Meet On the Ledge - The Classic Years (1967-1975)

If you had to pick just one British folk-rock band to download, and could only choose a single album, this collection would have to be it. Meet on the Ledge: The Classic Years (1967-1975) spans the group's genesis, before they hooked up with golden-throated singer Sandy Denny, on a few years after her accidental death and the departure of guitarist and guiding light Richard Thompson. Due attention is paid to their most fertile period in the late '60s, while the songs included from the less successful eras are just the ones you want. The group showed quite a knack for songcraft, from the traditional numbers they adapted ("Tam Lin," "Matty Groves") to the contemporaries they covered (Leonard Cohen, Gene Clark, Joni Mitchell, Dylan) and those they wrote themselves (the Thompson or Denny-penned numbers, most notably the title tune). There were other British folk-rock bands, of course; some were weirder (Incredible String Band) or Renn Faire-ish (Rennaissance) or traditional (Steeley Span). But in bringing British Isles music together with rock, folk and even jazz elements while totally kicking ass, classic-era Fairport is peerless.