Unhalfbricking

I would join the lead singers coven in a heartbeat. Very reminiscent of Joni Mitchell but with enough of a unique sound, particularly in the more upbeat numbers, to hold their own in the late 60’s/early 70s folk rock scene. Not quite a five star listen for me but pretty close.

An okay folk album, but not something I would listen to much. 3 stars or C+.

Had zero idea what to expect. Sounds like an old school. Elle and Sebastien, or something of the like. Quite enjoyed most of the album.

A Sailor's Life was great and I enjoyed the fiddle when it popped up occasionally, otherwise not really for me

Vaihteeksi brittofolkia, hohhoijaa… Ei lähde. 2/5

This was better than the other album they had on this countdown. Just a fuller sound. A few tracks were good but generally I think there are many other bands who had better songs in this sound. Still, not a bad record.

Pretty good bri'ish folk

This bored me to tears.

Not a big fan. I found it quite boring

Why is this here? 2.5

English folk music is a particularly painful anti-music and honestly a waste of good musicianship. This is not art conceived by an artist. Rather it is product produced for a particular consumer. Adapting American folk music for British audiences at the end of the 60s was honestly a regression as it neither advanced folk music nor was it grounded in authenticity. How could it be authentic? It’s sung by Brits who turned it into more of the same with lovely vocals. Look, all credit to Sandy Denny who is magnificent but this album Is a fucking snoozer from front to back. This is an anti-risk record. There is nothing subversive or interesting and I listened to the album twice. Unhalfbricking my ass. This is full on bricking. If this is your thing I feel for you as there has never been a less exciting or interesting way to spend time. I reckon to say that I have had certain bowel movements that are far more intense than anything offered here. Save your time, take a shit. 1/5

Wonderful so far. The song "A Sailor's Life" is a lot of fun.

Cute nondescript folk

6/10

I liked this, and I liked the following album, Liege and Lief. Though I enjoyed both, I again doubt the necessity of a band having more than one album on the list, except on rare circumstances. Since I'm not the author, but just a guy listening to albums, I'll rate the album and move on ⭐⭐⭐.49

I felt like I should be dancing round a maypole with cymbals on my knees listening to this. Folk isn’t my bag, albeit the songs weren’t interminable. Faint praise, but no more than 2/5.

Some individual moments on this record are decent -- I can almost imagine I'm enjoying myself. The problem is, as soon as it generates any goodwill, it ends up finding something irritating to repeat over and over again. I think Genesis Hall works the best of any song in the running order, but it follows it up with a cheeky Dylan cover that's more irritating than cute. A Sailor's Life starts okay, but then gets repetitive quickly and drags on for 11 minutes. About the only thing that gets a pass on the rest of the record is "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Percy's Song is the absolute worst... the constant repetition of 'Turn Turn Turn' gets annoying at minute one. This band feels like something you'd only listen to out of obligation to a friend. Million Dollar Bash ends the original running order with another stinker. I was fine with the last two tracks, but it's just not good or essential music. There has to be better examples of 60s folk music than this wishy-washy covers band.

Going from their usual style of folk music to “Cajun Woman” and then back to the folk music gave me whiplash I won’t lie to you

Folksy sound like Joni Mitchell. It's fine. I would not go out of my way for it. Not memorable.

A jaunty little adventure.

Surprising cool…a lot more akin to Joni Mitchell etc than the Morris Dancing music I was expecting. Great guitar!

What a discovery! Like a folky British Jefferson Airplane! Really loved it

fine

Sure. Why not. I guess?

Muy curioso disco porque suena a USA pero es Británico. Muy cura.

There's no need for me to pontificate too hard about what this album could be. It's very obviously an English folk album, though 1969 might be too early for that and Fairport Convention is a strangely modern-sounding band name. Ehhh, fuck it. I'm still locking in old timey folk for my prediction. 'Ere goes. Yeah, too easy. I was more or less there with the antiquated folk prediction, though there were quite a few tricks up this album's sleeve and it regularly bridged into rock styles that were quite a few years ahead the curve - notably with the prog rock sound. Unsurprisingly, I preferred this genreblending approach to the dull and subdued sound which largely defines the folk genre. There's a communal feel to much of this album which is quite engrossing, and the same can be said about the instrumentation. The bluesy electric guitar performances are clear and clean, the country-sounding acoustic guitars have a pleasant finish and the soft percussion succeeds in rounding out the easygoing, listenable sound. The vocals are well performed and I particularly favoured the long, drawn-out segments (a rarity when it comes to my unpleasable music standards). All in all, yeah! This was a solid album. It isn't entirely within my wheelhouse, though it is adept and I am interested in getting to know it better somewhere down the line. Book time. A "transitional" album. Many Bob Dylan songs feature on this album, notably "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", which was translated into French by Fairport Convention and proved to be a hit in the UK. The cover artwork is a photo of band vocalist Sandy Denny's parents outside their garden, with the band members visible through the fence. The curator of this entry notes the album cover as being quintessentially English, yet also quite strange. Wikipedia says that "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is considered a staple of folk rock in addition to "A Sailor's Life". Critics loved the album, with it receiving enduring acclaim in the years following release. The album peaked at No. 12 on the UK charts, though doesn't appear to have charted anywhere else. Sure, I'm on this album's side. I cosign this inclusion.

Ok

Not my cup of tea... so to speak. Interesting background and I had hears one of the songs before, but just not my favorite. I do thoroughly enjoy Irish and American folk , but this is just too stark. 2.

Pleasant folk rock but nothing that I feel like I need to come back to.

Something about these guys just does it for me! What's the difference between British folk and American folk? Well one bores me to tears and the other is this one. Sandy's voice is stunning. A Sailor's Life is epic, that breakdown around 7 minutes in is glorious. Is that a dope ass sitar on Percy's Song, oh it's a "dulcimer" whatever the fuck that is, sounds awesome.

Folk forward beauty with a strong Dylan layer

The cover tells you everything you need to know about this one. It's old, it's boring, it's tired, it's dated and it's past its expiration date. This didn't age well. WTF is up with all the shitty Brit folk on this list?! You're telling us that this album is something we need to hear before we die? I beg to differ. Even the "hit", "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" (36M listens, all by now deceased people I assume) didn't hit the mark. Long, repetitive and boring folk song. I couldn't wait for it to end. 2 stars since there's actually worse shit (mostly obscure British stuff) on this list! Time to refresh the T1001~!

3.2 It was nice to listen to. Kinda like a country album but with much more pizazz

Loved the vibe

About what I expected based on other Fairport Convention albums I've heard. It's nice folk music, fun to hear their development as a group.

Absolutely love this album. Some great tracks overall but Who Knows Where The Time Goes? is simultaneously the saddest and most beautiful song ever written. Never fails to bring tears to my eyes. 5

Who Knows Where The Time Goes

Quite a pleasant start with plucking guitars but when arriving to the fourth track "A Sailors life" (which clocks in at astongishly 11 minutes!) I have to set sail for another record and leave out all the rest. And what is up with the album cover, how dull can it be?? However my wife says it's the best cover she ever seen...

It was fine for folk music

Another mediocre 60s folk album. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be listening for on these anymore to indicate its importance or significance. Nothing notable or distinguishable from the multitude of others on this list.

It was alright but what's the point of these guys. They seem to mostly cover other people's songs with a really high member turnover

Warm bath of goodness.

Good album. I liked it a lot.

