Unhalfbricking was, if only in retrospect, a transitional album for the young
Fairport Convention, in which the group shed its closest ties to its American folk-rock influences and started to edge toward a more traditional British folk-slanted sound. That shift wouldn't be definitive until their next album,
Liege & Lief. But the strongest link to the American folk-rock harmony approach left with the departure of
Ian Matthews, who left shortly after the sessions for
Unhalfbricking began. The mixture of obscure American folk-rock songs, original material, and traditional interpretations that had fallen into place with What We Did on Our Holidays earlier in the year was actually still intact, if not as balanced.
Sandy Denny's two compositions, her famous "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" and the far less celebrated but magnetically brooding "Autopsy," were among the record's highlights. So too were the goofball French Cajun cover of
Bob Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (here retitled "Si Tu Dois Partir," and a British hit) and the magnificent reading of
Dylan's "Percy's Song," though the bash through
Dylan's "Million Dollar Bash" was less effective.
Richard Thompson's pair of songs, however, were less memorable. The clear signpost to the future was their 11-minute take on the traditional song "A Sailor's Life," with guest fiddle by
Dave Swarbrick, soon to join
Fairport himself and make his own strong contribution toward reshaping the band's sound. [The 2003 CD reissue adds historical liner notes and two decent bonus tracks: an outtake cover of
Dylan's "Dear Landlord" and a cover of
the Byrds' "The Ballad of Easy Rider" (actually recorded during the
Liege & Lief sessions) that previously surfaced on
Richard Thompson's Guitar & Vocal compilation.] ~ Richie Unterberger