North Star Grassman And The Ravens, The [Remastered] - Sandy Denny > Reviews > North Star Grassman And The Ravens

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	The voice of an Angel ; Title track being one of the best folk rock songs
Disadvantages:	Some weak tracks ; Not on the same par as Fairport Convention or Fotheringay

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Sandy Denny was perhaps the key figurehead in the folk rock boom rising in post Beatle mania Britain, who had the charisma, enigma and the voice of an angel who made the mould in which many folk bands up to this day were born from. She had the most beautiful and emotional voice I've ever heard from folk and I personally hold Sandy in high esteem when I think of folk or folk rock basically because she played a key role in what was for me the greatest folk song ever: 'A Sailor's Life' by The Fairport Convention.

Sandy Denny was born on the 6th of January 1947 in Wimbledon, London. She was a bright light on the scene of the folk rock boom of 1964-1974. While Bob Dylan was making his way into history with his splendid rugged Woodie Guthrie image spawning as well as initiating a collection of fine acts in America: Paul Simon, Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, Gram Parsons to name a few, Britain i.e. The most traditionally folk country in the world due to it's marvellous Celtic roots had little to offer.

Sandy Denny's Scottish grandmother sung traditional folk songs which sparked an interest in Sandy to sing and play piano. After departing from school she left to start training as a nurse t the Royal Brompton Hospital but shortly after in 1965 joined the Kingston college of art where she joined and became heavily involved in the on campus folk club. Here she met fellow students John Renbourn and Eric Clapton, after singing at a show at Earl's court she was spotted by legends The Strawbs and offered to join the band, where she made one album before leaving to join the saviours of British folk The Fairport Convention.

Although her stay at the Fairport Convention was short lived, she produced some very fine material and the three albums she did with them including 'Unhalfbricking' and of course 'Liege and Leif' were phenomenal. Before the release of Liege and Leif she left to form her own band 'Fotheringay'. After one album Sandy Denny decided to embark on a bold voyage of discovery as a solo artist. 'North star grassman and the ravens' was astonishingly superb as a debut performance as far as Sandy's voice input was concerned. Although she went on to produce a fine backlog of solo albums I feel as if she worked much better within the confound of The Fairport Convention, who had a number of fine talents to co-work with Sandy's.

North star grassman and the ravens was a stunning accomplishment what with her stunning, angelic alto voice. The title track remains the best out of the bunch for me although a couple of sublime covers and Richard Thompsons phenomenal folk guitar wizardry really shines the light for a number of songs making this album on a whole a stunning feat in folk craftsmanship. Sandy was perhaps most well known for her major contribution on the stunning Led Zeppelin song ' The battle of evermore' where she dueted with Robert Plant. Her influence was a contributor to Led Zeppelin's shying away from heavy rock to a more folk rock encompassed group.

The circumstances of Sandy's death are somewhat mysterious and bleak but what is known is that she tragically died of a cerebral brain haemorrhage after falling down a flight of stairs. After her musical talent and phenomenal angelic singing voice rivalling Joni Mitchell, Sandy became increasingly distant and wayward in terms of her future role in music. It was clear that she would end on somewhat of a high and concentrate on raising a family but constant alcohol abuse and heavy smoking threatened not only to undermine these plans but would ruin her voice. Although tragically dying at a young age of 31 Sandy was the founder member for me of the Folk rock movement in Britain and is the most vital female figurehead in the whole decade of the folk rock boom of 1964-74.

Sandy Denny was a great inspiration to me and would be my favourite female musician at the moment. Her charisma and angelic alto voice was so supreme is was a shining light through the dark ages where folk in this country was at it's lowest, she elevated it into the heavens for all to see, god bless Sandy.

THE TRACKS:

1. LATE NOVEMBER - 4:29

Late November is quite an apt opening track with a little help from Richard Thompson's slow flowing initial guitar melody seems to shine the light for the enchanting angelic voice of Sandy. It's a welcome relief to hear Sandy's voice, it's so beautiful and unique that the prolonged intro. seems too long. The song is best described as a journey of opening and closing doors as you can practically hear the nuance of every instrument coming together to produce a dreamy song. 'Oh the tears which are shed, they won't come from me', Denny holds the final word for as long as possible producing an enchanting urge to sing along, the lyrics are superb and the rhyme only increases the imagination.

' The wine it was drunk, the ship it was sunk, The shot it was dead, all the sorrows were drowned. The birds they were clouds, the brides and the shrouds, And as we drew south the mist it came down'.