Renn fair music

A bit of a mixed bag, but overall really enjoyable. I thought I was going to hate it after the first song, but there are some really great tracks and I mostly enjoyed the vibe.

folk my goat genre

Gotta be in the right mood for this I think. It’s ok, the singers voice is nice. Probably won’t come back to it though

Is it too mean on whoever can be gathered to have Who Knows Where The Times Goes? played at my funeral? I can barely get through it on a sunny Thursday morning without getting a bit tearful.

#439/1001. This hits my weak spot: British folk (rock/jazz) revival with beautiful female vocals. But they start jamming a bit too much towards America. But I did listen to it almost three times through in a row.

I already like folk rock, and even with saying that, this is one of the finest folk rock albums we've gotten yet in the challenge! It sounds remarkably ahead of its time as far as 1969 folk rock goes, and every song is a banger. Sandy Denny's vocal talents serve everything well too.

Overall surprisingly pleasant to listen to. Not something I’d go back to, but ya know. However, I am going to spend my entire review talking about A Sailor’s Life. Oh my god what a song. I was blown away. Like… prog folk? Not what I expected!

This went in directions I never would have expected from a 60s folk rock album. French lyrics? 5/4 rhythm on Autopsy? An eleven-minute prog folk epic?! (Or frog/prolk, as my friend coined it) Matter of fact, everything to do with the instrumentals here was very enjoyable, and the songwriting itself was overall quite catchy. I'm not usually one for folk, but I will give it its flowers when it deserves it. This was lovely. Standouts: Si tu dois partir • Autopsy • A Sailor's Wife • Million Dollar Bash

Very good folk album with some solid content but nothing that is going to stick in my head for the future.

It’s like if the cranberries were from the late 60s. Pretty cool

Eric Hayes took the photo of Denny’s parents standing in front of the family house in Wimbledon, London, with the band lounging on the lawn in the background. With no type on the front, this is perfect. A good photo is always a good photo, and this one is excellent, wrapping an excellent album. Shame the American record company fell out with the band and replaced it with a photo of performing elephants.

I often times groan to myself when I see another folk album. This was a nice break from the whining of a lot of the American folk singers. Very enjoyable album although no song really stood out to me.

I love Fairport Convention! I love the lead singer's voice, haunting. Led Zeppelin was listening to A Sailor's Life when they wrote The Battle of Evermore. And it turns out it's the same singer! Rock on, Sandy Denny! This is an incredible song. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? is the big song, and it's great. Bob Dylan cover Percy's Song is a great version of a great song. Million Dollar Bash...another Dylan Basement Tapes song. That is an amazing album and it's a crime Fairport Convention is not more well known.

I actually really enjoyed this album but feel a little critical of it being on the list. If there is room for a folk cover albums that didn't chart or make any huge impact outside of where the band was from, I can think of at least a dozen albums that are at least as great as this (half a dozen from the east coast of Canada). I did like this, just feel like its inclusion in this list might be a bit skewed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It's a short, pleasant folk record with some interesting arrangements, superb production, and some psychedelic jams.

Unhalfbricking, Like Fairport Convention's other album, was a pretty decent listen. While the issue wasn't as bad as Liege and Lief, I still found myself losing track of what song i was on a little bit. I still was able to tell when the songs did actually end and move on to a different song. It still didn't change the fact that the songs did sound very samey though. I still thought the album as a whole sounded nice though. The folk rock vibe it had going on was relaxing and the vocals are very good too. I just still thought it kinda blended together for the whole album. It wasn't bad, it was just very forgettable. Best Song: Who Knows Where The Time Goes? Worst Song: Million Dollar Bash

This just felt like a filler album. Nothing too bad or good about it. Just a safe album to get to the magic 1001. At least, that's what it felt like to me.

I grew bored of this pretty quickly

This was very nice!

Got nothing from this one. Like, I understand this is for Specific People, I am just not in that group of Specific People. Si Tu Dois Partir is a jam, though, so it has that going for it. Genuinely caught off guard when they threw an entire dinner table of utensils into the song.

To whom it may ..... be delicious ..... not for me (sorry)

Genre labels are a funny thing. Everything I read about this band kept describing them as British folk, so I expected something very 'tiddly iddly hi nonny hey'. Instead we have a slap of really quite progressive proto psych and even proto punk guitar filtered through folk forms. It's really really good!

New to me, this was superb. A Sailors Life was a particular highlight

This had a lot more to it then I expected. Enjoyed the slightly droney elements, blend of folk and rock, and some of the longer songs especially Percy's song

Love this, three stars!!!!!!! “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” - Quite… 🥰🥰🥰. Tom.

It was okay overall, but there are moments where I got so bored, I was singing songs from other artists out loud instead of listening to this one. 2.5 / 5

One note in and I'm a little impressed. The guitar sounds SO cool. Don't care for the singing though. Ok wait maybe it's not so bad. I didn't mind the first song at all. Didn't care for the French one. Autopsy got interesting pretty quickly! Slow jam A Sailor's Life is far too long and meandering for me. It does not need to be 11 minutes long guys. The story is pretty fucking good though; it has to be a metaphor. Sorry ladies. Oh once the verse ends the guitar picks up and it gets cool, it's just a shame I had to wait 6 minutes for it. Cajun Woman is a bit much, I don't like genre mixing when folk is the genre we're starting with. :P Who Knows Where the Time Goes is just kind of sad Percy's Song is okay, I feel like I'm listening to gospel though. Big fan of the "turn turn turn" motif we keep hitting, and how she uses it. "Well his eyes looked funny and I stood up so slow. Turn, turn, turn again, with no other choice except to go." Million Dollar Bash fucks. Why did this album start and end so strongly? I'll need to come back and explore the middle again, but I'm leaning towards a 2. Too much of it was just dull! OH HALF OF THESE ARE BOB DYLAN SONGS! No wonder I'm fucking bored. Autopsy still sounds cool; the odd rhythm blends very well with the guitar. Dude wait this song is goooood. Love the lyrics again. Will they pull a 3 out of me on my second go through? Love when the song changes at 1:20 ish. The guitar solo dude.... Sailor's Life remains too long and meandering. 6:00 is dope but is it worth the trouble to get there? The last minute is particularly nice :) Cajun Woman is still just way too much man. I like how folk music always falls back onto a motif. It can really make a song that much more interesting when it's done in a unique way. Favorite: Autopsy Least: Si tu dois partir Shoutout: 1 and 8

I actually loved this one. There wasn't a single song I didn't love and they were all so unique.

This was a great surprise. I love the harder folk sound, somewhere between The Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane. The percussion on this record is insane. It really feels like an alternate universe where John Bonham got lost on the way to practice and ended up playing in The Mamas and the Papas. The guy's name was Martin Francis Lamble and he's only 19 on this track. Three weeks after recording he died in the band's van when it crashed on the way back from a show. This is one you don't really wanna skip, give it a spin and you'll find something to enjoy.

