1 Genesis Hall
2 Si Tu Dois Partir
3 Autopsy
4 Sailor's Life
5 Cajun Woman
6 Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
7 Percy's Song
8 Million Dollar Bash
9 Dear Landlord [*]
10 Ballad of Easy Rider [*]

From Amazon.com

classic

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This is a folk album. This is a folk rock album. This is a folk jazz album. This is an Irish and English folk ablum. This is a 1960s album.

And this is a classic album. If people tend to overuse the word classic--myself included-it is sure not here. What brings Unhalfbrikling to the very top of the pile is not its use of so many different genres, although this is clearly undeniable. And its not the drumming, which is so smooth in both rock and jazz styles, it transends both. And it is not Sandy Denny's bell voice, which is so soft and so warm, but so clear and unaffected, it is a perfect instrument.

And it is not ONLY "Autopsy" a perfectly played, emotionally stirring jazz blues, or "Sailors Life" which mixes the most rustic music with the most sophistacated playing.

It is not only, even, "Who Know's Where The Time Goes," one of rock's most beautiful ballads--so hearfelt it brings tears to the eyes, but so genuine and deep and cleanly played, it was the perfect peice for 1969 FM progressive radio. Friendly as a country campfire with its slide guitar, but a sterling slice of jazz dynamics and subtlety.

What it IS is that Unhalfbrickling was one of those albums made on one of those days in 1969, when all the planets--including ours- were in the right place. You had to be good, and Fairport Convention was even better. You had to be origional, and Fraiport were inventive geniuses. You had to be able to play, and these players were masters. You had to be genuine, and Fairport was, bone deep. This is the music of the ages, but Unhalfbrikling shows all, and I mean capitol A, of what was best about rock in 1969. The synergy is from another world, but in the most earthly of ways.

Right time, right place, right songs, right band.


Classic album.

Slightly overrated, but quite bold nonetheless!

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Unhalfbricking, Fairport's third album, is historically important because it includes the playing of future member Dave Swarbrick as well as the first electric-folk epic of all time: "A Sailor's Life." It also includes the quintessential Sandy Denny composition "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" and a fine Richard Thompson composition called "Genesis Hall," written about his father's experiences as a policeman. Although the three aforementioned songs display Fairport at its best, the remaining tracks, including the hit version of Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" sung in French, are somewhat unremarkable. The band does not play as tightly as usual, and, as a result, a few of the songs drag, and/or have a novelty feel to them. Still, this album is where British folk-rock truly began, and it does contain some fine music. This remastered edition has beautiful sound, and is certainly worth picking up,but I might recommend seeking out Liege & Lief or Full House first.

Unhalfbricking

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This CD takes me back to the late sixties/early seventies of my university days. "Who knows where the time goes" is, for me, extremely poignant

Something I wish I had discovered long ago!

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: It is unfortunate that most of the music on the air during the 60's where I lived was mainstream top 40 music. Only in the early 70's did one station appear in my area that called itself "an underground" station. They often played music of The Grateful Dead and other San Francisco bands that listeners seldom heard in this corner of the West. The station's format had fewer commercials, and they played more "album rock." But I never had a chance to hear Fairport Convention. I loved the Judy Collins cover of "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" without knowing that she didn't write it. When I heard Sandy Denny's original for the first time in June of '08, I had to have this CD. This song is hauntingly beautiful and the guitar work is superb. The rest of the album is also peaceful. Each song has this folk quality that few groups successfully achieve. And the guitar work on the entire album often reminds me of early Jefferson Airplane, before some of their members lost their edge and departed to continue other projects. All of the songs on this CD are sophisticated and thought-provoking. It is remarkable--a must have for anyone who really has a passion for music and loves something that brings you peace.

A Fantastic Album, Now Even Better.

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: The problem with this album is that it always seemed to suffer, slightly, when compared to "What We Did on Our Holidays". Stylistically the albums form a natural pairing, but whereas its predecessor is a near perfect album, with every track complimenting each other perfectly, it always seemed to me that "Unhalfbricking" was by comparison a rather fractured affair with its various parts pulling the listener, a little too sharply, in different directions. In a peculiar way it always felt, as though it was only half a great record, but saying which bits are lacking is hard, as they all seem good or great when taken in isolation.

On the other hand the quality of most of its parts (if not the sum) is at a level most artists can only dream of. I should also point out that none of the above prevented this from becoming, and remaining, one of my best loved albums.

I believe that with the release of this version the album has finally attained the balance it always needed with the addition of the bonus tracks added for this release. They give the album that little more time required to absorb its disparate elements. With the addition of 'The Ballad of Easy Rider'(the best version of this song I have heard) the album finally has the majestic closing number it always needed and acts as a counterweight to the mighty 'A Sailor's Life' which seemed overly dominant at the center of the disc .

I already owned the previous CD version so it was with some reservations that I bought this one (only, in the end, because I needed to hear Sandy Denny's take on 'The Ballad of Easy Rider'), but I am glad I took the gamble. I always loved this album but now it's better than ever.