SO EARLY IN THE SPRING

So Early In The Spring was a recording of opportunity for John Renbourn as it allowed him to re-record many of his earlier recorded folk and folk/blues songs in a modern state of the art recording studio. This allowed all of the subtle nuance of his playing style to actually be heard for the first time and really shine. All the songs of this 1980 album were part of Renbourn's 1979 stage repertoire so he needed little practice in burning up the fretboard of his acoustic guitar. Most mesmerizing is his "live in the studio" playing of the traditional songs" So Early In The Spring", " To Glastonbury", "Peacock Rag" and the bluesy "If You Haven't Any Hay" which, if anyone never saw Renbourn play live, would swear that his playing was of multi tracked guitars instead of the single guitar played for these songs.

Renbourn's vocals haven't improved much at this juncture but at least he sings without trying to over compensate and the choice of recording traditional folk songs over his much beloved blues covers also helps as this material was probably never intended for accomplished vocalists. The poignant "Banks of The Sweet Primroses" and a spirited reading of Jackson Franks' folk standard "Blues Run The Game", along with it's excellent production values, probably places this album in a 4 star category (3.5 rounded up) but I can only recommend it for dedicated followers of the late artist.

Supremely well played and just as well produced, "So Early in the Spring:" sees JOHN RENBOURN returning to that strange brew of acoustic blues and early English and celtic folk after a decade or more of homebodiness. Is it necessary? Maybe not. Is it good? Definitely yes.

Suitable mostly for guitarists and the more committed fans who don't mind reinterpretations of earlier PENTANGLE or Renbourn work, which was always a downside to the fruit of this family tree, enough accomplished first timers in the form of the more Scottish than a Scotsman's "Lindsay", the quaint "To Glastonbury", and the Americana of "the Young Man can't Hoe Corn" all help save this from an early dismissal or, I might add, a lone airing.