SWEET CHILD

album release. My beef with this album is the feature of being called/considered a studio album when a whole disc (Disc 1) comes from a concert performance before a live audience. The credits on the album's liner notes, therefore, are quite incorrect in claiming that the guitarists are playing acoustic guitars only and for not crediting a drummer/percussionist with any hand drums. Since it is against my principles to review live albums, I will basing this review exclusively on the studio album (Disc Two).

LP 1 (Recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall, London, June 29, 1968.): A1. "Market Song (3:39) a band original to open up the album, it is here captured from a performance given front of a live audience with electric guitar and one of the gents in the lead with Jacqui offering some harmony vocals alongside. A2. "No More, My Lord (3:55) the baad's interpretation of a traditional English folk song A3. "Turn Your Money (2:16) a Furry Lewis composition, A4. "Hatian Fight Song (3:31) Charles Mingus A5. "A Woman Like You (4:00) Bert Jansch A6. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (3:43) another Charles Mingus song B1. "Three Dances: Brentzel Gay / La Rotta / The Earle of Salisbury (4:32) Claude Gervaise/ traditional/ William Byrd arranged by John Renbourn and Terry Cox B2. "Watch the Stars (3:03) a traditional arranged by Jacqui McShee and John Renbourn B3. "So Early in the Spring (3:06) another traditioinal British folk song, here arranged by Jacqui McShee B4. "No Exit (3:16) a traditional English folk song arranged by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch B5. "The Time Has Come (3:04) Ann Briggs song B6. "Bruton Town (5:31) a remake of a traditional English folk song that the band had debuted earlier in the year on their first album, The Pentangle.

Total Time 43:36

- LP2 : C1. "Sweet Child (5:15) a Pentangle original with one of the gents in the lead voice with Jacqui harmonizing the whole way through. I like the drum sound and playing style. (8.875/10)

C2. "I Loved a Lass (2:44) traditional folk song re-interpreted by the band. Danny and the guitarists are in top form while another one of the gents takes on the lead vocal with some spectacular folk results. Donovan: eat your heart out! (9.33333/10)

C3. "Three Part Thing (2:29) another Pentangle original, here composed by Bert Jansch, Danny Thompson, and John Renbourn, it opens like a classical string quartet rondo with Danny bowing his lovely Victoria as the guitar twins play their own harmonized melodies into the weave. It remains an instrumental, just the three string players, start to finish. It is so wonderful to listen to virtuosos! I feel so glad & privileged. (9.125/10)

C4. "Sovay (2:51) a traditional English folk song arranged by the band opens with gentle guitar finger play and background bass notes, but then Jacqui enters with the lead vocal, a complex affair that causes the other instrumentalists to shift into much more demanding syncopated and nuanced performances (and Terry Cox to perform on hand drums). Excellent and extraordinary! (9.5/10) C5. "In Time (5:09) a Jansch, Thompson, Renbourn, and Cox original a shuffle that reminds me of a lot of Van Morrison's popular hits as well as Paul Desmond's "Take Five." Again, it remains an instrumental from start to finish, though this time the strings players engage drummer Terry Cox to provide the appropriate jazz cymbal play. Again, extraordinary work and collaboration. (9.25/10)

D1. "In Your Mind (2:16) a Pentangle original that opens with some gentle guitar interplay before one of the gents opens in the lead vocal position. He is almost immediately joined by both Jacqui and John, each providing bacckground vocal lines in the form of accent interjections. (4.375/5)

D2. "I've Got a Feeling (4:29) another full-band original opens with single guitar and Jacqui singing a gospel-bluesy form (one that is unusual for her, more commonly heard from plenty of 1950s jazz and pop singers). The rest of the band joins in during the second verse. Jacqui goes into some wordless vocalese for the third verse, long held notes that remind me of the kind of stuff Annie Haslam will be doing from the start of her career with Renaissance as well as some of Cass Elliot's most impassioned work. (8.75/10)

D3. "The Trees They Do Grow High (3:51) a traditional folk song arranged by the full band, Jacqui sings over a gentle weave and gentle Highland drumming, the song is, of course, an ultimately sad ballad that is quite typical of the British Islands' folk traditions. (8.875/10)

D4. "Moon Dog (2:44) a Terry Cox composition with Terry singing over his hand drum play--which becomes the singular focus of the song in the instrumental middle section. (8.66667/10)

D5. "Hole in My Coal (5:23) written by Ewan MacColl, the band here performs it as an instrumental with Terry Cox playing hand drums and toms (on multiple tracks), no cymbals (except one crash around the three minute mark). Despite a nice bass solo from Danny and Victoria in the fourth and fifth minutes, this song is not quite as impressive as some of the other tracks the boys have done. (8.75/10)

Total Time 37:11

A-/4.5 stars, elevated to a five star masterpiece by the addition of the live album (LP 1); an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.