Fairport Convention - Live At The BBC

English folk royalty’s radio days

Most of the 15 sessions Fairport recorded for the Beeb between 1968 and 1974 were thought to be lost forever, until an unmarked box of tapes was unearthed in the corporation’s vaults a couple of years ago. Lovingly presented here, with a bonus disc of taped material�never broadcast, these 69 tracks represent nothing short of folkie heaven: a revealing chronological insight into the development of one of the most influential British groups of all time.

The earlier recordings show the band treading the same road as, say, The Byrds or The Mamas & The Papas: folk-tinged, sun-kissed California country-rock, best exemplified by Sandy Denny’s tender lament Close The Door Lightly When You Go. American influences are also in evidence on harmony-laden covers of Johnny Cash (I Still Miss Someone) and Leonard Cohen (Bird On A Wire).

As the line-up changed intermittently in the 70s (most notably the departure of star players Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson), so did the group’s sound, leaning more towards traditional English folk concerns, but still with an occasional pigeonhole-defying playfulness (witness the ultra-faithful take on Sinatra’s The Lady Is A Tramp). What remains constant is the exemplary musicianship: the sound of sharp-witted musicians in perfect synch with their instruments.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Universal | 9845385 (4-CD)

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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