What a fantastic collection! I only recently heard the band for the first time after finding a compilation in my dad's record collection - it's only a double LP that was release during the band's height and early period, but I love what was presented and I would love to check out more from the band
Hi Phil - WOW, that is amazing. I am a massive Fairports fan going way back to the late 60's with their first album, and "What We Did On Our Holidays". Unhalfbricking was my entrance point. I would certainly buy this if I had the money. I do have three Sandy Denny box sets, which are absolutely brilliant. I may come across other Fairport Box Sets in my day to day wanderings, you just never know lolol. Saw them in the UK 1970 / 71, and out here in Australia many years ago, Great both times - at the intermission the band came out to the tea room and chatted with the fans, I met Simon Nicol briefly - a real thrill to meet one of your idols. How about a box set 1967 - 1982 that would be something. Thanks for showcasing this amazing band. Cheers Doug
If I had the money I'd purchase this...I originally purchased the 8t2 and The boots cassettes and those sets when they were released as CD's. It is those live recordings which I am most fond of because they take me back to the first Cropredy reunions which I attended (in addition to later ones when they reformed circa 1985 was it). Lovely review Phil of one of my favourite bands.
I was at Cropredy at the weekend. The 1984 performance runs too fast - the producers of the set are looking to get this replaced. There is a fault on disc 9 too - I think - somehow the end of one track plays over the middle of the same song. I'm not sure what's happening there. It is a fine set though. There's a version of Sloth on it that is epic.
Oh boy, every time I think I have a decent sized collection of FC`s material and need no more (except for new studio albums)something else always comes along and this release looks exceptional! Really like the large gold FC logo on the first page of the book. Very nice. The signed print is a nice touch and as you say Phil the 70`s stuff is gold dust to a fan. Great video 👍
The poster is signed by the four surviving members of the Full House lineup-Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks and Richard Thompson…not the surviving members of the band!
Hallo Phil, this box set looks great ! my favourite period is their earlier years of the Island label, in my opinion their best ! I can't agree with the price, for example compared with the Humble Pie - The A&M CD Box Set 1970-1975 (Ltd.8CD) box set, also ltd. and with a book, only 4 disc less, which was around half this price ! when it was released, o.k.. It certainly depends on the number of editions, we can afford it but there are some music lovers whom this price might hurt, especially in these times ! although I'd rather wait for an Island Years box, kind regards from Berlin😊
Hi Jogi, This is 11CD and DVD and a 60 page hard back book, 57 unreleased tracks, 100 mins of restored and rare video footage going back to the early 70s and a signed program by all the surviving members. I feel the £130 price tag is justified this time. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Phil
Despite the two audio flaws mentioned above, this is still a superb set. Very good value for the money. The replica programme front signed by the surviving’Full House’ band line-up is a nice touch. I agree though. This is worth it just for the DVD, which is absolute gold. Nice one, Phil!
Mmmm. Nice. I used to work on the production team at Fairport Convention for a number of years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I have great memories of those days. Meeting Robert Plant at the bar and offering to buy him a pint, working with Joe Brown and getting told to f#£% off by Sam Brown. But it was the sheer pleasure of being immersed in Fairport's music year after year that sticks out.
Sam told you a naughty word ? My Sammy ? After that guest spot in 91, Joe did a great full set and Sam guested with FC. He did another set a few years later with Dave Edmunds. Joe lives in Cropredy now, and I've seen him wandering around the crowd. Planty is often there too. All the surviving members of Zep have been there...Jimmy hasn't performed, but was with Robert dancing to Rolf Harris' version of Stairway, and Jonesy played bass for Seasick Steve. One year we had, by coincidence, two Timelords in the crowd. Sylvester McCoy, and Lalla Ward. I love that place.
I have to admit I am a bit bewildered and puzzled with this presentation Phil as to where all the discs are? As far as I could make out there were 4CD's in the front of the book and nothing in the back and if there was surely they could only fit another 4 discs there.
Hi Phil, I've noticed something quite strange about the live set played at Cropedy in August 1987 on disc 8 in this boxset. I am not saying it's not accurate but it does not tie in with the live concert I brought on VHS in this same year entitled Reel To Reel which was their 20th Anniversary concert. I remember having a conversation with Simon Nichol via a few emails I posted to him a couple of years later because I was disappointed with the new reissue of Babbacombe Lee which I brought because it had a recording of "Farewell To A Poorman's Son" which was a song I loved and was left off the album. How I originally heard it in the first place was by watching the band play the album live in a documentary that was broadcast on TV back in the 70's on BBC 2's series entitled Full House. I even taped the whole documentary on a mono portable cassette deck and would often play it back just for that song and the version that was put on that reissue of Babbacombe Lee sounded just as poor as my recording in mono on cassette. Simon did explain that the band had nothing to do with the reissue of the album and it was down to the record company. However, it was during this conversation via email that I mentioned to him how I loved the live Cropedy concert entitled Reel To Reel that was released on VHS and he had no recollection that the show had been filmed or such a concert existed or had been released on VHS. The concert was filmed and distributed by Island Visual Arts and although the lineup is near enough the same the setlist is entirely different. The band lineup on the VHS video is Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, Martin Allcock and Ric Sanders who were the Fairport lineup at that time. But it also features guest appearances from Dave Swarbrick, Richard Thomson, Jerry Donahue and June Tabor. The Lineup on CD 8 in this boxset is more or less the same and also includes other artists who were not part of the band playing at the festival such as Ian Anderson, Martin Barre and so on. But getting to the point there is no mention of Dave Swarbrick being in the lineup in which he played on a couple of the performances which were very much some of the great highlights from the show such as the version "Fiddlestix" where both Swarb and Saunders dueted on their violins together and totally knocked it out the ballpark. The other performance by Swarb at that show was of his playing and singing "Rosie". The setlists are more or less the same to a degree only it has been edited down for the VHS release of Reel To Reel which is only an hour long. The setlist for that release is as follows: 01. Lark In The Morning. 02. The Hens March Through The Midden / The Four Poster Bed. 03. Rosie. 04. Hand Of Kindness. 05. Cat On The Mixer / Three Left Feet. 06. A Sailor's Life. 07. Fiddlestix. 08. The Hiring Fair. 09. Matty Groves. 10. The Rutland Reel / Sack The Juggler. 11. Meet On The Ledge. The setlist on CD 8 in this boxset is as follows: 01. The Gas Almost Works/The Cat on the Mixer/Three Left Feet. 02. John Barleycorn. 03. The Hiring Fair. 04. Bridge of Sighs. 05. John the Gun. 06. The Lark in the Morning. 07. Tomorrow Is a Long Time. 08. For Shame of Doing Wrong. 09. Hand of Kindness. 10.. Saturday Rolling Around. 11. Rosie. 12. Serenade to a Cuckoo. 13. Matty Groves/The Rutland Reel/Sack the Juggler. When comparing the setlists the notable difference here on the CD in this boxset is that there is no "Fiddlestix" or "A Sailor's Life" and the biggest missing factor is Dave Swarbrick. My introduction to Fairport Convention came from the double album compilation release of The History Of Fairport Convention back in 1972, In the 70's I saw the band play live on numerous occasions and with Sandy Denny. They actually played once in the Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham where my mother used to take me as a child to watch the wrestling. I remember having a chat with some of the members of the band who were enjoying a pint in the bar before the gig. I followed the band throughout the 70's and no matter what lineups they have had over the years they have always produced the goods no doubt about it. The question is will I be buying this boxest? The answer is a resounding NO! Mostly down to the price point and the way it's been packaged. For example, when I mentioned I only saw 4 CD's in the front of the book it does give me the presumption or impression that all 11 CD's and 2 DVD's have been piled on top of one another in the front of the book and this way of doing things in this manner puts me in mind of the Groundhogs debut album Scratching The Surface if you catch my drift.
I haven't had a chance to digest all of this reply but I can quickly say the other discs are held in the back cover like the front. So each CD has its own place holder. NO discs on on top of each other. Personally for a hardback book of this size, with a personally signed print and 11CDs / 2DVDs for £130 that is an excellent price point. It is very limited so if it is not for you that oks. Madfish are exceptional at this type of set.
