Liege And Lief

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.

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.

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.

forward thinking hobbit music

I've listened to several Fairport Convention albums and this is the one. Fantastic energy. The vocals are top notch. I don't know why I never put her and the Battle of Evermore song together. This is an excellent listen on a Sunday morning. I was supposed to be at Bonnaroo today but it got rained out. So it's the backyard and coffee with this masterpiece. Tam Lin kicks ass.

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

This is seriously an awesome album. I'd never heard of these guys, but definitely getting early Jefferson Airplane vibes in songs like Tam Lin as well as the lead singer's voice. There are also really cool folk elements throughout. This is definitely a complete album, and something I'll put on my list of stuff to go back to. That rare 5/5 that I'd never heard or even heard of.

This album is utterly ridiculous, but I can't help but love it. Renaissance Faire tunes that sound like the soft parts of Zeppelin songs with some beautiful singing from Sandy Denny about...i don't know, elves and jousting or some shit in the forest? Then it gets crazy and there are these metal-esque breakdowns but with the same instruments, which kind of broke my brain. Seriously, this shit gets really rocking in parts. Then back to elves and goblins or whatever. Drugs are an amazing creative tool sometimes.

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

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.

This shit belongs in the background in a Wes Anderson movie

I didn't expect to enjoy this, but it's a really solid record, with interesting lyrics and beautiful singing.

As a rule of thumb, I don't have time for English folk rock. I find it tends to be overly mannered, uptight and a bit bloodless. This album is better than most of the genre (Pentangle was particularly disappointing), but not as much to my taste as Unhalfbricking, which I really dig. Maybe it's the lean back towards traditional material instead of originals. Richard Thompson seems to be more in the background, and I'm not sure I really rate the new drummer. Sandy Denny, though, really is the focus of this album (her third that year), although I'm not entirely convinced her heart was always in it. Not surprising given the massive workload and tragic events of that year.

Don't really have any interest in this hey nonny nonny folk stuff, though I imagine it's very representative of the 60s flower power thing. One song in isolation is quite nice enough, decent vocals, but a whole album is painful. Could have cried when the last song came round and it was 10 minutes long. I'm probably an cynical uncultured prick but this sort of folk feels so performative, like appearing to be a hippie is the most important thing, when I think this whole movement was meant to be against materialism and pretension. Don't know what I'm on about really but this album isn't very good.

My teenage big sister loved this at the height of me hating my big sister. I grew to love her, but not Fairport Convention. Fiddly diddly dee dee medieval knights and tragic love oh-I nonny no. Flutes, gong and tambor play-ed in time, Sentence like Yoda for to scan the rhyme.

I've never heard of Fairport Convention before but really liking this celtic kind of rock from the 60s. Matty Groves was really a great song, Tam Lin was also very good too, and Sir Patrick Spens. I like the vocalist, she sounds sort of like Grace Slick. I think I'll be revisiting their albums again and I think it's a 5 star for me. I learned a little bit about the singer, Sandy Denny too and didn't realize she sang with Led Zeppelin on Battle of Evermore, one of my favorite songs.

I was only ever going to give this five stars

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

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.

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

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.

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

Folky nonsense. Not my thing.

horribile, too much doodleydoo

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

This album BLEW me away! This is a hidden gem. 10/10

4.7 - They have really solidified as music greats in my eyes.

Ren faire folk music and I love it

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!

Like a 60s Ren faire

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.

it was 60s folk and i enjoyed it more than i thought it would

very fitting for a grey miserable glasgow day

I was expecting dancing hobbit hippy music, which this was, but surprisingly it was really good dancing hobbit hippy music. Richard Thompson, of course, but there's something about Sandy Denny's voice.

I actually liked this a lot more than I anticipated. Has a bit of a Renn Faire feel to it.

Fun. Never heard of them before.

Really enjoyable album and fresh sounding despite being over 50 years old, Reynardine in particular wouldn’t sound out of place on the BBC Introducing stage. Very good!

This was good. The distinction between American and British folk is a thick enough line to render them completely different genres. This is so well done. Equal parts bard-like rumination and highland excitement, it could pass for a soundtrack for a very good film. Really enjoyed this all around.

