Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Kinda generic folk. Pleasant enough
Favorite track(s): Oh How Your Love Is Strong, Needle of Death, Angie
Yeah alright
decent
Pretty classic folk, basically exactly what you think of when someone says folk. Needle of Death and Alice’s Wonderland were the best tracks
This album is really impressive for someone banging out some tunes in a kitchen with a revox and a borrowed guitar. I like the unpolished immediacy. I can appreciate how influential this record was on a whole generation of English acoustic players (and some rock players who dabbled in this realm, I'm looking at you Jimmy Page). Plenty of people took the ideas set forth in this record and ran with them to some pretty impressive places. Jansch deserved more than the hundred quid he got for this record. But it isn't really my jam. I have listened to it four times in a row and it doesn't grab me. 2.5 stars, rounding up for being an influential gem.
the most solid 3 on my list, simple arrangement with strong lyrics
1. ztrolling - 1.5 2. river - 2 3. ztrong - 1.5 4. Time -1.5 5. Finches - 2 6 Veronica -2 7. Needle - 1.5 8. Hear - 1 9. Death - 1.5 10. Alice - 2 11. Home - 2 12. Blues - 2 13. Casbah - 1.5 14. Love - 1.5 15. Angie - 2
Reminded me of a Bob Dylan style, but with more talent.
Nice pickin' on Bert. He's best when he shuts up and let's the 6 string do the talking.
It was okay. Nothing stood out to me.
This should be right up my alley as a certified folk/folk-rock enjoyer. However, it is definitely from the 60s, every song sounds pretty much the same making the album overall less impactful, I can understand why people love this, I can understand why people hate this. I just want to grill 3.5/5
Running From Home
I had a girlfriend many moons ago that was massively into folk music, so I have heard this before. It's a good album, but I've really got to be in the mood for folk music, and this style in particular. I love the music that was influenced by folk and one of my favourite genres of music is folk metal. I find this type of folk great live, or when played at home with other people around, but on my own it's just a little boring. 3/5 great talent and ability, just a little boring for me.
The standard folky songs that are heard here generally don't do a lot for me. I have to say there were some nice surprises on this album. As a guitar player, I loved a lot of the guitar work here, with all the instrumental tracks arguably being my favourite. "Angie" features some stunning guitar lines. Overall it's not necessarily my thing but the instrumentals and guitar work make this a 3 for me.
Dig. Enjoyed reading about this cat's impact & influence as well. Think I'll need to dive a bit deeper to appreciate much of that, but this is a strong to quite strong debut effort & I do not doubt he's got the chops to take it much further. I'mma say three & a quarter.
Dude with a guitar sings softly. Good? Yes. Outstanding? Nah
Reminded me of James Taylor
7/10 A nice, sweet, and short listen that’s easy to sink into. Some songs that don’t stick for me, but the album’s relaxed, understated mood makes it an easy and calming listen. More soothing than striking, but still very rewarding in its own way. It would be great on a walk in the park or while studying. Favorite song: Needle of Death Least favorite: Dreams of Love
Was not familiar
A Scottish Folk musician who passed away in 2011.
3/5
It’s okay. You can hear how influential this album was and Bert clearly had a musical identity, but it’s a bit dull and depressing at times.
This was a surprisingly pleasant listen. I am usually not a fan of these old folk rock albums, but this one was very charming. It sort of became background music as I was listening, but I still had a good time while I listened. I still don't think it is anything spectacular, but it was worth the listen. High 3.
These albums are absolutely bombing my Spotify DJ
This is a fine folk album. Sounds good but also feels like nothing special. Just a man and his guitar.
Songs blend into eachother. I check my Spotify to see if the album restarted. Overall not bad 3/5
6/10 – Decent
Quite pleasant but I would have preferred a bit more variation rather than the repeated motifs, or at least kept them as just bookends, rather than being throughout the whole thing.
idk, like they are not bad, i just really dont like them,
Lubię taki mellow folk, ale mam złe przeczucie, że połowa tych albumów jest z lat 60
2.93
Just a guy and a guitar. I got bored with this pretty quickly. He’s talented, but not something I’d go out of my way to listen to again.
When to listen: mellow background banjo. Amped up my yen to learn the banjo. Lovely music, blended into the background though nothing really stood out to me.
