Back in the late ‘60s, Fairport Convention fit right into – some would say co-created – the whole Summer of Love music scene with its ingenious mix of traditional and modern sounds.
In true avant-garde rock fashion – maybe best delineated by Patti Smith, who last week told a capacity crowd at the storied Fillmore West in San Francisco, “You’re waiting for rock, right? Well, it’s all rock to me.” – the group of just-barely-adults didn’t worry about what was cool to anyone except them. Clearly, coming to such a consensus is no simple task, especially with a shifting group of wild, wilful virtuoso talents moving in and out of the line up as they battle through business hassles and personal demons.
The magic, of course, was in Fairport’s success, which was as bewitching as the fables that they set to song. Specifically the much-storied Liege & Lief – did nothing short of create a genre. It’s easy to see how that was the best thing that ever happened to Fairport. In a way, though, it was also the worst.
Before we get to the punch line of that statement, indulge me in talking about Myths & Heroes, the band’s first album of new material since Festival Bell in 2011.
On the surface, crafting the 13-track Myths & Heroes couldn’t be simpler. Dive into the musical smorgasbord from your prolific chief songwriter, spread the call for new music to your masterful musical soul mates, and grab a smattering of exquisite tunes from the other band mates. Then let the line up of musicians, now together almost 20 years, loose. When I listen to Fairport, I always think of Sean Lennon’s confession that as a child he didn’t realize seemingly “simple” music, such as that of the Beach Boys, is incredibly intricate. Now we all know that music such as the Beach Boys’ and Fairport Convention’s, is born through a sophisticated tangle of imagination and mastery few possess.
What makes Fairport Convention’s latest music a true stand out — frankly, Myths & Heroes is their best album since Wood & Wire, released in 2000 — is the care and passion with which it was created. Clearly this is a quintet that cherishes the musical legacy it holds in trust.
How else to explain the painstaking details – Chris Leslie’s Celtic harp (yes, he’s now mastered that, too) on tunes including Rob Beattie’s ‘Man in the Water’; Ric Sanders’ nuanced mix of electric and baritone violins on the ‘Weightless/The Gravity Reel,’ by James Woods and Chris Leslie, Simon Nicol’s haunting vocals and acoustic guitar on PJ Wright’s ‘Home,’ the so-masterful-it’s-easy-to-forget percussion throughout – that combines to create contemporary music tethered to Fairport’s classic sound?
Myths & Heroes includes plenty of nods to the musicians and kindred musical spirits that have gone before them. Ric Sanders’ haunting ‘Jonah’s Oak,’ an almost classical-leaning fiddle and strings tribute is a literal salute to Johnny Jones, Rob Braviner, Geoff Hughes and others whose spirits are evoked at, yes, Jonah’s Oak in the corner of Cropredy field. That’s in stark contrast to Sanders’ other original work on this album, the sprightly ‘The Gallivant.’ The band wisely chose to fully realize the song with a full compliment of guest artists including fiddler Joe Broughton and his musical colleagues including two violinists, a trumpet and three saxophone players, a figurative nod to Fairport of yesteryear.
But modern-day Fairport has something that few other bands – no matter their history or accolades – can claim. It has fully engaged, virtuoso musicians that revere their group’s heritage. It’s that respect for the past that keeps Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders, and Gerry Conway continually expanding the depth and breadth of the band’s music.
As Nicol and Pegg repeatedly tell audiences, they are not a tribute band to themselves. Thank God. It’s sad to see once world-class musicians take the stage and take the seemingly easy way out as they become caricatures of their younger selves.
Which brings us, as promised, back to the downside of Fairport’s earliest success.
When fans continually take to virtual discussion boards to swoon over the music of Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick, it is a blessing, a tribute to the band. But it’s also, in my mind, a curse because they may dismiss the extraordinary music that the band now creates.
Keeping classic Fairport music on eternal repeat is akin to continually watching the first scene of a movie. No matter how enjoyable, it only foreshadows a deeper, more fully realized artistry. Look no further than Myths & Heroes, for evidence of Fairport’s continued greatness.
Nancy Dunham
Artists’ website: http://www.fairportconvention.com
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