Fanny — Charity Ball

Wow. Wow. Wow wow wow. I wrote just a little bit about Fanny back in August (F has been a bit of a slog, eh?). I was not one of those people who knew about Fanny back in the day, but I sure am one now. Since finding “Fanny” and “Fanny Hill” at MaTones last year, I have played them over and over and just love those records more with every play. Then along about August this year, on the very first pandemic record run that I made – the first time the desperate need to leave the house for something other than groceries or drugs led me to risk some lives for the sake of records. (Not much risk, by the way: the guys there are cool, wearing their masks, and though the shop isn’t huge there’s an ability to distance, and people are good about it.)

Just imagine my delight finding my bravery was rewarded when an idle riffling through the F section was rewarded with both Fanny albums that I was missing. And this record, this is just fantastic. I’ve read several reviews who said this was their best, and they may be right — it’s at least first among equals with their first and third. Released in 1971, it features a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “Special Care” that rocks, and the rest are originals that are fantastic, beginning to end. Deservedly, a lot of writers focus on the sisters June and Jean Millington, and they are fantastic, but they are all fantastic, and Nickey Barclay’s energetic keyboards and spirited singing both hit me hard. This is the absolute best kind of ’70s rock, beginning to end. Having this has just encouraged me to play the other albums even more – usually if I’m in for one Fanny record, I’m in for the first three, at least.

Originally posted 11-6-2020