John Fiddler CD: "Fiddlers Anthology - Greatest Hits - Live"

Sleeve and track listing

Angel Air SJPCD147.

Review

This is the companion CD to the Live in London DVD. Recorded before a selected audience in a film studio in west London sometime in the summer of 2003, it attempts to capture Medicine Head at their minimalist, back-to-basics best. That's if you call John Fiddler + 1 (in this case Darrell Bath) Medicine Head, that is.

The running order is changed, and there are just 12 tracks presented here (down from twice that on the DVD), but the disc seems to benefit from that. Despite the acoustic/minimalist format limiting what can be done to each track, there is just about enough variety here to keep the listener involved for the hour-long running time.

The British Lions tracks One More Chance To Run and Big Driftaway are both interesting in the acoustic format, as are the Medicine Head hits such as Rising Sun, Slip and Slide and One And One Is One. These are, after all, some of John's best-known numbers and so deservedly given an airing here.

I found this easier to digest in one sitting so the uncommitted fan may wish to start here before purchasing the DVD.

See also

There is a companion DVD, Live in London, also on Angel Air.

John's official website is at www.johnfiddler.com.