CD Review: Fairport Convention's Live In Finland 1971 (2016)

For those unfamiliar with this legendary band, Fairport Convention was one of the first wave of British folk-rock outfits that masterfully welded British folk tradition to an electric rock n’ roll framework. The early sound of the band, upon its formation in 1967, was built around the delightful guitars of Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol. Over the first four or five years of the band, and with classic albums like Unhalfbricking and Liege & Lief, Fairport Convention also featured talented vocalists like Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews.

That’s not the version of Fairport Convention that you’ll hear on Live In Finland 1971, but that’s not to say that’s necessarily a bad thing. Denny was long gone by the time of this August ’71 show, Thompson had just gone out the door, and Matthews had already launched his solo career (with help from his former bandmates) with 1969’s Matthews Southern Comfort album.

Touring in support of their overlooked and underappreciated Angel Delight album, this version of Fairport Convention – now comprised of bassist Dave Pegg, drummer Dave Mattacks, and fiery fiddle player Dave Swarbrick along with founding guitarist Nicol – raised a bit of a ruckus with a rowdy set that featured a couple of songs from Angel Delight (the traditional “Bridge Over the River Ash” and the original “The Journeyman’s Grace,” penned by Swarbrick and Thompson”) but otherwise relied heavily on traditional British folk tunes.

While the first couple of songs (the aforementioned Angel Delight tracks) are a wee bit wonky with the fiddleplay for my taste, there’s a fine instrumental balance on “Matty Grove” (from Liege & Leaf) and the lively “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament” is a spry, foot-shuffling medley and jig and reels guaranteed to get the blood flowing. The sound on Live In Finland 1971 is excellent, especially given the era in which it was recorded, and the performance showcases the solid talents of this latter-day Fairport Convention line-up. Grade: B (Real Gone Music, released June 3, 2016)

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Fairport Convention’s Live In Finland 1971

Real Gone releases Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Fairport Convention live albums

Due to a quirk in European copyright laws, there’s a steady stream these days of semi-legit CD releases featuring rare, live performances by legendary artists like Steve Miller, Warren Zevon, Randy California, and Country Joe & the Fish (and those are only those that I’ve recently acquired). Caught in some gray area between authorized releases and underground bootlegs, these loophole CDs typically use FM radio broadcasts and/or live-in-the-studio performances as their source, so the sound quality of these dodgy discs is frequently lo-fi, and there’s typically little in the way of liner notes, photos, or other perks expected by those fans who still buy compact discs.

As much as we hardcore collectors may appreciate these releases, you can’t really beat the quality of the albums you get from a dedicated archive label like Real Gone Music. On June 3rd, 2016 the label will release the often-bootlegged but never surpassed Got A Mind To Give Up Living – Live 1966 by the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The first legitimate release of this classic performance, Real Gone has done Got A Mind To Give Up Living – Live 1966 up right, including rare photos and band memorabilia as well as liner notes by Chris Morris including new quotes from band members Elvin Bishop and Mark Naftalin.

Got A Mind To Give Up Living – Live 1966 presents the earliest incarnation of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, featuring the band’s namesake on vocals and harmonica, and the incredible fretwork of guitarists Bishop and Michael Bloomfield. Recorded live in May 1966 at Boston’s Unicorn Coffee House, the band’s performance was two months before the release of their classic East-West album and features songs from that album, as well as tunes that would be recorded for subsequent albums, and a pair of previously-unreleased songs that were never recorded by the band. A significant historical find, Got A Mind To Give Up Living – Live 1966 is one that every blues fan is going to want to check out.

But Real Gone isn’t just rolling the Butterfield CD down the distribution highway and taking the rest of the month off, nosirree! Also on June 3rd, the label will be rescuing another gem from obscurity when they release Fairport Convention’s Live In Finland 1971on CD. Legitimizing another fan-fave bootleg, Live In Finland 1971 features the lesser-known – but no less talented – Fairport Convention line-up of guitarist Simon Nicol, bassist Dave Pegg, fiddler Dave Swarbrick, and drummer Dave Mattacks. This is the roster that recorded a pair of acclaimed but underrated studio albums in 1971’s Angel Delight and the conceptual “Babbacombe” Lee.

This post-Richard Thompson incarnation of the band shared vocals and, as displayed by Live In Finland 1971, they leaned harder toward the rock side of their trademark British folk-rock sound. Capturing the band performing in support of the U.K. Top 10 charting Angel Delight, Live In Finland 1971 features a set that includes fan favorites like “Sir Patrick Spens” and “Matty Groves” as well as rare tracks like “Mason’s Apron” and “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughters Lament.” The Real Gone Music release of Live In Finland 1971 includes liner notes by noted rock historian Richie Unterberger that feature quotes from band members Simon Nicol and Dave Pegg as well as rare photos and memorabilia from the band’s archive. Both the Butterfield and Fairport sets feature re-mastered sound courtesy of Mike Milchner at SonicVision…so you really can’t go wrong with Real Gone!  

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Got A Mind To Give Up Living – Live 1966 setlist:

1. Instrumental Intro
2. Look Over Yonders Wall
3. Born in Chicago
4. Love Her with a Feeling
5. Get Out of My Life, Woman
6. Never Say No
7. One More Heartache
8. Work Song
9. Coming Home Baby
10. Memory Pain
11. I Got a Mind to Give Up Living
12. Walking by Myself
13. Got My Mojo Working

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Paul Butterfield Blues Band's Got A Mind To Give Up Living

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Fairport Convention - Live In Finland 1971 setlist:

1. Bridge Over the River Ash
2. The Journeyman's Grace
3. Mason's Apron
4. Sir Patrick Spens
5. Matty Groves
6. Sir B. McKenzie's Daughter's Lament
7. Sir William Gower

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Fairport Convention's Live In Finland 1971