Fairport Convention From Cropredy To Portmeirion CD

FROM CROPREDY TO PORTMEIRION is a collection of live recordings from British folk band Fairport Convention's tour through the U.K. in 1990. It features 10 tracks, including recordings of the songs "London River," "Red And Gold," and "Meet On The Ledge."

Nearly an hour of Fairport Convention recorded live on their 1990 British winter tour, in excellent sound and generally in superb form. Though the tour preceded the release of The Five Seasons, there's nothing anticipating that album in the repertory presented here -- rather, most of the songs are drawn from Gladys' Leap and, to a lesser degree, Expletive Delighted! ("Portmeirion") and Red & Gold ("Red & Gold" and the gorgeous "London River"), with a medley of older songs at the close. Rick Sanders' stunning "Portmeirion" is almost worth the price of the CD by itself, with "London River" only inches behind it, and there's nothing in here that couldn't win over the unconverted. It all makes one wonder, all the more, what is wrong with a music industry that doesn't have room for a group like this on a major label? ~ Bruce Eder

Fairport Convention: Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Martin Allcock, Ric Sanders, Simon Nicol.