Nice surprise, nice and chill wee folk album, can’t complain

Genesis Hall - 4/5 Si Tu Dois Partir - 3.5/5 Autopsy - 4/5 A Sailor's Life - 4/5 Cajun Woman - 3.5/5 Who Knows Where the Time Goes - 4/5 Percy's Song - 4/5 Million Dollar Bash - 4/5 Even though this album is from the late 60s it certainly sounds newer than that. A very surprising listen, since I normally dislike British folk but these guys knew how to do it right. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Genesis Hall, A Sailor's Life, Who Knows Where the Time Goes

There is some great songwriting, singing and playing here. Liked Songs Added: Autopsy Who Knows Where The Time Goes? Percy's Song

Love this album, it’s one I’ve heard before but always enjoy Fairport in general and especially this and its predecessor. Richard Thomson is an underrated guitarist, and the song selections are really nice and varied. Liege and Leif might be my slight preference, but this is still great. If you like this stuff I’d also recommend Trees ‘On the Shore’ and Mellow Candle ‘Swaddling Songs’

Tho the British folk revival is mostly lamentable, b/c this record consists of 4 Dylan tracks (including a francophone rendition) & one Byrds track, it's at least halfway American. Floating, spinning, ballooning, Richard Thompson & Simon Nicol's guitar playing is beautifully, meaningfully psychedelic while Martin Lamble's drumming is an impressive addition, especially on the long traditional 'A Sailor's Life.' Most memorable, of course, is Sandy Denny's voice, existing somewhere at the in-between of Joan Baez & Grace Slick. Besides 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes,' Unhalfbricking doesn't have a 'big' song, but that's really a nonissue. I like this record for the way these numbers bleed into each other. & b/c it's more fun than you'd e'er imagine.

Review - a great folk rock album, not a style anyone else really stuck with or did anything near to as well as they do. And their influence went to strange places even if people don't know it. First few tracks all have sections that remind me of early Modest Mouse. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? is one of the best, schmaltzy sentimental songs ever written. Score - 8/10 Need to listen? YES

3.5 maybe?

Liege and Leaf was such a pleasant surprise. This not so much.

This album cover reminds me of something like I've seen it on an episode of what's in my bag. Maybe Lightning Bolt had it, or maybe I'm just making things up. Alright folk music.

I enjoyed this more that I thought. Great story telling and calm times that I enjoyed.

I was not looking forward to this based on the genre. 60s British folk? Nahhh. However I was pleasantly surprised how creative this was. There was some really fun jam sections on this, particularly A Sailors Life.

Ynh, miks tää oli tällanen vaik se toinen oli niin hyvä? Ei jotenkin säväyttäny yhtään tää. :/ Harmittaa, mutta minkä sille voi. Ehkä tosiaan tykkäsin enemmän albumista kuin bändistä viimeksi.

Well, I looked at my watch I looked at my wrist I punched myself in the face With my fist Minä kun tajusin että TÄNÄÄN on perjantai ei eilen t. Saldovapaa ja nyt en oo kuunnellu tän päivän levyä‼️‼️‼️‼️ korjaan äkkiä Tää oli ilonen ja kiva. Eka jolta kaks levyä meidän journeyllä? Pidin. Illakoin.

Hyvä levy, joskaan ei kolahtanu mulle yhtä kovaa kuin Liege And Lief. Biisit tuntu vähän ykstoikkosemmilta eikä mitään ihan timanttisia hetkiä ollut vielä tokallakaan kuuntelukerralla.

Odotin paljon koska motafukin Fairport Convention!!! (Josta ollut kuullutkaan pari viikkoa sitten xD) Mut tää ei mulle uponnu lähellekkään niin kovaa ku Liege & Lief. Voi olla että lopullinen arvio ois ollut suopeampi ilman kovia odotuksia, mut tämmöstä tää on 🤷🏼 Ja edellistä maltoin kyllä lämmitellä useemman kuuntelun verran - toisaalta tätä ei kyllä poltellut heti tyyppaa uusiks ni sekin puhukoon puolestaan 🫤

Toinen jo samalta! Tää oli ehkä omaan makuun enemmän. Hyvä ja letkee levy, jää hengailumusakiertoon!

Liked this a lot more than I thought I would...

Any Richard Thompson appearance is a joy.

I wasn't familiar with this artist, but this is a really nice folk rock album. I'm a big fan of folk that really goes for warm, lush soundscapes, and this record has that in spades. There's a lot of great musicianship here that's very well served by main vocalist Sandy Denny's beautiful, comforting voice. I'd say she sounds like the second coming of Joni Mitchell, but they were entirely contemporary to each other as it turns out. On the subject of other artists, it's clear this band were big Dylan fans given almost half of the album is comprised of Dylan covers, but they don't sound derivative of him at all; they gave those songs a very distinctive twist. If you didn't know any better it would be easy to assume their takes on Dylan's work were traditional English folk songs. All in all, this is an exceedingly charming record that's very easy to listen to. The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars is that it's just a tad on the straightforward side. It could maybe do with a couple more twists here and there. Favourite tracks: A Sailor's Life, Genesis Hall, Percy's Song

3,5

PDB!

6/10

Meh. Not a big fan of folk music.

alright yeah

I didn't need a second Fairport Convention album I kind of got the point with Liege and Lief

One of the greatest bands of all time. Sandy Denny's voice was beautiful. Such a sad loss.

I'm glad I listened, but I won't be listening again I don't think. I appreciate the vocals and instrumentals but it's just not my thing. 4/10

Unmistakably of its time. Time capsule of style

I feel like I manifested this after wishing Robert Plant would pipe down a bit in The Battle of Evermore yesterday! A lovely album with two great highlights in Who Knows Where the Time Goes? and A Sailor's Life. What a voice Sandy Denny had – clear as a bell. A good listen with no particular low points, but I do prefer Liege & Lief for leaning fully into the traditional ballads and folklore.

In the day I was heavily into Steeleye Span as my main course for folk rock. Fairport Convention were too tame in comparison it seemed then. But this gentler sound revisited is now more to my taste. I loved Maddy Prior’s voice then but think Sandy Denny probably has the edge now. A Sailor’s Life is ridiculously too long but still has the essence of the rest of a great record.

This record is so beautiful. It just exudes talent. Sandy Denny has one of the most incredible voices I've ever heard, and Richard Thompson's guitar solos are on the right side of showing off. He's clearly an amazing player, but it never feels like he's playing just because he can. A sailor's life" is probably the best example of that. With loads of bands of this era, an extended guitar section like this would just be boring, aimless noodling. Here, though, it's genuinely interesting and adds to the song. Who Knows Where the Time Goes? is one of the greatest songs ever written. They even managed to do a good job on the Dylan tracks. Knowing how young the band were when they made this, and what tragedies would follow not long afterwards, makes the whole album hit a bit harder.

Generally a very good time, with Sandy Denny's ethereal voice excelling throughout. 'A Sailor's Life' floats on by quicker than its runtime suggests, 'Autopsy' has some great lyrics, and of course 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?' is one of the finest songs ever written, and a great example of how to record a voice without compressing it to shit (which they couldn't really do then anyway) - listen to how Denny manages the swell of her voice on 'who knooooows' - it's brilliant and the sort of song I could just stick on loop for a day and not be sick of. 'Cajun Woman' is the only real misstep, but at least it's short. Also, the first in what will inevitably be a long line of records making Dylan songs sound genuinely good.

It was fine I guess

Very nice late 60s British folk. Extremely chill and had me wishing for a day in out in the country.

Man, for a folk group, these guys can shred. It's rare where I add every song on an album to my liked songs my first time listening but this is excellent.

not bad, some highlights (sailor's life, who knows where the time goes) but overall a little boring. also some of the songs are too jaunty for my tastes. 2.8/5

Ever since discovering Fairport Convention, they have always been a band I really appreciate. I love their overall folk rock sound, but what I really love is the traditional British folk element. Not to mention, Sandy Denny’s voice has always resonated with me, and thanks to Fairport Convention, I discovered her solo work as well.

Just pretty mid honestly

Worth all of its stars just for Who Knows Where The Time Goes? alone but there's so much more to savour.

Best Track - "Si tu dois partir"

Occasionally rocking folk with a gentle professional voice.....its just dated.

