I began listening to Fairport Convention in July 2024. I stopped listening to their albums after Richard Thompson left the group.
Fairport Convention (1968): C+
What We Did on Our Holidays (1969): B
Unhalfbricking (1969): B
Liege and Lief (1969): B
Full House (1970): B-
Fairport Convention (1968):
Like Jefferson Airplane, the female member (Judy Dyble) of this British folk rock band is something like their de facto leader but none of the several singers in this hippie ensemble dominate the track-list. What does dominate is their influences, particularly Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. With forgettable songwriting attempts, their covers make the biggest impression--especially because they're infantile, awkwardly arranged, and questionably chosen. Where the track listing disappoints, however, the musicianship shows potential. Richard Thompson's lead guitar is much heavier than the American folk rock scene ever attempted and their multi-instrumental talents pan out better than expected. C+
What We Did on Our Holidays (1969):
Although losing Judy Dyble, the band soldier on with Sandy Denny, a rising star in her own right within British folk rock. Denny has an identifiable brand of soft sentimentality and she consolidates power as lead singer but it's hardly something to get excited about. While her lead on "The Lord Is in This Place"--which is meant to pay homage to Blind Willie Johnson's everlasting "Dark Was the Night"--is excellent, she does nothing special to the Joni Mitchell cover "Eastern Rain" and Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine" turns into a miserable six minute affair. Fortunately, the traditional re-arrangements are nicely done and original songwriting can be inspiring: "Denny's "Fotheringjay," Iain Matthews's "Book Song," and Thompson's "Tale in Hard Time." B
Unhalfbricking (1969):
As the music softens and Denny gets more comfortable, this British folk rock band hits a nice stride. An eleven minute take on "A Sailor's Life" notwithstanding, side one is full of thoughtful and tranquil moments that are arguably as good as this folk rock band can get. Although this momentum continues to be carried into side two, it's predictably dropped at the very end by two lousy Dylan covers, the first one being a six minute long take on "Percy's Song" which clumsily and incessantly argues--even when Dylan sings it--against a harsh prison sentence. If only it was translated to French, like the side one Dylan cover "Si Tu Dois Partir." B
Liege and Lief (1969):
Although the band finally sheds their terrible Dylan covers, the relegation of original songwriting stings, especially when one of the only two true originals, "Come All Ye," earnestly attempts to mimic the rest of the album's traditional material. Because these British folk rockers have a much firmer grasp on modernizing traditional music than they do recreating it with the utmost sincerity, it's a pity that all of the arrangements on this album attempt to travel farther back in time. In fact, this album shows that they might not be as good at locating the heartbeat of early folk music as we thought they were. Nothing quite reaches Unhalfbricking's fun "Si Tu Dois Partir," but Liege and Lief's consistency in collecting music that is somewhat stimulating, somewhat boring, and somewhat disappointing makes it about as passing as the previous album. B
Full House (1970):
Though much drool is lost over Sandy Denny, her exit out of Fairport Convention highlight that the fact that Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick can take care of vocal duties with almost equal competence, especially when they harmonize together. Where these medieval traditionalists get tripped up is the two instrumental medleys, which are jovial and dynamic to the extreme, and their usual long cut, which like clockwork shows up on side one. B-
