The best British folk-rock band of the late '60s, Fairport Convention did more than any other act to develop a truly British variation on the folk-rock prototype by drawing upon traditional material and styles indigenous to the British Isles. While the revved-up renditions of traditional British folk tunes drew the most critical attention, the group members were also (at least at the outset) talented songwriters as well as interpreters. They were comfortable with conventional harmony-based folk-rock as well as tunes that drew upon more explicitly traditional sources, and boasted some of the best singers and instrumentalists of the day. A revolving door of personnel changes, however, saw the exit of their most distinguished talents, and basically changed the band into a living museum piece after the early '70s, albeit an enjoyable one with integrity.

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.

2022 sees Fairport Convention celebrate their 55th anniversary. Famous for the many who have joined and left only to re-join, remarkably everyone who was ever involved remains part of the band’s extended family, returning to the fold for an annual reunion festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire.

Those attending Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2022 will know that we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of our 1970 LP Full House (albeit two years late thanks to Covid-19 restrictions). The original line-up of Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg (with Chris Leslie filling the shoes of the late great Dave Swarbrick) took to the Cropredy stage to perform the whole album. We recorded the show and the result is a magnificent musical memento of a stunning live performance. If you were in the field that night, this CD will let you relive the occasion; if you couldn't make it then now's your chance to savour what you missed.

Shuffle and Go is the new album from Fairport Convention. This is Fairport Convention's thirtieth studio album and the thirteen tracks (none of which have been previously recorded by Fairport) span a wide range of moods and texture. There are five new songs by Fairport's Chris Leslie and two by fellow band-member Ric Sanders as well as contributions from James Wood, PJ Wright, Rob Beattie and James Taylor (yes, that James Taylor). Recorded and mixed by John Gale, Shuffle and Go features Simon Nicol on guitars and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, mandolin and vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.