Danny Kirwan Discussion
 

Ok so this forum is pretty dead at the best of times. You can get 50 threads a day started over at the twirling gypsy forum (oh sorry Rumours Forum) but anything pre or post Rumours seems to be pretty quiet.

So, bored as I am and with a couple of glasses of wine (or so) inside of me I thought I'd start listening to some Danny Kirwan stuff and then logically followed that through with a starting a thread on here. I apologise in advance if I don't make enough sense!

We all know that Danny was a brilliant, under-rated guitarist who sadly has been overshadowed by Peter.

Four FM albums (more if you include Pious Bird of Good Omen or English Rose), two Tramp albums and three solo albums were all we got from Danny. Oh, well that and a few contributions to solo albums by Jeremy, Christine and bits and pieces of miscellaneous stuff.

For one so young and brilliant we have so little to look back on of his work. We have had comebacks by Peter, Jeremy, Dave W and Bob Weston yet we will probably never see a comeback by Danny, we will never again hear a new song from him.

What, therefore, is your favourite Danny song, what do you consider his best period, etc.

For me, it will always be the early stuff that I like the best, Purple Dancer, Dragonfly, Coming Your Way and Although The Sun Is Shining and Trinity being my favourites.

I know so many people like his Bare Trees/Future Games work, but for me, nothing has surpassed his earlier work.

What about the rest of you?

I also like Trinity and Jewel Eyed Judy, but I guess I'm one of those who prefer his work on Future Games/Bare Trees.

Future Games/Bare Trees, for me, is the peak. I think his later solo work runs from interesting to gorgeous, but Future Games/Bare Trees is all sublime.

My absolute favorite Kirwan track is "Dust" -- rhythmically pulls you in like a slipstream, sonically transporting and lush, thematically moving. And his voice. wow. It's also my favorite non-Stevie, -Lindsey, or -Christine Mac track.

I liked his contributions to the Blues Jam At Chess album..."Like It This Way", "World In A Tangle", etc.

Other than "When You Say", he didn't have any "stinkers". He may have had some limitations lyrically at times, but overall, I really liked his stuff.

Ones that "rise to the top" that I like most (in no order):

Jigsaw Puzzle Blues
One Sunny Day
My Dream
World In Harmony
Something Inside Of Me
Dragonfly
Purple Dancer
Station Man
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Sands Of Time
Woman Of 1000 Years
Child Of Mine
Sunny Side Of Heaven


Not too thrilled with the (over)use of the synth on his Midnight In San Juan album, those parts could've/should've been played on electric guitar by Danny, IMHO...would've made the songs a whole lot more listenable. From my first listen back when it came out (in the AGE of "synths") to now, that synth sound just grates on my nerves and ruins the great songs. That said, that album is actually my favorite of his three "solo" albums.

[QUOTE=TrueFaith77;847676]Future Games/Bare Trees, for me, is the peak. I think his later solo work runs from interesting to gorgeous, but Future Games/Bare Trees is all sublime. My absolute favorite Kirwan track is "Dust" -- rhythmically pulls you in like a slipstream, sonically transporting and lush, thematically moving.

I agree! I went back to listen to some of Danny's songs and I think "Dust" is the best. "Sands of Time" from Future Games is also a great one! I can't say much about solo albums. I only have Second Chapter.

Correct me if I'm wrong but these are generally considered out of print?

http://rapidshare.com/files/15087912...re_Big_Boy.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/15087912...n_San_Juan.rar

One of Kirwan's best songs was done early in Fleetwood Mac, "Without You". It used to be on the U.K. release of "Then Play On". In the states it was released on "English Rose", and later on "The Original Fleetwood Mac" remastered CD.

That song may contain Kirwan's most passionate guitar solo. He was doing an excellent "Love That Burns" imitation of Peter Green. I like all the ones chiliD mentioned, but this song deserves a mention.

I'm also a fly to flypaper when it comes to "Sunny Side of Heaven". You can't teach that talent, and it's why Green, and Kirwan would've been extremely proficient, and successful together had it not been for outside distractions, and problems. Only a handful of bands ever had that top notch quality songwriting talent from two members.

my favorites
 

my two top favorites from danny are :
Dragonfly
Although The Sun Is Shining

doodyhead

I love his stuff on Bare Trees. Yes, "Dust" is wonderful. I love "Child of Mine", which sounds like 3 songs in one, but it works. Not a big fan of the stuff he did while Green was in the band. Most of Kirwan's songs have minimal lyrics, but who said that lyrics are important in pop music? Fleetwood Mac lyrics mostly suck anyway :)

Got another one to throw into the mix - Early Morning Come from the Live At BBC album. Quite a stripped down song, you can just imagine Danny sitting there with his guitar recording it. Almost doesn't sound like Fleetwood Mac.

