Unhalfbricking

Artist: Fairport Convention
Label: Universal
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 042284249829
EAN: 0042284249829
ASIN: B000025XLQ

Release Date: 2002-08-19

Related Categories:

British Folk

| Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General

| Folk | Styles | Music

Folk Rock

| Rock | Styles | Music

General

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Psychedelic Rock

| Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Folk

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Listmania:

Brilliant British Folk Music

Tracks:

Genesis Hall
Si Tu Dois Partir
Autopsy
Sailor's Life
Cajun Woman
Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
Percy's Song
Million Dollar Bash

Similar Items:

Liege & Lief
What We Did on Our Holidays
Full House
Fairport Convention
Fotheringay

Customer Reviews:

Unlike anything else.......2007-01-13

One of the great things about Amazon.com is this: if you buy alot of records from them, the "Recommended for You" page turns up some hidden gold from time to time. When I started exploring lesser-known bands of the psychedelic era and making alot of purchases, lo and behold, this album popped up on the list. Knowing nothing about the band other than my attraction to the album cover's resemblance to "American Gothic", I bought this record.

Listening to the first 10 seconds of this record was an experience I have very rarely had in my life. Usually, I can tell right away how a record is likely to sound, even if I know nothing about the band. But listening to the first moments of this, I seriously had no idea what to expect from this record. Growing up listening to the "classic rock" radio stations in the early 90's, and spending a good half-dozen years as a Jethro Tull fanboy, I certainly was familiar with folk-rock even if I didn't know it. But this record was totally "off the reservation" for me from the get-go.

From the opening guitar line of "Genesis Hall", it is clear that this is going to be a record unlike anything you've heard. The song blends elements of jazz, folk and rock into a disturbing lamentation about the inevitable passage of time. The third track, "Autopsy", has much of the same slightly-askew feel to it, and features vocalist Sandy Denny at her best.

The remainder of the album features some Dylan outtakes, another Dylan song from the then-unreleased Basement Tapes, and another Sandy Denny feature "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Jefferson Airplane also seems to be an influence on the vocals. Looking ahead, Fairport's arrangement of the traditional "A Sailor's Life" fortells the sound of their follow-up record "Liege and Lief" and the ultimate direction of the band as an essential part of the folk-rock scene.

If not for "Genesis Hall" and "Autopsy", I'd rate this a 3-4 star album. But those two tracks easily bump this up to 5-stars. Production value on this CD is also a strength, the sound of the record sounds very modern in most respects.

a work of tremendous depth.......2006-09-08

This is terrific work with attributes that extend towards many tastes. Richarh Thomspon's scorching guitar, Sandy Denny's angelic voice, cool versions of Dylan songs, ensemble virtuosity, its all there baby!

"A Sailors Life" is the highlight. It starts out as a very folky, lumbering, painfully Brittish jig and builds an dgrows into a crushing guitar workout. Enjoy every second of this lengthy songs

"Million Dollar Bash" was an obscure Bob Dylan tune that is given a lot of life by the different members of the band singing about what else? Having a million dollar bash!

This is a real big thumbs up!

This badn had a revolving door with different members. This was their best work.

Simply the Best.......2006-02-21

If you are looking for outstanding Fairport Convention, or Brit Folk, or if you just like music, this is an exemplary example. This album explains why those of us from the 60's continue to say that the music today (and the last 15 years) generally blows. You cannot name a single group that even approaches the beauty of this album. Five stars isn't enough. Trade in all your Britany Sneers and J Blows cd's; get this one and listen to a woman who can sing.

GREAT!.......2005-11-27

I received my CD very quickly & at a great price. I'd definitiely buy from you again . . . and look forward to doing so in the future.

A memorable album. On my top 10 of the 1960s. Buy it........2005-06-21

`Unhalfbricking' by the original Fairport Convention is the album with which they caught everyone's attention, as it has three exceptionally strong components going for it. First are the two songs by Sandy Denny, `Autopsy' and the memorable `Who Knows Where the Time Goes'. Second are the two songs by Richard Thompson. Third are the performances of three Bob Dylan songs which Mr. Dylan rarely performs himself.

After this great start with modern compositions and with such great chemistry between the principles in this group, it is surprising why they went off to do classic English folksongs in their most famous album, `Liege and Leif' and why Denny and Thompson spun off to do their own thing. I'm sure that they had their reasons, but that meant they never quite duplicated the quality of work on this album and the others the original group did together. So, the reincarnations of `Fairport Convention' have been making a career out of performing `Matty Groves' over and over again.

Getting back to `Unhalfbricking', I can still remember running into the British Import LP when I was under the spell of both `The Incredible String Band' and `The Pentangle' plus Bert and John and all those British folkies. So, the promise of more of the same was too good to pass up, before I happened to notice the heavy presence of Bob Dylan songs on the album. I do confess that the great cover photo of the walled lawn and the church tower in the background had a lot to do with my purchase.

I can't remember my exact impressions upon first hearing the album, except that I was tickled by the Dylan pieces and very much moved by the `Who Knows Where the Time Goes'. Listening to the album now, after 36 years, I wonder why no one does this kind of stuff anymore. I am not as much in tune with popular music today as I was in the 1960s, but I really miss having no fresh faces which strike me now as strongly as Dylan, Phil Ochs, Richard Farina, Tom Paxton, Tom Rush, Robin Williamson, Denny and Thompson, and so on did at that time.

I really envy you, fair reader, if you are discovering the original Fairport Convention for the first time. They successfully capture a part of the Zeitgeist of the 1960s, which is so precious to those who lived through it. I hope you love these performances as much as I do.

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