Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
1969
Album Summary
Unhalfbricking is the third album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and their second album released in 1969. It is seen as a transitional album in their history and marked a further musical move away from American influences towards more traditional English folk songs that had begun on their previous album, What We Did on Our Holidays and reached its peak on the follow-up, Liege & Lief, released later the same year.The album features several Bob Dylan songs, which he had not yet released. It also features what is arguably Sandy Denny's most notable achievement as a songwriter with the song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?", which has been covered by many other performers and is now regarded as a classic. The only traditional song on the album, "A Sailor's Life", is seen as pivotal in the development of English folk rock music. Changes in the line-up of the band, due not only to its musical direction but also to external events, mark this album as a turning point in the band's history. 1969 was a prolific year for Fairport Convention; from What We Did on Our Holidays to Liege & Lief within twelve months represented a major development. The album also gave the band their first UK chart success, reaching number 12 in the UK album chart (the second highest position in the band's entire career), while the single release, "Si Tu Dois Partir", achieved number 21 in the UK singles chart.
WikipediaScrumptious. I have the sudden urge to join a hearty homegrown dinner with butter I churned myself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I knew of Fairport Convention but hadn't really listened so this was a very pleasant surprise
I don't know what I was expecting prior to listening to this, but wow! I loved every single song on this album. 5/5 stars. I am definitely going to be revisiting this album.
When I saw the cover I was a little worried I was looking at the band. Nothing could be further from reality. Richard and Sandy had just turned 20 when they recorded this! I am shocked that anyone can be so good by that age. The guitar is quite good (Not sure if Richard or Simon deserves the accolades). Fiddling on Sailor's Life is mind blowing. If time were free I'd spend some finding and listening to whatever else Dave Swarbrick did. Bonus points for getting to hear a couple of Bobby Dylan's buried treasures that I would not have ever found. Still trying to figure out whose grandparents are on the cover.
Super godt album. Folk, bluegrass og need en Fleetwood Mac feeling. Helt sikkert mange genlyt værd
Fairport Convention is one of those bands I have heard OF but not heard anything BY. I should have by this point, but this is my first full album listen. I can see why Robert Plant wanted Sandy Denny's voice for "The Battle Of Evermore." It's a very good counter and has a very Irish tinge here in a lot of the songs, I really hear it in "Percy's Song." Steve Howe once said how record execs were willing to try almost anything back in the early 70s. I could see how this caught on back then and how folk rock like this co ntinued throughout, but it's not something I imagine would be big now. It does seem pretty late 60s and 70s. But I still dug it. Maybe it was all the Dylan songs, I don't know.
So fun, and very gorgeous. My favorite folk sound, and "Si tu dois partir" is a gem.
Muito, muito bom. Não achei Percy's Song grandes cosias, só (mas também não é ruim).
Really loved this. Very well performed, charming folk rock that is simultaneously consistent and varied .It feels like I could keep listening to this for a long time.
I was surprised by how much I loved this album right away. The music feels warm and comforting. There are great grooving jams that I never expected from a “folk-rock” group, and yearning, heartbreaking songs sung in gorgeous voices. A wonderful record that will play frequently around here.
I really enjoyed this. Good classic British folk. Some of it had like a medieval vibe that I really enjoyed.
I'm not gonna lie. I was in a bad mood when listening to this album, so my perspective is probably skewed. I did not like it. The panning felt unnecessary and annoying, I didn't really dig the music. Shout out to the 11 minute song that was way too long and kind of bad.
Hippie drum circle bullshit. I think I could like it under different circumstances, but not today.
Gave this a few runs. It really gripped me. I loved the music and lyrics. Sailor's Song is amazing.
Exactly the kind of album I was hoping to discover here. Will listen to it again.
Great album! The quality is not very even throughout, but most of the songs are good. The melodies are simple but effective, and the singer's voice is beautiful.
I wasn’t sure where this was headed for me. The first three songs were just ok for me the first time around. I was wondering how long I could last before wishing I was listening to something else but once I got to “A Sailor’s Life” it was smooth sailing! I really enjoy “A Sailor’s Life” - all epic 11 minutes of it! “Cajun Woman” is fun… I’m always up for some Cajun accordion! “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” is really lovely. The noodly guitar and Sandy Denny are wonderful. I have likely heard this version sometime before, and definitely had heard several cover versions. Such a beautiful song. The two bonus tracks from the 2003 CD reissue are great additions! Really enjoyed them both. On the second time around… loved the first three songs too. The couple on the cover is Sandy Denny’s parents? All is well with this album.
I was interested but skeptical about this album…as sometimes folk-rock doesn’t hit the spot for me. Turns out that I really enjoyed this one though. I thought the vocals were beautiful and all the instrumentation quite captivating.
i am a sailor's wife, wrapped in a headscarf, waving my husband off to war
I expected just a decent album, based on a vague memory of listening to this band before, but it turned out to be much better than I expected.
