LIVE AT THE BBC [AKA: ON AIR]

Not to be confused with the poor quality "The Lost Broadcasts 1969-1972" Hux Records CD of off air BBC recordings, this 61 minute CD of Pentangle's BBC rarities is the real quality article. Most of the tracks here are BBC Radio One sessions , recorded from 1969 to 1972, and the sound quality is impressive throughout. What stands out is that these songs are from the group's Basket Of Light album as well as from Reflection and the almost invisible and forgotten Solomon's Seal album, where as most extant early live recordings focus on the group's self titled debut and its follow up album Sweet Child. This album is a real treat for the group's many fans of their later output. All tracks are excellent baring a clunky rendition of "Train Song" and a slow to get going "In Time". As with most BBC session recordings, the immediacy of the performances are striking when compared to their studio counterparts, with McShee's and Jansch's vocal being far superior here. Even on the six live recordings from 1972 included here that round out this collection. Standout tracks are the session and live versions of "Hunting Song", the live version of "Light Flight", along with the session take of "The Cuckoo Song" and a rousing live version "House Carpenter." This CD is out of print but can still be found online for a fair price is one knows where to look, and is almost an essential for Pentangle fans. 4 stars.