Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Fairport Convention
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1968
Length: 37:46
Rating: 3.5/5
The debate over which was, or still is, the greatest British folk rock band of all time will never get an epilogue, yet practically all listeners agree on which one is the most important in the genre: Fairport Convention. The legendary pioneers of British acoustic and later electric folk rock, who etched themselves into music history for all eternity with evergreens like »Crazy Man Michael«, »Matty Groves«, »Sir Patrick Spens«, »Meet On the Ledge«, »Fotheringay«, »Farewell Farewell«, »Walk Awhile, »Rosie« and more, took their first steps in 1966, when bassist Ashley Hutchings and guitarist Simon Nicol (today the band’s only original member) met in the middle of north London, where they were playing together in a lineup called Ethnic Shuffle Orchestra. They rehearsed together in a house the locals called ‘Fairport’, which gave them the idea for the name of their new band.
They lured guitarist Richard Thompson and Shaun Frater on drums into the original lineup of Fairport Convention. Right after their opening gig in some church, the first of the many lineup changes that would follow them practically throughout their whole career happened. Original drummer Frater was replaced after the show by Martin Lamble (1949-1969), who walked up to the band straight out of the audience and offered himself as their new drummer, claiming he could offer better drumming services than Frater. He really did live up to that claim and became their drummer until his tragic death in 1969. Singer Judy Dyble then joined them too, which let them develop a recognizable ethereal sound from the very first steps. The original Fairport Convention lineup was rounded out, at the urging of their then manager and producer Joe Boyd, who got them a deal with the famous label Polydor, by singer Ian McDonald (later better known as Iain Matthews, so he wouldn’t be confused with the former King Crimson and Foreigner multi-instrumentalist and keyboardist of the same name).
Their self-titled debut was in many ways a reflection of the era it was made in, and had little in common with their later folk rock masterpieces tinged with Anglo-Saxon and Celtic color, since it drew its inspiration mostly from the work of American folk and folk rock musicians of the sixties, led by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and The Byrds. Because of their name and the use of female and male vocals, plenty of people thought they were an American band, some kind of successors following in the footsteps of Jefferson Airplane, which was pretty funny. This was the only Fairport Convention album with Judy Dyble on lead vocals, as she went solo soon after its release, having briefly tried her luck even earlier in the burlesque proto prog rock outfit Giles, Giles & Fripp, from which the mighty King Crimson later grew. Her place was taken by the legendary Sandy Denny (1947-1978), who with her distinctive voice and charisma completely overshadowed the memory of Dyble in the following years, even though Dyble was an exceptionally gifted singer who had a slightly eccentric habit of knitting socks during gigs whenever she wasn’t standing at the microphone.
The album opens with a cover of American musician Emitt Wiser’s »Time Will Show the Wiser«, a simple rock’n’roll standard with an easy pastoral melody on Nicol’s acoustic guitar and nice dual vocal harmonies, with Matthews in the lead vocal role. With decisive electric guitar riffs, Richard Thompson shows that he’ll have to be taken very seriously in the future when it comes to great guitar talents. »I Don’t Know Where I Stand«, originally by Joni Mitchell, is a lovely folk ballad with Dyble’s ethereal vocals, where you can also clearly hear Hutchings’ elegant bass lines and Lamble’s witty cymbal work. Even though the original is the work of an American songwriter, Fairport Convention already manage at this early stage of their career to add some pastoral English charm, something they would only keep amplifying in the years to come.
»If (Stomp)« is an original, in which you can feel the influence of both American folk and the Beatles. The key roles go to Thompson’s refined use of acoustic chords and Matthews’ almost characteristically traditional English vocal. »Decameron« is another pleasant folk ballad, laid over the melody of an acoustic guitar, which thanks to Matthews’ hypnotic singing and the gentle accompaniment of his bandmate comes close to a children’s lullaby. »Jack O’Diamonds« originally belongs to Bob Dylan, at least as far as the lyrics go. At its core it’s a traditional folk song from Texas that tells of card players’ tournaments. Besides a tasteful take on a classic folk melody, the band members experiment a lot here with high vocals, and even with unusual blowing into a jug as a stand-in for a whistle.
The short instrumental »Portfolio« is an original with jazzy piano chords, handled by Dyble, and crisp mandolin sounds. »Chelsea Morning« is a successful take on a folk classic originally written by Joni Mitchell and popularized by Judy Collins. Here the female and male vocals complement each other beautifully over a spirited acoustic melody, creating a slightly psychedelic ambience. »Sun Shade« is another pleasant folk song with a gentle sequence of guitar chords and a distinctly romantic, nostalgic mood, which at the same time carries a dominant Celtic pathos. The complex experiment »The Lobster«, at almost five minutes the longest piece on the album, opens with psychedelic improvisations on guitars, bass and percussion before making room for a dramatic motif with a brief Matthews vocalization. You could easily talk about proto prog rock here too.
»It’s Alright Ma It’s Only a Witchcraft« is a playful little number with a burlesque lyric, where Thompson’s mischievous guitar riffs bring in even some blues rock influences, something that doesn’t happen all that often with this band. The melodic chorus is once again nicely pulled off in the interplay between the male and female vocals. »One Sure Thing«, under the baton of Dyble’s melancholic vocal and a piercing acoustic guitar melody, is yet another successfully Britishized take on an American folk rock standard, originally performed by Harvey Brooks and Jim Glover. »M1 Breakdown« is a short closing folk instrumental with playful mandolin sounds and a rowdy rhythm.
Fairport Convention’s debut was a colorful collection of more or less successful folk and folk rock standards with very few originals, but every take on the American originals was solid at the very least, and the first signs that a key band of British folk rock had been born were already there. The urge to discover new horizons was already smoldering back then in instrumental talents like Hutchings, Thompson, Nicol and Lamble, and only a few more steps were needed for the big breakthrough into the pantheon of rock giants. The first of them was the arrival of Sandy Denny, who with her ethereal, intoxicating vocal approach brought a big dose of rocket fuel with her.
Lineup
Judy Dyble – vocals, electric and acoustic autoharp, piano
Ian MacDonald (Iain Matthews) – vocals, jaw harp
Richard Thompson – electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
Simon Nicol – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Ashley Hutchings – bass guitar, double bass
Martin Lamble – percussion, violin
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Claire Lowther – cello
Production
Joe Boyd and Tod Lloyd
Track list
1. Time Will Show the Wiser
2. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
3. If (Stomp)
4. Decameron
5. Jack O’Diamonds
6. Portfolio
7. Chelsea Morning
8. Sun Shade
9. The Lobster
10. It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Witchcraft
11. One Sure Thing
12. M1 Breakdown