That was nice. British folk rock isn't what I really needed today, but if it's an album as good as this one, I'm okay with whatever. At least this album is important to the development of the genre and thus has a valid reason for being on the list. You wanna know another valid reason as to why this is on the list? The reason is that the album is good. I really liked this album. The sound is pleasant and has this modern medieval feel to it. Like, you can clearly tell that this was made in the late 60s at the earliest, but the instruments make me feel like I'm at a casual ren faire, if that's even a thing. The singing is great. Sandy Denny's vocals are just wonderful. The writing is great too. It captures the vibes perfectly. What can I say? This is just a great folk rock album that simultaneously feels classic and a bit ahead of its time too. Some of the instrumentation kind of reminds me of what Led Zeppelin would end up doing in the 70s, so hearing this in 1969 is pretty cool. Light 4/5.

I think this is the first time I have heard British folk. At least to my memory/knowledge. I found this really enjoyable. I didn't dig in to find out if any of these are traditional songs but they sounded like they could be. Beautiful singing and beautiful backing instrumentation. Look forward to listening to this again.

I saw someone in another review refer to this as "proto bardcore", which was a new term to me; I honestly have not been able to forget that very amusing, very appropriate description. This album has all the making of fantastical, Celtic, medieval, renaissance faire folk music, but with a slight rock edge. The combination of folk and obvious electronic instrumentation back in 1969 seems a bit ahead of its time. Not to mention when considering the medieval vibe, this album is truly an act of anachronism. This was a fun, obscure, weird listen! I can see where this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely mine.

huh. I do not like Folk Rock and was so getting ready to hate this, but... surprisingly not too bad! 'Matty Grove" & "Medley" saved it [However, I must add that I doubt I will ever listen to this again....]

Wanted to hate it but I couldn’t!

Wow, a folk album with actual melodies, interesting instrumentation, and someone how can actually sing. The Byrds wish they could write something as interesting as this album. Despite all that, I am not blown away by this album. It is fine, but for a folk album it is on the higher end of the scale. high 3.

Grab your staff and cape, we're taking some hobbits on an adventure to Kmart.

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

Nicht meins, wobei Tam Lin (für mich) in die richtige Richtung weist. Und sofort Assoziationen von Jefferson Airplane/Grace Slick auslöst.

Not Pop in the standard sense, because most songs are all ballads. I have a hard time finding much different between any of the songs. Lead singer has limited range and doesn't do anything exciting. Easy to tune out. 2/10

I don't know why but I've usually preferred Steeleye Span to Fairport. There's no good reason for it because they're woven together and both are brilliant. This is a masterpiece.

Well, gosh. I don't hand out many 5s on here (especially for things I've never heard before), but I really liked this. Can't believe this was made in 1969. I mean yeah, it's got the vibe of medieval music, but it sounds great. It made me think of The Decemberists' "Hazards of Love" album quite a bit. 4.7

120 albums in and this one feels like a new kind of surprise: an album I thought I wouldn't like, but that I turned out to love. I kinda knew what they sounded like. Turned out, they were even more intensely what I expected and dreaded: literal sorcerers and medieval ren-faire balladry. But what I didn't count on is that Sandy Denny is a truly great and affecting singer and even more that the band is a great rock band, with a great, punchy and dynamic rhythm section and Richard Thompson doing really interesting guitar work. Medievalist fairytales aside, this feels exactly like a band I would really dig right now (just a bit more restrained and less bombastic than psych rock stuff I love). Looking forward to when Unhalfbricking comes up. 4.5/5 rounding up. Yeah, might include this on my own personal "yes, you should check this out" recommendation list.

Denne plata får meg til å gro hår på føttene. Hørte på denne mens jeg røkte pipe mellom første og andre frokost.