I have to give some love to Woman of a 1000 Years. It is so beautiful and moving it's astonishing. And it's one of the great first songs in record history because it completely sets the mood for the rest of the album and invites you into its mysteries. Its sense of longing is so huge and spiritual and profound -- it's truly mythic and connects all incarnations of the Mac. Stevie Nicks might even be the band's answer to its call.

I enjoy every single one of Danny's songs. I even like "WhenYou Say." I can understand why it might not be everyone's favorite but I like the way the "la la la" sections sound. The vocals sound like the lower notes of a string instrument being played by someone in a somber mood, with rich texture and harmony.

Danny is my third favorite FM singer/songwriter, after Christine and Bob.

Is there a handy list anywhere of all the songs Danny did while in the band? I have occasionally thought of burning a CD of all his songs for when I'm in a Danny mood, and I'd hate to miss any. (I've done the same for Chris' and Bob's songs.)

It's only in relatively recent times that I heard "Purple Dancer" for the first time, and wow what a great song that is.

:nod:

I like every single song he recorded, but I'd agree that his peak was probably '71-'72. "Hello There Big Boy" might be my least favourite album, but the reasons for its shortcomings are pretty clear. That said, "Spaceman" and "Caroline" are awesome.

I sometimes wonder what the "Second Chapter" songs would have been like if Danny had stayed with Fleetwood Mac. The follow-up to "Bare Trees" might well have included songs like "Cascades" and "Silver Streams", as they were written around the time he left, or soon afterwards.

Having just seen the above post, here's a handy list of the songs he either wrote, co-wrote or sang on while with Fleetwood Mac :) If I've forgotten any, I'm sure ChiliD or someone equally switched-on can fill in the gaps.

ALTHOUGH THE SUN IS SHINING - Then Play On
BARE TREES - Bare Trees
BLUES WITH A FEELING - Live at the BBC
CHILD OF MINE - Bare Trees
COMING YOUR WAY - Then Play On
DANNY’S CHANT - Bare Trees
DOWN AT THE CROWN - Madison Blues Demo
DRAGONFLY - Single
DUST - Bare Trees
EARL GRAY - Kiln House
EARLY MORNING COME - Live at the BBC
ENCORE JAM - Live in Boston
FAREWELL - Vaudeville Years (demo of Earl Gray)
JEWEL EYED JUDY - Kiln House
JIGSAW PUZZLE BLUES - B-side
LIKE CRYING - Then Play On
LIKE IT THIS WAY - Blues Jam at Chess etc
LOVE IT SEEMS - Vaudeville Years
LOVING KIND - Live in Boston etc
MIND OF MY OWN - Show-Biz Blues
MY DREAM - Then Play On
OCTOBER JAM 1 & 2 - Vaudeville Years jams
ONE-SIDED LOVE - Live bootlegs
ONE SUNNY DAY - Then Play On / English Rose
ON WE JAM - Live in Boston
ONLY YOU - Live at the BBC
OPEN THE DOOR - Madison Blues (live)
SANDS OF TIME - Future Games
SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME - English Rose
SOMETIMES - Future Games
STATION MAN - Kiln House
SUNNY SIDE OF HEAVEN - Bare Trees
TALK WITH YOU - Blues Jam at Chess etc
TELL ME ALL THE THINGS YOU DO - Kiln House
TELL ME FROM THE START - Vaudeville Years
THE MADGE SESSIONS 1 & 2 - Vaudeville Years jams
THE PURPLE DANCER - B-side of Dragonfly
TRINITY - Bare Trees outtake / 25 Years- The Chain box set
WHAT A SHAME - Future Games
WHEN I SEE MY BABY - Live at the BBC
WHEN YOU SAY - Then Play On
WITHOUT YOU - English Rose / Then Play On
WOMAN OF 1000 YEARS - Future Games
WORLD IN HARMONY - B-side etc
WORLD’S IN A TANGLE - Blues Jam at Chess

This doesn't include of course all the songs written by others where Danny is soloing - I love his work on Christine's "Show Me a Smile" for instance, "Homeward Bound", "Spare Me a Little" etc.

Thanks for the links. Yes, I do think both are considered out of print. I bought Second Chapter in the '90s at a used record store.

Well the only one I can think of is "Sometimes" from Future Games which I would think is just a typing error of omission on your part. He was also given writing credit on Encore Jam and On We Jam from the Live In Boston albums.

The only one I don't recognise/have from the above list is "One-Sided Love" so shall have to try and find it ;) There are probably a few other bootlegs floating around too I would imagine?