FANTASIA LINDUM

From the perspective of a prog folk fan, "Fantasia Lindum" is the most interesting Amazing Blondel album, chiefly because of the 20 minute title suite. While it merely juxtaposes short songs and lute-ified dances and jigs together, it possesses a lot more continuity than the collection of consecutive tracks from their first couple of albums. In fact, the lead in, denouement, and chorus of "Lincolnshire Lullaby" are sheer brilliance, and the rest of the lengthy pastiche is almost as good. It would be enough to warrant 5 stars except that the latter part of the album, notwithstanding the lovely "Three Seasons Almaine", is less interesting, not even up to the level of the previous disk, "Evensong", while "Siege of Yaddlethorpe" is an assault on the listener. Still, what is good here is amazing, and another solid 4 star effort.