Liege & Lief

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Liege & Lief
Studio album by Fairport Convention
Released	December 1969
Recorded	October 4 - November 1, 1969
Genre	Rock
Length	40:33
Label	A&M/Island
Producer(s)	Joe Boyd
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B-) link
Fairport Convention chronology
Unhalfbricking (1969)	Liege & Lief (1969)	Full House (1970)

Liege & Lief is a 1969 folk-rock album by Fairport Convention which established British folk-rock as a distinct and influential genre. It would be voted the 'Best Folk Album Ever' by BBC Radio 2 listeners in 2002, and 'Most Influential Folk Album Of All Time' by public vote for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2006.

Contents 1 History 2 Track listing 3 Production 4 Personnel

[edit] History

In between recording and releasing Unhalfbricking, tragedy struck. Fairport Convention's van crashed on the M1 motorway on the way home from a gig in Birmingham. Drummer Martin Lamble - who was 19 years old - and Jeannie Franklyn, Richard Thompson's girlfriend, were killed. The rest of the band suffered injuries of varying severity.

The young musicians nearly decided to call it a day, but they didn't. Once recovered, they went back into the studio. Male vocalist Iain Matthews had left the band by then and Dave Mattacks took over the vacant drum stool. The resulting LP, Liege & Lief, was launched with a sell-out concert in London's Royal Festival Hall late in 1969. Dave Swarbrick had made a big contribution to the project and he now joined the band full-time.

Soon after the release of Liege & Lief, Ashley Hutchings left Fairport to further pursue traditional music in a new band, Steeleye Span, and later in the Albion Band. Sandy Denny also left to form Fotheringay and later embarked on a solo career.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Come All Ye" (Sandy Denny/Ashley Hutchings)
2. "Reynardine" (Traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny/Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson/Simon Nicol/Ashley Hutchings/Dave Mattacks)
3. "Matty Groves" (Traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny/Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson/Simon Nicol/Ashley Hutchings/Dave Mattacks)
4. "Farewell, Farewell" (Richard Thompson) - Actually this is the music to Child Ballad 100 Willie O Winsbury with new lyrics.
5. "The Deserter" (Traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny/Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson/Simon Nicol/Ashley Hutchings/Dave Mattacks)
6. "Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish Paddy/Fox-Hunter's Jig/Toss The Feathers" (Traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny/Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson/Simon Nicol/Ashley Hutchings/Dave Mattacks)
7. "Tam Lin" (Traditional, arranged by Dave Swarbrick)
8. "Crazy Man Michael" (Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick)
9. "Sir Patrick Spens" * (Traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny/Dave Swarbrick/Richard Thompson/Simon Nicol/Ashley Hutchings/Dave Mattacks)
10. "The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" (Take 1) * (words by Richard Fariña; traditional music arranged by Sandy Denny/Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick/Dave Mattacks)

* not on the original album, but are on the "remastered" album as bonus tracks.

"Sir Patrick Spens" and "The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" were previously unreleased. ("The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood" is an alternate take from the one used on the Sandy Denny—Who Knows Where The Time Goes? box set. "Sir Patrick Spens" is sung by Sandy Denny, unlike the later version that appears on Full House.)

[edit] Production

• Produced by Joe Boyd for Witchseason Productions Ltd. with special thanks to the English Folk Dance & Song Society Library at Cecil Sharp House
• Recorded at Sound Techniques Ltd., London
• Engineered by John Wood

[edit] Personnel

• Sandy Denny - vocals
• Dave Swarbrick - fiddle, viola
• Richard Thompson - electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Simon Nicol - electric, 6-string & 12-string acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Ashley Hutchings - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Dave Mattacks - drums, percussion