Fairport's second album in a year - unthinkable these days. They saved their best for the second half of 1969. Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes is flawless. Elsewhere and the folk shackles are thrown off to create something of a rocking album. I can't decide if I love this album because it's so important to the evolution of British folk & rock, or just because it's brilliant.
I grew up around folk music and folk folk, so have a natural aversion to anything that leans too much in that direction. but I actually quite enjoyed parts of this, which surprised me. The middle section of A Sailor’s Life / Cajun Woman put me in mind of the early demo versions of some of the more extended VU & Nico songs. Maybe it was the violin, and the rockier edge to it. The rest of it kind of washed over me. Not sure I understand either the title or the family photo on the cover (even after Googling), which doesn’t help. Not too bad in places but unlikely to play it again.