The reappearance of this album marks another important chapter in Island’s restoration of the Fairport catalogue and legacy. For newcomers, this was the one studio album they made during Sandy Denny’s all-too-brief return to the fold. It was released in 1975, by which time their house of cards was about to blow down again and Denny was set for a second departure, along with Jerry Donahue and husband Trevor Lucas (fully half this album’s line-up).
The original 11-track release still stands proudly as a Fairport landmark, Sandy’s exquisite fragility informing such outstanding tracks as After Halloween and One More Chance, and the whole band (all of whom have writing credits) converging to great effect on Restless, the title track and more.
It’s newly augmented by two of Denny’s home demos and other nuggets such as a newly-released live version of White Dress, unearthed in the archive of London Weekend Television.
Making the new package unmissable and twice the value is the second disc, comprising the band’s 1974 live set at the Troubadour in LA, before they set about the studio project. Two discs of history that is both important and entertaining.
