What We Did on Our Holidays
What We Did on Our Holidays
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Their second album captures Fairport Convention poised between the more embryonic, American-influenced rock of their debut and the more pronounced British folk-rock that would follow. Newly arrived vocalist Sandy Denny contributes her haunting songs and indelibly husky voice, Ian (later Iain) Matthews lofts his angelic tenor into the mix, and the set list is the most diverse they would ever offer, stacking solid covers of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan beside traditional English songs and stirring originals from Denny, Matthews, Richard Thompson, and Ashley Hutchings. As such, Holidays works both on its own terms and as a position paper on Fairport's emerging ambition to find a distinctive accent for their alternately hearty, witty, and somber music. --Sam Sutherland
Product Description
Remastered reissue of classic second album, originally released in 1969, includes three bonus tracks, 'Throwaway Street Puzzle', 'You're Gonna Need My Help' (BBC), 'Some Sweet Day', & a slipcase with the first pressing. Includes sleevenotes by co-founder Ashley Hutchings. 15 tracks. Universal Island. 2003.
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
What We Did on Our Holidays,Fairport Convention,Hannibal,Folk & Traditional,Pop
Average customer rating:
- First Album with Sandy Denny.
- My personal favorite
- stepping stone to greatness
- Pretty good but not as good as the later ones
- Not a very good album... sorry.
|
What We Did on Our Holidays
Fairport Convention
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
 British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
General
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Folk Rock
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Folk
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Rock
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Unhalfbricking
- Liege & Lief
- Fairport Convention
- Full House
- Fotheringay
ASIN: B00007J36W
Release Date: 2003-03-10 |
Tracks:
- You're Gonna Need My Help
- Some Sweet Day
Amazon.com essential recording
Their second album captures Fairport Convention poised between the more embryonic, American-influenced rock of their debut and the more pronounced British folk-rock that would follow. Newly arrived vocalist Sandy Denny contributes her haunting songs and indelibly husky voice, Ian (later Iain) Matthews lofts his angelic tenor into the mix, and the set list is the most diverse they would ever offer, stacking solid covers of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan beside traditional English songs and stirring originals from Denny, Matthews, Richard Thompson, and Ashley Hutchings. As such, Holidays works both on its own terms and as a position paper on Fairport's emerging ambition to find a distinctive accent for their alternately hearty, witty, and somber music. --Sam Sutherland
Album Description
Remastered reissue of classic second album, originally released in 1969, includes three bonus tracks, 'Throwaway Street Puzzle', 'You're Gonna Need My Help' (BBC), 'Some Sweet Day', & a slipcase with the first pressing. Includes sleevenotes by co-founder Ashley Hutchings. 15 tracks. Universal Island. 2003.
Album Details
Digitally Remastered Edition of the Second Fairport Convention LP and the First to Include the Presence of Sandy Denny was Recorded in 1968. It Showcases a Young Group Taking Pleasure in Singing and Playing Whatever Took Its' Collective Fancy, and Doing this with Surprising Sensitivity, Authority and Musicality. Also Evident is the Trademark Unpredictability and Wacky Sense of Fun which Marked their Live Concerts . Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry, Make 'em Puzzled; That was Early Fairport. Includes Three Bonus Tracks. "Throwaway Street Puzzle" was Released as the B-side of the "Meet on the Ledge" Single. "You're Gonna Need My HELP" is a Rare BBC Radio Recording from 1969 and features a Virtuoso Slide-guitar Performance by Richard Thompson. "Some Sweet Day" was Originally Recorded to Be Released as a Single but was Shelved in Favour of "Meet on the Ledge".
Customer Reviews:
First Album with Sandy Denny........2007-07-01
"What We Did in Our Holidays" was the first album to feature Sandy Denny and in fact the last released with Ian Matthews as lead singer. As was the case with their 1968 debut album this album is a great mixture of various styles and inspirations.
The band would later become a legend in British folk-rock, and there are clear signs what direction the band might want to pursue on this album. Songs like "Nottamun Town" and "She Moves Through the Fair" would not have been totally out of place on their folk-rock classic "Liege and Lief". There is also a lot of folk-feeling in Denny's beautiful "Fotheringay".
Bob Dylan was obviously a great inspiration for the band, and they recorded several of his songs for their early albums. Here it is his obscure song "I'll Keep it With Mine" and you maybe you could also count in "Nottamun Town", which has the same melody as "Masters of War".