Not, not bad at all. Fairport Convention are a band I will be exploring further.

Sometimes you can just tell that the critic who picked an album did it for one song and then decided “and I guess the rest of the album is ok too.” For Unhalfbricking, it is clearly “A Sailor's Life, etc”. Nearly a third of the album's length, the track reinvents the traditional folk style. It feels more droney, looser, a little unmoored. There is a lot here that feels like it would have inspired Tim Buckley's flawless “Song to the Siren”, the ethereal vocal hovering over the backing track. “A Sailor's Life” takes that melody, those lyrics, traditional as can be, and stretches them, lets them breathe, and drapes them over an increasingly chaotic backdrop, at first spare and tenuous and then building into a somewhat droney jam. It's an interesting juxtaposition, and it's so, so obviously why this album is included. Not that the full album is bad. FPC, as I'm sure no one calls them, goes the psych-folk direction for most of this, which is interesting with the sweet voice of Sandy Denny at the front. I'm interested in “Autopsy” right from the jump, with its 5/4 intro and all. The band is definitely doing something deceptive… it's a bit more than either folk or psych. I question some choices, of course. The psychedelics were not known for their editing. Even with a side flip, I do think that “ahhhOOOM” of Cajun Woman would be a shock to the system post-Sailor, and while Dylan certainly has let many of his songs filter through the hands and voices of others, songs like “who knows where the time goes” make a more serious case for the band's own talents… you kinda wish they had taken a bit more time composing than arranging here. If that's my complaint tho, fair enough, because it isn't much of one. The Dylan tracks are fine, after all, if not his top shelf writing (though I definitely think Million Dollar Bash is a shame as a final track). The album surprised me, to be fair. It crept from a three to a 3.5, and I think it has made its way to a light ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I think that's fair for now. Any album that you can go in mostly cold and have it improve in your estimation over 38 minutes is probably a grower. Better to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Loved this

OOOOHHHHH, I'm always happy to listen to something I'm not familiar with. Lets take notes Genesis Hall: If this had damn near any other vocalist this would be incredible. LOVE the guitar and drum work in this. Ugh, that voice. Si tu dois partir: Thats an abrupt turn and I don't like it. 2:18 is way too long for this to go on. Autopsy: Another abrupt turn, for the the better this time. I like the time changes and how clean this recording sounds. Lyrically weak and the recurring theme of I don't care for Sandy Denny's warbling nor her tone. A Sailor's Life: As a fan of long songs with large instrumental passages it pains me to say this is about 6 minutes too long. The good news is I would cut out the parts that have vocals and just keep this a fun jam instrumental. Cajun Woman: Lets stick to the possitives for this song. This drummer is pretty damn good. Ol Sandy isn't warbling in this, I wish she would use this singing style for the previous songs. This song it thankfully short. Who Knows Where The Time Goes?: Nice little song, I wish almost anyone else other than Sandy Denny was singing this. Percy's Song: This sounds like a Bob Dylan song. Looked it up, it is. I mean, its not bad. Million Dollar Bash: The good news is there is at least a small bit of escaping Sandy Denny warbling throughout all the verses. The bad news is shes painted all over the chorus and one of the verses, oh and the male vocalist blows. This may actually be the worst song so far. Dear Landlord: I lied, its this one. I am honestly shocked to find that people truly enjoy her voice. The Ballad Of Easy Rider: UGH. Apparently I listened to the Bonus Track Edition. I really wish I hadn't. Suffice it to say I didn't care for this. There is clearly tallent within this band. This almost feels like a parody of someone going for the crazy warble style female lead singer in a bad comedy movie just with a fantastic backing band. That being said other than the vocals this isn't bad at all. Even for the time frame its recorded quite well. 3 stars.

Slow folk I can live with

I want to like this but I don’t like the singing voice. It just feels wishy washy.

Forgettable.

There are some great songs here, alongside some that I would classify as just good. Enjoyable!

Really wasn't sure about this to start. Bland album cover to match the mood and heading for 2 or 3 stars. But 'A Sailor's Life' is a top notch song at 11 minutes, droning country folk meets German bauhaus done acoustically. And I'm a sucker for any Bob Dylan covers so I enjoyed Percy's Song and Million Dollar Bash. So 4 stars, albeit at the lower end of that.

Really enjoyed this one, well most of it at least. A real happy listening album; although I didn't really jam with the last couple of tracks. Thumbs up. Favourites: Genesis Hall Si tu dois partir A Sailors Life

Great album with classic folk sound! Love the incorporation of their traditional English folk elements. French was kinda weird, but not bad.

79/100. Really enjoyable folk rock. What truly stands out are the vocals, absolutely fantastic.

Oh dang I already knew the 2nd song on this album apparently, it reminds me of complainte pour ste catherine. Overall really nice, the kind of 60s-70s stuff I don’t find enough of

This one came out of no where, did not expect it to grow on me like it has.

Pretty solid folk music. The genre is a little too plain for me or might require a specific mood and time to fully appreciate but it was enjoyable enough.

I expected to be completely indifferent towards this album, it didn't totally win me over, but it didn't become background noise. My favorite song off this was the 11 minute slow burn song. I also liked the female singer. Overall, a pretty good album. High 3.

a sort of ReBritishening after the band was forged in the influences of greenwich village and san fransico, tho i still hear both influences on the record, particularly in the big 11 minute epic. still theres definitely a feeling of creative refresh and vigor all across here even if im not versed enough in the nuances of either the discog or the relevant genres to articulate exactly What is being done or redone. cajun woman is a bizarre outlier both in style and quality but otherwise its a lovely and shockingly varied slab of tracks, no track feeling like a repeat of another while theyre all imbued with winds and rustling leaves

british folk rock music. the third album from fairport convention; this album is described as transitional for the band. shortly before recording all this stuff, the group got invited to listen to then-unreleased music by bob dylan; a few tracks from this album are covers of his songs. it's very soft folk rock... i can hear the mild american rock 'n roll influence when it comes to how some of these tracks sound. i REALLY like miss sandy denny's vocal qualities, she sings at such a balanced, breathy level that a lot of other female vocalists during this time struggle to match. it says a lot when you don't like bob dylan as much, but these covers of dylan songs (including one cover in french) sound amazing! this album is lowkey, bittersweet, and honestly very revitalizing.

the million dollar bash cover left something to be desired

All over the place. Not in a good way.

I enjoyed it but will probably never listen to it again

It had its moments. I enjoyed some of the build up in the songs, the crescendo. I'd listen to it again, but it's not consistent enough to be a four

A solid album by Fairport. Sandy contributing some of the lead vocals especially Who Knows Where The Time Goes. A nice mix of English and American folk.

Yep, non descriptive folk

its like a french fleetwood mac, honestly really good

Ok, I found meself hesitating for a looong time, but I have to give this a four, it's too lovely.

Almost 5 stars! Really liked this. I’ve never heard of them before.

This is #day681 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yeah, bring on that droney, folky, bluesy psychedelic shit from the late '60s. I don't mind. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day682.

Going for a high 3, maybe deserves more. Great folk band . Would listen again

'Who knows where the time goes' is such a beautiful song. Denny has the perfect voice for English folk.

I love earnest, traditional folk music. It gives me a buzz hearing it back with some more robust rock instrumentals, which feels like a quiet revelation. I prefer Fairport Convention’s follow up from the same year, Liege & Lief which I think strikes the balance even better.

Fairport Convention are getting a low 5. Fantastic record that blends a couple of styles of folk i particularly enjoy, along with some other flavours i also enjoy! Why didn’t anyone tell me to listen to this band?!