2. BLACKWATERSIDE - 4:13

A popular traditional folk song which is held in high esteem as a cover choice for various folk related artists such as: Led Zeppelin's 'Black mountain side' and the best being Bert Jansche's cover Sandy pulls it off in angelic style. It does draw the odd similarity with previous Sandy covers such as 'The ballad of the easy rider' from Fairport's 'Unhalfbircking' album because it's tempo is so largo. A sublime performance.

'All through the first part of that night
We did lie in sport and play,
When this young man arose and he gathered his clothes,
Saying, Fare thee well today''.'

3. SEA CAPTAIN - 3:08

Perhaps the most 'bare' song on the album, Sandy's vocals are intense and untouched with only a backing drum and mellow guitar to accompany the beauty of Denny's voice. I love this song, it's just such a deserved piece of relaxed folk rock which has a sway to the lyrics and Thompson's guitar is so tranquil, such a great song to close your eyes to and drift away. The lyrics are irresistibly thought provoking, Denny not only has the voice of an angel but the imagination of one, each line seems to be written in another world of thought.

' To cross the wide sea I deserted,
From the shore I did fly.
I thought it time that I travelled,
So I took to the roads of the sky.'

4. DOWN IN THE FLOOD - 3:19

A staccato driven take of Bob Dylan's Down in the flood classic which seems to be primarily centred around Richard Thompson's vocals. There is a far more tenor quality to the song with minimal Denny and minimal orchestral backing. The weakest offering on the album for me because it lacks the intensity of Denny's supremo vocals. But a good song which holds a quaint faint whispering atmosphere to it.

'Crash on the levee, mama,
Water's gonna overflow,
Swamp's gonna rise,
No boat's gonna row.
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point,
You can bust your feet,
You can rock this joint.
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

5. JOHN THE GUN - 4:37

A true folk classic, a return to the roots from early Fairport Convention albums featuring Sandy, the first true traditional folk offering on the album. It's easy to forget that Sandy is actually doing a solo album, the sheer quality of this song is only comparable within the confounds of a band. The icing off the cake has to be the mid point Celtic violin/strings jig, i mean the vibrato is sensational, the chorus is a fine mix of Thompson/Denny which sends a rather nostalgic mood in the air. Man i love this song, if i were to draw up a list of my favourite Denny tunes this would rank high up as far as her solo backlog goes.

'My shadow follows me
Wherever I should chance to go,
John The Gun did say.
If you should chance to meet me
As I wander to and fro,
Sad would be your day.'

6. NEXT TIME AROUND - 4:24

A quaint yet melancholic opening set of piano keys open for Denny here, the complete change of style and conception from Denny's musical direction is quite surprising, the album is very varied in style. A warm orchestral backing throughout supports Denny's rather modern take on folk. It is usually referred to in the studio tape logs by the cryptic working title 'Only just impossible', is said t be based on Sandy's relationship with American singer-songwriter Jackson C Frank. The lyric also mentions 'Theo the sailor', a reference no doubt to Theo Johnston an early mento at Kingston's Folk Barge. The song is quite heavily produced which doesn't seem to let down the strength and boldness of Sandy's gift. The timing seems a bit off in places but it is quite a melancholic folk song with superb intro's and outro's.

' Then came the question and it was about time.
The answer came back and it was long.
The house it was built by some man in a rhyme,
But whatever came of his talented son?
Who wrote me a dialogue set to a tune?
Always you told me of being alone,
Except for the stories about God and you,
And do you still live there in Buffalo?.'

7. OPTIMIST - 3:25

Quite a jazzy offering to a spectacular debut, the song is beautiful in terms of Denny's singing and song writing but her fellow musicians see to be interpreting a perverse kind of jiggy at the circus melody in places which can be quite irritating when trying to relax to the tune. Quite hilariously an apt lyric describes 'The timing's all out of place with how you feel' maybe a sign of retreat that Denny's creative juices are running on empty and need a good boost, a very weak track but any song with Denny's angelic voice is like a shining bright light like a beacon upon the hillside at night.

' There's a tale which says he was pursued by an assassin.
What he knows of that, no-one can tell.
How close he came to the trapper,
But he stopped by a wishing well.
He said, Next year there will be many flowers,
Each one much brighter than the one before.'

8. LET'S JUMP THE BROOMSTICK - 2:43

What a song, so cute and elegant and most importantly rocky. A nice little fast paced classic rock tune with honky tonky piano driving tempo alternating it's pitch constantly creating a really great song. Sandy does rock so well with her voice although it does get slightly too upbeat and Sandy bless her seems to loose pitch and timing in places but the way she exercises that voice of hers is awe inspiring and what i would think most female singers aspire to.