Richard Thompson wrote some really great songs for the album among which "Meet on the Ledge" has become a classic. At this point Thompson's songwriting was more pop/rock than folk.
Bassist Ashley Hutchings wrote the rock'n roller "Mr Lacey" and the other guitarist Simon Nicol contributed the fine acoustic instrumental "End of a Holiday", which closed off the original album.
The three bonus tracks are interesting, but none of them would have fitted very well into the album. The B-side "Throwaway Street Puzzle" has been a collector's item for years, and a track that many fans have been eager to hear. It's a Thompson/Hutchings blues rocker written and played much in the same vein as Dylan's "Down in the Flood" or "Wathcing the River Flow".
Great album, but not quite a five stars release.
My personal favorite.......2006-08-05
This is the first Fairport Convention album I ever heard, and if that colors my judgement, so be it. Having BOTH Sandy Denny and Ian Matthews on vocals is what moves this up a notch from "Unhalfbricking" (but that one's essential too)to my ears. The Dylan cover "I'll Keep It With Mine" may be the best thing they ever recorded--not only those wonderful harmonies, but Richard Thompson's entirely sympathetic lead guitar, especially on the fadeout; just sublime. Follow that with the Joni Mitchell cover "Eastern Rain" which gives you an idea as to just what they lost when drummer Martin Lamble died. Sandy Denny's opener "Fotheringay" would have fit in with Liege and Lief, yet is perfect here. Richard Thompson's early compositions "No Man's Land"(very underrated), "Tale In Hard Time", and "Meet On The Ledge" sound as great as anything he's ever done. And Ian Matthew's own "Book Song", adds a gentle dimension to the overall sound that was sadly never to be repeated. The only cut that doesn't fit is Ashley Hutchings' "Mr. Lacey", and it's still amusing and fun. There are two traditional ballads, a spooky chant, and a nice instrumental that closes the original album. In short, a variety of styles that form a whole greater than the sum of the parts. What might have been.
stepping stone to greatness.......2005-04-28
This is the second Fairport album, released in late 1968 but the first to feature who is today generally considered the finest folk singer bar none - Sandy Denny. They are stil a young band searching for an identity here but the 40 minites captured here show scope and maturity that many band would never achieve.
With Denny giving the vocals a clarity the songs richly deserved, songwriter and guitarist was able to find the confidence to introduce 2 of his early classics to the listening public. "Meet on the ledge" retains its power to this day.The album closed originally with the wistful "farewell, farewell" but this reissue (which sounds great by the way) adds 3 bonus cuts. To be fair the only real one of interest is the original B side "throwaway street puzzle. Not a great album but a bonafide classic, lets make it 4.5 stars, just for opening with Sandys beautiful "Fotheringay" Anyone thinking of looking into Fairport Convention would do well to begin their search here.
Phil
Cambridge
ON
Pretty good but not as good as the later ones.......2005-04-22
Bonus Tracks
Throwaway Street Puzzle: Sounds like an outtake from Surrealistic Pillow. You can understand where that "English Jefferson Airplane" rep came from. Richard Thompson gets psychedelic.
You're Gonna Need My Help: A Muddy Waters blues, of all things, recorded live at the Beeb. Ian Matthews sounds a little uncomfortable pretending to be black, but Sandy Denny sounds as at home as Janis did belting out lines like "I know you're gonna put me down." Nice slide guitar work by Richard Thompson.
Some Sweet Day: A tune by Country Music Hall of Famers Felice and Boudleaux Bryant that the band learned from an old Everly Brothers record. Ian Matthews sings lead with a little harmony by the group on the chorus. More Richard Thompson slide guitar.
Remaster: Cleaner, but not a revelation or anything, at least not on my inexpensive sound system. The individual instruments are more distinct in the ensemble passages.
