XXXV

XXXV, despite the title, is not a retrospective compilation; nor is it entirely an album of re-recordings of classic Fairport material by the turn-of-the-century lineup of fiddler Ric Sanders, mandolinist Chris Leslie, drummer Gerry Conway and stalwarts Simon Nicol on vocals and guitar and Dave Pegg on vocals and bass. The set combines reworked versions of Fairport gems like the Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick classic "Now Be Thankful" mixed with new material largely from the pens of Sanders and Leslie.
While the current band contains no powerhouse soloists on the level of Thompson or Swarbrick, the interplay between the musicians is, as always, sterling. The fiddle medley "Everything But the Skirl" features Sanders and Leslie going all out in an old-fashioned cutting competition, with Pegg, Nicol, and Conway providing dead-on support. This track and the old-fashioned Morris tune "The Happy Man" prove that there's still much viability in this venerable British folk-rock institution.|