What a fantastic collection! I only recently heard the band for the first time after finding a compilation in my dad's record collection - it's only a double LP that was release during the band's height and early period, but I love what was presented and I would love to check out more from the band
Hi Phil - WOW, that is amazing. I am a massive Fairports fan going way back to the late 60's with their first album, and "What We Did On Our Holidays". Unhalfbricking was my entrance point. I would certainly buy this if I had the money. I do have three Sandy Denny box sets, which are absolutely brilliant. I may come across other Fairport Box Sets in my day to day wanderings, you just never know lolol. Saw them in the UK 1970 / 71, and out here in Australia many years ago, Great both times - at the intermission the band came out to the tea room and chatted with the fans, I met Simon Nicol briefly - a real thrill to meet one of your idols. How about a box set 1967 - 1982 that would be something. Thanks for showcasing this amazing band. Cheers Doug
Thank you for watching - Phil
If I had the money I'd purchase this...I originally purchased the 8t2 and The boots cassettes and those sets when they were released as CD's. It is those live recordings which I am most fond of because they take me back to the first Cropredy reunions which I attended (in addition to later ones when they reformed circa 1985 was it). Lovely review Phil of one of my favourite bands.
I've been a fan of Fairport Convention for awhile and this is
a great review thanks Phil.🎶🎤🎸🎹🥁🎶
I was at Cropredy at the weekend. The 1984 performance runs too fast - the producers of the set are looking to get this replaced. There is a fault on disc 9 too - I think - somehow the end of one track plays over the middle of the same song. I'm not sure what's happening there. It is a fine set though. There's a version of Sloth on it that is epic.
good night-Super, really stunning masterpiece-be well~ Now-)
Oh boy, every time I think I have a decent sized collection of FC`s material and need no more (except for new studio albums)something else always comes along and this release looks exceptional! Really like the large gold FC logo on the first page of the book. Very nice. The signed print is a nice touch and as you say Phil the 70`s stuff is gold dust to a fan. Great video 👍
Thanks for sharing. I haven't seen that one in our local stores yet (I live in Eastern Canada)
The poster is signed by the four surviving members of the Full House lineup-Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks and Richard Thompson…not the surviving members of the band!
Hi Robert, thank you for correcting me - Phil
Hallo Phil, this box set looks great ! my favourite period is their earlier years of the Island label, in my opinion their best ! I can't agree with the price, for example compared with the Humble Pie - The A&M CD Box Set 1970-1975 (Ltd.8CD) box set, also ltd. and with a book, only 4 disc less, which was around half this price ! when it was released, o.k.. It certainly depends on the number of editions, we can afford it but there are some music lovers whom this price might hurt, especially in these times ! although I'd rather wait for an Island Years box, kind regards from Berlin😊
Hi Jogi, This is 11CD and DVD and a 60 page hard back book, 57 unreleased tracks, 100 mins of restored and rare video footage going back to the early 70s and a signed program by all the surviving members. I feel the £130 price tag is justified this time. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Phil
Despite the two audio flaws mentioned above, this is still a superb set. Very good value for the money. The replica programme front signed by the surviving’Full House’ band line-up is a nice touch.
I agree though. This is worth it just for the DVD, which is absolute gold. Nice one, Phil!
Mmmm. Nice. I used to work on the production team at Fairport Convention for a number of years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I have great memories of those days. Meeting Robert Plant at the bar and offering to buy him a pint, working with Joe Brown and getting told to f#£% off by Sam Brown. But it was the sheer pleasure of being immersed in Fairport's music year after year that sticks out.
Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories - Phil
Sam told you a naughty word ? My Sammy ? After that guest spot in 91, Joe did a great full set and Sam guested with FC. He did another set a few years later with Dave Edmunds. Joe lives in Cropredy now, and I've seen him wandering around the crowd. Planty is often there too. All the surviving members of Zep have been there...Jimmy hasn't performed, but was with Robert dancing to Rolf Harris' version of Stairway, and Jonesy played bass for Seasick Steve. One year we had, by coincidence, two Timelords in the crowd. Sylvester McCoy, and Lalla Ward. I love that place.
Was she serious or was it a jokey eff off?
I've told most of my mates that I'm not going to buy this and then I watch this video 😂
Ooops !
As you say Phil, the Madfish boxes are superb. Let's see how long I can hold off 😄
I have to admit I am a bit bewildered and puzzled with this presentation Phil as to where all the discs are? As far as I could make out there were 4CD's in the front of the book and nothing in the back and if there was surely they could only fit another 4 discs there.
The back of the book opens out like a gatefold - there's another four discs either side.