The record: Seems a bit schizophrenic to me. Sometimes the band goes for a smooth, sunny "California Dreamin'"-type sound (Book Song, No Man's Land, Tale in Hard Times) and other times for a somewhat rootsier, folkier sound (Fotheringay, The Lord is In This Place, Nottamun Town, She Moved Through the Fair), which of course is the direction they ultimately took. Problem is Thompson's songs don't really lend themselves very well to a light touch. There's something really weird about backing a lyric like "Take the sun from my eyes/let me learn to despise" with a cute harpicord obligatto (Tale in Hard Times). Or having a hand-clappin' Partridge Family chorus like "Hey, c'mon make it easy/Hey, c'mon make it right") with a verse like "It's no use to be free/If lies are all the truth they seem/They'll screw up what you do when you're through". Still, it's pretty good. Perhaps definitive cover of Dylan's I'll Keep It With Mine, and only version anywhere of Joni Mitchell's Eastern Rain (gently psychedelic). Thompson proves he can play the blues on Mr. Lacey, even if it's a dumb song. And Meet On the Ledge is nicely anthemic. And She Moved Through the Fair is as haunting as anything Fairport ever did. Still it's no Unhalfbricking, let alone Liege and Lief.
Not a very good album... sorry........2005-04-15
If you are a Die Hard Fairport fan then you probabily already own this album. At this stage in this groups evolution, they are unsure in what direction they want to go, pulling in three different musical directions. Not the excellence of Leige & Lief to later follow. Tho, Dennys voice is strong in 'Fotheringay' & 'Nottamun town' and a very good rendition of Bob Dylans 'I'll keep it with mine' is still not good enough to pull is album out of the dumpster, and for $20 + bucks one would expect more..... Sorry.
Average customer rating:
- First Album with Sandy Denny.
- My personal favorite
- stepping stone to greatness
- Pretty good but not as good as the later ones
- Not a very good album... sorry.
|
What We Did on Our Holidays
Fairport Convention
Manufacturer: Hannibal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
General
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Folk Rock
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Hannibal Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
General
| Folk
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Folk Rock
| Folk
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Unhalfbricking
- Liege & Lief
- Fairport Convention
- Full House
- Fotheringay
ASIN: B00000064C
Release Date: 1991-07-01 |
Tracks:
- Fotheringay
- Mr. Lacey
- Book Song
- 'The Lord Is In This Place...How Dreadful Is This Place
- No Man's Land
- I'll Keep It With Mine
- Eastern Rain
- Nottamun Town
- Tale In A Hard Time
- She Moves Through The Fair
- Meet On The Ledge
- End Of A Holiday
Amazon.com essential recording
Their second album captures Fairport Convention poised between the more embryonic, American-influenced rock of their debut and the more pronounced British folk-rock that would follow. Newly arrived vocalist Sandy Denny contributes her haunting songs and indelibly husky voice, Ian (later Iain) Matthews lofts his angelic tenor into the mix, and the set list is the most diverse they would ever offer, stacking solid covers of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan beside traditional English songs and stirring originals from Denny, Matthews, Richard Thompson, and Ashley Hutchings. As such, Holidays works both on its own terms and as a position paper on Fairport's emerging ambition to find a distinctive accent for their alternately hearty, witty, and somber music. --Sam Sutherland
Album Description
Remastered reissue of classic second album, originally released in 1969, includes three bonus tracks, 'Throwaway Street Puzzle', 'You're Gonna Need My Help' (BBC), 'Some Sweet Day', & a slipcase with the first pressing. Includes sleevenotes by co-founder Ashley Hutchings. 15 tracks. Universal Island. 2003.
Album Details
Digitally Remastered Edition of the Second Fairport Convention LP and the First to Include the Presence of Sandy Denny was Recorded in 1968. It Showcases a Young Group Taking Pleasure in Singing and Playing Whatever Took Its' Collective Fancy, and Doing this with Surprising Sensitivity, Authority and Musicality. Also Evident is the Trademark Unpredictability and Wacky Sense of Fun which Marked their Live Concerts . Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry, Make 'em Puzzled; That was Early Fairport. Includes Three Bonus Tracks. "Throwaway Street Puzzle" was Released as the B-side of the "Meet on the Ledge" Single. "You're Gonna Need My HELP" is a Rare BBC Radio Recording from 1969 and features a Virtuoso Slide-guitar Performance by Richard Thompson. "Some Sweet Day" was Originally Recorded to Be Released as a Single but was Shelved in Favour of "Meet on the Ledge".
Customer Reviews:
First Album with Sandy Denny........2007-07-01
"What We Did in Our Holidays" was the first album to feature Sandy Denny and in fact the last released with Ian Matthews as lead singer. As was the case with their 1968 debut album this album is a great mixture of various styles and inspirations.
