Fairport Convention
 

any thoughts on the band that perhaps invented folk-rock? were they better with or without sandy denny? i think richard thompson was one hell of a talent.

I think they`re great

They were also Nick Drake`s backing band on his albums

ah yes nick drake, a man who i have been getting into alot lately

This is quite possibly the worst name for a band ever, I hate these type of intangible names, similar to division of laura lee.

I can't put my finger on it, it just makes me angry.

Fairport Convention w/o Sandy Denny?! I don't even want to know.

Full House is rather pretty.

I bought a Fairport Convention album after a recommendation from someone at the time I was sort of involved with, but haven't listened to it properly yet

I also bought a Richard Thompson album 'Action Packed', and had a few tracks from the 'You? Me? Us?' album sent to me, and although I can enjoy his music a lot of the time, it leaves me feeling quite bitter and resentful (not sure why exactly), and I think too much about what he is singing, so I've stayed away from it lately.

Unhalfbricking is a folk rock masterpiece of its time. A Sailor's Life and Percy's Song are amazing.





Is anything else by them worth checking out?

I did quite like Fairport Convention
I can't stand Richard Thompson solo. He sounds very moany to me.
Of that era, I loved Pentangles Basket of Light

Fairport ? Conventional !
 

TBH, I`ve never heard anything by Fairport that I felt justified their reputation.Sandy Denny`s much-lauded voice sounds so carefully controlled that it doesn`t convey much passion or commitment to the material, and the band`s instruments often seem to muddy up the mix, instead of enhancing the sound. Apparently in their earlier days they were influenced by The Byrds, and that`s probably a clue to their bland style: maybe like The Byrds, they spent too long polishing off the rough edges of other peoples` music, hoping for mainstream appeal.

Pentangle, mentioned by Moshe, had a much sharper, purer tone, with each instrument ringing out clearly, but my favourite album from the 60`s UK folk revival was by the sadly overlooked band, Dando Shaft. If you try these clips from their "An evening with..." album you`ll hear some gruff but appealing vocals and so much mandolin that it hurts :