Sandy Denny

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.

One of the most influential vocalists in the history of British folk, both solo and via her work with the Strawbs, Fairport Convention, and Fotheringay.
With a sublime voice and a catalog full of beautiful songs, Sandy Denny left an indelible mark on British folk and popular music in her 31 years. Released in 1977, less than one year before her untimely death, the overwrought Rendezvous unfortunately stands as her final musical statement. Producer Trevor Lucas' use of cumbersome strings, backup singers and bloated lead guitars weigh things down and bury some otherwise fine writing. One of her best, "I'm a Dreamer," is nearly ruined by the chorus of singers and anthemic guitar at the end, while the heartfelt "One Way Donkey Ride" and the poignant "Full Moon," though more successful, never seem to quite reach their potential…

Sandy Denny - I've Always Kept A Unicorn: The Acoustic Sandy Denny (2016) {2CD Set, Island 536 735-0}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 587 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 339 Mb
Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 Universal-Island Records | 536 735-0
Folk Rock / Progressive Folk / British Folk / Psychedelic / Singer–Songwriter

I've Always Kept A Unicorn is the best album that Sandy Denny never made. This 40-Track set captures Sandy at her most intimate as she runs through stripped down arrangements of songs with Strawbs, Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, The Bunch and from her four solo albums. Exclusive to this set are three demos from the original recording sessions for the 1972 Bunch album, Rock On including a beautiful duet with Linda Thompson on Phil Everly's "When Will I Be Loved" and Buddy Holly's "Love Made A Fool Of You" and "Learning The Game".

A 19-CD box set? Twenty one and a half hours of music? A 72-page book? Artefacts that include a receipt for her first piano? Who said the music industry no longer had money to burn?
For anybody unfamiliar with Sandy Denny’s yearning, evocative songs, her teeteringly vulnerable vocal style and the erratic contours of a career that ended shockingly in a fall downstairs in 1978 when she was 31, this eye-watering project may seem like ludicrous indulgence.