The band would later become a legend in British folk-rock, and there are clear signs what direction the band might want to pursue on this album. Songs like "Nottamun Town" and "She Moves Through the Fair" would not have been totally out of place on their folk-rock classic "Liege and Lief". There is also a lot of folk-feeling in Denny's beautiful "Fotheringay".
Bob Dylan was obviously a great inspiration for the band, and they recorded several of his songs for their early albums. Here it is his obscure song "I'll Keep it With Mine" and you maybe you could also count in "Nottamun Town", which has the same melody as "Masters of War".
Richard Thompson wrote some really great songs for the album among which "Meet on the Ledge" has become a classic. At this point Thompson's songwriting was more pop/rock than folk.
Bassist Ashley Hutchings wrote the rock'n roller "Mr Lacey" and the other guitarist Simon Nicol contributed the fine acoustic instrumental "End of a Holiday", which closed off the original album.
The three bonus tracks are interesting, but none of them would have fitted very well into the album. The B-side "Throwaway Street Puzzle" has been a collector's item for years, and a track that many fans have been eager to hear. It's a Thompson/Hutchings blues rocker written and played much in the same vein as Dylan's "Down in the Flood" or "Wathcing the River Flow".
Great album, but not quite a five stars release.
My personal favorite.......2006-08-05
This is the first Fairport Convention album I ever heard, and if that colors my judgement, so be it. Having BOTH Sandy Denny and Ian Matthews on vocals is what moves this up a notch from "Unhalfbricking" (but that one's essential too)to my ears. The Dylan cover "I'll Keep It With Mine" may be the best thing they ever recorded--not only those wonderful harmonies, but Richard Thompson's entirely sympathetic lead guitar, especially on the fadeout; just sublime. Follow that with the Joni Mitchell cover "Eastern Rain" which gives you an idea as to just what they lost when drummer Martin Lamble died. Sandy Denny's opener "Fotheringay" would have fit in with Liege and Lief, yet is perfect here. Richard Thompson's early compositions "No Man's Land"(very underrated), "Tale In Hard Time", and "Meet On The Ledge" sound as great as anything he's ever done. And Ian Matthew's own "Book Song", adds a gentle dimension to the overall sound that was sadly never to be repeated. The only cut that doesn't fit is Ashley Hutchings' "Mr. Lacey", and it's still amusing and fun. There are two traditional ballads, a spooky chant, and a nice instrumental that closes the original album. In short, a variety of styles that form a whole greater than the sum of the parts. What might have been.
stepping stone to greatness.......2005-04-28
This is the second Fairport album, released in late 1968 but the first to feature who is today generally considered the finest folk singer bar none - Sandy Denny. They are stil a young band searching for an identity here but the 40 minites captured here show scope and maturity that many band would never achieve.
With Denny giving the vocals a clarity the songs richly deserved, songwriter and guitarist was able to find the confidence to introduce 2 of his early classics to the listening public. "Meet on the ledge" retains its power to this day.The album closed originally with the wistful "farewell, farewell" but this reissue (which sounds great by the way) adds 3 bonus cuts. To be fair the only real one of interest is the original B side "throwaway street puzzle. Not a great album but a bonafide classic, lets make it 4.5 stars, just for opening with Sandys beautiful "Fotheringay" Anyone thinking of looking into Fairport Convention would do well to begin their search here.
Phil
Cambridge
ON
Pretty good but not as good as the later ones.......2005-04-22
Bonus Tracks
Throwaway Street Puzzle: Sounds like an outtake from Surrealistic Pillow. You can understand where that "English Jefferson Airplane" rep came from. Richard Thompson gets psychedelic.
You're Gonna Need My Help: A Muddy Waters blues, of all things, recorded live at the Beeb. Ian Matthews sounds a little uncomfortable pretending to be black, but Sandy Denny sounds as at home as Janis did belting out lines like "I know you're gonna put me down." Nice slide guitar work by Richard Thompson.
Some Sweet Day: A tune by Country Music Hall of Famers Felice and Boudleaux Bryant that the band learned from an old Everly Brothers record. Ian Matthews sings lead with a little harmony by the group on the chorus. More Richard Thompson slide guitar.
Remaster: Cleaner, but not a revelation or anything, at least not on my inexpensive sound system. The individual instruments are more distinct in the ensemble passages.