Wonderful album, containing one of the greatest songs ever written. Incredible sound, amazing voice - just a classic!
J'adore Fairport convention, ils ont vraiment quelque chose de special. La musique qui en ressort représente bien l'époque et le folk de ces années. 5
I was not expecting to like this album very much, but it turned out to be pretty good. 4.5/5
damn dude - 10/10 huge fan of that whole album it’s hard to pick my favorite song, I think I’d either go with Autopsy (I’m a slut for 5/4), or A Sailor’s Life (what a long, crazy, and absolutely beautiful track!) yeah just an amazing album, love it
"The British Jefferson Airplane." I can totally see it. A little more folksy than Jefferson Airplane, but that's not a bad thing. Every song felt new and unique, which is quite a feat. Too often albums get bogged down with one theme and can feel repetitive, but this never got tiresome or tedious. Everything felt fresh and bright. A real nice surprise of an album.
Before today, I had heard of Fairport Convention, but had never listened to any of their stuff before. The way I had heard of them was actually through this generator. I was assigned an album by Richard & Linda Thompson after Richard had left the band. I thoroughly enjoyed that album, so I have high hopes for this one as well! The first thing that struck me is the sheer beauty of Sandy Denny's voice! It is magnificent!! The music is a hybrid of folk and psychadelic rock. This album is known as a transitional album, where the band started to shift away from an American folk sound, to more of a traditional English folk. This was also their second album to be released in 1969. The inclusion of traditional folk instruments such as fiddle and dulcimer is great! There are three songs that were written but never released by Bob Dylan on this album: Si Tu Dois Partir, Percy's Song, and Million Dollar Bash. If you listen to the lyrics of those songs, you can definately tell that they're Dylan's. Overall, a phenomenal record, which, after listening to it a second time, caused me to delve deeper into their catalog of music for the remainder of the day! I will be adding this to my regular listening rotation!! Perfection! Favourite songs: Percy's Song, Million Dollar Bash, Genesis Hall, Cajun Woman, A Sailor's Life, Si Tu Dois Partir Least favourite songs: Autopsy 5/5
It was good but I did not like "The Sailor's Life". That song was long and boring. The album itself was kinda folkish but with Irish hints. I unironically enjoyed this album but would skip "A Sailor's Life". 8/10
Great album. Mix of American and English folk music. Love the guitar with the violin.
Again not really a fan of folk, but a few of these tracks I really liked - the less folky ones
Pues no me pareció nada malo al final. Sí, muy muy rojilla y aburrida Genesis Hall, pero me gustaron A Sailor's Life, Cajun Woman (Zydeco!) y las versions a rolas de Dylan.
Este disco está muy interesante. Canciones que mezclan old Irish con country, otras son como jazz o gospel y otras me recordaron un poco a Cranbierries. La canción “A Sailor’s Life” es increíblemente parecida a “Dear Prudence” de los Beatles
Buen disco. Se nota que hubo mucha creación detrás. Destaca Cajun Woman
Some Fleetwood Mack vibes, also folky at times. Short listen, but enjoyable
Very cool Fusion of rock, folk, and traditional UK music. Little bland on the back end.
Thought this would hippy nonsense but I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would!
It’s a mixture of some good bluesy rock songs and really shit folk. Who knows where the time goes is pretty good. I gave that a few listens
I like Fairport Convention, and Sandy Denny in particular. I prefer acoustic and singer/songwriter music generally, and this fits right in. I listened twice.
Really surprised by this album. Thought I’d hate it but really enjoyed it. Reminded me of the velvet underground and nico album.
Smooth and easy, this album has all of the trademarks of 1969 music. More impressive is the tone and depth of the lyrics; truly an unheralded gem.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, since "folk" is not typically a genre I listen to. A solid album!
A beautiful, amazing album. The musicianship is excellent, particularly Denny's voice, and the songs are varied and interesting, even if there is still an overreliance on Dylan covers.
I really like this album. I listened to it more than once. First time that has happened so far! I’d give it 4 stars for really good. Think I’ll reserve 5 stars for the truly special, listen to every song, albums.
Never heard of them but really enjoyed it. Listened to some of their other albums afterwards.
A cool album. Some Joni Mitchell type folkie stuff and some nice bluesy rock and roll. I’d never heard of Fairport convention but I like their sound.
I really enjoyed this. Made me want to listen to Zeppelin III. Loved her voice. Great guitar work.
man, dit is G E N I E T E N. Ga ik nog vaak beluisteren. a sailors life is een schijf, mooie solo.
Como que al principio me estaba aburriendo e ignoro por qué se le considere para una lista así (igual son 1001), pero al final hubo algunas canciones que me causaron una grata impresión: "A Sailor's Life", con una gran parte instrumental, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", "Percy's Song" y algo de "Million Dollar Bash". 8/10
I liked this. Very different sounding and I was engaged the whole time. I would pick this up if I saw it at my record store.
