Angel Delight

The post-Richard Thompson lineup of Fairport Convention always seems to be viewed as subpar. I disagree. OK, R.T. was great, and his exit from Fairport was a great loss, but this allowed the talents of the other band members to flourish in their own right, without the distraction of having R.T. stand there dwarfing them. Simon Nicol did a creditable job on guitar, and it can fairly be said that Thompson's exit allowed him to emerge all the more as a serious musician in his own right. One can also not say enough for the skills of Swarbrick and Mattacks. I'm a bassist myself, and have never been impressed at all with most of what I've heard from Dave Pegg, whose best bass playing IMO was on tracks never released on any Fairport albums. On 'Now Be Thankful' and 'Bonny Bunch of Roses' Pegg is superb, but everywhere else, including this album being reviewed, he is found wanting. Would that Ashley Hutchings had stayed with the group (but then again we wouldn't have Steeleye Span if he stayed). If you can lower your expectations (the R.T. factor) you will be able to enjoy this album very much. 'The Banks of the Sweet Primroses' is one of my favorite Fairport songs ever done, and you have it here in all of its beauty.

Angel Delight is not only one of Fairport Convention's very best ablums, but it is one of the greatest comebacks in rock history. I use the term "comeback" not in the sense that the previous albums were weak, as they were just as good. But to lose Sandy Denny after Leaf and Leige, and then Richard Thompson after Full House, and still have the talent to put out a work of this quality is simply amazing. High points for me are Lord Marlborough and the classical-tinged instrumental Bridge Over the River Ash. Unfortunately, the boys then let things drop off rather percipitously after this album with the very forgetable Babacombe Lee (good concept, poor execution). But why on earth is this album priced at $25? And only one measly bonus track (a live version of the weakest track on the album) for that hefty price? Come on, if you want me to replace my album with the CD, get the price down to the normally ridiculous high CD costs. I won't be buying this until you do.

The CD came just as described. The album was just as good as I remembered it but without all the scratches!

Angel Delight was Fairport's follow-up to their master-piece "Full House". Guitarist and songwiter Richard Thompson had left the band before the recordings for the album, but some songs had been written and rehearsed before he left. Thompson is co-writer on two songs and though his personal vocals are missed, his absence is actually surprisingly not very obvious. Before the recordings of "Full House" the band had moved in together in an old inn called "The Angel Inn" ( hence the title of the album ), and they lived there together during the recordings of this album too. Actually Richard Thompson still lived there after he had left Fairport Convention to pursue a solo-career; so obviously he still played a part in the band's musical direction. Guitarist Simon Nicol reveals in the sleeve-notes that he was not too familiar with the electric guitar at this point; but he obviously had been very much inspired by Thompson's style and his playing on the album is great. As with "Full House" the songs is a mixture of traditional songs and new originals written by the band. The opener "Lord Marlborough" is one the traditionals. This old folk song features great lead vocals by Dave Swarbrick; catchy melody in a very unusual/difficult rhythm, which makes the song even more fascinating. Simon Nicol takes over the lead vocals on the next traditional "Sir William Gower". The distorted guitar makes you think of Steeleye Span at their most electric/rocking period. Another good track! The first of the album's two instrumentals is the the violin-dominated "Bridge Over the River Ash" - almost like a classical piece. Dave Swarbrick takes over again the lead vocals on his and Simon Nicol's "Wizzard of the Worldly Game". Classic Fairport Convention at their best; fine solo by Nicol! "The Journeyman's Grace" written by Thompson and Swarbrick is a song much in the same vein as "Walk Awhile" from "Full House" The title track is a catchy and optimistic tune with autobiograpical lyrics. Great drum-breaks by Mattacks. The traditional ballad "Banks of the Sweet Primroses" was from the the first time I heard the album my favourite track; and it still is. A gorgeous melody. The instrumental medley is as always a pleasure; showing what great instrumentalist they all were. The last traditional song "The Bonny Black Hare" is probably my least favourite track, which by no means makes it a bad track. Swarbrick and Thompson's "Sickness and Diseases" is the most hard-rocking track on the album. Great closer of the original album. The single bonus-track is a BBC recording of "The Journeyman's Grace"; not that much different from the album version, but still interesting as it features great guitar-playing from Thompson. Conclusion: Classic Fairport, and a must-buy for any fan of the band.

At a time when most of their contemporaries were choosing a comercial path in the wake of Dylan and friends, These true originators of the folk rock genre reafirmed their commitment to the sound they pioneered. While their American cousins fell by the wayside, Championing Pop, Blues, agressive Progressive Rock, and other comercially accepted alternatives to the Folk roots in which they were founded, Fairport Convention makes a bold statement by refusing to compromise their conviction to it. They never made alot of money at their craft, and this album is a prime example of an artist's willingness to put their craft ahead of their bellies and bank accounts. At the time this album was recorded, the band was approximately 80,000 Pounds in debt and living, all, in a 2 room flat, unable to get bookings and losing key members to the lure of more lucrative projects. The quality and endurance of this recording is a testament to the soul of the true poets, troubadors, and pioneers who took up the mantle of Guthrie and the weavers in this country. As Dylan dined well, these boys sought to maintain a legacy he all but forgot.

'Angel Delight' underwhelmed me when I first heard it back in the day. It's not the easiest of Fairport's albums with which to engage and the way I listen to music these days I'm far more likely to play 'Leif and Liege' or 'Fairport Nine'. Revisiting this CD edition after some years I've changed my mind. An album that contains 'Bonny Black Hare', 'Banks of Sweet Primroses' and to a less stellar extent 'Lord Marlborough', the latter a personal tale from the English Civil War has a great deal going for it. There are , in fact, four traditional songs sprinkled with Fairport penned originals of which 'Angel Delight' the autobiographical title track is an amusing description of the foibles of the band's life at the former 'Angel Inn' where the band where living when this album was recorded. When you add the virtuosity of the musicianship especially the fiddle playing of Swarbrick on the two instrumental medleys my initial disappointment has long since been dispelled. It remains a truism that Dave Swarbrick's vocals are an acquired taste despite their undoubted authenticity and that the vocals on 'Sir William Gower' still sound terrible. Those caveats aside this is a strong Fairport album from one of their most impressive periods.

This song, racy lyrics aside, is just fabulous. It is redolent of leafy spring out on the land. I was living in The Bush when I listened to it most, on a battery-powered tape recorder. Wonderful track; it`s the reason I bought the seedee.

One of my favourite FC albums.

The Fairport Convention lived within 200 yards of my house when this recording was made and my wife taught Dave Swarbrick's son at the JMI school. We attended the charity gig on the hillside opposite the pub in Little Hadham mentioned in the notes. Two of the songs on the disc refer specifically to the Angel pub and the river Ash which featured prominently in my early and middle years. So this disc has to be a favourite with me together with its predecessor, Full House, which contains most of the songs played at the gig mentioned above. The recording and digital re-mastering is excellent and, of course, I love the notes, which do,however, contain one minor error - their landlord's name was Hodgkinson, not Hutchinson, as claimed by Simon!

always been a fan of fairport, bought this album on vinyl a long time ago, thought it was time to have the cd, great stuff.