|
John Renbourn
Transatlantic TRA135 (1965)
Album available as:-
(Castle CMRCD359)
Other releases:-
(Castle Communications ESM CD 408. Double CD with Another Monday 1966)
Buy it now!
This
is the first record to come out under my own name. And it had my picture
on the cover. That was in 1965, back in the days when the record company
was under the impression that a picture of me might be good for sales.
Most of it was done in a little demo studio not far from Les Cousins
in Soho. Someone had the keys to the place and a bunch of us went
across and played for fun after the pubs closed.
The material is fairly typical
of the time -- so-called British Folk Blues, direct from the Dorking
Delta, plus some guitar tunes of mine -- the sort of thing I had been
making up since I first had a guitar. Bert Jansch was among those
present, if not correct , and the two tunes with both of us probably
represent the earliest in the Bert- and-John 'Folk Baroque' department.
First of many in the 'made-up-on-the-spot-and-never-to-be-repeated'
tradition.
- John Renbourn
John
Renbourn's first solo album. Quiet rare to find a copy in good condition
these days. I have seen it listed for £30 with some second hand
records dealers. Bert Jansch plays second guitar on two of the tracks
weaving his magic as per usual. There is a great version of a traditional
song "Winter is Gone" which Nick
Drake covered on the Bootleg "Tanworth
in Arden 67/68" The rest of the tracks you'll see Renbourn
in full effect. A must have for any Renbourn fan. It has been reissued
with the album "Another Monday" with bonus tracks from Castle
Communications.
Track
Listing
1.
Judy (John Renbourn) 1:56
One of John's first instrumentals.
2. Beth's Blues (Traditional arr. John Renbourn) 2:06
The members of Pentangle have a strange definition of 'traditional' -
this is a Blind Boy Fuller song that John learned in Paris from an American
girl.
3. Song (John Renbourn, John Donne) 1:57
A poem by John Donne set to a finger-style guitar accompaniment.
4. Down On The Barge (Traditional arr. John Renbourn)
1:56
An instrumental John wrote while living on a barge on the River Wey
5. John Henry (Traditional arr. John Renbourn)
3:22
This time it does seem to be 'traditional' - even my Josh White and Leadbelly
album lists it this way.
6. Plainsong (John Renbourn) 3:46
7. Louisiana Blues (Waters) 3:01
A Muddy Water's tune.
8. Blue Bones (John Renbourn) 4:40
A slow instrumental improvised in the studio with Bert Jansch
9. Train Tune (John Renbourn) 2:37
Famous Train Tune by Renbourn.
10. Candy Man (Traditional arr. John Renbourn)
3:18
Another traditional tune, this time by the Reverend Gary Davis.
11. The Wildest Pig In Captivity (John Renbourn) 2:05
An instumental dedicated to Hogsnort Rupert. Apparently John once played
in his band - The Famous Porkestra.
12. National Seven (John Renbourn) 2:59
National Seven is a road in France from Paris to the south.
13. Motherless Children (Traditional arr. John
Renbourn) 3:27
A bottleneck version of the spiritual.
14. Winter Is Gone (John Renbourn) 2:15
An Appalachian song.
15. Noah And Rabbit (John Renbourn, Bert Jansch)
2:06
Improvisation with Bert Jansch
John
Renbourn - Guitar & Vocals
Bert Jansch - Guitar
on Track 15
|