The record: Seems a bit schizophrenic to me. Sometimes the band goes for a smooth, sunny "California Dreamin'"-type sound (Book Song, No Man's Land, Tale in Hard Times) and other times for a somewhat rootsier, folkier sound (Fotheringay, The Lord is In This Place, Nottamun Town, She Moved Through the Fair), which of course is the direction they ultimately took. Problem is Thompson's songs don't really lend themselves very well to a light touch. There's something really weird about backing a lyric like "Take the sun from my eyes/let me learn to despise" with a cute harpicord obligatto (Tale in Hard Times). Or having a hand-clappin' Partridge Family chorus like "Hey, c'mon make it easy/Hey, c'mon make it right") with a verse like "It's no use to be free/If lies are all the truth they seem/They'll screw up what you do when you're through". Still, it's pretty good. Perhaps definitive cover of Dylan's I'll Keep It With Mine, and only version anywhere of Joni Mitchell's Eastern Rain (gently psychedelic). Thompson proves he can play the blues on Mr. Lacey, even if it's a dumb song. And Meet On the Ledge is nicely anthemic. And She Moved Through the Fair is as haunting as anything Fairport ever did. Still it's no Unhalfbricking, let alone Liege and Lief.
Not a very good album... sorry........2005-04-15
If you are a Die Hard Fairport fan then you probabily already own this album. At this stage in this groups evolution, they are unsure in what direction they want to go, pulling in three different musical directions. Not the excellence of Leige & Lief to later follow. Tho, Dennys voice is strong in 'Fotheringay' & 'Nottamun town' and a very good rendition of Bob Dylans 'I'll keep it with mine' is still not good enough to pull is album out of the dumpster, and for $20 + bucks one would expect more..... Sorry.
Average customer rating:
- Sandy Denny makes her debut with Fairport Convention
|
What We Did on Our Holidays
Fairport Convention
Manufacturer: Universal Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
General
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Folk Rock
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Folk
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Rock
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B0000CD82O
Release Date: 2004-01-06 |
Tracks:
- Fotheringay
- Mr. Lacey
- Book Song
- Lord Is in This Place, How Dreadful Is This Place?
- No Man's Land
- I'll Keep It with Mine
- Eastern Rain
- Nottamun Town
- Tale in Hard Time
- She Moves Through the Fair
- Meet on the Ledge
- End of a Holiday
- Throwaway Street Puzzle
- You're Gonna Need My Help
- Some Sweet Day
Album Description
Japanese remastered reissue of 1969 album is packaged in a miniature LP sleeve & features 15 tracks including 3 bonus tracks, 'Throwaway Street Puzzle', 'You're Gonna Need My Help' & 'Some Sweet Day'. Polydor. 2003.
Album Details
Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase. Includes Three Additional Tracks Not on the Original Release.
Customer Reviews:
Sandy Denny makes her debut with Fairport Convention.......2004-02-04
"What We Did on Our Holidays" was Fairport Convention's second album, but the first with Sandy Denny's ethereal vocals, which meant this was not the same group that had released their first, self-titled album the year before. This was more than evident with the first track on this 1969 album, "Fotheringay," one of Denny's earliest compositions (and a title that give to the group and album she made after leaving Fairport Convention). A gentle folk ballad, full of Celtic imagery, with Denny's vocals dancing around Richard Thompson's acoustic guitar playing, I think it is the best track on the album. The next cut, "Mr. Lacey," comes across like it was from a totally different album. There are several other excellent tracks on this album, Thompson's Meet on the Ledge," the traditional song "She Moves Through the Fair," and covers of rather obscure songs by both Joni Mitchell ("Eastern Rain") and Bob Dylan ("I'll Keep It With Mine"). This particular CD adds three bonus tracks recorded around that same period, which come from a BBC broadcast, a B-side of a single, and a studio outtake.
That same year Fairport Convention also released "Unhalfbricking" and "Liege and Lief," and the three albums defined the group's version of folk-rock, where they offered imaginative revivals of traditional folks songs using both acoustic and electric instrumentation, as well as original compositions. I think "What We Did on Our Holidays" is the weakest of the three albums because even though its best pieces are as good as anything on the other two, there are a couple of tracks that are less than satisfactory. Still, together these three albums from the Sandy Denny period establish the place that Fairport Convention has in the history of British folk-rock.
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