Cazzarola io e i Fairport Convention abbiamo sicuramente due cose in comune primo, che siamo nati nel mitico1968 solo due mesi mi separano dalla nascita di questo album e siamo a cavallo tra il '68 e il '69 e secondo, 38 anni e non sentirli! Già?

Ma quanto bello è "Unhalfbricking" lo posso ascoltare e riascoltare che non m'annoia mai, è fantastico, l'adoro! La carismatica Sandy Denny fu fondamentale per i Fairport Convention riuscì anche ad ottenere la stampa con foto dei genitori su questa copertina, si dice che i ragazzi del gruppo s'innamorarono perdutamente della sua straordinaria voce angelica, quando all'audizione attaccò con una canzone di Tim Buckley, ma in seguito, nel 1978 a soli 31 anni, quella voce angelica purtroppo diventò veramente un angelo eterno. Una vita tormentata, amori sbandati per tutto ciò che era "trasgressivo" e che inevitabilmente sfociava in eccessi "fonte" di tante schiavitù devastanti e morti precoci, ovvero "The Tormented Love Is The Killer Of All".   Una grandissima band di folk-rock, all'epoca formata da Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, Martin Lamble (che anche lui purtroppo morì l'anno dopo) Ashley Hutchings e dal violinista e domatore di mandolino Dave Swarbrick, in questa opera esce di scena il principale vocalist Ian Matthews  per far spazio all'ammaliatrice Denny e così tutti felici e contenti appassionatamente insieme, presero il volo diventando uno dei gruppi più popolari che nello stesso anno (1969) partorirono tre straordinari Album, "What We Did On Our Holidays"-"Unhalfbricking" e "Liege And Lief", dopodichè seguirono a catena i vari abbandoni da parte dei componenti del gruppo, in primis Denny.

Gli strumenti sono soft e imprigionati nell'abbagliante voce.   Otto tracce con remake di Bob Dylan e Roger McGuinn e la partecipazione anche di Trevor Lucas e Marc Ellington e Dave Mattacks.

"Genesis Hall" - un ritornello melodico, la voce così soave e la chitarra elettrica che non influenza l'essenza folck - "Si Tu Dois Partir" versione in francese di « If You Gotta Go, Go Now » di Bob Dylan, fisarmonica, violino e battito di mani che tengono a capo le danze di una magica festa - "Autopsy" di Sandy Denny, traccia malinconica e straordinaria - "A Sailor's Life" un viaggio mistico e ipnotico di undici minuti e 11° - "Cajun Woman" una piccola parentesi allegra di violino e chitarra elettrica - "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" di Sandy Denny, dolcissima, direi il brano più bello - "Percy's Song" di Bob Dylan, un tipico folk Americano pieno di cori - "Million Dollar Bash" di Bob Dylan con The Band, Sandy si fonde in una conversazione con Richard Thompson e per concludere, due bonus track inedite "Dear Landlord" di Bob Dylan e "The Balland Of Easy Rider" di Roger McGuinn.

E' semplicemente un Album d'ascoltare perché le parole non potrebbero bastare per descrivere l'atmosfera sognatrice e fluttuante di un periodo illuminato dai "figli dei fiori" che invocavano e predicavano "fate l'amore, non fate la guerra" come ideale e stile di vita.

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Genesis Hall (03:41)

My father he rides with your sheriffs
And I know he would never mean harm
But to see both sides of a quarrel
Is to judge without hate or love

Oh, oh, helpless and slow
And you don’t have anywhere to go

You take away homes from the homeless
And leave them to die in the cold
The gypsy who begs for your presents
He will laugh in your face when you’re old

Oh, oh, helpless and slow
And you don’t have anywhere to go

Well one man he drinks up his whiskey
Another he drinks up his wine
And they’ll drink ‘till their eyes are red with hate
For those of a different kind

Oh, oh, helpless and slow
And you don’t have anywhere to go

When the rivers run thicker than trouble
I’ll be there at your side in the flood
T’was all I could do to keep myself
From taking revenge on your blood

Oh, oh, helpless and slow
And you don’t have anywhere to go
Oh, oh, helpless and slow
And you don’t have anywhere to go

02   Si tu dois partir (02:25)

C'est pas que je te demande
Que faire que tu ne jamais fais
C'est seulement qu'il fait trop tard
Et il fait trop noir pour trouver la porte

