The Unfairground is an acclaimed 2007 album by Kevin Ayers

Kevin Ayers

Kevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...

, recorded with members of Ladybug Transistor, Teenage Fanclub

Teenage Fanclub

Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...

, Neutral Milk Hotel

Neutral Milk Hotel

Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....

, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...

 and Roxy Music

Roxy Music

Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...

. It is his sixteenth studio LP and his first new set of recordings in fifteen years. It was recorded in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Tucson, Arizona, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. It debuted at #14 in the UK Indie Album chart

UK Indie Chart

The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...

.

The Unfairground deals with themes of love, loss and the passing of time and it has garnered strong critical endorsements for its author's brutally honest ruminations on his tumultuous life. Ayers stated in a 2007 Sunday Times interview that it is “very much a reflective album: lost love, lost feelings, lost sensibilities. I had to include some of my blood, sweat and tears – if you are going to be honest, it can’t be avoided.”

Track listing

1. "Only Heaven Knows" (Ayers)
2. "Cold Shoulder" (Ayers)
3. "Walk on Water
   Baby Come Home
   "Baby Come Home" is a Kevin Ayers single release taken from his album, The Unfairground. The song is a duet with folk singer Bridget St. John.-Track listing:7"#"Baby Come Home" #"Walk On Water" Download...
   
   " (Ayers)
4. "Friends & Strangers" (Ayers)
5. "Shine a Light" (Ayers)
6. "Wide Awake" (Ayers)
7. "Baby Come Home
   Baby Come Home
   "Baby Come Home" is a Kevin Ayers single release taken from his album, The Unfairground. The song is a duet with folk singer Bridget St. John.-Track listing:7"#"Baby Come Home" #"Walk On Water" Download...
   
   " (Ayers)
8. "Brainstorm" (Ayers)
9. "Unfairground" (Ayers)
10. "Run Run Run" (Ayers)

Personnel

• Kevin Ayers
  Kevin Ayers
  Kevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...
  
   / guitar, vocals and producer
• Gary Olson / trumpet and producer
• San Fadyl / drums
• Jeff Baron / guitar
• Norman Blake
  Norman Blake (Scottish musician)
  Norman Blake is a singer-songwriter in the Glasgow based band, Teenage Fanclub.Blake and Sean Dickson were in The Faith Healers together, which also contained various members at different times Stevie Gray, Hugh McLaughlin, Brian Carson and Colin Murray to name but a few.Blake and Carson were...
  
   / guitar and backing vocals
• Francis MacDonald
  Francis MacDonald
  Francis Macdonald is a drummer and sometime member of British alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub and used to play with BMX Bandits and Eugenius...
  
   / drums
• Julian Koster
  Julian Koster
  Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
  
   / singing saw
• Candie Payne
  Candie Payne
  Candice "Candie" Payne is an English singer and songwriter from Liverpool. She released her debut album, I Wish I Could Have Loved You More, on Deltasonic in May 2007. She is the sister of singer/songwriter Howie Payne, former frontman of band The Stands and Sean Payne, the drummer of The...
  
   / backing vocals
• Euros Childs
  Euros Childs
  Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. His sister is the violinist Megan Childs...
  
   / backing vocals
• Bill Wells
  Bill Wells
  Bill Wells is a Scottish bassist, pianist, guitarist and composer.He is best known for his group the Bill Wells Octet, since the early 1990s, but he has performed and recorded in a wide range of settings, including collaborations with The Pastels, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Future Pilot A.K.A., Lol...
  
   / bass
• Joe McGinty
  Joe McGinty
  Joe McGinty is a composer, keyboardist and arranger who was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey.-Background:McGinty is most widely known for his five years as the keyboardist for The Psychedelic Furs ....
  
   / keyboards
• Phil Manzanera
  Phil Manzanera
  Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
  
   / guitar
• Robbie McIntosh
  Robbie McIntosh
  Robbie McIntosh is an English guitarist. McIntosh is well known as a session guitarist and member of The Pretenders from 1982 until 1987. In 1988 he began doing session guitar work for Paul McCartney joining his band full time until early 1994...
  
   / guitar
• Hugh Hopper
  Hugh Hopper
  Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...
  
   / bass
• Daisy Martey
  Daisy Martey
  Daisy Martey is the lead vocalist for Noonday Underground. Late in 2004, Martey left the band to become the lead singer of Morcheeba, replacing their former singer, Skye Edwards. Martey recorded the vocals for Morcheeba's fifth studio album, The Antidote, which was released in May 2005...
  
   / backing vocals
• Tucson Philharmonia / strings
• Bridget St. John / vocals
• Dave McGowan / pedal steel
• Heather McIntosh / bass and cello
• Kellie Sutherland / brass
• Tara Shackell / brass
• Isobel Knowles / brass
• Gus Franklin / brass
• Graham Henderson / accordion
• Peter Nicholson / cello
• Francis Reader / backing vocals
• Peter Henderson / producer
• Tim Shepard / artwork and executive producer
• Bernard MacMahon / executive producer
• The Wyattron
  Robert Wyatt
  Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
  
  

External links

• Kevin Ayers Returns With Help From Roxy, Ladybug, Architecture by Paul Thompson and Amy Phillips (Pitchfork Jul 31, 2007) link
• Indie Stars Guest On Rock Legend's First Album In 15 Years (NME Aug 10, 2007) link
• Album Review by Simon Cosyns (The Sun Aug 31, 2007) link
• The Father of the Underground by Garth Cartwright (Daily Telegraph Aug 30 2007) link
• The Unsung Hero of Psychedelia by Lisa Verrico (The Sunday Times Sep 2, 2007) link
• Soft Centered by Pierre Perrone (The Independent Sep 11 2007) link
• Album Review by Andy Gill (Uncut Sept 2007) link
• Album Review by Mike Barnes (Mojo Sept 2007) link
• Kevin Ayers by Mike Atkinson (Stylus Oct 23 2007) link
• Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt by Simon Reynolds (Reynoldsretro Dec 14 2007) link