Anthology, Pt.1

In their earliest days, Fairport Convention modeled themselves after Jefferson Airplane, and in vocalist Judy Dyble they would have their own Signe Anderson; just as Anderson would leave the Airplane after their first album, making way for the more powerful and charismatic Grace Slick, Dyble parted ways with Fairport after their debut LP, with Sandy Denny becoming the group's strongest and most iconic vocalist. However, while Anderson dropped out of music after leaving Jefferson Airplane, Dyble pursued a modest career into the early '80s and began a prolific return to recording in 2004. The Anthology, Pt. 1 is a collection of odds and ends from Dyble's years before, during, and after her brief tenure with Fairport, and the material runs the gamut from disciplined readings of classic folk tunes taped at an informal show in 1964 to atonal improvisations that suggest Wolf Eyes as cheerful and well-scrubbed British university students, a few unreleased Fairport demos (including a lovely version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now"), sessions with the pre-King Crimson Giles, Giles & Fripp, and a synth pop cover of Pink Floyd's "See Emily Play," with a curious advert for cassette tape (with Dyble singing a reworking of "Amazing Grace") closing out the set. While most of Dyble's performances here lack the flexibility and gusto of some of her contemporaries on the U.K. folk scene, her skill as a vocalist is undeniable, as is the clarity of her instrument, and for die-hard fans and followers of the glory days of the U.K. folk-rock scene, there are a number of lost treasures here. The Anthology, Pt. 1 reveals Judy Dyble has enjoyed a more varied and interesting career than the average folk fan knows. ~ Mark Deming