Thirteen Down

Bert Jansch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 18, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kicking Mule
• ASIN: B000009NWM
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,950 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Una Linea Di Dolcezza

2. Let Me Sing

3. Down River

4. Nightfall

5. If I Had a Lover

6. Time and Love

7. In My Mind

8. Sovay

9. Where Did My Life Go

10. Single Rose

11. Ask Your Daddy

12. Sweet Mother Earth

13. Bridge

Editorial Reviews

Bert Jansch formed the Bert Jansch Conundrum in the late 1970s as a touring unit for his solo performances following the breakup of the original Pentangle. 'Thirteen Down', recorded in 1979, was the only studio album by this aggregation. Joining Jansch here are multi-instrumentalists Martin Jenkins and Nigel Portman-Smith along with drummer Luce Langridge. In addition, Jansch's Pentangle vocal mate, Jacquie McShee, guests on 'If I Had a Lover. ' The selection of tunes offered on Thirteen Down is uniformly strong. Several tracks could best be described as 'funky folk music,' especially the instrumental, 'Una Linea di Dolcezza. ' Other standout tracks include 'Down River,' 'Time and Love,' 'In My Mind' and 'Sweet Mother Earth. ' The blend of British Isles folk, jazz and pop will be familiar to fans of Pentangle, and Jansch's vocals and guitar work are as unique as ever. Jenkins' violin and flute provide the textural colors that keep the arrangements varied from song to song. Ranking with the best work of Bert Jansch's lengthy career, 'Thirteen Down' is a must-have for folk and acoustic music enthusiasts. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly charming; totally un-"Bert"., June 14, 2003

By 

Chris Holmes "busker" (Corfu, Greece) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thirteen Down (Audio CD)

A completely un-Janschian offering but wonderful in its lightheartedness. I also completely agree with the shrewd Chas Smith about the more urgent need to have 'Avocet' and 'LA Turnaround' out on CD.

I love this album for all the non-Bert reasons: his voice has a spring in it *and* the talented combo - incl the brilliant and under-recognised Nigel Portman-Smith - is totally "in tune" with the spirit of the songs.

Una Linea - One of the few instrumentals where Bert actually uses the electrically amplified guitar as it should be.

Down River - I've never spent much time 'down river' but this song just melts me and makes me wish I could wind the clock back and take that boat out of Richmond - and just be like things were. Bert's leathery voice is at its most apt here: like a pal who's pulled out the old Yamaha on a whim and launched into this most perfect song.

If I had a Lover - The non-pareil Jacqui McShee from Pentangle

Sovay - Interesting to hear Bert's treatment of this McShee-chanted folk song. Ingenious arrangement.

Single Rose - Hypnotic love song. We all think we can write them like this, til we try.

Ask Your Daddy - Now I'm a father myself, this 'resonates'. Not that i've sung it to my bairns but if they ever release Bert for the karaoke crowd, this is the one we'll all lurch onto stage to croak.

Side note story: Never been sure how to say Bert's last name - Yarnsh? Yansh? Jansh? One day in a Seattle store I was baffling the assistant with my efforts, and a voice came at my elblow: "Jantz". It was John Renbourn, in town for a concert at the Tractor Tavern.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good Jansch, but not notable, December 9, 2000

By 

C. H Smith (Bowling Green, Kentucky United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thirteen Down (Audio CD)

I'm a little surprised that this title has been re-issued as a CD when there are other better and more interesting titles by Jansch out there that have not received such treatment (namely, "Avocet," "L. A. Turnaround," and "Moonshine"). Anyway, this album has Bert playing in a small combo setting in a vaguely bluesy-country music-ish atmosphere. Importantly, none of the material is particulary riveting in any sense--lyrically, musically, or instrumentally (this is *not* a CD to seek out if you are an acoustic guitar maven). Still, neither is it an outright dud in any sense, and if you are a real Jansch fan or a listener who enjoys hearing some true professionals making some good, unpretentious sounds together, you'll like it.

--(...)