THE JOHN RENBOURN GROUP: A MAID IN BEDLAM

After the solo acoustic guitar work "The Hermit", JOHN RENBOURN formed a group in his name, and we are back to olde England for the entire half hour plus, this time with vocal prominence courtesy of fellow former PENTANGLEr JACQUI MCSHEE and pretty much every other member of the new formation. It's almost like PENTANGLE 2 but also attempts to ever so precisely and politely deposit its eggs into STEELEYE SPAN's nest, that band having scored 2 major hit singles and uncountable successful albums by this date.

While the ensemble plays with more spirit than we are accustomed to from anybody in the extended family tree, and even capture that gratifyingly claustrophobic mood of MALICORNE's "Almanach" in the potent title cut, I weary at the selection and reselection of the same material such as "Black waterside", "John Barleycorn", "Reynardine" (super version though) and "My Johnny was a Shoemaker". However, Tony Roberts' woodwinds and the appealingly layered harmonies do enhance the as always preciously crystalline arrangements, and the a cappella gospel of "Talk about Suffering" is a triumphant closer.

No bedlam here, just a well produced and performed album that lacks that certain intangible but should no doubt appeal to fans of the style.

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