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

C'est pas que je te demande
De prendre part dans ce jeu
C'est seulement je n'ai pas de montre
Comme toujours faire le par contre

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

Tu sais j'aurais des cauchemars
Et aussi mauvaise conscience
Si je t'emp�che de faire
Ce que vraiment tu esp�re

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

03   Autopsy (04:27)

You must philosophise
But why must you bore me to tears?
You're red around the eyes
You tell me things no one else hears
You spend all your time crying
Crying the hours in tears
Crying the hours in tears
Come lend your time to me
And you will know that you are free
And when you look at me
Don't think you're owning what you see
For remember that you're free
And that's what you want to be
So just lend your time to me
You must philosophise
But why must you bore me to tears?
You're red around the eyes
You tell me things no one else hears
You spend all your time crying
Crying the hours in tears
Crying the hours in to ears

04   A Sailor's Life (11:20)

A sailor's life, it is a merry life
He robs young girls of their heart's delight
Leaving them behind to weep and mourn
They never know when they will return

"Well, there's four and twenty all in a row
My true love he makes the finest show
He's proper, tall, genteel withal
And if I don't have him, I'll have none at all"
"Oh, father build for me a bonny boat
That on the wide ocean I may float
And every Queen's ship that we pass by
There I'll inquire for my sailor boy"

They had not sailed long upon the deep
When a Queen's ship they chanced to meet
"You sailors all, pray tell me true
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?"

"Oh no, fair maiden, he is not here
For he's been drownded, we greatly fear
On yon green island, as we passed it by
There we lost sight of your sailing boy"

Well, she rung her hands and she tore her hair
She was like a young girl in great despair
And her little boat against a rock did run
"How can I live now? My sweet William is gone"

05   Cajun Woman (02:45)

The baby that the preacher gave you in the Spring
Spent the winter with his finger in the undertaker's ring

Oh Cajun woman, some people still call you a queen
I don’t believe you’re sinking but look at all the trouble you’ve been

He grew up in the bayou with a bible ‘round his neck
He never loved a woman the way you would expect

Oh Cajun woman, some people still call you a queen
I don’t believe you’re sinking but look at all the trouble you’ve been

Don't tell him 'bout his Father, don't tell him 'bout his name
The Gods won't get to Heaven if you crucify his brain

Oh Cajun woman, some people still call you a queen
I don’t believe you’re sinking but look at all the trouble you’ve been

Well it’s welcome to the graveyard and welcome to the throne
Welcome to the orphanage where your family sit and moan
Welcome to the liquor stile and welcome to the poor
Your momma never told you how lucky you are

Oh Cajun woman, some people still call you a queen

06   Who Knows Where the Time Goes (05:13)

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it's time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it's time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it's time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time
For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes?

07   Percy's Song (06:56)

08   Million Dollar Bash (02:56)

Well, that big dumb blonde with Gorgeous George
And Turtle, a friend of theirs, with his cheques all forged
And his cheeks in a trunk with a cheese in the cash
You're all gonna be there at that million dollar bash, and it's
(Chorus)
Ooh baby, ooh-ee
Ooh baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
Everybody from right now go over there and back
The louder they come, well the bigger they crack
Come now, ?sweet pea?, and don't forget the flash
We're all gonna meet at that million dollar bash
(Chorus)
Well, I took my counsellor out to the barn
Silly Nelly was there, she told him a yarn
Then along came Jones and emptied the trash
Everybody went down to that million dollar bash
(Chorus)
Well, I been hittin' it too hard, you know, my ?sloes? won't take
I get up in the morning, bit too early to wake
First it's "Hello", then "Goodbye", they push and they crash
But everybody's gonna make it to that million dollar bash
(Chorus)
Well, I looked at my watch then I looked at my wrists
Punched myself in my face with my fists and I
Took my taters back a-home to be mashed
But then I made it right on to that million dollar bash
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
(Chorus)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  bubu7

 "Unhalfbricking è una rivoluzione placida, ancora giovane e spensierata, piena di compromessi e leggere imperfezioni."

 "Sandy Denny è un sussurro che accarezza i toni bassi, e salendo prende corpo, si fa densa e spessa, mentre dondolando narra di disperazione, empatia e speranza."