TIPPLERS TALES
Fairport Convention
•Prog Related
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3.03
| 23 ratings | 3 reviews | 13% 5 stars
|
Studio Album, released in 1978 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Bottom Of The Bunch Bowl/ East Nuke Of Fyfe/ Ye Mariners All (4:22) - Dave Swarbrick / vocals, violin, mandolin, mandocello
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION Tipplers Tales ratings distribution
(23 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(13%)Excellent addition to any rock music collection(13%)Good, but non-essential (52%)Collectors/fans only (13%)Poor. Only for completionists (9%)
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Tipplers Tales reviews
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Collaborators/Experts Reviews
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
"Tipplers' tales" was Fairport's second and final album for Vertigo records, the label deciding as a result of poor sales to buy out the remainder of the contract the band had with them. Now consisting of the quartet of Simon Nicol, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland, the band was undoubtedly in decline and unsure of their future. Dave Swarbrick's growing hearing problems and the increasingly itchy feet of the band members generally meant that this would be Fairport's last album for some seven years.
This is not to say this is a poor album, or indeed that the recordings were not a happy time. By all accounts, the members thoroughly enjoyed making this album, the theme of which is loosely based around drinking. The problem was simply that this was the wrong album for the times.
Many of the tracks here are, as has become the norm, traditional pieces arranged by Fairport. We delve straight into such a number with the opening medley of two jigs and reels which introduce "Ye mariners all". The resulting three part suite is also given the umbrella title "Ye mariners all". Swarb provides the vocals here, his fine tones being heard all to rarely on Fairport albums. "Three drunken maidens" is a subtle adjustment to the traditional song title of "Four drunken maidens", the change being rumoured to dispel any confusion with the band members! This short folk song keeps things simple but amusing.
At over 11 minutes, "Jack O'Rion" is one of the band's longest tracks. It is though a medley of six traditional songs and tunes. To that extent, it has a passing similarity to "Matty Groves", "Jack O'Rion" telling a lengthy tale, followed by an instrumental passage.
The remainder of the songs are rather lightweight short pieces of lesser consequence. We have a three brief Dave Pegg compositions (one with Bruce Rowland), and a couple more traditional songs. "Lady of pleasure" is the only non-band composed song being a risqu� Allan Taylor number written in a traditional style. The songs will appeal to Fairport traditionalists though, being well steeped in folk.
The final track is Fairport's take on the well known traditional folk song "John Barleycorn", a song about beer which has also been used by Traffic as the title track to an album, and has been covered by Steeleye Span among many others. Fairport's version lies somewhere between the dirge like version of Traffic and the upbeat jig of Steeleye Span, while emphasising the folk elements of the song.
In all, an album on which Fairport emphasise their folk leanings strongly. While it is probably only of any real interest to the Fairport faithful, the quality of the music and of the performances should not be understated.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team
Thankfully the awful American/Country influences of albums like Nine and Rising For The Moon are completely absent here. The instrumental attack is great with a plethora of acoustic and electric stringed instruments as well as keyboards and drums. Songs like Jack Orion and John Barleycorn has been heard before by other bands, but these versions are worth while. Some standouts are The Hair Of The Dogma which is very similar to the style of The Dixie Dregs! The track Tokyo from the album Nine is in the same style. This is followed by the short As Bitme which starts with just percussion for about a minute - a bit of avant-garde there, at least in Fairport's terms. Bankrupted is a fun, almost jazzy, Steve Howe like acoustic guitar piece. Could just as well be Steve Morse.
If you like Full House you will like this album too. Tipplers Tales is clearly a Prog related album that is in my top five Fairport Convention albums.
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