50:50@50
Studio album by
Fairport Convention
ReleasedJanuary 2017
RecordedNovember 2016
StudioWoodworm Studios
GenreBritish folk rock
Length64:17
LabelMatty Grooves
ProducerJohn Gale with Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention chronology
Myths and Heroes
(2015) 		50:50@50
(2017) 		Shuffle and Go
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Classic Rock[2]
The Guardian[3]
Paste8/10[4]
Uncut[5]

50:50@50 is the twenty-eighth studio album by British folk rock band Fairport Convention, released in January 2017 to mark the band's 50th anniversary. Half of the album was recorded in the studio, and the other half is a selection of songs recorded from live performances.

Recording and release

The album features six new tracks that were recorded at Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire in November 2016, and a re-working of "Danny Jack's Reward" (originally from the Festival Bell album) that features members of Joe Broughton's Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, which was recorded in Sound By Design's Delta Studio and The Bowman's Retreat studio in Oxfordshire. The live tracks were recorded between 2014 and 2016 at different concerts including the band's warm-up concerts for their Cropredy Festival at the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury. The album became available to buy from the band's website in January 2017, and was also available at all concerts on the band's 2017 winter tour. The album was made available everywhere else from 10 March.[6]

Track listing

  1. "Eleanor's Dream" (Chris Leslie)
  2. "Ye Mariners All" (Live) (Traditional; arranged by Fairport Convention)
  3. "Step by Step" (Chris Leslie)
  4. "The Naked Highwayman" (Live) (Steve Tilston)
  5. "Danny Jack's Reward" (Ric Sanders)
  6. "Jesus on the Mainline" (Live) (featuring Robert Plant) (Traditional; arranged by Fairport Convention)
  7. "Devil's Work" (Chris Leslie)
  8. "Mercy Bay" (Live) (Chris Leslie)
  9. "Our Bus Rolls On" (Chris Leslie)
  10. "Portmeirion" (Live) (Ric Sanders)
  11. "The Lady of Carlisle" (featuring Jacqui McShee) (Traditional; arranged by Fairport Convention)
  12. "Lord Marlborough" (Live) (Traditional; arranged by Fairport Convention)
  13. "Summer by the Cherwell" (PJ Wright)
  14. "John Condon" (Live) (Richard Laird / Sam Starrett / Tracey McRory)

Personnel

Guest musicians

References

  1. ^ "50:50@50 by Fairport Convention – Critic Reviews". Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ^ Fielder, Hugh (27 March 2017). "Fairport Convention – 50:50@50 album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  3. ^ Denselow, Robin (9 March 2017). "Fairport Convention: 50:50@50 review – folk pioneers celebrate time together". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. ^ Zimmermann, Lee (6 March 2017). "Fairport Convention: 50:50@50 Review". Paste. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Fairport Convention – 50:50@50". Uncut. May 2017. p. 26.
  6. ^ "Fairport Convention News". Fairport Convention. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
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