WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAYS

I must admit that I've never been fond of Fairport Convention. I remember that in 1969 even their popular chart topper 'Si Tu Dois Partir' ( french language cover of Dylan's 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now' ) although frequently airplayed, left me unimpressed. And so it had been until recently when I've started collecting albums from their primal period. So I came to this one and - it happened! Almost first listening to it made me profoundly enthusiastic. This album contains varied collection of songs; from gentle ones, as Denny's 'Fotheringay' then more rocking like 'Mr. Lacey' to the superb reading of Dylan song 'I'll Keep It With Mine'. However, my favourites are their arrangements of two traditional songs, 'Nottamun Town' and ' She Moves Through The Fair'. These two tracks were the first sign of more traditional direction taken, particularly explicit on albums which followed. This one shines with exemplar musicianship, but the charm of its sound is definitely in Sandy Denny's colourful soprano and exquisite guitar of Richard Thompson. The sad story of this Fairport Convention line-up was that soon after the release of this album drummer Martin Lamble died in car accident and Sandy Denny, this in many ways unique figure , died in 1978 at the age of 30. I will close this review with well known fact that nothing, even decades of indifference in my case , can not obstract one to discover the amazing beauty of good music.