I have really only heard Liege and Lief before. I like that album and this one quite a bit. I love Sandy Denny's voice and Richard Thompson's guitar playing. I also like the bass playing and drumming quite a bit as well. The fiddle is not typically an instrument I am partial to but it is balanced well in the mix and really adds to the intensity when they start jamming out like on "A Sailor's Life" - holy sheeeit...
Rad album. Boasting two Dylan covers (percy's song from Bringing it all back home time and Million Dollar Bash from the unreleased Basement tapes with the Band) but the piece de resistance is the classic 'who knows where the time goes'
Some of these songs sound quite ahead of their time, especially Autopsy. Otherwise, it's just kinda slow folk music. 7/10
8/10. This was really laid back, and pleasantly folksy. A bit like Bob Dylan if his lyrics were less interesting and his production a million times better.
Relaxing folk rock with cool traditional elements, although some of the songs dragged on 7/10
More American folk-rock influenced than I thought they were going to be, but none-the-worse for it. Good album.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one when it popped up. But I really did. It was great..
The tracks with Sandy Denny singing — such as Genesis Hall, A Sailor's Life, and Dear Landlord — are phenomenal
Kind of hippy funk rock in places. Plays right at the corners of a couple of different genres. There's hippy psychadelia, the French tracks, a sort of Presbyterian Dwight Shrute sound, a blue grass meets Fleetwood Mac thing too. Good - Si tu dois partir. Bad - Maybe Percy's song - its catchy though. Art - I really like the composition. It's stereotypically English and the lack of title or band name create a much fuller image. The view of the band through the wooden trellis is also inspired. Very good.
Pretty good American/British folk. Could have used one or two slightly upbeat songs but overall nice
One of those that grows on you as you get used to it. Touching, organic, and full of soul. Sailor’s Life is the best; Cajun Woman’s a bit of a mess but still fun.
This is like a full amalgam of boroque pop from the era. All the songs are good but it felt like they weren't sure who they wanted to be in the end.
one of the better british folk rock albums from this time. A Sailor's Life is particularly well performed, with subtlety and the songs length being used to build appropriately. There's a great balance here between the traditional folk elements and the more progressive rock qualities, taking the best from each for an album worth praising.
Energetic folk-rock that sounds as if it came out yesterday. Emotive and revelatory in its approach to standard folk songs, Unhalfbricking sets the standard for what was to come for the genre in the 70s. Favorites: Genesis Hall, Autopsy, A Sailor's Life, Who Knows Where the Time Goes?, Percy's Song.
A pinnacle of British folk, the response to Americana's The Band. Great vocals by Sandy, they work well with the psychedelic piece "A Sailor's Life" which I thought I would hate for its length, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Guitars are impressive, some cases as in "A Sailor's Life" clear of their British folk influences, but at times uses standout jazz chords in "Autopsy" and "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Then you have songs like the rockabilly "Cajun Woman" where you can hear the British folk very well, such as the fiddle solo, but much of it sounds bluesy and Americana-influenced. Lyrics are entrancing and always deliver, despite the only traditional song being the psychedelic piece. Bob Dylan wrote three ("Percy's Song" sounds like something straight from Freewheelin), while Richard and Sandy each wrote two, exceeding expectations. To be fair, I was already impressed by Richard's solo album Bright Lights. I'm glad this album is on this list... Fairport Convention is certainly an essential listen, but due to their soft sound, they don't get as much love as the flashier albums of the era. Only complaint is that the instruments felt a little dull to me in the first and last two tracks.
Not my normal style of music but it's interesting folk music from an era/culture I don't know a lot about.
Pretty good. Not quite sure what I was expecting really, but quite liked it and worth another listen.
Clearly quite a Dylanesque album. I enjoyed the melodies and instrumentation, Sailor’s Song being a unique composition. Overall a great folk album.
I was expecting something a bit more traditional Irish sounding, and was surprised that this is more of a folk-rock album with traditional Irish and British influence. Either way, I liked it a lot and will listen again. 4 stars.
Fairport's second album in a year - unthinkable these days. They saved their best for the second half of 1969. Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes is flawless. Elsewhere and the folk shackles are thrown off to create something of a rocking album. I can't decide if I love this album because it's so important to the evolution of British folk & rock, or just because it's brilliant.
The first outing for the wonderful Sandy Denny with Fairport. A great debut for her too. I loved the french interpretation of Dylans "If You Gotta To Go Now" "Si Tu Dois Partir" which is both a great version and also incredibly inventive and ironically gave the Fairports their only UK charting single to date. Great album that moved the band forward.
Highlights: Autopsy A Sailor's Life Who Know Where The Time Goes? Percy's Song Artwork: 8,5 / 10 Rating: 7,5 / 10