Classic british folk pop rock

Favorite track(s): Genesis Hall, Autopsy, A Sailor's Life, Who Knows Where the Time Goes Heard before Previous rating: 7/10

Mouais

Ok

8 songs When I saw a band that I didn't know from the 60s that played folk rock I went into this expecting it to be a boring slog. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't the case at all, really enjoyed this one, very reminiscent of Led Zep.

Drivel

A couple pretty good songs on there that really caught my attention. Overall like a 3 though.

Amazing! Can’t believe I haven’t heard of this before!

Фолк-рок) знову) було трішки псіходела)

Ni slabo

The Bob Dylan covers were pretty good but that was about it.

I see hear something here which is still unraveling

p182. 1969. 2 stars. Can't deny that Sandy Denny has a gorgeous voice, and can't fault the musicianship. It's all a bit samey though - the highlight is a Dylan song - and falls victim to late 60s wankage with an 11+ minute monstrosity. Bonus point for Richard Thompson on guitar, but point deducted for Ashley Hutchins because he's a twat.

Sandy Denny’s voice was beautiful and felt warm and melancholic, but the songs themselves often felt emotionally distant to me rather than deeply affecting.

0 chance this deserves on a top 1001 albums, clear English bias as usual but it is to my tastes

Die Stimme der Sängerin nervt sehr. Das ganze langatmig und weinerlich. Alt, nicht gut!

Jäsp

A Sailor's Life GRYM! Resten lite varierande kvalle, en stabil trea.

Rätt vackert och ett otroligt wholesome omslag. Stark 3a? 3,5?

Stark trea! Låter bra på alla sätt. Kunde varit lite bättre material.

Topparna drar upp det till en trea. I min bok är sån här mystisk brittisk folkrock inte direkt svårlyssnad

Pretty good! An interesting look at the English folk revival. And I liked how it was blended with the blues rock sound of the time.

Fairport Convention has 2 good albums? I didn't know they existed before this exercise and now they're 2 for 2...who knew.

Für Folk konnte ich mich noch nie begeistern.

Tolles Folk-Album, Neuentdeckung!

Another band I've never heard of...very folk oriented, but with a lot of good melodic instrumentation woven in. Apparently A Sailor's Life represents the 1st time rock instrumentation was introduced to folk music?? An interesting song that nicely rocks out towards the end. There's also a song called Cajun Woman.

was hoping to enjoy this more but ? some of the songs fell a bit flat for me

Listened Before? N Yawwwwwwwwwnnnn. This is what happens when you take all the soul out of folk music and give the vocals to a singer with no range and no emotion. I'll pass. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Genesis Hall

Beloved to me.

So, we needed two Fairport Convention records in this project? Really? What am I missing? It’s a folk band, and a middling one at that. Lol, hahahaha, it’s not available on Spotify! I’m off the hook! Didn’t rate, gets the benefit of the doubt with the rating. 6/10

Low cortisol music to study/relax to. (this is me realising that a lot of folk music is really only unappealing due to the vocals)

i'd blow my head off to one or two of these songs 7.5/10

As one half of British Folk legends Homous & Chutney, I can really stand here and understand what they’re trying to achieve 2.2 6/8 Who Knows Where The Time Goes?

Fijn album

Dit is legit een leuk folk album. Nooit van gehoord maar leuke suprise

Prachtige folkplaat. Super divers en het klinkt allemaal heel natuurlijk ofzo. Gaat zeker nog een keertje op binnenkort. Sterke 4 sterren.

This was excellent! Really enjoyed this, and it’s been added to my ‘To Get’ list. The odd thing, is that’s there’s no real standout tracks? Just solid from start to finish and right up my street!

The heck does that mean?

70s British Folk Rock is absolutely my thing, and you can’t get more 70s British Folk Rock than this. Ok, it’s actually 1969, but spiritually you get what I’m saying. Top notch stuff.

Las canciones eran interminables…

I prefer hear "La Biblia" of Vox Dei from Argentine. Is the same style but with quality and creativity.

Actually not a bad album. This was quite enjoyable playing in the background and the instrumentals were pretty good. I really enjoyed the banjo solos in Autopsy and A Sailor's Life.

Soooo.. when’s the next convention?

i was really excited to see richard thompson last year cuz of fairport c but he was kinda underwhelming. i guess people get old and they sorta become a bit less impressive.. I love folk music tho

This was pretty good... Listenable folk music, gets pretty jammy in places, but in a good way. I'm positive these songs would grow on me if I kept listening.

Liked this one. Folksy and chill

Best Song: Who Knows Where The Time Goes. Beautifully melancholy. Understated, great lyrics, and a great vocal performance. Worst Song: Si tu dois partir. It really feels like they are singing French phonetically. Overall: For whatever reason, I enjoyed the latter half of the album much more than the first half. It's inoffensive but original folk music. Not exactly exciting, but fine enough for a sort of old-school, hippie vibe.

Maso

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

"Autopsy" is great. The other songs not so much.

Love a bit of folk and FC didn’t let me down.

After two listens, I'm beginning to get it. Fairport's Cropredy Convention here we come.

Pleasant enough folk

Fairport has a special place in my heart as the headline of the first festival I went to. And they earn their place on this list for moving traditional English music forms forward in a world increasingly dominated by American influences. I could listen to Thompson's guitar work all day and Swarbrick's fiddle lends a real swagger. Sandy Denny's beautiful voice caps it all. Stand out track is Who Knows Where the Time Goes, which nearly pushes this to a 5 for me. But not quite. 4*

I liked their other one a decent bit but found this one tough to get through. Maybe another day I’ll be in a better mood for it. I enjoy the cover art at least. Rating: 1.7

Man, this is really good. I guess I'm into folk music now

Heard of this group but never listened before. Interesting.

As a fan of many a british folk rock albums and seeing that my favorite (and FC's best) 'Liege & Lief' is included on this list, I am happy to listen to more of Sandy Denny's in this context. I just hope its inclusion is not at the detriment of John Martyn, Dave Bixby, Richard Thompson or even Spirogyra. There are many worse british albums in this list to get rid of, however. 8/10 [KEEP]

Kind of a hard listen at times, but "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" alone holds it up to a 2 on my personal scale

Yeah - this was awesome. I love a bit of Folk! I was saddened to read about the tragic accident that occurred a couple of weeks after the album's release and how this has affected their individual feelings toward it. Such a funny (shit) album cover!

I enjoyed this one! The cover is deceptively boring, but the music was lovely.

6/10 Starts of well, but pretty inconsistent after that. Highlights: Genesis Hall Autopsy

It is strange because their first two albums are way better for me. But hell nah let flow with what the critics say...

sin palabras, para la época y la region, precisamente hermoso.

Enjoyed this way more than I initially thought I would. This was a bit more rock than folk and I like that. 4/5

How the hell have I never heard of this band before this project?? This is effing great! This is such a transportive album, where every note contributes to a beautiful whole. Sandy Denny is way more than just the woman who sang on “The Battle of Evermore”.

