Angel Delight - FAIRPORT CONVENTION***

Lord Malborough/Sir William Gower/Bridge Over The River Ash/Wizard Of The Worldly Game/The Journeyman's Grace/Angel Delight/Banks Of The Sweet Primroses/The Cuckoo's Nest-Hardiman The Fiddler-Papa Stoor (Medley)/The Bonny Black Hare/Sickness & Diseases

Angel Delight was the first release from the leading British folk group Fairport convention following the departure of Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. It is a mixture of originals and traditional folk songs. (US:200 UK:8)

“I find this quite decent, and way better than many others of its ilk. It features somewhat heavy sounding, almost plodding material, with some mild Celtic moves here and there, and there is a mix of folk rock and traditional style folk. Unfortunately, it seems to lack that unidentifiable ingredient that sets their earlier releases apart from the rest. Genre fans won't be disappointed however.”

“The first album following founding member Richard Thompson's decision to pursue a solo career, Angel Delight saw Fairport Convention reduced to a quartet. While no longer an active member, Thompson's influence wasn't entirely missing given he'd co-written two of the ten songs prior to his departure.”

“When people talk of Fairport Convention, they will usually start by mentioning Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny. Their departure was certainly a tremendous loss to the band, but as this album shows Fairport were still a band of considerable talent. Mixing traditional tunes and originals, this album serves both as a showcase for the remaining members' talents, and as a worthy successor to the Sandy Denny /Richard Thompson era.”

“With Nicol and Swarbrick stepping into the leadership roles, the album offered up a surprisingly enjoyable mix of traditional English folk with more conventional and commercial numbers. While neither were fantastic singers, once you gave them a chance, the results weren't half bad.”

“Richard Thompson is gone, and he's sorely missed, not just in his guitar playing (although Simon Nicol steps up to the plate manfully), but also in his songwriting abilities. The title track is the best thing here. With Simon still a reluctant singer, Swarb handles most of the vocals, and his voice can fairly be described as an acquired taste. The traditional songs come off best, particularly the haunting The Bonny Black Hare, but it's not enough to boost the album past fair at best.”