Birthday Blues – BERT JANSCH***

Come Sing Me A Happy Song/The Bright New Year/Tree Song/Poison/Miss Heather Rosemary Sewell/I’ve Got A Woman/A Woman Like You/I Am Lonely/Promised Land

Birthday Blues was a solo album from folk singer songwriter Bert Jansch during a period when his primary focus was with the group Pentangle, which might explain why it is more uneven than previous offerings.

“This album is uneven, seemingly un-themed and without a consistent mood or style to tie its disparate pieces together. That said, the notion that albums must all be concept pieces is a mistaken one, and what we have here is an excellent innovator and skilled interpreter presenting us with a cluster of diverse, highly imaginative songs in 'folk, blues and beyond', with a voice and guitar style that are uniquely personal. He is joined by excellent, complementary musicians.”

“Birthday Blues is a 1969 album from the period when Jansch was playing with John Renbourn in Pentangle, and the rhythm section from the group show up on some of these tracks in support. The result is pretty much in between a purely Jansch album, where it is just him and his guitar, and a full-blown Pentangle effort.”

“All of the songs are written by Jansch and while this still qualifies as a British folk album he is definitely playing the blues more than we usually find him doing.”

“One of Bert's more casual albums, it throws a little bit of everything he does into the mix, accompanied by the Pentangle rhythm section. There's a light hearted feel and on the whole it's a pleasant Sunday morning listening, but it doesn't match the two albums before and after it, or Pentangle's Basket Of Light, released soon afterwards.”

“Bert demonstrates all his skills on Birthday Blues. This acoustic album is loaded with all Jansch originals that are played and sung to perfection. Every song features his guitar prowess and several are augmented by various instruments. A very good album that both rivals and mirrors his best Pentangle work. A Woman Like You and Wishing Well are just two of the outstanding songs on a very solid set.”

“The arrangements on this album are in more of a baroque/blues style, which Bert makes it sound enchanting. Haunting harp and flute, with occasional loose sax give them a memorable edge.”