Does the world need yet another live recording from Fairport’s annual Cropredy festival? Well, the answer on this occasion is: Yes, indeedy!
Last year’s gathering marked the band’s 50th anniversary and this collection shows the current line-up – with a combined age of 333 – plus former members and old friends playing with the passion and energy of teenagers.
Recent studio albums have been somewhat tired and predictable affairs but Fairport can still be a blistering live act, especially when they delve into their back catalogue of robust folk songs and tunes. WWDOOS offers 25 cuts, all but three dating from 1967 to 1973 and just one – the pleasant Our Bus Rolls On – from the last 20 years.
Proceedings open with a storming Time Will Show The Wiser from the 1967 debut album, reuniting original vocalists Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews and featuring Richard Thompson’s sublime guitar work. Fairport’s 1969 folk-rock classic Liege & Lief is represented almost in its entirety, with Chris While channelling the late Sandy Denny most effectively, and Thompson is heavily featured on a string of tracks from the follow-up Full House.
Ralph McTell performs a moving White Dress while Sally Barker, PJ Wright and Maartin Allcock pay tribute to the late Trevor Lucas with a rousing rendition of the Fotheringay track The Ballad of Ned Kelly.
There’s the usual Fairport ending of Meet On The Ledge, performed by practically everyone who has been involved with the band over the last 50 years (and are still alive) and supported by the massed vocal talents of the Cropredy crowd. We’ve heard it so many times before but those Thompson lyrics – “When my time is up I’m gonna meet all my friends… it all comes round again” – still bring a lump to the throat.
This is both a worthy document of an obviously successful festival and a fitting celebration of half a century of great music – Fairport could say Farewell, Farewell now and this recording would provide a fine finale.
TRACK LISTING
CD1
01. Time Will Show The Wiser (3:30)
02. Reno Nevada (5:56)
03. Suzanne (6:37)
04. Farewell, Farewell (3:15)
05. Crazy Man Michael (5:33)
06. Come All Ye (4:52)
07. The Deserter (4:32)
08. The Lark In The Morning medley (4:44)
09. Tam Lin (7:55)
10. Walk Awhile (4:24)
11. Poor Will And The Jolly Hangman (6:05)
12. Sloth (9:23)
Time – 66:46
CD2
01. Now Be Thankful (3:28)
02. Fotheringay (3:19)
03. Ned Kelly (3:45)
04. Rising For The Moon (4:16)
05. White Dress (3:31)
06. A Surfeit Of Lampreys (2:56)
07. The Hiring Fair (7:30)
08. The Hexamshire Lass (2:51)
09. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (5:48)
10. Our Bus Rolls On (4:11)
11. Dirty Linen (4:35)
12. Matty Groves (6:06)
13. Meet On The Ledge (5:41)
Time – 57:57
Total Time – 2:04:43
MUSICIANS
Iain Matthews – Vocals (CD1 1-3, CD2 13)
Simon Nicol – Guitar, Vocals (all tracks except CD2 track 3)
Richard Thompson – Guitar, Vocals (CD1 1-3 & 6-12, CD2 1,11 & 13)
Ashley Hutchings – Bass, Vocals (CD1 1-3 & 6-9, CD2 13)
Judy Dyble – Vocals (CD1 1-2, CD2 13)
Dave Mattacks – Drums, Keyboards (CD1 1-4 & 6-12, CD2 1,6-9 & 11-13)
Chris While – Vocals (CD1 3,6-7 & 9, CD2 9 & 13)
Dave Pegg – Bass, Vocals (CD1 4-5 & 11-12, all tracks on CD2)
Chris Leslie – Violin, Mandolin, Banjo (CD1 4-12, CD2 1-2 & 5-13)
Ric Sanders – Violin (CD1 4-5, CD2 2 & 6-13)
Gerry Conway – Drums (CD1 track 5, CD2 2-5 & 7-13)
Sally Barker – Vocals (CD2 3-4 & 13)
PJ Wright – Guitar, Vocals (CD2 3-4 & 13)
Maartin Allcock – Guitar, Vocals (CD2 3-6,11 & 13)
Ralph McTell – Guitar, Vocals (CD2 5 & 13)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Matty Groves
Catalogue#: MG2CD055
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 15th June 2018
LINKS
Fairport Convention – Website | Facebook | Twitter