Sandy Denny Albums (8)
'Listen Listen'
Release Date 4/4/2000
Tracks 17
Label Polygram International
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What The Critics Say
Island's single-disc Sandy Denny compilation does its best to offer a compact overview of the iconic singer's work. Focusing on the four records completed before her death in 1978, the 17-track Listen Listen winds comfortably through career highlights like "The North Star Grassman and the Raven," "Blackwaterside," and the gorgeous title track. Fans will contest the omission of tracks like "Carnival" and "It Suits Me Well," but for such a slim collection -- considering Denny's invaluable work with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, and the Strawbs -- Listen Listen is a fine introduction to the artist's later days. Fans and non-fans alike would do better to pick up 2000's excellent double-disc career-spanning No More Sad Refrains: The Anthology. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
'Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas and Friends: The Attic Tracks 1972-1984'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 18
Label Special Delivery
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What The Critics Say
Subtitled "The Attic Tracks 1972-1984," this indispensable compilation rounds up 18 rare, alternate or previously unreleased recordings, highlighting some of the many treasures that lurk within Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas' voluminous archives. Many of the titles are familiar, of course, but the performances should thrill even the most jaded collector. From Denny, the tally includes a French language version of "Listen Listen," demos of "One More Chance" and "Rising from the Moon" (both songs destined for the Fairport Convention LP of the same name), Rendezvous outtakes "Easy to Slip" and "Losing Game," the B-side "Still Waters Run Deep" and a superb live version of "Stranger to Himself." Lucas, meanwhile, is showcased on a stunning 1974 Fairport rendition of "The Ballad of Ned Kelly," a cover of Dylan's "Forever Young," and "Girls on the Avenue," a 1977 solo project that saw him surrounded by a virtual Fotheringay reunion. It's an excellent collection, then, full of surprises and overflowing with numbers that should never have been shelved. But maybe we should be grateful that they were, for without them, we'd never have been granted this magical album. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
'Sandy Denny & the Strawbs'
Release Date 7/24/1991
Tracks 13
Label Hannibal
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What The Critics Say
Sandy Denny was only with the Strawbs for a short period of time, but she was around long enough to make some very memorable contributions to the band. An expressive jewel of a folk singer with a rich, angelic voice, the pre-Fairport Convention Denny is clearly the main attraction on this CD. In contrast to the progressive-rock and art-rock elements the band would later embrace, these sides are acoustic-oriented and unmistakably British-sounding folk-pop. Gems like "Tell Me What You See In Me," "Nothing Else Will Do" and "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" not only illustrate how superb and moving a singer Denny was, they also demonstrate how prolific a composer Dave Cousins was. One can only speculate as to what direction the Strawbs would have taken had Denny stayed, but what we know with certainty is that her short-lived association with Cousins was lucrative and valuable. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Stylistically varied, if not so fresh as her album Sandy. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'Like an Old Fashioned Waltz'
Release Date 1/1/1973
Tracks 9
Label A&M
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What The Critics Say
With Like an Old Fashioned Waltz, Sandy Denny expands on the more polished moments that her previous work, Sandy (1972), had suggested. The tone throughout most of the record is melancholy and personal, with gentle piano, rich strings, and barely a trace of her British folk roots. "Solo," one of her best songs, opens the album with a sense of apprehension and yearning, while cuts such as the beautifully vivid title track, the longing "At the End of the Day," and the evocative closer "No End" nicely follow suit. The Ink Spots covers "Whispering Grass" and "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" break the mood a bit, but it's a testament to the breadth of Denny's talent that she's able to make this sort of jazz-inflected pop work for her. These two songs seem to hint at a new direction that never really materialized in her final years, though an entire album of Ink Spots tunes was actually rumored at one point. As Sandy Denny's last solo work for four years, Like an Old Fashioned Waltz remains an intimate and moving record. ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Bunch was a loosely knit group of English folk-rock veterans who recorded this disappointing set of oldies covers. Titled "Rock On," The Bunch exhibits no shortage of enthusiasm for their renditions of Berry, Presley, Lewis and Holly hits. However, the record suffers from both sloppy playing and obvious song selections. Not surprisingly, the album's high points are the two most obscure songs: Dion's "My Girl the Month of May" (sung by Richard Thompson) and Sandy Denny's heartfelt reading of Buddy Holly's "Learning the Game." ~ J.P. Ollio, All Music Guide
'The North Star Grassman and the Ravens'
Release Date 1/1/1971
Tracks 11
Label A&M
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What The Critics Say
Following the breakup of the short-lived Fotheringay, Sandy Denny returned with her first post-Fairport solo album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Produced with ex-bandmate Richard Thompson and longtime engineer John Wood, who would go on to produce the bulk of Thompson's work with Linda Thompson, the record consists of eight evocative Denny originals, along with the traditional "Blackwaterside" and a pair of borrowed rockers. There's a looseness and roominess to the sound, with acoustic guitar, piano, and Thompson's electric guitar leading the sparse backing from former members of Fotheringay, along with the occasional accordion, violin, pedal steel, and strings. Songs such as "Late November," "John the Gun," and "Next Time Around" are among her best, while "Blackwaterside," featuring Thompson's guitar and accordion, continues to show her mastery of traditional music. Because her songs tend to lean toward the melancholy and are primarily on the slow to midtempo side, Denny had to look elsewhere for upbeat material. Choices such as Brenda Lee's "Let's Jump the Broomstick" and a ragged yet somewhat effective duet with Thompson on Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood" are good ones, though both sound as if they were afterthoughts. Her best record was still a year away, but The North Star Grassman is a solid effort from Denny's sadly shortened solo career. ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide
