feel very serene.

Jag var rädd hela dagen för albumet från 1969 eftersom 1969 har det där distinkta överanvända ljudet. Ljudet... soundi... lehtinen suomessa.. laitto aluks unobjektinen review.. Sound of silver.. Huh sana jo kahdella kielellä ja yhdellä anglismilla tässä paragraafissa. Tuo ruotsin kieli pitää sieluni kaukana review boksista.. monta tuntia saa päivässä kerätä voimaa..

I find Fairport Convention lovely and soothing but vaguely terrifying. Five stars!

I quite loved this. The folk with the rock bits just carried me away today.

Nice finding! I find it similar to Fleetwood Mac.

Loved this! Very fun

Yeah I'm adding this to my library

To these ears it's more rock than folk, albeit raga rock. Sandy Denny had the perfect voice for this sort of material, being a little bit husky with the right amount of shrill. I love the sound of Dave Swarbrick's violin interchanging with Thompson's lead guitar. Folk music is a lot more dark than its given credit for ("Matty Groves" and "The Deserter").The only misstep is the diddly jig Medley: it just doesn't belong on an album like this. PS I have to admit that I didn't really like this (get this?) on first listen, but multiple listens through the years revealed a truly rewarding album. Great stuff.

muito bom, baita som

Some very nice compositions and skilled players. But what really sold me on this one is the vocals; they're an excellent fit for folk rock, remind me a bit of Comus.

Yeah, I enjoyed this a lot.

I really dug this

Honestly very fun. What a voice!

Loved it

First impression upon seeing the album cover and that it's another goddamn British band - "oh no not again" My impression after listening to the album - "Can this play on repeat forever?" Maybe it's the sort of rainy gloomy day here but I was completely transported by every single track here.

Come all ye rolling minstrels And together we will try To rouse the spirit of the air And move the rolling sky

I prefer this to the last Fairport Convention album we received, which had a split personality, due to a handful of Bob Dylan covers, whereas this LP is 100% British Folk. Sandy Denny’s singing is wonderful, especially in ballads like “Crazy Man Michael”, as is David Swarbick’s ever-present violin over the understated guitar of Richard Thompson. My favourites are the traditional pieces, led by “Maddy Groves” and “Tam Lin”, though they run on a bit – but it was 1969 after all.

Love this album. It's so weird but really drew me in. I tried looking for other stuff with a similar vibe (including other work by Fairport Convention) but nothing really hit the spot. Feel like they caught lightning in a bottle on this one

Me sorprendió gratamente porque no lo conocía. Qué buen disco, lo volveré a escuchar.

This album never gets old, and is no doubt the best folk rock album ever made - I am not a major British folk rock fan, but it is one of these albums that exceeds their genre.

Åh, Sandy!

love folk.

The songs are really chill, everything is slow paced and calming. I could put this on anytime as background music.