Comments on: Mostly Autumn – Ten of the Best

By: David Meadows

David Meadows — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:31:38 +0000

Ice is a sadly overlooked song. I think it’s probably my favourite on the album.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:20:05 +0000

@Alex

Some interesting and not-at-all-obvious choices there! Shows the depth of their songbook.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 21:38:49 +0000

I can’t disagree with much in that list, though I’m not a big fan of Deep in Borrowdale, and Questioning Eyes wouldn’t quite make my favourites. The Second Hand is an unexpected choice, but one of my favourites too. It’s one of Mostly Autumn’s most ‘commercial’ sounding songs to me – I could have imagined that one in the charts about 10 years ago. A Different Sky, from the same album, too.

My choices:

Shrinking Violet
The Gap Is Too Wide
The Spirit of Autumn Past (Part II)
The Dark Before The Dawn
The Night Sky (quite a recent addition to my favourites, maybe due to Anna Phoebe playing on it live)
Porcupine Rain
Answer the Question (I loved hearing Distant Train followed by this live)
Ice
Tearing at the Faerytale
Spirits of Christmas Past (live)

6-10 are quite interchangeable…I’m surprised I didn’t have room for anything from The Ghost Moon Orchestra, just so you know I’m not completely biased towards Heather on lead vocals.

If there’s more than one version – it’s most likely the one from Catch the Spirit, perhaps because I’m most familiar with them. Originally I preferred the versions from The Last Bright Light, but ended up listening to Catch the Spirit more.

How about favourite covers performed live? I love The Fairytale of New York, Ride On and Us and Them.

By: Peter Ward

Peter Ward — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:18:36 +0000

Ten great songs there Tim but it is a mark of the depth of Mostly Autumn’s catalogue that none of them, with the possible exception of The Night Sky, would get near my list. I’m meant to be working so can’t work out what my list would be now but Yellow Time and Steal Away are two of their less prominent songs that I return to again and again.

By: Tom B

Tom B — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:42:03 +0000

Good choices Tim. Going for songs which wouldn’t necessarily be the best ten, I would have Goodbye Alone, Simple Ways, Silver Glass, Heart Life, Caught in a Fold, Deep in Borrowdale, Answer the Question, Shrinking Violet, Wild Eyed Skies and Pieces of Love.

By: PaulE

PaulE — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:53:12 +0000

I think I said on another thread that I could argue with myself on this subject. So, in that spirit, here is an alternative list of 10. Again covering a range of albums and trying not to pick too many of the obvious choices.
Evergreen, Mother Nature, First Thought, Another Life, Heart Life, Silver Glass, Above The Blue, And When The War Is Over, Tennyson Mansion, The Library
And I have still managed to miss out some great songs (including some on Tim’s list). I guess that is why I like the band so much, I could list 30 and still feel I wasn’t doing them justice.

By: Paul Grunill

Paul Grunill — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:10:59 +0000

All great songs, but I’d want Shrinking Violet (Heather’s last show), The Last Climb, Fading Colours, Hold The Sun in there.

By: PaulE

PaulE — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:59:09 +0000

You can spot a “core fanbase” discussion by references to particular versions of songs …
For The Night Sky it is always the Pass The Clock/Catch The Spirit version for me. For Shrinking Violet I tend to play the Leamington live version most.
My 10:
The Night Sky
Shrinking Violet
Passengers
Answer The Question
Storms Over Still Waters
Half a World
Paper Angels
Wild Eyed Skies
Tonight
Box Of Tears