Customer Reviews

Wheel of Fortune

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

 

 

I love this album well enough to give it as a gift to people I especially like. John Renborn just doesn't make bad albums, but for me the real treat here is Robin Williamson. He might be the most gifted storyteller I've heard. His work on this album will thrill anyone who takes delight in a story told not well but perfectly, with timing and pitch exactly right to both convey the story and complicate it with sly attitude. You won't be disappointed in this album, and you'll probably find that you still enjoy it after living with it for years.

When two such experienced and masterful men team up, everybody should pay attention, and this cd rewards that attention to a large extent. It is not presenting anything new or daring, but it does evoke the concert experience that make all concerts of our rock & folk heroes great.

Williamson dominates the stage, and Renbourn seems quite content with that. Give the man a guitar and he produces the finest guitar work you could wish for. His singing will not stir any audience, but we knew that, didn't we ?

Obviously, the central piece is "Finn & the old man's house" in which Williamson shows what a good storyteller can do to amuse and to instruct his audience.

In all, this is a satisfying piece of work with some outstanding performances - but it lacks the orginality, spirit and freshness to be called great. For fans only.

Hans Wigman

Perhaps my first reaction after listening to this collaborative effort was, "Why didn't they think of this sooner?" Given the huge parts played by Williamson and Renbourn in the British folk "revival", and, really, in the re-invention of acoustic music in general, the possibilities are fascinating. And, in general, this CD delivers. Both performers are clearly so comfortable with a live audience, and the recording really succeeds in capturing this. Perhaps the only drawback would be in the category of vocals. Neither of these guys was ever known for having a world-class voice, and neither has improved with age, but this is easily overlooked given the overall quality of the performance.

This album sends a beautiful flow of energy from two greatly talented men, Renbourn and Williamson. As always, Renbourn's guitar playing is amazing and haunting in his own right. Williamson, as a few have stated, sort of dominates the stage, but does it well with his story telling and general musicianship. I can't necessarily pick one favorite song from this album, since each song is perfect in it's own way. Simply put, this album is love.

I don't think any one who has emigrated from one country to another or perhaps even moved cross-country in the US would
find fault with the "Bells of Sweet St Anne's". The CD is worth
the song alone. At least I felt that way...

`Wheel of Fortune' and `Bloomsbury 1997' with Robin Williamson paired up with John Renbourn and Mike Heron respectively are two of a very traditional genre of recording done by a seemingly `ad hoc' pairing of two very respected artists with similar styles and interests. My first encounter was the pairing of Danny Kalb and Stephan Grossman. The most famous may be the pre-Pentangle duet album of `Bert (Jansch) and John (Renbourn)'

These two pairings are probably much less `ad hoc' than most. In the case of `Wheel of Fortune', Williamson and Renbourn are both renowned practitioners of the Scottish/Celtic/Anglo-Saxon folk music tradition. They also both started their recording careers in the latter half of the 1960's, carried on by the flood of interest in the multiple waves of the British Invasion. Williamson and Heron are an even more expected pairing, as they are two of the three original founders of The Incredible String Band that recorded between 1967 and 1974.

`Wheel of Fortune' was recorded at live concerts at various venues in the United States in 1993. Williamson and Heron were recorded at a single concert in London in 1997.

My guess is that if you are fond of either The Incredible String Band or Pentangle or either of the three individual performers' works, you will probably enjoy and welcome both albums. If I had to pick one over the other, I would buy `Wheel of Fortune' because of the greater diversity of material from Williamson and Renbourn coming from two different takes on similar material. This work also contains more humor and just a bit more genuine audience interaction. Williamson's little recitation of a classic Irish story alone may be worth the price of admission.

Regarding Williamson and Heron, I was always just a little lukewarm for Heron's vocal and songwriting talents. They are just a little better than those of Ringo Starr.

Another dimension worth considering is the fact that both of these albums are a lot more interesting than many of Williamson's post ISB period. I have yet to hear one that is genuinely dreadful, but some never rise above the mediocre.

So, for all you `Impenetrable String Tangle' fans out there, I recommend both.

If you enjoy Renbourn's other English-folk arrangements, then you are depriving yourself if you don't hear this CD! Robin Willaimson is an delight.

Wheel of Fortune was recorded in two live concerts during the torrential midwest flooding in 1993. Against this backdrop, John Renbourn and Robin Williamson provide a musical refuge - beautifully inspirational and spiritually uplifting!