Unconventional

At their best they are truly wonderful, at their worst – though it doesn’t often happen – there’s always a glimmer of hope that something wild will happen. It usually does, evidence enough that Fairport are not, nor have they ever been, ordinary mortals. The facts stand up; their only hit single was a French language version of a Bob Dylan song, they boasted (simultaneously) the talents of Richard Thompson and the late Sandy Denny in the line-up, and each year they attract guests of the calibre of Robert Plant and Elvis Costello, among others, to their Cropredy concerts. Oh, and they are 35 years together. We’re definitely not talking normal here.

Now for the music .There’s five hours of it, spread over four CDs and 72 tracks, all either lost, unreleased, or previously unknown. It ranges from out-takes from the Rosie album to a composite version of ‘Matty Groves’, and spans their entire history. Add for good measure two books, a comprehensive band history and Pete Frame’s family tree, and you might have some idea of the size of the undertaking.

Highlights are the order of the day, from Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews’ tentative but revealing interaction on ‘Lay Down Your Weary Tune’ to an alternate version of ‘Walk Awhile’, with a slightly different rhythm from the ‘Full House’ version. This boxed set is one of the most significant and enjoyable recordings of the past several decades.