Search - Fairport Convention :: Wood & The Wire

Fairport fans, rejoice!

spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 09/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Fairport has come up with a few good gems since Sandy Denny's departure, true, but their albums had always been somewhat uneven since. By the time of Jewel in the Crown they showed they could still put together a few good tunes, but they were edging perilously close to becoming folk/rock's equivalent of Pink Floyd - a band coasting on past achievements and name recognition. I was worried that after a couple more albums their slide down this slippery slope would be complete and we'd be left with only our old copies of Liege & Lief and Unhalfbricking to console us.Well well, how wrong I was. To be honest I like Martin Allcock and Dave Mattacks, but on this album they're hardly even missed. The others, along with newcomer Chris Leslie, play with a spirit and energy I haven't heard from them in years. There's a bigger emphasis on guitars and string instruments (as if the title wasn't a giveaway) and fewer keyboards. The band's rejuvenated spirit pervades everything, even the more 'serious' numbers such as Sanders' "Year and a Day" and the somber "The Lady Vanishes." If you've been a little indifferent about Fairport's last few releases, don't hesitate to pick this one up. It's good to have them back."

... And I thought I knew all the music fit to sing!

Jane Ellis | Eastsound, WA United States | 07/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wood and the Wire was my introduction to Fairport Convention. Stumbled across it by "mistake" and needing one more CD for free shipping, it has not only become a staple on my stereo, but compelled me to purchase other titles. Slowly but surely those close to me are becoming addicted as well. The beat is amazing, the words paint pictures. The more I listen, the more I hear."