Fairport Convention

A remarkable debut, Fairport Convention (1968) introduced a British folk-rock band whose instrumental prowess and eclectic repertoire qualified them as a nascent supergroup. Dizzying personnel shifts and haphazard commercial success, however, would dog the band throughout its long career, ultimately making Fairport more a style and a vision than a cohesive aggregation. Whatever the lineup, Fairport's players managed a union of Scotch-Irish folk, rock & roll rhythm, and cunning, elliptical lyrics. Unhalfbricking (now out of print) featured a legendary cast: angel-voiced Sandy Denny and guitarist Richard Thomp-son were a pair of singers as potent as the Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick and Marty Balin; Dave Swarbrick's violin grounded the band in the Celtic tradition; and drummer Dave Mattacks kept things swinging. Whether soaring through the 11 minutes of "A Sailor's Life" or rendering Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now," the musicians came off as daunting, witty virtuosos. Liege and Lief completed Fairport's first chapter, establishing the group at the forefront of late-'60s experimental British bands. Meet on the Ledge, the band's best compendium, is especially good at covering the first, great albums.

By the early '70s, both Thompson and Denny had departed; what was left of Fairport forayed even further into traditional music, which seemed limiting. Subsequent recordings were mainly Swarbrick's shows, and the band suffered from the lack of an outstanding vocalist. Live Convention (out of print) briefly brought back Sandy Denny, and the album was one of the band's last true highlights. Denny died in 1978, which was about the time the band's original vision had begun to fade.

Fairport kept on going, however. All the '80s-and-after albums, mainly featuring Martin Allcock on vocals, are worth a listen, but they only echo the long-past glory of the group's first three records. Expletive Delighted! (1987) is a fair example of the group's later work; it's an interesting fusion of jazzy licks and Celtic reels. The Copredy Box is a fine, three-disc live set that captures the excitement of the massive European folk festival that Fairport has hosted for years. XXXV commemorates the 35th anniversary of Fairport Convention, by then a ghost, however charming, of its former self. (PAUL EVANS)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide