THE GARDEN OF JANE DELAWNEY

If you want to investigate Folk-rock this is the best point to start for it has everything to please : a superb female voice , excellent musicianship , quiet pastoral ambiances , long instrumental passages.... This band is among my favourite in the genre along with Pentangle and Comus and IMOHO much better than Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span , Mathews Southern Comfort , as those are just a tad too trad. (those village fair and celtic ambiances are fine but not really in the scope of our site and my personal tastes). Here this is really enchanting and enthralling mainly acoustical folk-prog (if you'll pardon me the creation of another sub-genre)

TREES debut album originally released in 1970 blending heavy folk and psychedelic influences . After being unable to put their second album "On The Shore" down, I had to get the debut release which is also very solid. Once again traditional and original folk pieces are arranged and delivered with a mix of soft / tranquil folk shades juztaposed with heavy acid laced psychedelic freak outs... simply amazing. Throughout we are treated to the great voice of Celia Humphris who adds some folk-opera to the album. I highly recommend this album to those who are willing to open their ears to some pretty ground breaking and thought provoking music.

In my review of Tree's other album "On The Shore", I mentioned that I felt that this album was a little better. After another listen, I stand corrected. The same problems plague both albums. There's the one-dimensional female vocalist who has an impressive range, but an impure tone that becomes grating after a couple of songs (partly because she almost always sings in a very high range). Next, a drummer who manages to keep the beat, but can't play an original fill or inject any life into his performance. The guitarists know all the cliches and use them twice. The songwriting is only fair, and the arrangements of traditional songs are pedestrian. Really, the only thing that sets them apart from their more famous contemporaries like Fairport and Pentangle is the fact that the guitarists play in a style that's usually associated with harder-rocking or psychedelic bands. In addition, some of the songs are much longer to allow the guitarists to jam. For me, these attributes are not necessarily good things. I put both CD's (which weren't cheap) in the sell box today.

My interest towards this lovely band arose, as it was recommended to me by the record shop owner whilst buying him a copy of Tudor Lodge's album. It took nearly ten years for me to hunt their records, but now I must say that his recommendation was very good, as this band and their two records are surely of the finest quality in genre of psychedelic folk music. "Nothing Special" opens the record, and it is a quite conventional peaceful folk rock song. The next track "Silkie" brings forth their most pleasant element, the psychedelic arrangements of the traditional Anglo-Saxon folk tunes. The influences from Fairport Convention's "A Sailor's Life" are clear, but this doesn't bother at least me. The title song "The Garden of Jane Delawney" holds an ultimate beautifulness in it. Medieval oriented guitar chords back up the fragile voice of Celia Humphris, and as her voices caress the listeners ears from two channels, the grown men will start to cry. This song was also re-recorded at the 1980's by an indie group All About Eve. "Glasgerion", which is here surprisingly titled as "Jack Orion" (different titles in versions from different countries?), is a fast and joyful Celtic sounding song. I wasn't first very sure if I like it, but the tensions grows slowly through the composition, and after some digesting I have started to like it very much. I'm sure that it at least this track doesn't leave anybody cold. "She Moved Through The Fair" is another bow towards the direction of the Fairport Convention, who also performed this traditional tune on their "What We Did on Our Holidays" album. The rest of the tracks are also really pleasant, the closing number "Snails Lament" has also male vocals, and is also a more conventional folk rock in its style. As a conclusion, this is truly an album of finest quality, though their next record "On The Shore" is still a bit better in my opinion.

Pretty standard early 70s folk rock. The trees defiantly come across as a poor mans Fairport convention and has no redeeming qualities to make me want to replay this like I would Liege and Lief. The instrumental passages seem to drag on a little to long, the musicians seem to convey just enough passion to get by, which is never enough. Which is why they only lasted two albums, nothing unique to explore after two similar sounding records. Decent musicianship but nothing daring like in Comus.

Trees never attained the acclaim of their primary influence, Fairport Convention, but they did release two solid albums of British electric folk. This record is a mixed bag. It begins inauspiciously with a pop song marred by really horrid overdriven lead guitar that is totally inappropriate, but things do get better. The title track is a wonderful moody folk song on which vocalist Celia Humphries really shines. Her clear, pure vocals are definitely Trees' strongest asset, since the backing instrumentation generally lacks inspiration (no Richard Thompson-style guitar genius to be found here). If Humphries is the asset, then the lead guitar playing is the drawback- it's pretty sloppy and unimaginative, although generally listenable. The original songs are pretty good psych/folk and, aside from the first track, make up the best parts of the record. The band's treatment of traditional songs is classy, but certainly nothing Fairport wasn't doing earlier and better. The version of She Moved Through the Fair is a slavish copy of Fairport's on "What We Did on Our Holidays" and a bit unnecessary, considering the popularity of the song, but it is pleasant. I guess that's my overall evaluation- it's pleasant music, but not exciting, thus deserving its B-grade status. Folk rock lovers should eventually get around to buying Trees' music and will enjoy it, but only after exploring the giants of the genre like Faiport, Steeleye, the Albion Band and Pentangle.

The beautiful and fragile voice of Celia Humphris, the strongest point on this record, can easily be compared to Jane Relf (Renaissance) and Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention). The music itself, very folkier and quite rock/hard rock, is definitely influenced by Fairport Convention. The visceral electric guitar solos are good, despite the sound could have been better crafted. There is a certain psychedelic dimension, but not too pronounced. The tracks are not very progressive, so that this record stands between the folk prog and the prog related styles. The tracks are not really catchy. The rare keyboards are quite timid. This music is definitely acoustic guitars driven. The music is good, but not memorable: there are many artists who made similar music with even more spectacular and impressive guitar arrangements.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A rougher and at points substantially more psychedelic inclined than the more polished and confident On the Shore, this debut album from Trees sees them producing music which fits neatly into the electric folk tendency as developed by acts like Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. The psychedelic side of the equation tends to come in when one of the band's three guitarists goes off on a wild tear, adding an explosive rock-oriented solo to the middle of the band's folk playing. A solid listen that's worth exploring if you like psychedelic or progressive folk of the 1970s, but I don't think it's quite as interesting as the brilliant On the Shore.

Trees - The Garden of Jane Delawney (1970)

Britisch psychedelic folkrock group Trees released two records in 1970. The debut (currently being reviewed) and slightly more stately yet stiff 'On the Shore'. Both albums are hailed as favorites by listeners.

Trees has a sound that reminds us of Sandy Danny era Fairport Convention and early Steeleye Span; traditional and pure female vocals, folky guitar drones, some playfulness and beautiful ballads in the minor key. Yet Trees is slightly more progressive then beforementioned bands with some nice psychedelic electric guitar playing and a more dynamic approach to songwriting - which becomes appearant mainly on the first side of the record. Trees makes good use of two skilfull guitarplayers, which also adds to the progressive vibe. The title track is surely one of the most beautiful folksongs I've ever heard, the vocals of Celia Humphris are outstanding.

Conclusion. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite folk records and I can warmly recommend it to every-one with even the slightest interest in folkrock of progressive folk. This is what collecting little known music from the progressive period is about. Five stars.

One of the many folk rock bands that emerged in the 60s only to leave the scene in the early 70s and fall into obscurity, the London based TREES found an unexpected resurrection of their material with the sampling of the band's second album "On The Shore" on Gnarls Barkley's platinum selling album "St. Elsewhere." Due to the sudden interest in the source and a wider exposure through the modern day miracle of the internet, TREES has found both albums experiencing a renaissance of sort and while the second album was re-released first, this debut THE GARDEN OF JANE DELAWNEY has at long last found a second life as well.

The band's history was quite short actually and only existed from 1969-72 and released two albums but despite a rather weak reception during their existence despite a vigorous touring schedule, the two albums have nonetheless found more interest has time has elapsed. THE GARDEN OF JANE DELAWNEY consisted of nine tracks. Four were traditional British folk songs that the band made their own by adding rock elements which included the soaring electric guitar solos of Barry Clarke and the other five were originals written by the bassist and secondary vocalist Bias Boshell who had a knack for writing songs that sounded like the timeless classics. All tracks mix together surprisingly well.

The music consists of acoustic, 6- and 12-string as well as electric guitar, bass, drums and the female vocal charm of Celia Humphris dominating the flow. Occasionally Bias Boshell takes on the lead vocals and during a few moments they share the spotlight. The songs themselves are very much of the era as they tackle a traditional folk song approach in the ways of Fairport Convention with the extra rock gusto of bands like Spyrogyra however the tunes overall are on the softer side of the spectrum with Humphris' vocals taking on a fragile role like a much less dynamic version of Linda Perhacs. The psychedelic elements are minimal however the progressive elements tucked into the traditional sounds breathes new life into the classic sounds with extended jams and lengthy embellishments.

The lyrics are quite poetic and sometimes sound a bit too hippie hippie for my tastes but all in all not horribly out of fashion with the trends of the era which add an aura of West Coast hipness to the whole affair as heard by the psychedelic interpretation of the 1938 Orkney folk standard "The Great Silky of Sule Silkie" transmogrified into "The Great Silkie." Generally speaking the electric guitars are reserved for supplemental leads as the acoustic guitar riffs provide the main impetus for the folky feel. Tracks like the twin vocal "Road" sound more like traditional jigs but in fact are originals with a more uptempo rock feel. Newer remastered versions have several bonus tracks that are as worthy as the original material and surely would've been released had this been a more modern creation.

