Pentangle – Through The Ages 1984-1995 (Cherry Red, 2022)
Through The Ages 1984-1995 is a must-have 6 CD boxed set that includes the superb reunion albums released by iconic British folk-rock band Pentangle between 1984 and 1995. The collection also contains 27 previously unreleased recordings.
The anthology includes the albums “Open The Door” (1984), “In The Round” (1986), “So Early In The Spring” (1989), “Think Of Tomorrow” (1991), “One More Road” (1993) and “Live 1994” (1995). Every single album is a real treat, highlighting the masterful chemistry that brought together traditional folk music from Great Britain intertwined with rock, blues and jazz elements.
While Jacqui McShee has one of the most beautiful and engaging voices in the British folk music scene, her colleagues, highly skilled instrumentalists, delivered memorable performances.
Original Pentangle musicians, guitarist and vocalist Bert Jansch and vocalist Jacqui McShee led the band during the reunion years and appear on all recordings included in the box. The rest of the reunion lineup included original members Danny Thompson on double bass and Terry Cox on drums. Guitarist and fiddler Mike Piggott replaced John Renbourn in the Pentangle reunion line up.
By the time Pentangle released ‘In The Round’, Danny Thompson had left the band and was replaced by bassist Nigel Portman Smith. Around 1989, Drummer Gerry Conway (Cat Stevens) stepped into the shoes of Terry Cox and guitarist Rod Clements (Lindisfarne) took over Piggott’s role. About 1991, Peter Kirtley took Clements’ place.
The original Pentangle was formed in 1967 by guitarists John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, who performed folk music intertwined with early music elements. They recruited talented folk singer Jacqui McShee and two jazz musicians, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox. As a result, Pentangle became one of the most popular British folk rock bands between the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The unreleased recordings on Through The Ages 1984-1995 include 13 songs extracted from BBC sessions for the Radio 2 programs Folk On Two and Night Ride. Additionally, three tracks come from a BBC broadcast from the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Furthermore, eleven songs are live in concert recordings from performances in Portland, Oregon; New York; London; and Dublin.
Jacqui McShee has contributed extensive liner notes to this boxed set, together with Pentangle expert Colin Harper.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Beautiful!!