Angel Delight
Studio album by
Fairport Convention
ReleasedJune 1971
RecordedFebruary–March 1971
StudioSound Techniques (London)
GenreBritish folk rock
Length36:46
LabelIsland
ProducerFairport Convention & John Wood
Fairport Convention chronology
Full House
(1970)		 Angel Delight
(1971)		 "Babbacombe" Lee
(1971)

Angel Delight is the sixth album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention, released in June 1971. This was the first Fairport Convention album without guitarist Richard Thompson, and the lineup consisted of Simon Nicol (guitar, vocals) (the only original group member), Dave Swarbrick (violin, vocals), Dave Pegg (bass, vocals), and Dave Mattacks (drums).

Production

The title derives from "The Angel" in Little Hadham, Hertfordshire, a former pub which the band were living in at the time,[1][2] and the eponymous track is autobiographical, referring to "John the Wood" (co-producer), "Dave the Drum" (Mattacks), and even details such as "peer through the haze watching Top of the Pops". The band moved out of The Angel shortly after the album's release, partly because a lorry had crashed into Dave Swarbrick's bedroom.[3][4]

The U.K. album cover included liner notes consisting of dialogue among band members and roadies preparing to leave "The Angel" for a gig, that was replaced on American and Canadian copies by a more straightforward, biographical liner essay.[5][6]

Musically, Angel Delight progressed little from its predecessors, although an appearance on Top of the Pops as a featured album contributed to its chart success;[7] it reached number eight on the UK Album chart, making it the band's highest charting album in the UK.[8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[9]

Angel Delight has received generally positive reviews from critics.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lord Marlborough"Traditional3:27
2."Sir William Gower"Traditional5:00
3."Bridge over the River Ash[10]"Traditional2:15
4."Wizard of the Worldly Game"Simon Nicol, Dave Swarbrick4:08
5."The Journeyman's Grace"Swarbrick, Richard Thompson4:35
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Angel Delight"Nicol, Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks4:10
7."Banks of the Sweet Primroses"Traditional4:15
8."Instrumental Medley: The Cuckoo's Nest / Hardiman the Fiddler / Papa Stoor"Traditional3:28
9."The Bonny Black Hare"Traditional3:08
10."Sickness & Diseases"Swarbrick, Thompson3:47
Total length:36:46
Island Remasters CD reissue bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."The Journeyman's Grace[11]"Swarbrick, Thompson3:53

Personnel

Fairport Convention
  • Dave Swarbrick – lead vocals (1,4,5,10,11), mandolin (2,6,8,9,10), vocals (2,6,7,9), fiddle (1,5,7,8,11), viola (9), cuckoo (8)
  • Dave Pegg – bass guitar (1-2,4-8,10,11), vocals (1,2,4-7,9,10,11), lead guitar (10), viola (9), violin (3)
  • Dave Mattacks – drums (1,2,4-11), percussion (8,10), vocals (1,4-7,10-11), harmonium and piano (4), tambourine (6), bass guitar (3)
  • Simon Nicol – lead vocals (2,5), vocals (1,4-7,9,10,11), guitar (1,2,4-8,10,11), bass guitar (9), electric dulcimer (1,9), violin (3)

on 11:

Title

The cover includes a photo of two cherubs kissing. The title may also be a reference to the UK dessert, Angel Delight.

References

  1. ↑ "History of Fairport". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  2. ↑ Humphries, Patrick (2012). "8". Nick Drake: The Biography. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781408841440.
  3. ↑ "Angel Delight lyrics". Archived from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  4. ↑ Redwood, Fred (6 November 2012). "For sale: folk band Fairport Convention's former pub home". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Angel Delight U.K. cover". Discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Angel Delight U.S. cover". Discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Angel Delight". 23 March 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  8. ↑ "Fairport Convention | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Angel Delight Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  10. ↑ Which flowed through the rear garden of The Angel - "Angel Delight". 23 March 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  11. ↑ Island Remasters CD reissue (IMCD 307 / 982 150-0, 2004) bonus track from BBC radio session, Stuart Henry 19 November 1970
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