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**Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking**
★★★★☆

By the summer of 1969, Fairport Convention had already weathered more storms than most bands endure in a lifetime. The tragic car crash that claimed drummer Martin Lamble and guitarist Richard Thompson's girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn in May of that year cast a long shadow over what would become their third album. Yet from this darkness emerged *Unhalfbricking*, a record that would crystallize the English folk-rock movement and establish Fairport as its undisputed architects.

The album arrived at a pivotal moment for the band. Sandy Denny had joined the previous year, bringing with her a voice that could make angels weep and a songwriting talent that rivaled anyone in the burgeoning folk scene. Her presence transformed Fairport from promising experimenters into something approaching genius. Meanwhile, Richard Thompson was evolving from a gifted teenager into one of Britain's most inventive guitarists, his playing growing more sophisticated with each passing month.

*Unhalfbricking* sits at the crossroads between American folk-rock and something uniquely British. While the band's earlier work had leaned heavily on Bob Dylan and The Band, here they began forging their own path through the English countryside. The album's genius lies in its seamless blend of traditional material with contemporary songwriting, electric instruments with acoustic sensibilities, and American influences with distinctly British themes.

The opening "Genesis Hall" sets the tone perfectly – Thompson's guitar work is both delicate and powerful, while Denny's vocal floats above the mix like morning mist over a meadow. It's followed by the album's masterpiece, "Si Tu Dois Partir," a French translation of Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" that became an unlikely hit single. Denny's pronunciation might not pass muster in a Parisian café, but her delivery is so captivating that linguistic accuracy becomes irrelevant. The arrangement is deceptively simple, built around Thompson's hypnotic guitar figure and Ashley Hutchings' rolling bassline.

The album's emotional centerpiece is "Autopsy," Denny's haunting meditation on mortality that takes on added poignancy given the recent tragedy. Her voice carries a weight that belies her years, while the band provides a suitably somber backdrop. It's folk music stripped of any romantic notions, raw and unflinching in its honesty.

"A Sailor's Life" represents the album's most adventurous moment – a traditional ballad stretched across eleven minutes of exploratory playing. Thompson's guitar work here is simply extraordinary, weaving between folk fingerpicking and something approaching psychedelia. It's a glimpse of the direction the band would pursue on their next album, *Liege & Lief*, but stands perfectly on its own as a statement of intent.

The album's lighter moments are equally compelling. "Cajun Woman" swaggers with a confidence that suggests the band were finally comfortable in their own skin, while "The Ballad of Easy Rider" (not the Byrds song, but another Dylan cover) showcases the band's ability to make borrowed material sound entirely their own.

Dave Swarbrick's violin, while not yet the dominant force it would become, adds crucial color throughout. His playing on "Percy's Song" is particularly effective, adding a melancholy that perfectly complements Denny's vocal. The rhythm section of Hutchings and new drummer Dave Mattacks (recruited after Lamble's death) provides a rock-solid foundation that allows the more adventurous elements to flourish.

*Unhalfbricking* didn't set the charts alight – it peaked at a modest 12 in the UK – but its influence has proved immeasurable. It essentially invented English folk-rock as a distinct genre, separate from its American cousins. Every British band that has since attempted to marry traditional material with electric instruments owes a debt to this album.

The record's legacy extends far beyond genre boundaries. Led Zeppelin were clearly listening (compare "A Sailor's Life" to their own folk excursions), while generations of singer-songwriters have studied Denny's phrasing and Thompson's guitar work. The album proved that British musicians didn't need to ape American sounds to create vital, contemporary music – they could dig into their own rich musical heritage instead.

Fifty-plus years on, *Unhalfbricking* remains a remarkable achievement – a album born from tragedy that somehow manages to celebrate life, tradition, and the endless possibilities