Following the breakup of the short-lived
Fotheringay,
Sandy Denny returned with her first post-
Fairport solo album,
The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Produced with ex-bandmate
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. Songs such as "Late November," "John the Gun," and "Next Time Around" are among her best, while "Blackwaterside," featuring
Thompson's guitar and accordion, continues to show her mastery of traditional music. Because her songs tend to lean toward 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, though both sound as if they were afterthoughts. Her best record was still a year away, but
The North Star Grassman is a solid effort from
Denny's sadly shortened solo career. [The 2006 reissue includes four bonus tracks.] ~ Brett Hartenbach