Vocais belos e instrumentos de corda marcantes. Kawanoaudio Horaiko.
pretty good but nothing crazy & kinda forgettable. im usually ljke this when it comes to folk music. I think the lack of instrumentation makes it a bit boring for me.
I really liked this, I just feel like I didn’t have to listen to it before I die!!!!!
Some good songs I enjoyed the instrumental
Previously unknown, very pleasant fingerpicking folk. A fine example of the period without much sense of innovation, at least on this record. But I’ve always tried to play guitar like he does, so I would listen to more.
If I could give this negative stars I would
pretty ass guitars, really folksy but probably won't revisit
Not bad but also pretty forgettable. I'm also not really the target for this, I'm not huge into folk music. It's a better Elliott Smith album, which isn't saying much since Elliott Smith is just garbage. I think the best thing on here was the track Smokey River...no singing, just a nice guitar track. Really great guitar all throughout. Glad I listened to it, probably won't listen to it again.
I enjoyed this album. The guitar work is pretty intricate and interesting, and the songs seem to be thoughtful. This would definitely grow on me if I listened to it a few more times.
I liked it more than I thought I would.
Fine
Bert Jansch is an artist I have personally never heard of before, but as soon as I saw I was going to be listening to a Contemporary Folk album I became very excited. Folk music is a genre that always really hits for myself in ways not even I expect or anticipate even if it is just a dude playing guitar and nothing grand or special about it. The words are able to speak more towards myself and I always appreciate the more raw and stripped back environments. Bert isn't doing anything revolutionary here but he makes for such a great story teller across this very short and sweet 38 minute album. Once again, wouldn't call this essential but hey it is still something I was happy to give half an hour of my time to. Nuff said.
Nice folky guitar playing but none of the songs stood out. 7ish
Vocals are a mix of Bob Dylan, Nick Drake with a dash of Eddie Vedder. Good.
Strolling Down the Highway 3.4 Smokey River (instrumental) 3.3 Oh How Your Love Is Strong 3.3 I Have No Time 3 Finches (instrumental) 3.1 Veronica (instrumental) 3.2 Needle of Death 3.3 Do You Hear Me Now? 3 Rambling's Gonna Be the Death of Me 3.3 Alice's Wonderland (instrumental) 3.1 Running From Home 3 Courting Blues 3.4 Casbah (instrumental) 3.2 Dreams of Love 3.1 Angie (instrumental) 3.4 Score: 3.206666667
Interesting album. Music and lyrics are off the beaten path.
Ever heard of this guy. Super chill. I enjoyed. And I would listen again.
5/10… folk / singer-songwriter / *1965
Meh again,. 3*
Some bangers on this. Reminds me of Ed Reed a little. Whole album does kind of fall slightly flat tho.
Acoustic guitar noodling. Not bad, but not my style of music. I dont remember much from it after one day.
Perfectly pleasant jangly-jangly folk, but I prefer a bit more folk-rock to straight ahead folk. It’s ok.
Little bits of this record stood out, but overall it was a fairly decent experience. Favourite Track(s): Smokey River, Needle Of Death, Alice's Wonderland Least Favourite Track(s): I Have No Time, Courting Blues, Dreams of Love
Nice little folky, singer-songwriting record. Very simple in nature, but that makes it even easier on the ears. The melodies that are played on Bert's guitar are gentle and whimsical, making it a very pleasant listen. The lyrics are easy to get along with and capture the mood of the record and each song. Nice one.
Sparse acoustic folk, just a finger-picked guitar and Jansch's voice. It sticks closely to folk traditions, alternating between instrumental and vocal songs. Jansch's playing is lovely, and his lyrics are great, especially on "Needle of Death" and the protest songs. But his adherence to folk traditions means the songs all play out about how you'd expect, with few surprises. Your interest in this one then likely depends on how much you like the acoustic guitar or can appreciate the intricacies of his playing. I'm neutral on the former and have no experience playing so I can't evaluate the latter, so for me this is just a pleasant album that passes by me without leaving much of a mark.
Folksy - talented on guitar
Han må da skjønne at det ikke er lurt å gå langs motorveien
Liked it. 6/10
It's ok, some of the guitar playing is nice, but it's the kind of one-man and his guitar folk that doesn't do that much for me though can see why others might like it.