Expectation: -> Never heard of this. After listening: -> Oh wow. What a singing voice. I really enjoy Loreena Mckennitt who has even more Celtic influence than this band. This is a style of music that I listen to a few times per year and have been doing so for several years. I am putting this album into my rotation AND will be seeking out their other albums. Track ranking: Patrick Reynardine Michael Matty Farewell Come Medley Tam Quiet Deserter

An unbelievable leap from the first records, prompted by Ashley Hutchings’ convalescence after the band suffered a tragic car accident. His fascination with the origins or British folk led to this extraordinary blend of traditional, in some case centuries old, folk music, reworked by FC, and original pieces by Richard Thompson and band. Sandy Denny’s vocal performances are powerful and at times breathtaking - she was never better - and the band rocked with enormous conviction, in a “folk rock” sound that simply didn’t exist prior to this. One of the best and most important records of the rock era imho.

Still enjoying the fact the guy being cucked by Matty Groves getting with his younger wife is called Lord Donald That was my favourite track but Tam Lin was great too. I like Richard Thompson and his guitar work on here is great, it was a bit more rocky than folky them I was expecting.

"Liege & Lief" is widely regarded as the blueprint for British folk-rock, and the reasons for its reputation are clear upon listening. The rock elements are handled with restraint; they never overpower the traditional foundations but rather provide a tasteful framework that allows the folk arrangements to remain the focus. Sandy Denny’s vocals are the defining feature of the record - clear, evocative, and technically superb. For an album of its era, the production and mix are impressively balanced. The vocals are positioned at the forefront, while the instrumentation is placed precisely within the mix, ensuring that every element is audible without competing for space. It is a cohesive and accomplished album that took me by surprise when I first heard it and it still delights. Five stars. Side one 1 "Come All Ye" (5/5) 2 "Reynardine" (5/5) 3 "Matty Groves" (5/5) 4 "Farewell, Farewell" (4/5) Side two 5 "The Deserter" (4/5) 6 "Medley" (4/5) I. "The Lark in the Morning" II. "Rakish Paddy" III. "Foxhunter's Jig" IV. "Toss the Feathers" 7 "Tam Lin" (5/5) 8 "Crazy Man Michael" (5/5) Total - 37 Average - 4.63 314/1001 170/314 albums reviewed were new to me.

I'm really settling into my status of this list as Enthousiast (that's what my profile says). And absolutely, this is a true masterpiece. First time listening to this, so it is all new, the songs blew me away in the plane to Barcelona. Stunning renditions of ancient folk songs. Richard Thompson is incredible on this. Makes me wanting for more. Of course there's the other side of folk and Cecil Sharp and his collected songs. Which makes this even more interesting.

This album was a trip down Memory Lane. Forgot about how much I liked Fairport Convention. Mystical 60's band in their own lane.

Beautiful. I think I said on the last Fairport Convention, that this feels like the source code of The Decemberists. The songwriting, the homages, the vocals and instrumentation are all so good and and point. The Matty Grove jam is so perfect. It should be studied, it makes perfect sense that Billy Strings has covered it numerous times. I loved this! I could jam this out all day.

Wow, I usually don't like Folk that much, but this was refreshing as fuck. Matty Groves was probably my favourite. This also sounds INSANELY familiar for some reason. In my quest to find out why it sounds so familiar, I got to how insane th lead singer of this band was. The chick used to jokingly pretend to fall over all the time, then her husband left her to piss off to Australia and took her kid with her (who she did not care for), and she continued to get blasted and then threw herself down the stairs as her final 'joke fall' which she hit her head on the concrete and ended up into a coma before she died. Lovely. Anyways, incredible album.

Good folk album!

I wasn't sure I'd like this at all, but howling tin whistles - a folk music banger! Abso-lute-ly marvelous! Loved it!

It’s like Bob Dylan went electric in England.

в последнее время оч нравятся такие вещи, приятно слушать, сохранил. напомнило группу мельница, ну фолк типа, не удивительно..

An absolutely magical album

Incredible.

