Fifty years have passed since Fairport Convention released their self-titled first album, a charmingly eclectic mish-mosh of earnest pop tunes and American singer-songwriter covers enlivened by an astonishingly dexterous teenaged guitarist named Richard Thompson. Over the next few years, Fairport evolved into the flagship band of English folk rock, and their guitarist forged his disparate influences—first-generation rock and roll, Scottish bagpipe tunes, and modal improvisations pioneered by John Coltrane—into an instantly recognizable instrumental voice.…
Fifty years have passed since Fairport Convention released their self-titled first album, a charmingly eclectic mish-mosh of earnest pop tunes and American singer-songwriter covers enlivened by an astonishingly dexterous teenaged guitarist named Richard Thompson. Over the next few years, Fairport evolved into the flagship band of English folk rock, and their guitarist forged his disparate influences—first-generation rock and roll, Scottish bagpipe tunes, and modal improvisations pioneered by John Coltrane—into an instantly recognizable instrumental voice.…