Hi Phil, I've noticed something quite strange about the live set played at Cropedy in August 1987 on disc 8 in this boxset. I am not saying it's not accurate but it does not tie in with the live concert I brought on VHS in this same year entitled Reel To Reel which was their 20th Anniversary concert. I remember having a conversation with Simon Nichol via a few emails I posted to him a couple of years later because I was disappointed with the new reissue of Babbacombe Lee which I brought because it had a recording of "Farewell To A Poorman's Son" which was a song I loved and was left off the album.
How I originally heard it in the first place was by watching the band play the album live in a documentary that was broadcast on TV back in the 70's on BBC 2's series entitled Full House. I even taped the whole documentary on a mono portable cassette deck and would often play it back just for that song and the version that was put on that reissue of Babbacombe Lee sounded just as poor as my recording in mono on cassette. Simon did explain that the band had nothing to do with the reissue of the album and it was down to the record company.
However, it was during this conversation via email that I mentioned to him how I loved the live Cropedy concert entitled Reel To Reel that was released on VHS and he had no recollection that the show had been filmed or such a concert existed or had been released on VHS. The concert was filmed and distributed by Island Visual Arts and although the lineup is near enough the same the setlist is entirely different.
The band lineup on the VHS video is Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, Martin Allcock and Ric Sanders who were the Fairport lineup at that time. But it also features guest appearances from Dave Swarbrick, Richard Thomson, Jerry Donahue and June Tabor.
The Lineup on CD 8 in this boxset is more or less the same and also includes other artists who were not part of the band playing at the festival such as Ian Anderson, Martin Barre and so on. But getting to the point there is no mention of Dave Swarbrick being in the lineup in which he played on a couple of the performances which were very much some of the great highlights from the show such as the version "Fiddlestix" where both Swarb and Saunders dueted on their violins together and totally knocked it out the ballpark. The other performance by Swarb at that show was of his playing and singing "Rosie".
The setlists are more or less the same to a degree only it has been edited down for the VHS release of Reel To Reel which is only an hour long. The setlist for that release is as follows:
01. Lark In The Morning.
02. The Hens March Through The Midden / The Four Poster Bed.
03. Rosie.
04. Hand Of Kindness.
05. Cat On The Mixer / Three Left Feet.
06. A Sailor's Life.
07. Fiddlestix.
08. The Hiring Fair.
09. Matty Groves.
10. The Rutland Reel / Sack The Juggler.
11. Meet On The Ledge.
The setlist on CD 8 in this boxset is as follows:
01. The Gas Almost Works/The Cat on the Mixer/Three Left Feet.
02. John Barleycorn.
03. The Hiring Fair.
04. Bridge of Sighs.
05. John the Gun.
06. The Lark in the Morning.
07. Tomorrow Is a Long Time.
08. For Shame of Doing Wrong.
09. Hand of Kindness.
10.. Saturday Rolling Around.
11. Rosie.
12. Serenade to a Cuckoo.
13. Matty Groves/The Rutland Reel/Sack the Juggler.
When comparing the setlists the notable difference here on the CD in this boxset is that there is no "Fiddlestix" or "A Sailor's Life" and the biggest missing factor is Dave Swarbrick.
My introduction to Fairport Convention came from the double album compilation release of The History Of Fairport Convention back in 1972, In the 70's I saw the band play live on numerous occasions and with Sandy Denny. They actually played once in the Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham where my mother used to take me as a child to watch the wrestling. I remember having a chat with some of the members of the band who were enjoying a pint in the bar before the gig. I followed the band throughout the 70's and no matter what lineups they have had over the years they have always produced the goods no doubt about it.
The question is will I be buying this boxest? The answer is a resounding NO! Mostly down to the price point and the way it's been packaged. For example, when I mentioned I only saw 4 CD's in the front of the book it does give me the presumption or impression that all 11 CD's and 2 DVD's have been piled on top of one another in the front of the book and this way of doing things in this manner puts me in mind of the Groundhogs debut album Scratching The Surface if you catch my drift.
I haven't had a chance to digest all of this reply but I can quickly say the other discs are held in the back cover like the front. So each CD has its own place holder. NO discs on on top of each other. Personally for a hardback book of this size, with a personally signed print and 11CDs / 2DVDs for £130 that is an excellent price point. It is very limited so if it is not for you that oks. Madfish are exceptional at this type of set.
@@LeeLucasA Sailor’s Life isn’t included because June Tabor was apparently not happy with her performance. Not sure about Fiddlestix.