Unhalfbricking

Released

A significant moment for Fairport Convention, who’d begun to find their feet after a few promising, yet tentative albums. With Sandy Denny fully integrated into the group, they had the lead singer they’d always needed (no shade to her predecessor Judy Dyble), and Richard Thompson’s writing was getting stronger, as evidenced by the opening “Genesis Hall.” There are some strong versions of Dylan songs, too, but the core of Unhalfbricking is the eleven-minute “A Sailor’s Life,” where they finally cracked the nut and discovered just how pliable and powerful English traditional song can be – the group’s playing is liquid amber, fluid without being overly played, there are no unnecessary flourishes, and you can hear, almost in real time, a new paradigm in folk rock being worked out. All this, and one of Sandy Denny’s most lasting songs, “Who Knows Where The Time Goes.”

Jon Dale

Suggestions
Ghetto Bells cover

Ghetto Bells

Vic Chesnutt
Pronto Monto cover

Pronto Monto

Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Kamikaze cover

Kamikaze

Luis Alberto Spinetta
From Dreams to Dust cover

From Dreams to Dust

The Felice Brothers
Death's Dateless Night cover

Death's Dateless Night

Charlie Owen, Paul Kelly
These Things Too cover

These Things Too

Pearls Before Swine
Hand Of Kindness cover

Hand Of Kindness

Richard Thompson
The BBC Sessions cover

The BBC Sessions

Phosphorescent
Macalla cover

Macalla

Clannad