BEAUTIFUL. immediately after the first 3 seconds i know i would rate it a 5! the backing is such a perfect platform for her wondrous voice. the stories of the songs are interesting too. just beautiful. it reminds me a lot of bob dylan and joan baez's lyrics

A few years ago, during COVID lockdown I think, I was listening to the Led Zeppelin tune "The Battle of Evermore" - which I have heard hundreds of times and love - and got to wondering "who is that woman singing with Robert Plant?". That led me to Sandy Denny, which let me to Fairport Convention. And after going down that rabbit hole, I ended up having 10 songs from them "liked" on Spotify. But for some reason the only song from this specific album that I clicked like on is "Matty Groves". I think I just got sidetracked and never deep dived on this one. So.... I'm so glad this website got me to spend time with this one. I dig their whole British Folk/Folk Rock vibe. And her voice sounds like it's an angel's voice coming from another time. I can totally see why Led Zeppelin let her be the only outside singer on any of their awesome songs. It fits perfectly with the Folk Rock and mystical sound they wanted for that song. I listened to it all 3 times in a row with no other distractions. This was great! I was getting into every song and never once was wondering when it's gonna end. It has this great vibe where it sounds modern and ancient at the same time. It's cool how the songs they wrote sit side by side so well with old, traditional English folk songs. I ended up with all songs liked and I am excited to hear these songs show up on my automated playlists Liked songs on Spotify: 8/8 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5

Freakin' love this album, Matty Groves and Tam Lin would be enough for the 5 tbh, there are a lot of other great songs here too though.

Celtic revival meets sixties rock in a glorious fashion

Most Influential Folk Album of All Time ? 5/5 An album so good it defined an entire genre of folk rock ( uk version) . Even the intro to a song that never starts ( Raynardine )is excellent. “Your beauty so enticed me I could not pass it by”

This album really hooked me... Has a real Jefferson Airplane (not Starship) vibe, and I can appreciate it for being both similar and being unique. I'd be stupid not to give this 4.65 stars

прекрасный альбом, светлые чувства, похоже на ощущение от спирита, это кантри мне больше нравится, чем after the goldrush ощущение, что я в каком-то приятельском баре, у нас оживленная беседа и на фоне играет похожая музыка, the deserter🩷 tam lim Просто помадка для ушей, я не могу от того, насколько это вкусно quiet joys of brotherhood - take 1

This was either going to be terrible or amazing thankfully the latter 4.5*

I’m at a 4.5 that I think I’ll bump up to a 5, just because I really liked it. British folk rock, or as some might call it, “not quite the Beatles”, though their DNA is scattered here a little bit, at least in the feel of the instrumentation. These are folk songs, but the extra rock instrumentation gives them a kind of contemporary depth that just feels super nice in the ears. Their additions don’t do anything too crazy in terms of solos or technical stuff, but they enhance the atmosphere in ways that can still build and release tension. It’s super effective, and hearing that instrumentation blended with traditional stuff like the fiddle or violin makes this album feel like it’s from out of time, in a cool way. Sandy Denny has a lovely voice, occasionally reminiscent of Emmylou Harris; she really does glide on a lot of these tracks. The only thing I can knock her on is some occasionally confusing vocal structures (namely on “Tam Lin”), but even then, that might just be a carryover from how these songs were performed. Sandy Denny, by the way, is featured on Led Zeppelin IV’s “The Battle of Evermore” – that’s a track perfectly suited for her talents, given a similarity in styles, and she gets to showcase those talents across a whole album here, which is really nice. The only reason I’m at a 4.5 as opposed to a flat 5 is just because “Farewell, Farewell” didn’t really grab me lyrically & “Tam Lin” feels a little bit disjointed in terms of blending its storytelling, instrumentation & vocals, compared to how smoothly the other 7 tracks do it. Past that though, it’s music that speaks for itself. I think the floor here is a 3, and it’s one I’d understand, especially if the slower storytelling style doesn’t feel as gripping, or if the extra instrumental flair feels like it’s trying to dress up some perceived mediocrity on these traditional songs. I thought it was enjoyable enough to sit at a 4.5, and I think it’s just aligned enough with my tastes to bump it up to a 5 – it could go back down to a 4 if these tracks don’t click as nicely on more casual listens, but for now, I feel pretty safe bumping it up. I’m glad it’s on the list.

I was so happy to see this today. Possibly the greatest folk rock album. If you need proof, listen to Matty Groves. Sandy Denny's vocals are amazing throughout, as are the rest of the band. I especially love the strings on opening track Come All Ye and Crazy Man Michael.

Good British folk music. Almost folk-rock, but that'd almost be a disservice.

