Like their peers The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane they were blessed with several considerable individual talents and produced music that -at least initially- was eclectic, as well as exploratory. This side of the band may best be heard on Heyday, a collection of tracks broadcast by the BBC. The move to a more British form of folk rock came primarily as a result of the enthusiasm of bassist Ashley Hutchings and producer Joe Boyd. Original singer Judy Dyble was replaced on their second LP What We Did On Our Holidays by Sandy Denny, an experienced folk singer and excellent composer in her own right. Fiddle virtuoso Dave Swarbrick joined, initially as sessioneer, on their third, Unhalfbricking. That LP has arguably their first two bona fide masterpieces. One is their version of the Sandy Denny song, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, popularized by Judy Collins, but characterised on their version by a perfect balance between Denny's vocals and the exquisite support of the group as a whole, and lead guitarist Richard Thompson in particular. The other is A Sailor's Life, the first to demonstrate the potential power of folk rock, the song exploding in an improvised and sophisticated instrumental coda that reaches beyond the words through the impassioned interplay of the whole band, led by the virtuosity of Thompson and Swarbrick in particular. Thompson also soon showed that he could create his own distinctive songs, notably the anthemic Meet on the Ledge, on Holidays.
The following LP Liege and Lief is perhaps Fairport's finest hour. Liege and Lief is generally remembered for its virtuoso versions of traditional folk songs but it also contains beautiful originals by Thompson and Denny. However the next, Full House -deliberately rockier in tone- has its particular gems, most notably Sloth, for its extended guitar/ fiddle duel and Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman, a perfect expression of Thompson's mordant humour; along with the sleeve notes, surely amongst the strangest and funniest ever.
The band continued with a series of personnel changes and albums, all with at least some high points, until it was temporarily disbanded in 1979, but played annual reunion concerts until it reformed in 1985. Since then, it has enjoyed stability and continues to tour and record regularly.
In part, the continuing success of Fairport Convention is due to the annual music festival it organizes. Cropredy Festival has been held every year since 1974 near Cropredy, a village five miles north of Banbury, Oxfordshire and can attract upwards of 20,000 fans.
In 2002 the band was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2006 Radio 2 listeners voted their 1969 album Liege & Lief as the Most Influential Folk Album of All Time. A mass reunion of living Fairport members performed at the ceremony.
Reno Nevada
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long way to your home.
But the change in your pocket is beginning to grumble
And you reap just about what you, ve sown.
You can walk down the street, pass your face in the window,
You can stop fooling around,
You can work day and night, take a chance on promotion,
You can fall thru a hole in the ground.
Now there ain't no game like the one you been playing,
When you got a little something to lose.
And there ain′t no time, like the the time you been wasting;
And you waste just about what you choose.
There's a man at the table and you know he's been able
To return all the odds that you lay
But you can′t feed your hunger and you ain′t getting younger
And your tongue ain't got nothing to say.
It′s a long, long way down to Reno, Nevada
And a long, long way to your home
But the ground underneath you is beginning to tremble,
And the sky up a above you has grown.
There's a time to be moving and a time to be grooving,
And a time just for climbing the wall
But the odds have been doubled, and it ain′t worth the trouble
And your never going nowhere at all.
The song "Reno Nevada" by Fairport Convention is a cautionary tale of the consequences of one's actions. The singer sings about his journey to Reno, Nevada, which is a long way down when you have nothing left. The change in his pocket is beginning to grumble, indicating that he is running out of money. The singer urges listeners to stop fooling around and work hard instead. He warns that there is no game like the one he's been playing when there's something to lose, and there is no time like the time he's been wasting.
The song tells listeners not to take chances on promotion or risk falling through a hole in the ground. The singer admits he has been wasting time, and that is just about what he has chosen. The man at the table is someone who has been able to return all the odds that the singer has laid. However, the singer cannot feed his hunger, and his tongue has nothing to say. Despite the long way to Reno Nevada and his home, the ground under him is beginning to tremble, and the sky above him has grown.
In conclusion, "Reno Nevada" is a sobering reminder that time is precious and that one needs to make good use of it. The singer's suggestion is to work hard and not to squander it in vain pursuits. The song is a commentary on the consequences of one's choices in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long, long way down to Reno, Nevada and a long,
Long way to your home.
Travelling to Reno, Nevada is a long and daunting journey for you; it's far away from your home, and the distance seems to be never-ending.
But the change in your pocket is beginning to grumble
And you reap just about what you, ve sown.
Your limited financial resources are starting to run out of money. Just as much as you've invested in, you'll gain as much back.
You can walk down the street, pass your face in the window,
You can stop fooling around,
You can work day and night, t ake a chance on promotion,
You can fall thru a hole in the ground.
You have various options and opportunities to either keep working and taking promotion, stop fooling around and focus on your work, or completely give up and fall down the rabbit hole.
Now there ain't no game like the one you been playing,
When you got a little something to lose.
And there ain′t no time, like the the time you been wasting;
And you waste just about what you choose.
There are no games like the ones you've been engaging in, where you have something at stake. The time you waste is the time you'll never get back, and you have complete authority over it.
There's a man at the table and you know he's been able
To return all the odds that you lay
But you can′t feed your hunger and you ain′t getting younger
And your tongue ain't got nothing to say.
There's a man at the table who can beat all the odds you lay down. However, you can't satisfy your hunger and you're not getting any younger, but you can't express yourself or articulate your thoughts well.
It's a long, long way down to Reno, Nevada
And a long, long way to your home
But the ground underneath you is beginning to tremble,
And the sky up a above you has grown.
Even though Reno is far from your home, the earth you're standing on is shaking, and the sky above you has become overcast and foreboding.
There's a time to be moving and a time to be grooving,
And a time just for climbing the wall
But the odds have been doubled, and it ain′t worth the trouble
And your never going nowhere at all.
There are periods where you need to be active, times to find your place and get comfortable, and moments just to make it through. But things have gotten more complicated, demanding, and futile, and you're stuck in one place.
Writer(s): R. Farina
Contributed by Audrey R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marty Hopkirk
Judy's slow walk back to the mic is absolutely iconic.
Will
Amazing to see Judy Dyble looking almost intimidatingly cool here. I met her in recent years and she was absolutely the warmest and kindest person you could ever hope to meet. RIP x
harvey1954
Loved her even though I was just a Facebook friend.
Bob Green
@harvey1954 same. Lovely woman.
Rg Webb
Very strong Jefferson Airplane similarity here. I wish we could have had another album or two of this particular incarnation of Fairport.
Jeff H
I agree! 😊
Simon Champion
Definitely. Pity…
florpcorp
such a great solo by Richard Thompson, and the whole band is cookin too. also that accent when they sing Nevada lol. "Nevadar"
JPatrick317
I have seen this many times and still find it amazing. I once saw an interview with Joe Boyd, FPC's producer, according to him THAT solo is what got Fairport their 1st contract, he had to get RT under contract. Richard is slightly younger than myself, he was borrowing rifts from Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian at a time when most of us that age had no idea who those guys were, and he has only gotten better with the years.
Jeff H
Incredible fabulous amazing total wow groovy cool performance from early Fairport Convention. Richard, Ian, Judy, Ashley, Simon, and Martin are on fire here. They were such a talented band. The album and the few other recordings made by this line up are awesome. I am glad this performance was preserved. This band and their music is the real deal.