Ashley Hutchings

The fourth -- and final? -- Ashley Hutchings collection is as chock-full of goodies and rarities as the previous three. (Why not just slap them out as a box, Ashley?) It begins auspiciously, with Sandy Denny singing "Both Sides Now" while fronting Fairport Convention, and slips right into a demo version of "Fotheringay" by the same outfit. Yet rather than move right through to the Albion Band, there is a break for just a moment as listeners are taken deep inside a beautiful medley of traditional tunes by the Etchingham Steam Band, then three by the Albion Dance Band and five by the Albion Band split into two parts. On top of all this are various Hutchings solo and collaborative works and his own playing and singing (with Maddy Prior) on a pair of cuts by Len Hutchings. In sum, this is a great collection. Compare these four volumes to the Richard Thompson self-issued box set and you'll see why this material is so superior. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide