Search - Sandy Denny :: Like an Old Fashioned Waltz

Like an old fashioned waltz

P. J. Walstra | 12/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have this album on vinyl. This is one of the most haunting collections of music I have ever heard. Sandy Denny is an artist of all artists. She transends over all decades. I am looking forward to having this record on CD. Dottie"

Sandy's Masterpiece

Cathy T, | Atlanta, GA | 06/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sandy was a storyteller, an original songwriter with a fascinatingly clear and colorful voice, as well as a talent for deceptively sweet, double-edged lyrics. If you listen to her earlier albums you can hear the progression...From her folksy roots and somewhat pedestrian arrangements, she evolved towards something richer and fuller, culminating in this, a very jazzy, seductive and satisfying album complete with soaring instrumentals. "Like An Old Fashioned Waltz" is gutsy and extravagant. Picture a classy nightclub, dim lighting, a whispering brass orchestra. Then again, picture a wanderer and a minstral, living in an enchanted castle, harkening back to a more innocent time. This is Sandy at her finest. Her voice is at it's peak, nimble and pure. From the bittersweet triumph in the opening cut "Solo" to the dreamlike and introspecive "No End", the mood is set for a saucy, sexy, strong woman who can make it on her own, while still believing in fairytales and idealized love. Who knows where her music would have taken her had she lived. As it is, "Like An Old Fashioned Waltz" may be the masterpiece that she was meant to bring to the world."

The summertime's escaping and the carnival's away

Scott Briggs | New York, NY | 05/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't believe Rykodisc/Carthage CD copies of this album are now going for upwards of $130 used or new, they've gotta bring this back in print yet again (remastered and with some bonus tracks perhaps). I recently got a mint condition but original pressing 1973 vinyl copy of this album to replace my worn-out 80s cassette copy, wow was I glad I did, it sounds stupendous on vinyl in particular. The basslines on this record alone is worth buying it for, but I believe this album is an underrated masterpiece of Sandy's, and is far afield from her work with Fairport Convention but is no less great for that. Some of these songs can quite reduce one to tears, poignant as they are, including (especially) the sublime tracks "No End", "Carnival" and "Dark the Night." Also fun are Sandy's covers of the old songs "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "Whispering Grass," both sound like Sandy doing cool cocktail jazz but with more warm soul than most cocktail jazz singers could ever hope to attain. Listen to the magnificent, haunting "No End" on a cold, snowy winter's night and hear those string arrangements and tell me the hair on the back of your neck doesn't stand on end. Sandy looks amazing on the cover photo too...brilliant album all around. I would say this is a must-have if you're any kind of fan of Sandy or Fairport Convention or good British folk-rock in general. This is more ammunition to prove that there was plenty of good music released in the early 1970s, just not all of it made a radio playlist. Reason: too good, and too intelligent. Two reasons why you should go buy this in ANY form now!"