Album Review

Fairport Convention – Rising For The Moon (Deluxe Reissue)

• 26th Aug 2013

In a career spanning almost half a century, some might think it criminal that Fairport Convention have become synonymous with the three albums they recorded in 1969 whilst fronted by Sandy Denny, a woman whose voice can reduce many a bearded grown man to tears. 1975’s Rising For The Moon, her last hurrah with the band before her tragic death in 1978, has now been reissued and is packed with all the trimmings to get Fairport obsessives slavering at the chops.

Whilst the album itself is a divisive offering for folk fans that sees the band exploring a more accessible sound for a wider audience, it’s undeniable that the magic combination of Denny’s voice and Fairport’s blues-influenced folk-rock pushes all the right buttons.

It’s moving to hear Denny’s voice on a live recording from 1974 at the LA Troubadour and the second disc is full of hidden gems and rarities that evoke a strange melancholic joy; hearing “new” recordings from a sadly lost artist isn’t something you get to enjoy every day.

The original release of Rising For The Moon raised the question of whether it was a Sandy Denny album or a Fairport album. Ultimately, it’s both, though you can’t help but feel it’s Denny that brings the magic ingredient to the table that really let’s Fairport shine their fullest.

As with any reissue, there is more to enjoy on the second disc for existing fans but the album itself is not the finest introduction to Fairport – a broader, less focused affair that shot for commercial viability and missed, languishing at 52 in the charts for just one week on release and ultimately leading to yet another split for the band. Never quite recapturing the magic of the ’69 recordings, it’s still a pleasure to hear Denny doing what she does best and the rarities offered on this deluxe version only add to her legacy as one of folk’s finest performers.

– Jamie Otsa

Venue: Rising For The Moon (Deluxe Reissue)
Support Band: UMC/Island