Well, I never thought going into this that I'd end up a Fairport Convention fan, but here we are. I liked this for many of the same reasons as I liked Unhalfbricking; several tracks have a driving, hypnotic feel that tickles my krautrock receptors.

Funny that this appears very soon after the Pentangle one and I had just compared the two bands. I'm a little biased toward FC, mainly because I have long loved Richard Thompson, whether with FC, with Linda Thompson, or solo. I also love Sandy Denny's vocals. And "Liege and Lief" is the OG British folk album. Such a great blend of traditional and rocking elements. I especially love the story songs like "Matty Groves" and "Tam Lin." Though I like the album before this, "Unhalfbricking," a little better, this one is fantastic and exemplifies all that is great about FC: gorgeous vocals, stellar instrumentals, and great songs reimagined and amplified.

Gorgeous

traditional folk my beloved

Legendary.

Love it

I was a bit of an LP collector back in the 80's, going to used record shops in hopes of finding what I'd read were rare albums. This album was high on the list, and one I never found. Once I started having kids that hobby went by the wayside, and I was more focused on getting music that I was certain to enjoy. Unfortunately for me, this record got lost in the shuffle, and I never looked for it again. Lo and behold, it was on Spotify just waiting for a a reason for me to listen. When it came up this morning on the generator I was quite excited, as I wanted to see if it was worth all the fuss I'd put into finding it back in the day. And the simple answer is YES. I loved this album. Sandy Denny's vocals are perfect for the musical style, and the band does a great job of backing her. The only song I didn't absolutely connect with is Reynardine, as I prefer songs with more music accompaniment, but even with that I didn't think it was a bad song at all. As I've said previously, albums like this are the reason I'm doing the project.

Excellent roots/bluegrass music.

Je sais pas si c'est mon lointain sang celtique mais les reels, ça me parle! Doublé d'un bon rock and roll, pourquoi pas. Super bon riff sur Matty Groves. La voix de la fille me fait penser à une jeune Joni.

85/1089 loving this, it’s such a bit of me so far I added 8/10 songs to my liked songs list. this was such a pleasure to listen to, and really felt timeless, Sandy’s vocals are so striking and really complete the sound. I think the final song is good but a bit too slow/dithering in a way, the energy peters out a bit, i think it could have been given a slightly different tone and would’ve been a great send off. Otherwise this is just some really solid British folk music 85/100

Hard album to rate due to incredible vibes but ultimately not sure if any single song stand out to me. I’ll return to this one

Another brilliant album. This is my favourite of the fairport albums. The standout is Matty Groves. Richard Thompson ranks up there with Beck Clapton page Townshend and Gilmour in English rock guitarists. My one criticism is that a little of Sandy Denny’s vocals go a long way with me. She has a great tone but her phrasing seems to suggest she’s forgotten the words. Having said that you can hear her in Robert Plant. So what do i know? Musical DNA. 100 stars.

High watermark of English folk rock

Upped it to a 5 - brilliant stuff. Folk tales updated for 60s and still feels progressive and exciting in 2025

Like I said in my review of Unhalfbricking, I still prefer the more psychedelic incarnation of Fairport Convention seen on What We Did On Our Holidays. But after relistening to this one, I think it might actually have Sandy Denny's best vocal performance in "Farewell, Farewell"!

They did such a good job creating new songs in the british/celtic folk style that I would never know what was based on original what was based on classics without prior knowledge. Always been a big fan of this genre, and they've done a good job. Will be revisiting and visiting more of their discography. Bonus points for having my name in a song.

I love folk sounds like this. There were so many interesting layers and the vocalist's tone was haunting.

Fire!! The platonic ideal of folk rock. Timeless sound. Vocals sound like Joni Mitchell at times and with a gorgeous gospel fullness. Incredible instrumental arrangements of traditional folk songs that incorporate psychedelia and the rock conventions of the time. 1969 what a time to be alive! Reminds me a lot of Let England Shake in its concept

Between a 4 and 5. Rounding up. Great listen.

What a fun album! I wouldn't have thought I'd rate a folk album so highly, but I enjoyed the vocals/instrumental so much on nearly every track.