Music : Sandy (Remastered)

Rating: - Rare beauty
Listening to Sandy Denny's voice makes you realise how much the music industry short-changes us these days. Sublime and unaffected, young yet embedded with wisdom, it sweeps you away like none of today's wannabes ever will. 'Sandy' also benefits from first class arrangements, production and musicianship, with Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick adding valuable guitar and violin respectively. Sneaky Pete contributes some of his best pedal steel playing too, lending a country tinge to some of the tracks. By and large, this is folk at the edge of rock. 'It'll Take A Long Time' is an expansive, epic opening, while Denny's take on 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' is one of the best Dylan covers you'll hear.

There are many breathtaking passages, such as the multi-tracked vocal on 'Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood,' unaccompanied until the momentous pause at which Dave Swarbrick takes over. The mandolin landscape of 'Listen Listen' is another. All but two of the songs are Denny's own. While they're all very good, it's the manner of their execution that gives this album an extra edge. If Celine, Mariah or Whitney is the extent of your female vocal experience, buy this and discover what a great artist really is.

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Rating: - "Sandy" by Sandy Denny
I was late in developing my music tastes and at 16 first heard Led Zep's Battle of Evermore and asked who is this female singer? Then I bought "Sandy" and the songs captured everything I wanted to hear in an album. Each track is perfect. Linda Thompson on backing vocals on the Dylan track and then multi tracking her own voice on "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" and Dave Swarbrick's solo violin, not to mention Richard Thompson's guitar work. What could be better and the production is a great credit to Trevor Lucas. "The Lady" I have several versions and am amazed that it is not more covered by other artists like "Who knows where the time goes?"
It is far the best album that Sandy ever made being my favourite yet the others are of outstanding quality that should not be missed.

Listen to "Listen Listen" and then the French version "Ecoute Ecoute" and the performance does not change, try the former with a bottle of English wine Three Choirs and the latter with Cote du Duras.

This album took me onto Fairport including "Holidays" and "Rising for the moon" and more Sandy Denny and more Fairport without her. So I am forever grateful for buying this album back in 1978 and now again remastered with bonus tracks.

Recently I heard Simon Nicol performing an excellent version of "Who knows where the time goes?" and I hope that he will look at Sandy's other songs and champion these as well. You cannot replace her but you can leave it to her band mates to do her songs the justice they deserve in her untimely absence.

I am very surprised that the BBC have not yet dedicated a program about her life and music which is long long overdue.

So buy this CD and her others with and without Fairport and not to mention the brilliant and outstanding Fotheringay.

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Rating: - Sandy's greatest ever performance
While individual tracks (especially with the Fairports) may shine brighter, as a totality this was definitely Sandy's greatest LP. The recording and production are excellent throughout and after all these years when familiar with her other work one can still sense this should have been the big one. Not a single duff track and it would seem that lack of skilful promotion was the reason for the major breakthrough not happening.

However at the same time with the gift of retrospect and the story of Sandy now better known and understood through biographies, one suspects that the lady while very strong willed would never have been suited for 1970s super stardom.

Just listen and enjoy a timeless masterpiece.

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Rating: - SANDY re-issued CD on Island
Absolutely superb re-mastering by Denis Blackham at Skye Mastering.

The quintessential Sandy Denny CD with 5 extra tracks.

A big improvement over earlier issues of this album.

Go buy...