THE GARDEN OF JANE DELAWNEY was a noble effort indeed but it doesn't quite compare to the highlights of the era such as the Fairport Convention's outstanding "Unhalfbricking" or "Liege & Lief" nor does it contain the sublime melodies found on Spyrogira's excellent debut "St. Ragibunds." Likewise it isn't freaky enough to fall into the Comus or Jan Dukes de Grey camp and doesn't compare in the excellent authenticity of traditional British folk songs like bands like the Pentangle dished out. While there are no bad tracks on here some are clearly better than others. I find the album starts out sluggishly generic and only picks up towards the end with "Glasgerion" providing an uptick in quality. While i can understand the big bugaboo about this album, in the end for me it doesn't quite stack up to the other greats of the era but by no means a throwaway, just not up to par with the best including the band's own second album. Still though, quite a decent folk rock album from 1970 focused more on the traditional side of the folk equation.

3.5 rounded down

Here we have the real deal: an album of folk songs ably performed by folk musicians who have decided to use rock instruments and give their songs--many of them traditional British folk songs--prog rock arrangements. The engineering and sound, the arrangements, and the performances, both individually and collectively, are of the highest caliber. There is a lot of Neil Young feel to the lead electric guitar.

1. "Nothing Special" (4:29) opening the album with one of the band's original compositions, we hear a rather raw sounding strumming electrified 12-string guitar before the band joins in and the lead electric guitar launches into an emotional solo straightaway. Interesting! This guitarist has a lot to say! He may not be as flashy or polished as others but he is skilled, smooth, and confident. Lead vocalist Celia Humphris has a very nice voice of the crystalline higher register persuasion. (8/10)

2. "The Great Silkie" (5:11) * arranged with soft instrumentation--acoustic instruments able to stand above the muted electric ones--at least for the first 90 seconds as Celia sings. The band then shifts into a heavier, electric- centric stretch with more active drums and not one, not two, but three forward tracks dedicated to screaming electric guitars, all soloing at the same time. Everything settles back into the folkie sound of the opening for the final 30 seconds and Celia's final verse. (9/10)

3. "The Garden Of Jane Delawney" (4:05) a delicate folk song that opens with harpsichord before Celia's very soft, breathy voices launches into a painfully sad sounding song. Supported by softly picked nylon-string guitars, a second track of her voice is added in harmony as the multiple guitars become more active and the harpsichord returns. A very impressively arranged and delivered song--another of the band's originals. (9/10)

4. "Lady Margaret" (7:09) * an arrangement of a very familiar ("classic") folk song that has a sound like BLIND FAITH's "Can't Find My Way Home." Unfortunately there is not much excitement or development to this one except in the story itself and, of course, in the amped up psychedelic instrumental jam at the end (though the sudden addition of reverb on Celia's voice in the fourth minute and the subtle Stephen Stills-like electric guitar solo in the fifth minute are pretty cool). Still, this is probably the most memorable song from the album. (14/15)

5. "Glasgerion" (5:15) * single note on the high E string of the electric guitar provides the metronome for the first minute of the song as all instruments and Celia rise and gel in order to deliver and support this classic melody. The instrumental arrangement is very cool but I fear that Celia falls "out of the pocket" a few times with her delivery of the intricate lyrics. (9/10)

6. "She Moved Thro' The Fair" (8:04) * A unique rendering of a classic song. I love the dichotomy of the very slow vocal and acoustic guitar strum delivery coupled with the speed-walking of the bass finger picking on the second and third guitars. (13/15)

7. "Road" (4:33) a Trees original, there is a traditional feel to the foundational rhythms of this song while the electric and acoustic guitar work make it more BLIND FAITH-like. The alternation of male and then female voices for the four verses is nice. (8.75/10)

8. "Epitaph" (3:23) another Trees original that sounds very steeped in the structures and sounds of traditional British folk music, the vocal work by Celia Humphris here is quite skillful and impassioned. The bluesy lead acoustic guitar work--especially the matching of Celia's singing and vocalise is neat. (8.75/10)

9. "Snail's Lament" (4:39) the fifth and final Trees original opens with slow strummed electrified acoustic guitar before lead electric guitar and the rest of the band join in to support the twin-singing of Bias Bashall and Celia. Nice soft rock song, nicely constructed and rendered. (8.75/10)

Total time: 46:51

* Traditional songs

4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and a brilliant example of early prog folk.