There's something exciting about the first album of a band that goes on to greatness, and
The Pentangle, by the group of the same name, is no different. Here, the listener witnesses the first studio work of a band struggling to get their essence down on vinyl. Of course
Bert Jansch and
John Renbourn's reputations as guitarists preceded the band, but the addition of bassist
Danny Thompson and drummer
Terry Cox gave the band an acoustic rhythm section like no other
folk-rock group. Singer
Jacqui McShee became the last piece of this intricate English puzzle, delivering high, expressive vocals that contrasted and merged so well with
Jansch's deeper pipes. The group doesn't hold back on their first outing. On
"Hear My Call" McShee offers a dreamy vocal, floating high above the bluesy guitars. The soaring vocal and firmly grounded rhythm highlight one another, creating a carefully layered sound that is present in all of
Pentangle's best music. This dynamic works equally well in
"Pentangling," with
McShee and
Jansch's voices combining light and dark shadows to concoct a strangely atmospheric harmony. The rocking and rollicking
"Way Behind the Sun" is another standout, and the instrumentals
"Bells" and
"Waltz" are complex and lively. The album's spacious arrangements take full advantage of stereo, mixing instruments to different tracks so that the listener, for instance, can always hear
Jansch's guitar on one side and
Renbourn's on the other. This group, it seems, had it all. Equally comfortable with
traditional songs, instrumentals, and originals, they made few missteps on their early albums. Like
Fairport Convention and
the Incredible String Band,
Pentangle specialized in updating British Isles'
folk music.
The Pentangle, re-released on CD in 2001 with seven bonus tracks, is a dazzling debut and a must-have for fans of English
folk-rock. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
