UNHALFBRICKING

This is my favourite Fairport album. What Fairport were trying to do (especially Sandy Denny) was to write modern material, but in a folk influenced style; a very difficult task. The strains would show when she left the band after Liege and Lief. Unhalfbricking is halfway between the folk pop of their first two albums and the all out folk rock of Liege and Lief. A Sailor's Life is my favourite track with an extended coda in the style of Cream (this band could really rock when they wanted to) and a beautiful vocal by Sandy in the first half.I think I can also have a go at explaining the title; "halfbricking" is the style of garden wall you see the couple standing against on the album cover (Sandy's parents by the way!). As such it stands for middle class suburban conformity. Unhalfbricking is, well, the opposite!

4,5 stars