ANGEL DELIGHT

With Richard Thompson also gone (after Denny, Matthews and Hutchings), Fairport reconvened as a quartet and again managed another good album despite losing another strong songwriter: this last remark being relative since five of the ten tracks are traditional numbers (therefore confirming the direction Hutchings wanted them to go towards) and three other tracks are still penned by Thompson. The remaining tracks are normal folk rock in the US mould or a copy of the trad songs they cover.

To call this album progressive is an overstatement because even if the playing is outstanding and sometimes downright impressive, aside from two tracks, it never reaches the brilliance (or the intensity) of other groups like The Pentangle or Comus. If you are into jigs and square dances this album might just be for you, but if you are looking for adventure (even on familiar grounds) you might be best advised to look elsewhere, some tracks being a downright bore for the average proghead. Highlights for a proghead might include Bony Black Hare with its keen dronal ambiances and to a lesser extent Sir William Gower, but little else exciting. The lack of "progressiveness" of this album compared to the other Fairport albums is costing it one star. Sounds severe from me? Are you not yet used to it? ;-)

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