1.Night Wings Rec.
Fuchsia : Fuchsia (UK,1971?)****'
Fuchsia is amongst my favourite folkrock albums, after Spirogyra's first and third album. While albums from Trees, Pentangle, Spirogyra, Spriguns were until now more generally known and appreciated, this album never got its deserved attention. It was left unknown for much too long a time. But never-the-less it has all the necessary elements : a powerful play, Pre-Rahaelitic woman's voices, a beautiful male troubadour's voice with sometimes an almost female energy, with second high female voice, with many additional chamber music arrangements, long tracks, strong song structure, and a gifted individual approach. Closest in style comes perhaps Spirogyra's 3rd album, to give you some idea. Both sides are equally pleasant with their additional chamber music arrangements, but perhaps the second side is strongest. These arrangements give the music an extra attractiveness (with a gentle power going in the direction of early Electric Light Orchestra*).
I bought the limited LP-minisleeve CD reissue once. But then I heard about an improved official reissue, with additional booklet, and I thought at first some bonus tracks as well, but they seemed to have preserved these for another issue later. Anyhow I felt obliged again to replace my older unofficial reissue copy for the better one. This replacing seemed to have happened to me lots of times already, not only from LP-reissue to cd much more often with improvements with CD's (Langsyne, Vashti Bunyan, Extradition, Linda Perhacs). In all these cases it was worth the improvement, because all these newer reissues showed much more care and love for the music, as well as in its presentation. (Langsyne I kept both reissues because they had interesting differences ; first reissues from LP to CD, like with Dr.Strangely Strange hardly were improvements, except for Extradition). I assume with this reissue that the remastering will give a better sound, but still I prefer to check on the best equipment to be really sure what is the difference. The booklet with the complete history of the band, the issue and the band members, and a colour picture of the band, are nice to see included with this version. As you can see the background colour on the original picture has been left out. This detail I don't see as a real improvement, because it makes the purple with black so contrasting that it gives a more sad / mourning vibe, less moody, like the music. ° There I prefer the original cover. The music at first seems to be more clear to. It makes my listening experience a bit different. Very difficult to say which version I prefer.
But I can at least say I'm very glad this release makes it possible for anyone to purchase the album at normal price. For the UK acid folkrock collector the album itself is of course a must-have.
The CD has its reissue in Korea or Japan too, but I lost track of which label.
2.Night Wings Rec. Fuchsia : Fuchsia, Mahogonny & other gems (UK,1975-1978)*°°
When I saw this Fuchsia cover destroyed with ugly graffiti "artwork" I was confused and did not know what this item was about. Only when I opened the booklet it was clear to me this is a compilation of unreleased Fuchsia tracks and other recordings related to the band, compiled with the help of band leader Tony Durant.
Different from the mediocre cover artwork it contains a thick quality booklet with extra information, band pictures and song texts of all listed material.
What do we have here ? The first three tracks were meant as a demo to get a contract for a second Fuchsia album, which did not happen. Mahagonny was a 1975 5-track inspiration with two members from the group with a couple of friends. It was based upon the Threepenny Opera from Brecht/Weill. From that same period two duo songs of Robert Chudly who had writen a Fuchsia track before, with Tony Durant are also added. Last track is a song by Tony Durant he wrote in 1978 for a movie. It was sung by John Tams, then part of the Albion Band.
The first two Fuchsia tracks “The Band” and “Ragtime Brahms” still have the recognisable Fuchsia sound, including the orchestrations mixed with the, for them, typical early Electric Light Orchestra bass power folkrock touch. The recording is slightly damaged but luckily still is enjoyable. “Ring of Red Roses” is a bit rougher and rockier as an idea, like a song still in progress.
The Mahagonny Project is a rockopera with some orchestrations. It was made in a time when music companies had enough of ideas going away from the basics of expression (in punk, pop, rock). It sounds more like a poprockopera which is slightly wordy. Unless it has orchestrations, it's more a ‘Tommy’ kind of rock’n roll-for-the-public storytelling element.
The two Robert Chudley tracks are in an early 70’s rock song style with end of 60’s harmony vocals, of which "Mary used to play the piano" is I think a nice attractively arranged song.
The last, nice concluding acoustic track by The Golden Medallion confirms the feeling of melancholy towards some of these so easily lost days. It still is a shame no contract was given to the Fuchsia group for a second album. We know the times already had changed to much. So this compilation still is the best of what can be offered of an after-story after a very good debut.
The extensive liner notes tell how the story of Fuchsia evolved and how the members got into new projects and groups.
