Fairport Convention, Over the Next Hill (Matty Grooves, 2004)
Assuming for a moment that one actually can judge a book or CD by its cover, there are possibly a few clues on the packaging of this new Fairport Convention recording that changes are underway. The most noticeable, of course, is that, with almost a handful of exceptions, this is their first album since 1979 not to be on the Woodworm label; instead it is the initial release of Matty Grooves, a new label set up by Dave Pegg and Simon Nicol. The personal matters which have led to this necessity are documented well enough, but the fact that they have quickly set up this new label must be taken as a positive sign, as indeed could the title of the set be seen as another clue to the band's current mindset. They have gone over many 'hills' through the decades, and as far as ends of eras go -- this is also most likely the last CD to be recorded at Woodworm Studios -- this isn't a bad one! It must be said they have turned the upheaval to their advantage and put together a collection of tracks which is their strongest overall for quite a long time.
There seems to be a renewed enthusiasm for the rockier side of the folk-rock style, perhaps having been shaken from various comfort zones recently (musically at least), and in large part, the band has left the more MOR material behind. This is not to necessarily suggest any sort of major change in sound, but a new or revitalised approach to the songs. It certainly helps that Simon Nicol adds more electric guitar to the mix, providing a neat lead solo on the solid rocker 'Wait for the Tide To Come In', a song of hopefulness, and the type of accompaniment that makes all the difference on various other tracks.
The songs themselves are generally upbeat, and unsurprisingly the largest number of in-house compositions are written by Chris Leslie, who also provides the bulk of lead vocals. It's Nicol who sings on track One, though, the title track 'Over the Next Hill', written by Steve Tilston. Again, it's a song in keeping with the theme of hope, while both words and music make various allusions to other songs, including the Rolling Stones' 'The Last Time' (presumably an in-joke!) and their own 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes'. It provides a mid-tempo start to the set, and is one of a number of tracks which took me a few listens to really appreciate. This is a good indication of the strength of the material, I would say -- there is more to this CD than can be digested in one listening, musically and lyrically.
Leslie's songs have quite a contemporary feel, while still focussing on historical stories. For example, 'Over the Falls' is based on the story of the first tightrope walk across Niagara Falls in 1859, set to a catchy and memorable folk/pop tune, and 'I'm Already There' places a local (Banbury) character on an Arctic voyage in the early 19th Century. The latter song is again mid-tempo, but with a traditional tune interspersed throughout, done in the typical Fairport folk-rock style.
Similarly, violinist Ric Sanders' tune set 'Canny Capers', which has each tune dedicated to a different member of the band, is instantly recognisable as Fairport, and highly enjoyable in its own right. The tunes start acoustically with dual mandolins (a la 'Flatback Caper') but build to a full electric workout, with a number of twists and turns and some great playing from all members. The same two words come to mind as for most of the other tracks: catchy and memorable. 'Some Special Place' shows the other side of Sanders' writing, and is a slow air dedicated to his deceased parents. This also builds as it progresses, but is a consistently touching piece of music. It ends fairly abruptly and unexpectedly, which may be a musical allusion to its raison d'etre.
Leslie's other song, 'The Fossil Hunter', is a melodic piece, more gentle in nature, but it is somehow saved from the more MOR tendencies of some of the tracks on latter-day Fairport CDs. This may be partly to do with its arrangement, which includes Leslie adding the Native American flute to his arsenal, and possibly partly to do with the company it keeps here. A number of ballads together can get a bit same-sounding to my ears, regardless of who is doing them, but put a high quality one such as this among more uptempo songs, and it stands out far more, I think.
If you're looking for a middle of the road track, Julie Matthews' 'Westward' would probably be it. It's a lot lighter than the other tracks and is certainly pleasant, but could hardly be called the most substantial song on the album. Yet, it is good fun and does stick in the mind, so on that basis alone, it belongs on this particular CD. Dave Pegg provides some fine acoustic bass work, though it is his distinctive electric bass gracing the other songs.
As much as anywhere, Gerry Conway's drum and percussion work is used to great effect on the other Steve Tilston song, 'Willow Creek', another number that sounds traditional but is newly written. Conway's textures and sounds add an important dimension to the band's overall sound, and this is a good example. It is also one of the comparatively few songs to feature a Simon Nicol lead vocal, though he often provides co-lead vocals with Chris Leslie on various other tracks.
There pretty much has to be at least one 'Trad Arr Fairport' song on any of their CDs, and one where each (singing) member takes a verse. In this case, both are combined in 'Wassail Song.' It is the same song that the Albion Band did on The Prospect Before Us, but with quite a different arrangement; another one that took a few listens to get. Now its unexpected rhythmic changes make perfect sense, and in common with the rest of the CD, it proves to be well structured and thoughtfully arranged.
A possible surprise is the inclusion of a re-recording of their one chart hit from 1969, 'Si Tu Dois Partir'. Apart from occasional Cropredies, the song has never really been in their repertoire since, but it was revived for the 2004 UK Winter Tour and was so well received that it was deemed worthy of inclusion here. First thing to say is how good it is to have the printed lyrics for the first time! Apart from that, it works just as well with the current line-up, augmented by annA rydeR on accordion and Chris While on vocals, as on the original. It seems only fair that Nicol, the one link between that line-up and this is the lead singer, and the inclusion of Martin Lamble's 'solo' from the original recording re-emphasises the whole notion that time and place can somehow merge into one with this band.
The very end of the album has the band probably bidding adieu to the side of the hill they have frequented for many years -- but in the process of crossing over the next hill, they have produced certainly the best album by this line-up, most likely one of the best of recent years and possibly one of the best in their long career. If we were judging this CD by its cover, we'd expect it to be slightly unexpected, creative and just a little intriguing. Yes, sounds about right.
Over the Next Hill is available from Matty Grooves Records, 6 Stonehouse Business Centre, Market Place, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5NA, UK. You can e-mail them here. The album is also available via the Fairport Convention's own Web site, here. Green Man Review has reviewed so many Fairport Convention albums over the years that it would take too much space to list them all here. For the complete list, see our index of reviews.
