For about a year,
Ian Matthews and
Sandy Denny shared the lead vocal duties with the British group
Fairport Convention and were both instrumental in the recording of one of the true masterpieces of '60s folk-rock, 1969's What We Did on Our Holidays.
Matthews left the band before their next album, moving on to his own career, while
Denny stayed for two more records, reuniting with
Matthews on his 1971 effort
If You Saw Thro' My Eyes. Nearly 30 years later,
Matthews, along with guitarist Jim Fogarty, singer Lindsay Gilmour, bassist Walt Rich, and drummer Roger Cox, under the name
No Grey Faith, pays tribute to the music of his late ex-bandmate with
Secrets All Told (The Songs of Sandy Denny). The record understandably concentrates on
Denny's post-
Fairport work, considering that they recorded just four of her tunes during her first stint with the band, though there are acknowledgments -- instrumental and vocal intros and interludes -- to her signature song, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," along with
Matthews' take on
Unhalfbricking's "Autopsy." And though the selections are good ones, the difficulty with a project such as this is that you're dealing with a songwriter who was also a great singer, and whose voice is nearly inseparable from the material. That said,
Matthews and Gilmour, who has a lovely,
Joan Baez quality, do an admirable job, though it's tough hearing another female voice doing these songs without unfair comparisons. Gilmour is brave to try, and does a nice enough job, though her pristine folkiness occasionally betrays some of the more delicate qualities in
Denny's writing. It's a bit easier to accept
Matthews' vocal, which suits his choices quite well. His cuts, especially, "Rising for the Moon" and "Bushes and Briars," are as successful as you could hope, which is a testament, not only to his voice, but to his understanding of
Denny's material.
Matthews has always had a reputation for his tasteful, but distinctive interpretations of others' work, and the band's acoustic-based arrangements here, for the most part, have that same mix of reverence and personality.
Secrets All Told, which is available from his Perfect Pitch label, is recommended to fans of
Ian Matthews, but
Sandy Denny devotees should also be pleased with this loving tribute. ~ Brett Hartenbach