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The Pentangle, one of the most audacious first albums!

Mitchell Lee | Richmond, VA United States | 02/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

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This is one of the all-time most audacious first albums. It begins with a bowed bass, tasty guitar work, percussion and a female vocal that come together to announce, "You have not heard anything like us before. We can play and have a clear unique idea of exactly what we want to do. We sound like no one else. You will hear folk, rock, jazz and even a touch of samba all at the same time; but it will all be unmistakably The Pentangle! We will sound relaxed and natural, but we are her to kick some butt." Just like Jethro Tull or Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, within 10 second one knew that unforgettable Pentangle sound. They could not be assimilated. They had to be accommodated. There was something new under the Sun.



Then the second track is (SHOCK!) an instrumental. As soon as one gets over that surprise, it moves into a long drum solo with a number of false endings. The guitars play with taking back the melody but each time hand it back to the drummer after 2 or 3 licks. And this is WHAT? Folk rock? British Folk Rock? What audacity! To top it off, they play so well and it is a very nice tune. Then the third track starts up and it so smooth with Jacqui's vocal not sounding a bit dated. There are no inappropriate Celtic affectations at all. It could be lounge jazz if it were no so clean and restrained. The fourth track has just enough of psychedelia to remind one that the year really is 1967. That's it for my play-by-play. If you want more, buy the CD and write your own.



I will only mention the milieu The Pentangle came out of with the Watersons, Sandy Denny, Jackson Frank, Roy Harper, Robin Williamson and so on. There was an embarrassment of talent traveling up and down the folk clubs of Britain at that time. Between Jansch and Renbourne, they knew everyone.



Consider the Incredible String Band's Wee Tam Big Huge or Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief. Each quite wonderful in its own way! Think of the tomfoolery of Steeleye Span's take on Celtic folk-rock--especially their daft yet deft instrumentals. Or, for that matter, consider Dolly Collins' arrangement's with David Munrow for her sister, Shirley. There was so much going on in the mid to late 60's to challenge those of us who enjoyed this music! BUT these wonderful albums were not first efforts by any means! Among first albums, The Pentangle stands alone in British folk rock and with Hendrix, Cream and The Doors in rock generally. I have a hard time thinking of any British folk rock group that burst on the scene with the sheer audacity of The Pantangle.

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