Somewhere between Nick Drake's Pink Moon and Dave van Ronk, a charming listen. I wouldn't call it the most original and it didn't grab me say as Nick Drake would, but it's pleasant, charming and a very warm record.
its okay, pretty standard folk music from the sixties. Despite a 39 minute runtime it somehow feels longer. Also I cant get into Bert's vocals. Its pleasant enough to have on in yhe background but borders on annoying at times. Maybe I am just not familiar enough with his music.
Started out decent but every few songs I knocked a star off. Just kind of bland folk music. I’ve heard that this album is super highly regarded but I just don’t get it. It’s fine
I love the sound of guitar pickin' like this, whether it's bluegrass or folk, I dig it. I find it to be hypnotic at times. Although at times, it can get old & begin to blend together but that's where the words come in. Bert, here, can write a chilling song. Needle of Death is great example as well as Rambling. Reminds me of Billy Strings. 3.5
Folk music in general, especially from the era this was released, never really jumps out at you. That allows you to appreciate the songwriting and guitar playing a little more. Both are fine enough here, although I think the acoustic guitar shines a bit brighter, especially in the instrumental sections. Didn't know much about this fellow going in, and probably won't remember much going out.
Not bad but not my kind of music.
This was almost offensively pleasant. For my money, Bert's voice just wan't interesting enough to carry a whole album of minimal and somewhat fragile compositions. It got old, fast. But I enjoyed the guitar on Angie enough to bump it back up to a 3.
Sound like Bob Dylan without the interesting voice, good songwriting, and death rattling harmonica. So, there's not much here to listen to. Sounds like what you'd hear in the background of a TV show. This was completely unremarkable and I have literally no thoughts on this positive or negative. No wonder this thing has a perfect "3" rating, it's so middle of the road and I will happily go on with the rest of my life not remembering I ever listened to this thing.
Worse than just about every other folk album on this list so far. Which is to say its just good as opposed to phenomenal. Pretty forgettable even though it was enjoyable while listening 7/10
Intimate and minimal. It's quite fascinating how much you can get out of just one bloke and a guitar. Reminds me of that Beethoven line about the guitar being an entire orchestra within a single instrument. Poor paraphrasing of composers aside and in the interest of brevity, it's a fine album. Highlights: Needle of Death, Running from Home, Angie
3/5
Super duper solid if samey.
I enjoyed the fast Spanish guitar-like touches and the general vibe of the album, but it did a bit boring and feels monotonous
British folk, who knew? Never heard of Bert, always thought folk was an American thing only. I enjoyed it.
Meh
It does follow in the style of music I usually enjoy, but unfortunately nothing really stuck out.
I enjoyed listening to the album in the background, but wouldn't intentional go to it.
A little on the snoozy side. I might like this better in a different mood.
6/10
He is good at being the acoustic guitar folk guy. The accent helps in this case as the album is very low key and relaxed. Like he is giving you a concert in your living room. It has that vibe. I think being fall as I listen helps too. This isn't a summer play it in the car album. You want to be kinda cozy with a coffee or tea in the morning when listening to this.
It’s fine — a soft three stars. The guitar work is lovely and intricate, but it leans a little too folksy for my taste.
Very nice folk album, listening on a snowy day in January and that felt right.
One should always tread with caution when the opening track – normally a punchy, exciting number that throws you right into the action – is a jaunty but ultimately extremely simple song with just acoustic guitar and vocals. What if the rest of the album is the same? How will I maintain my enthusiasm, my sanity? The bad news: the rest of the album is the same. The good news: in spite of this, musically, Jansch really goes places. Without a bass or any kind of percussion, it was a little hard to get my bearings – particularly in some of the more technically complex instrumentals, like Smokey River and Angie. Others, such as Finches, Veronica, and Dreams of Love, are just uninteresting and go nowhere. A key element of good music is finding a balance between these, and Bert Jansch only sometimes manages to do that. Needle of Death strikes a good balance, and also manages to have some pretty harrowing lyrics that whose effects are only exacerbated when you know the backstory. I like Smokey River. Reminds me a bit of Led Zeppelin's Black Mountain Side (but with a faster tempo). A lot of the instrumentals fit a similar description, which makes me think I should probably listen to more acoustic guitar instrumentals from that period. But it does kind of feel like a sonic copout. It's 1965. The year of Rubber Soul, Highway 61 Revisited, A Love Supreme, and My Generation. You have to *really* justify your inclusion if you rock up to the party and you're Bert Jansch, with your primitive technology (guitar) and unremarkable vocal. 3/5 Key tracks: Oh How Your Love Is Strong, Needle of Death, Running from Home
Gitarrspelet är fantastiskt men annars inget speciellt. En trea
Good listen, but ultimately I'll probably forget about it as time goes on
I enjoyed this album, it was quiet and pretty. Bert has a nice voice and I like his guitar arrangements, beautiful stuff Bert.
