Heyday: The BBC Sessions 1968-1969

by

Fairport Convention

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If you've somehow found this listing and this review, please don't overlook this album. A lost gem from the best-ever Fairport lineup: Sandy Denny, Ian Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashly Hutchings and Martin Lamble. Matthews' contribution to this band has always been underrated, he has an absolutely beautiful voice which blends so well with Sandy Denny's. As a lover of Unhalfbricking, which was the only album top feature this lineup, I was understandably very excited with this release, as all were recorded for the BBC with the above lineup.

It is futile to try to highlight, because gems and surprises abound. Much of this is the material they cut their teeth on, brilliant interpertations of songwriters they admired: Cohen, Mitchell, Dylan, etc. It doesn't matter what song they cover, they truly make it their own.

This is not for fanatics only. Though the sound is not up to the quality of Unhalfbricking, it is surprisingly good and the material and performances have to be heard to be appreciated. If you like breathtaking harmony and great ensemble playing, you'll love this record.

This is a pleasant but non-essential souvenir of Fairport Convention's early days, when a large part of their repertoire was covers of American singer-songwriter material. The recordings were made for BBC radio broadcasts. Ten of the twelve songs are cover tunes, of which two (Dylan's "Percy's Song" and Joni Mitchell's "I Don't Know Where I Stand") have previously appeared on Fairport albums. There's some Leonard Cohen, some Everly Brothers, a little Byrds... A highlight is "Some Sweet Day". Of all the Fairport albums, this one has the least connection to the band's later folk-rock sound.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)