Rating: 4/5
Review:
Genius singing, less good in other ways
I know that many people regard Fotheringay as a truly great album by a great group, but for me, this album confirms what I have thought since I bought their first album all those years ago: that Fotheringay were a competent band with an absolute genius as a singer. It's really good in places, but when Sandy Denny isn't singing, I think it's pretty ordinary.
Sandy's vocal work on Fotheringay 2 (compiled from recordings made in 1970) is just fantastic. Her distinctive timbre, her beautiful phrasing and genuine feeling are there in everything she does, and it's a poignant reminder of what we lost by her death. Even thoroughly well-worn songs like Wild Mountain Thyme become truly moving when she sings, even with a slightly unsympathetic backing. The rest is…well, it's OK. Knights Of the Road, for example, doesn't feature her and it's perfectly decent, but for me doesn't stand out from the huge swathe of similar stuff from around that time.
So, a qualified recommendation from me, although plenty of people think far better of it than I do. For me it's some welcome Sandy Denny but not much more – but it's still well worth hearing.
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