JACK ORION

After two albums of mostly original works, JANSCH turned to arrangements of traditional songs, some done on solo guitar. This about face was ahead of FAIRPORT CONVENTION, who weren't even on the recording landscape in 1966, and initially did mostly covers. Speaking of FAIRPORT, their well known "Nottamun Town" is covered here first in a suitably eerie arrangement. And speaking of PENTANGLE, "Jack Orion" would be reprised by that five sided supergroup in a more girthful guise on "Cruel Sister" in 1970. This also marks the first JANSCH album in which JOHN RENBOURN collaborated if only on a few tracks, setting the stage for their full fledged collaboration later in 1966 and their eventual founding of said PENTANGLE shortly thereafter.

With all this housekeeping swept aside, the album somewhat lives and dies by its 10 minute "epic" title cut, which is not majestic in any musical sense, being a story song with innumerable verses and little variation, as was custom ion the new folk rock realm. Unfortunately, Jansch's voice only magnifies the monotony. This is egregious in such a long term investment, so it's somewhat disappointing as is the similar "Pretty Polly", both notwithstanding enriched accompaniment by Renbourn. Instead, I look to the banjoed opener "The Waggoner's Lad", the too-brief "The Gardener" which might have helped move ALAN STIVELL beyond the harp building phase a few years hence, and the aforementioned "Nottamun Town" for the real triumphs here.

A voice like Jansch's would have been better suited for chortling "Wh'all be king but cherlie" or "Queen of Argyll" a la ANDY M STEWART, whose own Gallic timbre was arguably far more grating yet found a comfortable home within SILLY WIZARD and later solo from the 1970s thru the 2000s, thanks to the interpretation of compatible material and matching arrangements. For all I know, an album in the Jansch canon might well exploit his voice more suitably, though, cosmically speaking, fans of PENTANGLE must be content that the story played out as it did.