As with their follow-up record, Liege & Lief: it's good, but not *that* good. Fairport Convention picks a style of music and runs with it, at the expense of a severe lack of versatility. Other albums in 1969 completely blow this album out of the water. Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin I and II, Tommy, Let It Bleed, In The Court Of The Crimson King, The Velvet Underground, Hot Rats, Green River... Placing Unhalfbricking amidst these ranks (unabashedly) is quite the move, and not in a good way. It earns zero style points. Little in the way of innovation, production, or thematic "spark". It really brings into question why Fairport Convention should be included on a list that makes such bold claims about its contents. Autopsy stands out for its well-recorded and -performed bass part. The lead guitar solo is also pretty strong, particularly for the 60s, which weren't exactly known for their extended guitar solos. Si tu dois partir ("If you must leave"), with its unabashedly warm accordion in the right ear, also makes a decent case for being a key tracks. I do wish there were more than two chords in the entire song, though. A Sailor's Life has the same issue, but for five times as long (over 11 minutes). Still, it's surprisingly enjoyable. Great background listening if you don't mind a very, very extended solo with (essentially) one chord, soft backlighting from other instruments, and a very chill, unobtrusive atmosphere. But then we get Who Knows Where The Time Goes?, which is just a strong version of A Sailor's Life: shorter, more musically varied... and another Autopsy-esque bass part to top it off. We're jumpscared later in the album with the actually decent hook in Percy's Song – "turn, turn, turn again". The hooks have been severely lacking up to this point. An artifact of the genre, unfortunately. 3/5 Key tracks: Autopsy, Who Knows Where The Time Goes?

5/5

Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: Genesis Hall, Autopsy, A Sailor's Life Very good on the psychedelic rock instrumentation. Not super thrilled about when it veered into Country music territory. I totally get the "British Jefferson Airplane" analogy. Considering how obscure this seems, I can't imagine it getting particularly high marks, but I enjoyed it, and that's all that matters.

🎧Loved just about every minute of this one. Sandy Denny sounds an awful lot like Linda Thompson to me, though she’s not featured here and was never an official member of the band…I don’t think she’d even met Richard yet

Pretty forgettable and I wonder whether this was actually unique at the time.

weird folksy jefferson airplane vibe. i did enjoy it though. Cajun Woman was my favorite song. soft 3

Rating: 7/10 A great little collection of folk tunes from a band I had never heard of, and surprisingly were British. Apparently it's mostly classic folk renditions and three Bob Dylan covers that were invited to listen to and record their version. The vocalist Sandy Denny was a highlight. Besides Cajun Woman I really like these songs. A Sailor's Life was my favorite, I really enjoyed the progression on that one. Not a very original sound though as it's clearly influenced by the 60's American folk rock, but they've got this great atmosphere to their sound that I particularly like. Could be a 4

This album was interesting - Genesis Hall and Autopsy started insanely (and unexpectedly) great, but then the rest felt like a lot more traditional mellow folk. The two bonus tracks were also lowkey great and overall the album was good, but I can't help but imagine a fictional album that works off of those two songs that would hypothetically blow me away. Looped this one a few times, it was fun not being able to guess which decade it's from especially because "Fairport Convention" could easily be something created in the last decade in some kind of modern return to folk. This was a soft-great album, and would say the two bonus tracks do push it into 4 star territory for me. This album was surpisingly great considering I don't sit down to listen to folk often, and one day I might hunt for some bangers from these guys (maybe not, 34ish studio albums good lord) 7.4/10

This is the second Fairport album we’ve reviewed and same as Liege and Lief it shows a deep appreciation for British folk. This album mixes that Renn Faire sound with more modern music of the era to produce a really enjoyable album. La voz de la cantante sigue siendo the star y su cancion Who Knows Where The Time Goes? es excelente 4/5

Hippies

Good Stuff !

I've always felt that Fairport Convention never got the attention in the states that they deserved. Album is worth a listen. 4/5

Æ hadde en intensjon om å høre på den her en gang til før æ gjorde mæ opp en mening, mest fordi æ likte den skikkelig godt og ville være sikker på at det sto sæ, men så kom æ ikke så langt. Så æ tror æ like den skikkelig godt og håpe at den står sæ om og når æ høre den igjen.

Try as I might, I never could enjoy this.

Nope

It's not their fault but because I first heard Sandy Denny on one of Led Zeppelin's Lord of the Rings songs, I have a pavlovian response to the sound of her voice and want more about Ringwraiths and Gollum. I am liking this record more than the other FC I've heard. Not too Celtic, not too faux psychedelic, and I really liked the vibe of the extended jam on Sailor's Life. Yes, there's a dulcimer, but it's an electric dulcimer. Also, the cover art is aces.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this album more than their followup "Liege and Lief", largely because there were a lot fewer traditional folk songs (seemingly replaced by a bunch of Bob Dylan covers, of which "Si tu dois partir" was the best). It's well-produced, and solidly played, and Sandy Denny's voice really complements the songs well; much like "Liege and Leaf", though, there weren't a lot of tracks that stood out for me, aside from Denny's "Who knows where the time goes?" (better, I think, than all the later cover versions, although I doubt I've heard all of them). Nice to get another Richard Thompson entry in the collection, and also to find out the album title came from a previously-unknown-to-me game called "Ghost" that they played on a tour bus (before the tragic accident).

I've always loved "Genesis Hall" but would rather forget the unfortunate zydeco-inspired Dylan cover (a rare misstep from the Bob).

This was pleasant. The folk song style was great.

Would be great to listen to on a road trip along the coast

Día 5 → 16/05/2026 Álbum: Unhalfbricking Grupo: Fairport Convention Año: 1969 Canciones: 1. Genesis Hall 7/10 2. Si Tu Dois Partir 5/10 3. Autopsy 7/10 4. A Sailor's Life 7/10 5. Cajun Woman 6/10 6. Who Knows Where the Time Goes 7/10 7. Percy's Song 8/10 8. Million Dollar Bash 7/10 Puntuación: 3 estrelals

One of the best folk records of all time.

It was alright and I liked the foreign song on it as well.

very different from what i usually like, but this was surprisingly pleasant to listen to. either there's something special about this (the voice maybe?) or maybe i should just listen to more folk

"Unhalfbricking" is harmonic, lush folk reminiscent of the Zombies, and cited by Fleet Foxes as an inspiration. While more traditional folk than those other two artists, such as in the Cajun-style Dylan cover "Si tu dois partir" it is just as melodic. Additionally, it's slightly wistful, haunting feel increases its character, as does some masterful guitar work, such as on "Autopsy" and the album's overall cohesiveness. This was the first time I'd heard Fairport Convention, but I can see how their sound - particularly their electric and imaginative re-arrangements - has continued to the folk-rock scene in artists of today.

Just very non offensive- would not return to this album out of choice.

Perfectly pleasant, if bland, until Sailor’s Life, which took an unexpected left turn. I don’t see myself coming back to this, and won’t remember a song besides Sailors Life, so I am going to be a bit critical with my rating.

Tää oli aika mitään tasaista musaa. Mikään biisi ei noussut toistensa ohi, eikä jäänyt mitään mieleen tästä. Sandy Dennyn äänikään ei kuullostanut muuta kuin ärsyttävältä korvaani. Ei kuullostanut yhtään Led Zeppelinin The Battle of Evermoren Sandyltä. Tykkäsin kylläkin akustisten soitinten käytöstä ja folk meiningistä, siitä kolme tähteä.

The oldest album I've gotten yet! Fairly enjoyable and I had a jolly time listening to the soothing folk sounds and pretty vocals. Not my favourite genre of music as it's a too mild and static for my tastes, but I can acknowledge that it's still a nice sounding record.

Very enjoyable.

A lush, hauntingly beautiful trip through English history, all cozy and beautiful but with a bit of a trippy edge. Sandy Denny's voice is seriously amazing, so soulful and smooth. Whether she's singing about time or leading them on a crazy 11-minute jam, the band just clicks together. They even make Bob Dylan songs their own, with a cool Celtic feel and the hippy vibe. It's not your typical music, mixing jazzy bass and wild fiddle for this dreamy, country sound. If you're into that whole cottagecore thing, medieval folk but with a Woodstock twist, this is the ticket.

