HOUSE FULL

I was listening to "House Full" just this evening while browsing the posts in PA forums and, due to extreme concentration condition, I was able to appreciate the many qualities of this CD: the playing is absolute top quality, all the musicians here know how to handle their instrument and have a deep sense of groove and group performance, with enough intricate parts to please most prog fans; of course, these are folk tunes, so if you don't dig irish or english folk music, with all the multiple vocal harmonies and violin solos you're gonna get bored.

I could compare the sound on this CD with some moments by Jethro Tull, but here we find a distinct "dance" feeling that is missing there, mainly because most of the tracks are traditionals, while Jethro Tull's folk tunes are originals and lay more on the bucolic/acoustic side.

The absence of Sandy Denny's wonderful voice could be another let down, but I think this CD is really a peak moment for the second phase of Fairport career; from here on, they would face many crucial line-up changes that will affect the quality of music, but here they still are at the top of (and the best at) their game.