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Band:Fairport Convention DVD:Fairport Convention - 35th Anniversary Concert (2003) Released by:MVD Writer: Dr. J- Media: MySpace Click Album Cover To Buy Now

FAIRPORT CONVENTION was formed back in 1967. By the time of this performance at the Anvil Theater in Basingstoke, England, 35 years had passed. Not being terribly familiar with the band, a little research was required. It seems the current line-up and musical direction of Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie and Gerry Conway is notably different than the more traditional adherence to British folk pursued by original members Nicol, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Shaun Frater and Judy Dyble who were at the time adopting an American ‘west coast’ approach. Somewhere in there, Sandy Denny joined the band, which led to a blending of traditional English folk music with rock with the slight influence of bluegrass. Historically, the band appears to influenced a few bands, including Jethro Tull. Evidently, through most of the 1970s and into the 1980s, the band really wasn’t a full-time gig, but more or less go together for a few special occasions and even came up with their own festival in Cropredy, England.

The track listing on the DVD includes “Walk Awhile”, “Banks Of The Sweet Primroses”, “Happy Man”, “The Crowd”, “My Love Is In America”, “Madeleine”, “Deserter”, “Medley: Everything But The Skirl, Let There Be Drums”, “Talking About My Love”, “Light Of Day”, “Portmerion”, “Crazy Man Michael”, “The Wood And The Wire”, “Hexamshire Lass”, “John Gaudie”, “Hiring Fair”, “Matty Groves”, and “Meet On The Ledge”. Anna Ryder and Vikki Clayton provide guest vocals.

How the group’s sound fairs when compared to days of long ago I cannot be an adequate judge, but I’ll take a swipe at it. From the few samples I could track down, and even an older recording (garnered on vinyl from a former hippie friend) it seems FAIRPORT CONVENTION’s sound has not altered that significantly from more recent material. I’m sure some of their older material is a bit more modernized, or electric, than the original versions, but the more traditional sound is maintained. The ever present plays a prominent role in the latter. In lieu of the traditional British folk-rock style, “Madeline” infuses a little rockabilly influence. The instrumental “Portmeirion” features Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson on flute. Another instrumental, “Everything But the Skirl” feature Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie on fiddle(s). The version of “The Crowd” (evidently a more contemporary piece, judging by reviewing the band’s history) was played in a varying arrangement (judging from previous recordings), which didn’t seem to take away from the appeal of the original version. “Now Be Thankful” was pulled from the early years of the group’s discography, and “Light of Day” provides the interesting storyline of a blind fiddler and some superstitious tavern customers.

As far as sound (5.1 Surround) and picture quality (9 Dual Layer Format), the DVD gets high marks. Camera angles capture the bands performance and the sound delivers. There have been a couple complaints concerning the drums sound too “rock”, but I fail to see how that listens the sound quality – only to those long time FAIRPORT CONVENTION fans who desire the more traditional sound. Perhaps the only gripe I have with the DVD lies in the performance. There seems to be quite a lot of banter between songs that at times can be a little difficult to understand.

Stating the obvious, fans of the British/English folk-rock genre will enjoy this. While I wouldn’t recommend this to most die hard metal fans, those looking for something completely different, and in the same merit can appreciate musicianship, may find this at least somewhat interesting. If nothing else, one has to admire and respect a group that, through varying members, has endured over time, not to mention maintained a loyal fan base and reverence within their genre.

Band:Fairport Convention DVD:Fairport Convention - 35th Anniversary Concert (2003) Released by:MVD Writer: Dr. J- Media: MySpace Click Album Cover To Buy Now

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