I typically really enjoy folk music, but this is just kinda average. Nothing bad, and a couple of really good moments, but mostly just middle of the road.

I am not a folksy person but having heard of the passing of someone close to me hours before listening, Who Knows Where The Time Goes gave me moist eyes.

I learned something today. English folk music is not my thing. 2⭐️

Where Does the Time Go is a nice track, otherwise mostly bad.

Another English folk album. Has a few moments, but ultimately bores me...

Some decent music in here but it is just too slow for me to latch on and love it. Best Song: Autopsy Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3

Love the Dylan deep cuts. Super refreshing album.

Album bastante entretenido, diversos ritmos

Ooft, way too twee for my liking

Oh, I don’t know with this one. The musicianship is really good, the guitars and violin. Also I can see how influential it has been (All About Eve spring to mind). It also stays away from Holy Grail minstrel territory, which is a plus. Not sure I’ll ever come back to it though. I’m going 3.5

Quite nice but nothing special 3/5

It’s folk it’s rock it’s an album it sounds nice :). Wouldn’t mind this being played at an antique shop

It's beautiful to the right audience, but I am not that audience. Folk has never been my forte, and it steps into mediocrity to my ears.

2.5

My favorite decade of music and I never heard of this group. Happy to have listened to it. Really nice.

Helposti kuunneltavaa folkia, jossa oli mukana myös hipaus psykedeliaa.

This was surprisingly good. The way folk blended with more classical rock was an absolute delight. A really enjoyable album.

Fairpoint Convention were such a great band, probably Sanny Denny's vocals are the highlight, she really has an incredible voice that always captures the attention. Who Knows Where The Time Goes is clearly the highlight and Denny's writing of that track is also really beautiful and melancholy, such a wistful track. I always think Fairpoint Convention sound ahead of their time, artists like Frank Turner, Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling and Father John Misty have a folk/rock sound and these guys were combining guitar solos with fiddles way back. Good stuff

Dette er noe av det mest britiske jeg har blitt utsatt for og jeg har ikke engang begynt å høre på musikken. Det høres ikke like erkebritisk ut som det ser ut. Egentlig er det ganske psychedelisk. Er veldig med på det instrumentale, men stiller meg nølende til vokalen. Så kommer omsider A Sailor's Life; her leverer de varene, ass. Vokalen passer og det instrumentale for utfolde seg fritt. Litt som en folky versjon av de mer progressive sporene til Velvet Underground. 10/10, stjerne i boka, kan høre dette for alltid. Backer også Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Går rett i søndagslista.

Jeg har hørt mye på Folque, som kanskje plukket opp fela og langeleiken samtidig som Fairport plukket opp fela og dulcimer? Uansett om de tilsynelatende er to band i samme sjanger, så høres de ganske ulike ut, og det har vel med folkemusikken de tar utgangspunkt i. Fairport forsvinner ofte uti noe tsom sender meg i en transelignende tilstand. Mens Folque har en tyngre slagside mot prog. Bandet er sterkest når de går mest inn i de klimprende låtene, slik som "A Sailor's Life", "Genesis Hall" og "Autopsy". At det har lurt seg inn 3 Dylan-låter, som på det tidspunktet ikke var utgitt av Dylan selv, er først og fremst artig. Jeg har hørt mye på både "Si tu dois partir" og originalen "If You Gonna Go" uten å skjønne at det er samme låta før i dag. Men "Si tu dois partir" høres mest ut som en køddelåt. På de to resterende Dylan-låtene kunne de vært et hvilket som helst 60770-tallsband med tilbøyeligheter for country. Kanskje jeg hadde likt dette bedre om jeg kjente bedre til utgangspunktet for britisk folkrock, slik jeg kjenner utgangspunktet for norsk folkrock.

Beautiful voice, but overall not really something I’ll spend more time with.

Lordy, why does folk rock need to sound so earnest? Sandy Denny's stiff, oh-so-serious voice is a millstone that sinks this record, but she alone is not to blame - the sloppy, everyone-playing-everything-all-the-time backing by the other Conventioneers renders the ragged music as a monochromatic blur.

I looked forward to listening to this after reading the reviews. I found it a bit too folky for me. However, on second listening I found myself enjoying it more and it has more to offer than just folky tunes. Good one

This rocks way harder than the album cover would lead you to believe

A nice little romp of Brit folk rock. The album cover screams "Welcome to our little slice of life, you can join our wee lass Sandy in the garden for a bit of song." It opens up very pastoral, and gets a little bop to it on "Autopsy". "A Sailors Life" is a wonderful little dirge about the loss of the sea. In "Percy's Song" you can almost hear the glasses clinking and smell the stout as you get this almost Irish sing along. All in all, a nice album, but not one I'd return to. I wouldn't complain if it came on, though. My rating: 4/5

Exceedingly English folk rock, which the band would later perfect on their next album (Liege & Leif). Despite being a bit of a transitory album, still quite enjoyable. Sandy Denny has one of the best voices in folk rock. 8/10.

8/10

It’s beautiful as well as relaxing that’s for sure, with some a bit of a fleshed-out narrative in each song makes for an emotional ride. Such quality from a band i hadn’t even heard of until an hour ago is pretty outstanding. Standouts are Genesis Hall, Autopsy and Percy’s Song.

I love the fiddle on this album! My favourite songs were Autopsy, A Sailor's Life and Percy's Song.

I'm decidedly unimpressed.

Well ok, I don't love the lady folk 60s voice vibe but some jammy good bits in here. If I was alive in 69 I would have smoked a jazz cigarette, brushed the hair out my eyes and settled back into the futon until side A's terminus.

This is a record I've never listened to by a band I've never heard of. I think it's only fair to start out with my expectations. Based on just the name, album cover, and year, I'd venture to guess this is some kind of guitar based psych band, maybe with some dulcimer parts or whatever. I think it will be an interesting listen, where the guitars and harmonies are cool but the songs are too long and the vocals are weird. Let's get right into it. Immediately impressed by the vocals. Ladies only sounded like this in the late sixties. The instruments are lush and clear but with a healthy amount of grit and life to them. Eastern stuff safely limboing under the shtick stick, but I called that dulcimer. You gotta give it up. Track two shanty style and fiddles sing along, this sounds like it could be a bunch of drunk french people trying to play a van morrison song from memory. I don't think I could listen to this while trying to focus on literally anything else, but fortunately I'm locked in for this one. Track 3 and I'm already friends with the diversity of the record. Truth be told, if I heard this track first I probably wouldn't have given the whole thing a chance, but with the momentum built from the first two tracks, which were not too long at all, this is a safe place for the record to turn off its jets and coast a little bit. This band has the same genetics as some truly degenerate fuckups, but it really managed to make something of itself. Track 4 opening swell sounds like Heatmiser if Nick Drake was in charge. The strings all sound awesome, but I wish they weren't talking about being sailors. That always bums me out. Is this a real folk song or one they decided to add to the canon, so to speak? I'm not offended yet but the length of the song so far, paired with the sense I get that we're just getting started is starting to make me sweat. The guitars all starting to dig in on what sound like some low powered tweed amps is a great moment though, and I'd confidently call that a payoff. Assessing whether I'll ever hear this again, because I don't want to hear the sailing part again, there's something endearing knowing it could be my first and only time. Track 5 verges on scary, like the whole song is trembling with anxiety. There's nothing wrong with that, I just don't know why the whole song is so freaked out. Track 6 mellows out in a very british way. The vocals are Joni Mitchellesque to put it plainly, and theres room at the table here for both ease and a hopeful restlessness. The song allows my mind to wander, and I start to think about how applying modern standards would cut this song in half with a smile, but the number 1969 reminds me what time it is. Track 7, I started off on the wrong foot with you. By the time the wandering, hard panned 60s electric guitar made it to my right ear, the song's unending lift all made sense to me. Of course, minutes later, I'm reminded that lifts end for a reason. Why am I still experiencing this same song? Track 8 sounds like that goofy dude from the Greatful Dead. Oh my god, they're all Bob Dylan songs. It all makes sense to me now, this is basically half a bob dylan cover record. That spoils the fun by about 20 percent. I have stuff to do, and I'm not excited enough to check out the bonus tracks. Not bad. As far as folk rock records go, I'd choose this over most of them in a heartbeat, as there was great playing on here. I love the album cover, and just how english everything is. 3/5