' Well, come-a little baby let's jump the broomstick
Come on let's tie a knot
Come-a little baby let's jump the broomstick
Come on let's tie a knot
Father don't like it, my brother don't like it
My sister don't like it, my mother don't like it
Come-a little baby let's jump the broomstick
Come on let's tie a knot.'

9. WRETCHED WILBUR - 2:36

Simultaneously being the shortest yet one of the most folk encompassed traditional offerings on the album. Quite a stripped, rugged and bar affair when listening to the song as a whole it's another Sandy. The song's sound effects in the background draw similarities with those used on Jimi Hendrix's classic 'Little wing'. Although the instrumental edge is somewhat subtle, the voice of the gilded angel with the bright halo above her head offers a lasting impression.

'Oh, that wretched Wilbur,
He keeps ploughing up the land.
He fights the battle thoughtfully
With roses in his hands.
But where is the fight now?
So play us your merry song.
The autumn, it has blown away,
And the winter, it is long.'

10. NORTH STAR GRASSMAN AND THE RAVEN - 3:29

My favourite song on the album and has to be one of the best songs of the folk rock boom of 1964-74. Everything about this classic falls into place and fits together like a big jig-saw, the lyrical craftsmanship which tells a beautiful story, the thickets of imagery within, the opening music and of course Sandy's enchanting voice. Always was a sucker for the organs hehe, lovely backing music, the chorus has a certain magic unravelling before your eyes and seemingly wrapping itself around your mind, extremely warping your imagination. This song is really just too good to sum up in a few tacky words i urge you to listen to this one in particular it may get you hooked into folk for good.

' They stood upon the deck
As the ship went out to sea.
The wind it took the sails
And left the land a memory.
All upon the shore for
To wonder why the sailor goes.
All to close their eyes
And wonder what the sailor knows.'

11. CRAZY LADY BLUES - 3:26

The closing track and a great send off for what has been a splendid piece of folk rock art and all it's crowning glory. Another over produced song but the way Sandy's voice is doubled up on the producing fits in quite well with the various backing instruments. The song pretty well defines what a closing song should be, only a handful of lyrical lines sang in a different fashion to the rest of the album and trailing off nicely with the majority of the track consisting of a mellow yet jiggy instrumental.

' Missed the morning too, didn't rise before noon.
She's a lazy lady today.
Always yawning, you with your eyes on the moon.
You're a crazy lady I'd say, da da da.'

BONUS TRACKS:

The remastered version of this album does offer a handful of outtakes from the original recording session, the first being a slightly more up beat version of the title track 'Late November'. ' Walking the floor all over you' is quite an angry protest song from Sandy which is quite unusual but the tension in her voice is quite evidently showing something's up, it's quite a jazzy, very fast rocky song similar to 'Lets jump the broomstick', sliding guitars, sliding vocals and even piano slides, everything slides. Losing game is again over produced, giving Thompson presumably a chance to show off on the guitar which he's a real pro. at anywho. Next time around is a welcome change of pace, it's a real shame this song wasn't included on the 1973 studio album because it would have given the other songs a real boost, still it remains a treat for fans as a bonus song.

In conclusion thanks anybody who hasn't fallen asleep yet hehe, I know it can be a pain in the arse reading or rather scrolling this colossal length but I find it impossible to narrow a review down on fear of missing something out, and it's always solid to do such a good cd justice. Sandy Denny could rival the voice of any opera singer in existence and is by far the greatest female musical talent since Joni Mitchell if not dare i say even better. Please check it out just a peek on amazon's real player where you can listen to a sample of certain songs, or hey even a cheap download of the title track is worth it, i don't doubt it's available on Myspace.com somewhere. Sandy Denny had the voice of an angel an enchanting, charismatic and enigmatic talent in music, and certainly the most beautiful female voice i have heard. A true folk masterpiece, Sandy is the angel with the halo above her heard, may her spirit shine on for ever.

Track List:

1. Late November
2. Blackwaterside
3. Sea Captain
4. Down In The Flood
5. John The Gun
6. Next Time Around
7. Optimist
8. Let's Jump The Broomstick
9. Wretched Wilbur
10. North Star Grassman And The Ravens
11. Crazy Lady Blues
12. Late November (El Pea version/bonus track)
13. Walking The Floor Over You (bonus track)
14. Losing Game (bonus track)
15. Next Time Around (alternate version/bonus track)

Endless thanks for reading,

Trystan.

 

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