BERT JANSCH & JOHN RENBOURN: BERT AND JOHN [AKA: STEPPING STONES]

Another wonderful and necessary record to accompany listening to the early Pentangle canon is this 'folk baroque' classic collaboration by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn that is a powerhouse recording of mostly titillating and jaw dropping instrumentals that runs the gamut of Arabic scales raga (East Wind) to psychic call and response playing on blues, jazz, Elizabethan styled songs (Piano Tune, Good Bye Pork Pie Hat, Orlando)and exciting self penned songs that show off the duo's virtuoso playing chops (Tic-Tocative, No Exit and Stepping Stones). The record also contains two songs that were sung numbers by Jansch, the dark and brooding 'Soho' and the Anne Briggs penned 'The Time Has Come'. 'Soho' is an instant classic while 'The Time Has Come' is less successful and would be reinterpreted by The Pentangle a few years later with greater success. Indeed, The Pentangle would also remake 'Pork Pie Hat' and 'No Exit' on their second album Sweet Child and comparing the development of these songs is part of the fun for Pentangle aficionados.

The Castle remaster sports the best sound ever heard for this recording and is, as usual, graced with detailed liner notes by noted Jansch biographer Colin Harper and also sports some never before seen pics of our heroes. If you've run out of early Pentangle albums to savor, then this disc is the place to fill that void. 5 Stars.