This had the makings of something I would surprisingly love.... 60s era folk with a Glaswegian twist. But in the end it was what I would describe as... fine.
A lot better than I thought it would be, it's got that 'rough around the edges' feel to it that is endearing.
Really straight forward but nice sounding folk album. Didn't change my day but didn't make it worse.
Very nice music, but I'm failing to grasp the significance. Why is this required listening? I liked it, but nothing memorable.
I don’t how to rate this one! I started off disliking this and then got Needle of Death where it picked up.
it’s cool….but after first listen i’m like really first 1001? it feels more like a friend who made N album and i get stoked on it cause they are my friend lol. the guitar picking starts to sound the same each song (da da dada duhh da da da da da dada duh dadad..idk). lyrics were not initially that cool but i would listen agai. while reading…..i feel this one could grow on me especially if i learned how to play these songs
A bloke A guitar And NO HARMONICA = Very pleasant Lovely guitar work, but didn't care too much for the bluesy tracks, particularly didn't like "Rambling's Gonna Be the Death of Me" much, though I think it's a salutary lesson for anyone thinking of rambling this weekend.
meh 2.75/5
Rating: 2.6 Adequate jangly mostly instrumental British whatever.
Before Nick Drake or John Martyn turned introspective folk into a mood, Bert Jansch was already there—alone with his guitar, a tape recorder, and a quiet sense of melancholy. His 1965 debut is all fingerpicked reveries and unvarnished truth, the kind of record that feels like it was recorded in a single take on a gray London afternoon. “Strolling Down the Highway” sets the tone: nimble guitar, plainspoken voice, no frills. Jansch’s playing dazzles more than his singing, which remains understated even on more forceful moments like “Do You Hear Me Now.” Six instrumentals, including the sprightly “Finches,” show his fretwork at its finest, though the album’s sameness can wear thin. Still, this is the sound of British folk taking shape—raw, modest, and quietly influential.
solidno, gitarica i pjevušenje
Really interesting listen. Favourite track is Needle of Death 3/5
Decent album. Nothing stood out for me really. I did dig the lofi-ness of it. Felt raw but almost in amateurish or naive way. Songwriting was decent. Reminded me of something Wes Anderson or the Cohen brothers might use in a movie.
This feels like it was recorded in a smoky corner of a London bedsit—which, in many ways, it was. With just voice and guitar, Jansch crafts a mood that’s introspective and quietly intense. Tracks like “Needle of Death” showcase his lyrical depth and emotional weight, tackling heroin addiction with stark honesty. His guitar work is undeniably impressive. There’s beauty here, but it’s not always easy to access. For fans of stripped-back folk and fingerstyle guitar, this is a foundational listen. For me, it felt more like a historical artifact than a fully immersive experience.
nice
Decent folk ur similar to the other entries we’ve had like this.
Soft and folky. The songs are fine. The best thing about this record is his acoustic guitar playing, which is excellent.
Very nice acoustic guitar work here. I thought the instrumental tracks were the strongest.
I enjoyed this one and can really hear the influence it had on later players — the Jimmy Page connection in particular stands out. The guitar work is impressive and I’m glad to have listened as part of understanding the broader folk scene of the time. That said, while I like it, I don’t love it. It’s not going to be in regular rotation for me, and I want to reserve higher ratings for albums that feel closer to my own musical core. Important in context, but for me this lands at 3 stars.
He has a lovely, stripped back fingerpicking style and has written some really pretty songs. I listened to it a few times as it was just a really nice vibe but after multiple times I still felt like nothing here really reached out and grabbed me as being a particularly high point. I guess that's ok, but when Nick Drake does something similar, for example, he somehow finds that little bit of magic dust to elevate the simple sounds of the wood and the wire to another level. It's consistently good but never quite great, for me.
