The Unfairground

The Unfairground
Studio album by Kevin Ayers
Released September 2007
Recorded Wavelab Studios, Tucson, Arizona; Marlborough Farms, New York; Eastcote Studios & Gallery Studios, London; YipJump Studios, Glasgow
Genre Rock
Length 34:02
Label LO-MAX
Producer Timothy Shepard, Peter Henderson and Gary Olson
Kevin Ayers chronology

Still Life with Guitar
(1992)
The Unfairground
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
BBC very favourable[2]
Mojo [3]
Q [4]
Stylus A-[5]
The Sun [6]
The Times [7]
Uncut 4/5[8]

The Unfairground is a 2007 album by Kevin Ayers, recorded with members of Ladybug Transistor, Teenage Fanclub, Neutral Milk Hotel, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Roxy Music.[9] It is his sixteenth studio LP and his first new set of recordings in fifteen years, as well as the last album released before his death in 2013. It was recorded in New York, Tucson, Arizona, London and Glasgow.[10] It debuted at #14 in the UK Indie Album chart.

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.[11] 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.” [12]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kevin Ayers. 

No. Title Length
1. "Only Heaven Knows"   2:47
2. "Cold Shoulder"   3:09
3. "Walk on Water"   3:14
4. "Friends and Strangers"   3:36
5. "Shine a Light"   3:47
6. "Wide Awake"   2:54
7. "Baby Come Home"   2:36
8. "Brainstorm"   4:31
9. "Unfairground"   3:51
10. "Run, Run, Run"   3:37

Personnel

References

  1. Jurek, Thom. The Unfairground at AllMusic
  2. De Ledesma, Charles (2007-09-14). "BBC - Music - Review of Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  3. Clifford, Danny (September 2007). "MOJO review September 2007". users.globalnet.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  4. Kane, Peter. "Q review September 2007". users.globalnet.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  5. Atkinson, Mike (2007-10-26). "Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground - Review - Stylus Magazine". stylusmagazine.com. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  6. The Sun review
  7. The Times review
  8. Gill, Andy. "Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground - Uncut.co.uk". uncut.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  9. Pitchfork July 31 2007
  10. Album liner notes
  11. Mojo September 2007
  12. The unsung hero of psychedelia - Times Online

External links