Customer Reviews

Pentangle Family

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Pentangle Family primarily highlights the solo efforts of both Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. The CD begins with "Lucky Thirteen" an acoustic composition by Jansch and Renbourn. Other solo gems from Jansch include a solo version of "A woman like you" with strong percussion and "Tell Me what is True Love". Redbourn's "Noah and Rabbit" and "Can't keep from Crying" highlight John's excellent craft work in solo guitar. Pentangle as a group is presented with cuts from it's earlier albums with songs like "Light Flight" and "Once I had a Sweetheart". Also little heard tracks from Pentangle's out of print album "Reflection" are highlighted here like the moving "Wedding Dress". Because this CD is not a complete presentation of Pentangle as a group, it would be advisable for the novice listener of Pentangle music, get "Basket of Light" and "Sweet Child". If the listener enjoys the "Pentangle sound" then buy The Pentangle Family.

This is a marvelous budget-priced collection of the original Transatlantic recordings from Bert Jansch and John Renbourn between 1965 and 1972 as solo artists, as a duet, and in a group format with their ground-breaking band Pentangle. Purists may look down their nose at this two-hour-plus collection, preferring instead the original albums. But if you're looking for a solid overview of these two influential guitarists, there is much to enjoy here. Highlights include "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," "Pentangling," "Sweet Child" and "Sylvie." Jansch and Renbourn are pillars of the British folk scene, while Pentangle blurred the lines between folk, blues, jazz and rock. The songs are presented in (mostly) chronological order, beginning with "Lucky Thirteen" from Jansch's 1965 album It Don't Bother Me, through "Shake Shake Mama" from Renbourn's 1972 album, Faro Annie. "Light Flight," which closes disc two, was a Top 40 British hit in 1969 but not included on a Pentangle album. This is essential listening for fans of British folk. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The music of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, as well as their group project Pentangle, was an emotional and intellectual inspiration to me during my early adult years. This collection, sampling from most of the releases the three acts produced for Transatlantic Records over the period 1965 through 1972, provides a wonderful reminder of the quality of their vision. The two-CD format makes it possible to make really intelligent decisions as to what to include and what to exclude; importantly, the choices made here omit some of the artists' best known material (e.g., Jansch's 'I Am Lonely,' 'Angie,' and 'Reynardine,' and Pentangle's 'When I Get Home' and 'Cruel Sister')--available elsewhere--only to substitute equally interesting but less frequently heard works (e.g., Jansch's 'My Lover,' 'Promised Land,' and 'Sylvie', and Pentangle's 'Hole in the Coal' and 'Helping Hand'). I'd especially like to thank the organizers for their inclusion of Jansch's 'Sylvie,' which for me represents the very zenith of the art of guitar accompaniment--an incredible instrumental realization of the drama and pathos of lost love, that. Congratulations to all involved--an excellent survey!