Folk. Pretty good.
Was wondering why so many people were complaining about the UK bias of this list when encountering truly outstanding works. Well, I get it now. This is aggressively fine. Sounds more akin to American country music than folk music from a Scot, to be very honest. I'm being charitable with the 3.
Top track: Alice's Wonderland / Angie
Fun folk album and some great guitar work. Highlights: "Strolling Down the Highway" and "Needle of Death"
= the Beatles. Pleasant enough
Gorgeous guitar-playing that outshines his monotonous delivery. High 3
A classic folk album with some bluesy influence. This is right up my alley. He's clearly a skilled guitar player and singer. There are some really cool guitar melodies on this album, like in Finches, Alice's Wonderland, Casbah, and Angie. The lyrics are a bit less inspired, so I enjoyed the purely instrumental songs a lot more. 7/10.
Some cool folky vibes. I really liked the use of banjo in this album
When this was released I was at secondary school and I seem to remember a teacher recommending Bert Jansch to me as he knew I was getting into music. Might even have been this album. Only a vague memory of the teacher concerned He was probably a Geography teacher who wore a checkered blazer with leather elbow patches. That description also describes this album. Typical English folk sang by bearded dudes with a cupped hand over one ear. Anyhow my attention had firmly gone towards loud rock by then and was never going to return to this genre until about 50 years later. I now realise what a tragic mistake this was. Apart from forays listening to the likes of Steeleye Span or Fairport Convention I did miss a lot during that period and I am now in later life trying to make amends. So this album was a welcome selection. Reminds me very much of Nick Drake if not reaching the heights of his triple albums. Not sure if it is an album I would return to but a reminder to finally take my teacher’s advice and sample his back catalogue. 3/5 11/9/25
A mix of lovely and dull writing
C’est sympa mais ça manque de punch je trouve. On se croirait autour du feu avec deux étrangers qu’on vient de rencontrer et un qui sort sa guitare pendant qu’on se fait griller quelques chamallows. Très très fort à la guitare
Bob Dylan, anglais et sans harmonica
bello 3
Per quanto mi piaccia il folk, quest’album non mi ha trasmesso le stesse emozioni che di solito associo al genere. L’ho trovato un po’ pesante da ascoltare nella sua interezza, nulla di memorabile.
Non ho fatto un ascolto del tutto attivo, ma mi ha fatto compagnia in macchina di sera mentre rientravo, stato carino. Voto determinato anche dal fatto che: la sua opera ha influenzato artisti come Bernard Butler, Jimmy Page, Ian Anderson, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Roy Harper, Donovan, Johnny Marr (chitarrista degli Smiths) e Neil Young. Quindi acquista quel mezzo punto in più
L'ho trovato rilassante ma molto ripetitivo, sembrava di sentire sempre la stessa canzone
I'm a simple man. Get a Scottish guy to play some moody guitar and I'm probably going to enjoy it. Really, the main thing holding this album back is that Bert doesn't have a particularly astounding singing voice, but it gets the job done on the more lyric-focused tracks like "Needle of Death." Needless to say, the purely instrumental cuts were generally my favorites here! Seems to be how other people are feeling too, considering how many streams "Angie" has compared to other tracks. I listened to about half of the album while reading The Electric State and it actually added quite a bit to the already uneasy atmosphere of the book. Would definitely recommend pairing this LP with a road trip through the desert or some post-apocalyptic media! Highlights: Smokey River, Oh How Your Love Is Strong, Veronica, Needle of Death, The Casbah, Angie
Kind of a random inclusion, but not a terrible one. It sounds like Mr. Jansch here was feeling nostalgic in the mid-60's for a time long past, the pre-Jazz era of music, dominated by folksongs. I guess nostalgia cycles have been around as long as humanity itself, uh? Key tracks: Needle of Death
Good quality music, just not what I like to listen to daily.
Yeah, this was alright. Interesting guitar and a nice voice. Pretty chill but nothing really stood out for me.
that was rather nice and definitely a new one for me.
