Museum Musica

UK, 1969, British folk rock

Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking: They say this is a transitional album for the band, and I can definitely hear it. You’ve got these brighter and rockier songs, like “Million Dollar Bash” (which isn’t really that good), mitigating against the more powerful tracks like “A Sailor’s Life” (Child Ballad?). For me, this is the centerpiece of the album. It’s a sprawling psychedelic track that starts off quite minimally, building its evocations as it swells in its progression, detailing the dangerous realities of a sailor’s life. Melodramatic songs like this don’t seem to sit well with modern sensibilities, however. Having said that, dying for love and all that is a trope as old as the hills. This album is more than just a soothing female voice over mellow tunes—there’s some meat here.