A lot of variety in this one! Was taken in early on, but gradually lost attention. Liked "Autopsy" a lot

"A Sailor's Life" was so hypnotic. About the album - looking at the cover I did not know what to expect, then I read reviews and thought something completely opposite. Now after listening to half of the album, I can say that truth is somewhere in the middle but overall this is something different.

I expected to dislike this after a few very poor albums from obscure English bands. This album was quite delightful and I will listen to it again

Vakkert, koselig, og lett å like med en gang.

Lame hippy cult vibes

Even if it's mostly just Bob Dylan covers, it's still some damn good folk rock. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m a little higher than a 5. I’d be at a 10 if those last two tracks were flipped. Well, consider me impressed by the versatility of Fairport Convention. I enjoyed “Liege and Lief”, but this is an even better album. The mixed rock instrumentation that was present there takes on a more prog / psychedelic feel here, though still combined really fruitfully with fiddles, violins & dulcimers to create a soundscape that feels more energetically driven than “Liege and Lief”. It also helps that with just one traditional track here (“A Sailor’s Life”, which is fantastic), a lot of these tracks feel way more contemporary for the era, enhanced by having a few tracks from the pre-eminent songwriter of this generation in the tracklist. The Bob Dylan covers that are here (including one in French!) are really well done, and I’m most deeply impressed by “Percy’s Song”, which feels like the highlight of the entire album to me. Every track here deserves some kind of love though, as there’s not a single bad one here. “Genesis Hall” does a great job of making you feel the ‘I’m on the wrong side, aren’t I?’ tension in the air, driven really well by the percussion. “Si tu dois parti” has a great energy behind it, and Sandy Denny sounds great in French. “Autopsy” is really well written, especially as a live autopsy of someone’s confessional nature & how it’s affecting their relationship. “A Sailor’s Life” does a brilliant job of matching her heartbeat’s despair with the percussive pulse of the track, & the instrumental section that closes it out is just a total jam. It’s my second-favorite track here. “Cajun Woman” has fantastic fiddle work behind it, and the story of a mother’s lost influence on her bible-thumping child being everyone’s downfall is just fascinating to me. Richard Thompson, who we got over 400 albums ago on “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight”, wrote both it & “Genesis Hall”, and they’re both very well done. “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” is just a lovely track, reminiscent of say, Penelope waiting for Odysseus or Fry’s dog waiting for him. Sandy’s vocals really shine there. “Percy’s Song” is… well, it’s just Bob Dylan crafting one of the most vivid pictures I’ve heard from the guy, enhanced DEEPLY by the instrumentation of the band & their harmonization. The constant turning feels like being forced to relive mugshots tainted with guilt, while his friend’s pleas for some kind of leniency (& the growing intensity of the instrumentation) fall on deaf ears due to the obvious nature of the crime at hand. The way everything layers on top of each other makes the track feel dynamic as hell, and overall, it’s a super captivating track that feels like it should’ve ended the album. “Million Dollar Bash” as a light critique on the idea that you HAVE to be seen as a status symbol by attending all these big fancy parties with meaningless cavorting is a good track, but it’s just not as effective of an album closer as “Percy’s Song” would’ve been, or “A Sailor’s Life”, or even “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?”. If this album had ended with one of those 3 as a much more definitive finish, I think I’d be at a 10, as everything here just hit a remarkably strong peak for me. This album blends its songwriting talents with great production / instrumental work, and at its highest highs, it’s just really enthralling. I hope Sandy Denny somehow pops up at least one more time here as a feature on another album. As it stands, it’s higher than a 5, and it might still get up to a 10 one day. It’s REALLY fucking good, man. I’m very glad it’s on the list, and I think I need to seek out more of Fairport Convention on my own time. P.S.: I really did not think I would be this captivated by an album with a cover that just seems like two grandparents posing in front of a gate. Could've done a bit more, guys.

Favorite songs: Genesis Hall, Autopsy, Cajun Woman, Who Knows Where the Time Goes?, Percy’s Song, Million Dollar Bash, The Ballad of Easy Rider

Catch up #23 October 26 2026 I don’t really like folk music, but this one is actually quite good. It’s pleasant, varied, and kind of fun at points. A good listen when you’re doing something else. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I didn't expect the like this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. There's a certain atmosphere to this album that I can't really describe, but I love it nonetheless. I wasn't a fan of A Sailor's Life. The instrumentals were good, but I found the song to be a bit boring and drawn. I can look past that however, because I really enjoy the rest of the album. These songs make me feel so relaxed and happy. I can definitely see myself coming back to this album countless times in the future.

Good, 3/5. Favourite song: Genesis Hall

- I'm not that into this. It's okayish, but I don't love the singer's vibrato. I like it better when the guy starts singing at the end of the album, and that song was the most interesting one for me. - Unfortunately, other than that song, none of the songs really caught my attention except the french song -- for the wrong reasons... the accent was way too anglo to pull it off. And the majority of the songs felt waaaaay too long. - The instrumentation isn't bad, but it doesn't really give anything room to breathe and isn't interesting enough to be that unrelenting. - The other thing I strongly dislike is that a lot of the songs are Dylan's work, and I'm boycotting that misogynist Zionist domestic abuser. - I do like the album cover, though the story is very sad how it reminds them of the very fatal car crash the same day.

Medieval kind of and cottagecore

Not something I would normally pick out, but this was a good listen.

I was not expecting this, what a great album. It’s so close to being a 5/5 except for the song a sailors life which starts really slow and the lyric portion of the song (the first half) doesn’t do it for me. However the rest of the album was fantastic, the unique but entrancing vocals of Sandy Denny and the folk instrumentals with hints of blues was great to listen to.

I would have liked the whole album better if the lead female singer was different. I didn't like her voice, but it certainly was a common sound in that era. I did like the music.

A precursor for better folk-rock to come.

Folky, charming Fave track: Who Knows Where the Time Goes?

Pretty cozy. 3/5

70’s folk rock vibe

Some nice folk songs (liked the french one) but mostly a bit same same.

its really slow but has lots of effort and thought put into.

Suprisingly listenable, did not feel as old as it is.

Very folky, which is not my normal cup of tea, but a few nice moments. 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' is just a beautiful song, lifted by Sandy Denny's vocal (even though I think the Susanna Hoffs/Matthew Sweet version off 'Under The Covers' is better). 'A Sailors Life' ended up better than I expected, but the rest was a bit so-so for my tastes. I had no idea that Bob Dylan wrote 'Si Tu Dois Partir' - what a smart-arse.

God, this was tough to get through. Not for me.