Richie Havens - Grace Of The Sun

Havens' live show, in which he mixes songs with reminiscences about the days of Greenwich Village and Woodstock, is an unabated joy. On record he's equally nostalgic, sticking unswervingly to the same rhythmically strummed open tunings and passionate folk-soul vocals he's been peddling for almost 40 years. Despite the familiarity, the formula still sounds not only great but positively noble: he even gets away with new versions of "Woodstock" and "All Along The Watchtower". A monument to more hopeful times.

Rating: 3 / 10