Customer Reviews

People on the Highway: Bert Jansch Tribute

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This 2-CD set from 2000 that celebrates the music of Bert Jansch is a varied mix of acoustic folk gems that is easy on the ear & will put a smile on your face. The opener is by one of my favorite artists, the prolific Massachusetts folkie Chris Smither. On "Strolling Down the Highway" Smither taps his foot to keep time and delivers a sweet shuffle. "Dreams of Love" boasts one of Jansch's most gorgeous melodies with Rab Noakes' voice weary like an often heard complaint. Ralph McTell's voice holds a gentle strength that interfaces with the lovely melody on acoustic guitar on "Running from Home," "A passing image of you reflects a pain to my heart and disappears in the crowd." Donovan recorded "Do You Hear Me Now?" in 1965, but this new re-recording pops with acoustic energy and Donovan's passionate delivery slamming the song through the speakers, "There's snowmen in the winter, blossoms in the spring, if they drop the bomb in the summertime, it won't mean a doggoned thing, Do you hear me now?" Al Stewart of "Year of the Cat" fame drenches the melody of "Soho" with acoustic waterfalls of guitar, "Come watch the naked dance that spins before your very eyes, naked like a song." Kelly Joe Phelps' haunting raspy vocal undresses the lovely melody of "Blackwaterside" with that delightful Jansch-style guitar. Johnny Marr who has worked with Morissey & the Smiths does a haunting version of "A Woman Like You" with cymbal percussion and a rare flash of electric guitar. While disc one is all male, disc two opens with female vocalist Maggie Boyle who lets her Irish brogue on "Bird Song" from my favorite Jansch album, "Rosemary Lane." Brooks Williams' acoustic guitar & gentle vocals do a good job on "Tell Me, What Is True Love?" One of Jansch's most lovely melodies, "Moonshine," is given a gentle embrace by Steve Tilston's sonic caress. Wizz Jones does a good rendition of "Fresh as a Sweet Sunday Morning" that Simeon Jones' flute lifts to an utter delight. Martin Jenkins from the band Dando Shaft gives a traditional folk reading with some delightfully alive finger-style guitar on "Sweet Mother Earth." Eleanor McEvoy presents one of the rare piano-based tracks on the slow and deeply felt "Where Did My Life Go?" Interestingly enough, the set repeats "Blackwater Side" on the second disc with Dando Shaft's Polly Bolton instead of Kelly Joe Phelps. James Devlin & Helen McGurk do an excellent job on "Is It Real?" Bert's son Adam Jansch concludes the set with a piano-based rendition of "Morning Brings Peace of Mind." This folk set offers many folk gems and highlights the long career of Bert Jansch. Enjoy!

Albums made up of various artists always provide an interesting mix of music especially if you are buying the album for one song. Personally I was after Johnny Marr's Healers, but I was pleasantly surprised not to have bought it for one song. Combines heavier (in a rock sense, not punk or metal) with a few sleepy jams and sounds great in my CD player. Take a chance, if you are truly addicted to music you are gonna need to buy something, and you can't go wrong here.

I heard the song "Moonshine" on a folk station (on the internet!) and on the strength of that 1 fine song bought this collection. I was very impressed with the quality of songwriting and the inspired covers by these artists. It clearly was a labor of love for them.