Sandy Denny
North Star Grassman And Ravens
Folk Following the breakup of the shortlived Fotheringay Sandy Denny returned with her first postFairport solo album 'The North Star Grassman and the Ravens' in 1971 Produced with exbandmate Richard Thompson and longtime engineer John Wood who would go on to produce the bulk of Thompson's work with Linda Thompson the record consists of eight evocative Denny originals along with the traditional 'Blackwaterside' and a pair of borrowed rockers There's a looseness and roominess to the sound with acoustic guitar piano and Thompson's electric guitar leading the sparse backing from former members of Fotheringay along with the occasional accordion violin pedal steel and strings Because her songs tend to lean towards the melancholy and are primarily on the slow to midtempo side Denny had to look elsewhere for upbeat material Choices such as Brenda Lee's 'Let's Jump the Broomstick' and a ragged yet somewhat effective duet with Thompson on Bob Dylan's 'Down in the Flood' are good ones CD Digitally remastered has four bonus tracks new sleevenotes and enhanced packagingLP 180 Gram Heavyweight Vinyl by Back to Black
Tracklist
Disc: 1
1. Late November
2. Blackwaterside
3. The Sea Captain
4. Down In The Flood
5. John The Gun
6. Next Time Around
7. The Optimist
8. Let's Jump The Broomstick
9. Wretched Wilbur
10. The North Star Grassman And The Ravens
11. Crazy Lady Blues
12. Next Time Around
13. Walking The Floor Over You - Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson
14. Lord Bateman
15. If You Saw Thru My Eyes
Disc: 2
1. The Sea Captain
2. The Optimist
3. Wretched Wilbur
4. Crazy Lady Blues
5. Lord Bateman
6. Late November
7. The Lowlands Of Holland
8. Blackwaterside
9. The North Star Grassman And The Ravens
10. Bruton Town
11. Next Time Around
12. John The Gun