Not quite my thing
Liked it more than I thought I would. He’s a very talented and individual guitar player
A nice and pleasant listen, but it all sounds a lot alike and luckily, it’s only 38 minutes long. If it were longer, I would’ve probably cared less for it, because it gets quite repetitive after a while.
I loved the guitar!! Wish I could play like that. I like this guy’s voice way more than say, Bob Dylan. It reminded me of him and Jackson C Frank a bit. The album was nice to have on in the background, but none of the songs stood out as anything particularly special. I don’t think I’d listen again, but I had never heard of Bert Jansch and was happy to be introduced to one of his albums.
Good folk-classical acoustic guitar. Nothing "catchy" but great passive background listening music. Good guitar to study for learning. Some classic country sounds. Angie is an all guitar track that is good. All short <3.5min songs.
Did not enjoy ts was weird as hell and just not the vibes. I'm sure it's a better listen at night while around a campfire tho so imma be more forgiving
its hard to mess up folk i also think its hard to get it perfect. as far as fold goes this is pretty legit.
Very Dylan-esque but I like Bert's voice 100 times better.
Ok
Good guitar picking
Not a fan, but see the appeal
Not the biggest fan of folk but it was an enjoyable listen Fav songs: Needle of Death, Casbah
Genre: Folk Baroque (Singer/Songwriter) This album is about as Bert Jansch as an album called Bert Jansch by Bert Jansch could be. Just feels like this is very of the name. Like Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. In all seriousness, this is an easy-to-listen-to, mid-60s folk record. Not bad. 3/5
Folk music. Just an acoustic guitar and singing. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I might listen to it again,
Pleasant enough, makes me feel like i should be sat in an open boxcar crossing the open land of America.
The guitar work is lovely but everything felt a bit samey over the length of a full album. I really liked Do You Hear Me (including the little voice crack) Alice's Wonderland and Angie. It was interesting that, presumably as it was recorded for £100 in someone's house, you could occasionally hear breathing during the instrumentals. Everything is often so polished and produced now, it can be easy to forget a human was responsible. I think this would have been best experienced sat cross-legged in a field at a folk festival rather than on my commute. 3/5
Now I’ve listened to Bert Jansch.
Bert Jansch is a pretty okay album. This guy was apparently apart of Pentangle and also worked on that band's album on this list but this album most definitely sounds different than that Pentangle album in many ways. Unlike the more fairy tale style of that album, this one seems to just be a typical folk album mainly just relying on guitars and Jansch's vocals in some of the songs. The album does sound fairly nice as it can be pretty relaxing to listen to. The songs here do suffer from same face syndrome though as they all sound overly similar to each other which would have greatly reduced my enjoyment of this album if it wasn't so short. This is an okay album but not one I'm interested in coming back to. Best Song: Dreams Of Love Worst Song: Smokey River
A little bit samey same but very pleasant early morning listen
Probably a really good version of that type of music. Just doesn’t float my boat enough.
Decent this. Bit too one paced to be anything above a 3 though.
This is like what Eddie Clein *thinks* he sounds like when he plays guitar and sings. If it is some parallel universe version of Ed then it explains the odd lyrics about "your father will not know" etc.
It was, at times, hard to tell whether the person playing the guitar was a genius or a 7 year old. I feel like it was so close to greatness, but didn’t quite achieve it. Bert’s singing didn’t help.
very lovely guitar playing! Not huge on the voice Fav song: Veronica
I didn't mind this one. It was nice, it didnt grab me.
Solid. Doesn't feel essential though.
Pleasant one.
Eh. I mean, it's pleasant enough, but I prefer my folk more folky, my bluegrass more bluesy, and my acoustic tunes more psychedelic.
An artist that I had never heard of until now. Would rate it as simultaneously bloody lovely and, equally, unlikely to feel the need to listen to again.
Pretty listenable. Probably better after a few plays.
A lo-fi, minimalist album that feels truly authentic. Has a raw and timeless quality to it. Just a man, his guitar, and his stories. And I'm all about that.
