Customer Reviews

Bert Jansch

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Considering the fact that this is one of the very most important albums of contemporary acoustic guitar music ever recorded, it is not terribly well known in the U.S.A. Nor is Jansch in general. Some people are aware of him in his role as group leader of the influential folk band Pentangle; others vaguely connect him with John Renbourn for their work together both as a duo and in that band. Renbourn is much better known in the U. S. at this point, and in truth the material he has put out through the years has been of a more consistent excellence than has Jansch's. But in terms of sheer creative importance and influence, there can be little question as to who gets the nod. A few years back a poll was taken in England among musicians to rate the most important acoustic guitarists of the twentieth century. Jansch came out second, behind only blues legend Robert Johnson. Jansch was to Britain's folk-rock genesis what Dylan was to the American one; only with Jansch the emphasis was on the role of the guitar rather than the role of voice and lyrics. Those who are aware of what was being played before the issue of this 1965 recording in the way of acoustic guitar will understand what an effect this work had on the scene. Countless musicians on both sides of the Atlantic immediately gained a sense of dramatic inspiration from Jansch's blues-inspired, but ultimately more elaborately contrapuntal, play. Listen on this album to Jansch's version of Davy Graham's famous instrumental 'Angie,' then listen to Paul Simon's version of the same work on "Sounds of Silence"; it is pretty obvious who Simon was trying to emulate here (and in fact Simon and Jansch shared an apartment in England for a while in late 1965 or early 1966). Or listen to 'Mrs. Robinson' after reviewing the first album by Pentangle, which contains rhythm guitar work by Jansch exhibiting exactly the same kind of style and power. Other musicians strongly influenced by Jansch include Renbourn himself, Nick Drake, Pierre Bensusan, Neil Young, Jimmy Page, and Donovan; he is also gaining some attention among the younger generation of musicians.

Jansch hasn't much of a voice, and he doesn't look very pretty, but it would be a pity if this leading light from the Beatles generation revolution in popular music passed from the scene without getting the recognition he deserves. I'm not sure I would even consider this first album of his his best in absolute terms: my vote would go either to "Jack Orion" or "Rosemary Lane."

Not only was Bert Jansch one of the biggest names in the 1960's British folk revival, he was also one of the most influential guitarists of any genre, and to this day is one of the most enduring figures of the scene. He sits primarily alongside Davy Graham, and perhaps his Pentangle bandmate John Renbourn as one of the 60's British folk movement guitar heroes, covered by and influencing the great Roy Harper, Donovan, Ralph McTell, Tudor Lodge, and, yes, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. This album, his 1965 debut, was indeed recorded in a kitchen on guitars that didn't belong to Jansch, but after one listen you'll realize that this record's humble beginnings belie the fantastic playing and music within.

Unlike John Renbourn, who was something of a "lead" folk guitarist, and Davy Graham, whose uncanny guitar skills fluidly shift from fingerpicked rhythm guitar to lead without effort, Bert Jansch's style is primarily of the unaccompanied rhythm/lead combo fingerstyle variety. That is, the guitar on this album weaves fingerpicked chord progressions to accompany Jansch's vocals while simultaneously playing a guitar melody--like 2 guitars playing at the same time! Jansch's trademark style is dizzying in its fluidity, melodiousness, and originality. Not only that, but he shows himself to be a pretty competent songwriter and singer at the same time!

On many of the album's cuts, Jansch sings in a rough Scottish-inflected brogue about the sort of itinerant lifestyle lived by many folk artists of the day. The topics run the gamut from hitchhiking ("Strolling Down the Highway"), rambling ("Rambling's Going To Be the Death of Me"), rustic/agrarian lifestyle ("I Have No Time"), and the romantic exploits of a rambler ("Courting Blues"). Outside of these sorts of traditional folk subjects, though, Jansch's songwriting also stretches to reach some compelling heights with the cautionary heroin song, "Needle of Death" (one of his most well-known), and the anti-war protest song "Do You Hear Me Now?" Throughout, Jansch's voice, though rough, has a great propensity for expression and won't be a taste too hard to acquire for fans of Bob Dylan and the like.

Unlike on some of his later albums, nearly half of the songs on Jansch's debut are instrumentals. These are some of my favorites on the album, since he gets to stretch out his guitar chops a bit more with the absence of vocals. The mysterious "Alice's Wonderland" and the hypnotic "Casbah" are a couple of my favorites. Throughout the entire album, though, his playing is ear candy that is worth the price of admission even without the lyrics and vocals. Anyone who's a fan of the above-mentioned artists should check out Jansch, since he's of the same caliber and earned their endorsement as an influence. Also, fans of American folk who are interested in what was happening across the pond owe it to themselves to check out one of Britain's most legendary guitarists. In any case, Jansch's debut a classic and a necessary part of any folk, guitar, or folk-rock fan's collection. Enjoy the magic.

...This album is a good intro to the tougher stuff like 'Orion' and i'm glad to see 'Birthday Blues' and the whimsical 'Nicola' being offered as well as the family-affair 'Crimson Moon' with competent enough backing by son and wife.

Gee, friends, I've honestly tried and tried and tried, but I'm truly sorry ... I really don't get it. What is so wonderful about Bert Jansch? Now matter how much effort I put into it he still sounds to me as if he'd rather hit you on the head with a wooden plank than waste his time playing music to you. If he really doesn't bother, then why does he do it at all? I'm sure it would be so much easier to go on the dole and sit in the corner of a bedsit all day staring hard at the moldy spots on the wallpaper. And please tell me, is the guy half-deaf? Can't he hear that his guitar is extremely badly set up, the way it buzzes and squeaks? Doesn't he know you need to press those strings down just a bit harder to get a decent sound? Can't he hear his singing is way out of tune half the time? And that's not even the worst part of it. The worst part is the way he pulls the strings to make them slap against the instrument. That really cuts me like a knife. I have a feeling this is the embryonic version of all the idiotic and pointless guitar-slapping we hear so much of these days and which, honestly, there should be a law against. If they can seriously talk about making the slapping of children a police matter, then surely this kind of abysmal behaviour must take an even higher priority. Bring it before the international courts, that's what I say. The least they can do for the consumers is to label it under "circus act", not "music".

Okay, I know. There are people in this world considerably more musical than I, who think the sun shines out of this man's very backside. People whose opinions I very much respect, musicians I admire deeply, some of whom have even had substantial collaborations with Jansch over the years. Then again, there are probably also a few people out there who think and feel about Bert Jansch the way I do - people who realise there's something here they just don't get, however much they try and however much they'd like to.

So there it is. Now I've said it and you can hate me if you like, or you can be constructive and put in you comments and tell me what I have to do to understand the wonder of Jansch. I'm all ears - though perhaps that's actually the problem: I focus on the stuff he does wrong from a formal point of view, and it blocks my way into his music. Perhaps, but what can I do? You have to be honest in these reviews, and I really don't like this record at all.

Finally, I'm normally praising the Transatlantic CD reissues for being very well sounding. In this case, however, some pretty scruffy master tapes have been used. There are dropouts a-plenty (though with it being a mono record that problem could have been very easily sorted out) and other problems too, particularly with the bonus tracks.

(Next week: Neil Young.)