Artist: The Pentangle
Album: Basket of Light
Year: 1969
I first heard folk band The Pentangle's Basket of Light a few years ago, back when I first heard of this 1001 albums book. I was at Barnes & Noble reading the book, randomly flipping through the pages, and read about this one. When I got home I looked up the album and gave it a listen. Nothing about it grabbed me about it, and it was soon forgotten.
I have no idea what my problem was back then, because this album is quite excellent in many ways. The first track, "Light Flight," is impeccable. It's folky, jazzy, the vocals are unique and pretty, and it switches back and forth between all sorts of different rhythms. It's a song that definitely breathes some much needed life into the typically staid British folk genre.
The rest of the album kind of pales in comparison to the first track, but it's all still at least good, and certainly not boring. The singer (Jacqui McShee) has a Joan Baez sort of quality--she's resonant, echoey, and pretty. On other songs like "Springtime Promises," guitarist Bert Jansch successfully picks up the vocal duties. The music is a really fresh update on the traditional folk style, borrowing some elements from jazz and Indian music along the way. Closing track "House Carpenter" is another favorite of mine; its dueling acoustic guitar and sitar creates a very warm and hypnotic effect.
Thumbs up on The Pentangle.
Rating: Worth a listen
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