1st
The guitar work is out of this world while the vocals made my ears bleed. 3.2
mostly pretty nice, a few songs were a bit boring
It’s fine - Not anything special
Ein rohes, einflussreiches Debüt, aufgenommen mit einem einfachen Tonbandgerät. Großartiges Gitarrenspiel und poetischer Tiefgang – manche Songs etwas skizzenhaft.
simon and garfunkel jumpscare
A lot of reviews here are comparing this to the works of Nick Drake, and I can definitely add my name to that list. Never heard of Bert Jansch before, and while I can’t say I’d ever actively seek out his music, it’s not bad. Folk Music in general is not my cup of tea, and yet it’s very rarely going to be something that makes me upset listening to either. Everything here is passable, but none of it is amazing. It’s chill vibes throughout. The best thing I can say about it is that I wouldn’t really skip any of it, which is good, as it makes for an enjoyable experience from top to bottom. I will also add though that his song “Angie” is his best song, so much so that there’s even a live rendition of the same song on this very album. If the rest of the album was even remotely comparable to “Angie”, I’d honestly consider giving this a 5, and that’s no joke.
Ganz gut, ein bisschen langweilig. Gesang nicht überragend aber gutes Gitarrenspiel. 3/5
It was fine.
As I've mentioned in the notes for a previous album in a similar vein to this one, I don't mind listening to one man and an acoustic guitar in a live setting, if the time and place is right, but as recorded music, it's seldom the type of thing that captures my attention, and this album is no exception to that.
4 for the guitar. I enjoyed the instrumentals more than the singing. 3 for the rest. Folk isn't my favorite genre. It was good, but not anything I would choose to listen to.
Reminds me somewhat of early Bob Dylan
For guitar lovers
MIGA
Amazing acoustic guitar lines and execution. Singing isn't super strong but the guitar skills make up for it!
Super clean and impressive guitar work. I previously listened to this album months ago and didn't write my review. Had to skip through it again to refamiliarize myself with it. I think that that's pretty telling. Decent 3
Guitar playing on this was so good. I hear a direct line between these songs and the intro to Heart's crazy for you. That being said, this isn't what I'm seeking out normally. Glad to have heard it, will probably forget it though. solid 3/5
Some pleasant calm folk. Just a guy and his guitar. Like if Dylan could hit the right notes and left his godforsaken harmonica at home. A breath a fresh folk
I am oddly fond of this album. It’s sweet in a way…chill, background fodder, easy listening.
An amazing player. An influential player. He walked so others could run - with better songs. Two foundational artists for me - Nick Drake and Richard Thompson - owe a debt to old Bert or at least the tradition he represented. But they add to the tradition. This feels a bit like an artifact in a museum.
Average 60s folk, but pleasantly surprised to hear Angie at the end, which I had only ever attributed to S&G before now, but sure enough, isn't a Bett Jansch original either.
Never heard him before( but feels like it was very far ahead of its time for 1965
Took a minute to get into but ended up enjoying it. “I Have No Time” & “Do You Hear Me Now” are cool tunes
This was nice…and folksy….and nice and folksy . Solid playing
Pretty good
Had never heard of this guy before. Given the year this came out I wonder if it was overshadowed by Dylan going electric. Just a man and his guitar, a pretty cool acoustic bluesy folk album. Nothing super special lyrically or vocally, but I love this guy's style of fingerpicking, really enjoyed the instrumental tracks especially. Might have to try to learn to play a few of these myself, although most of them are completely beyond me. Crisp and lovely acoustic guitar
Have always heard his name mentioned as being a guitar virtuoso and influential to so many, jimmy paige included. Have to admit that this album didn’t do much for me. Looked him up and Neil young says he is to the acoustic what Hendrix was to the electric. Maybe time to delve deeper into this guy…
Totally fine folk.
3.0
Didn't love it ... Didn't hate it. Highlights: Smokey River, Rambling's Gonna Be the Death of Me, and Angie. Funny note, more of my favorites were the instrumentals.
At first I was not particularly impressed because singer/ songwriters are often super good to me and there are many that really fill that head table, and maybe I just didn't see that at first. I think, however, it is not so much the lyrics or the singing that makes Bert Jansch shine, I think it is his guitar work. His instrumental work IS a step above and makes one wonder how much it would have vaulted his career if it had been coupled with (just maybe) a little more extraordinary personality in his spoken word/ vocals/ lyrics? Nevertheless, in the search for the ultimate singer/ songwriter, the quest continues.
Favorite Track: Angie
We zetten de plaat op, we horen een ouwe, licht valse gitaar een loopje doen, en een verder onbekende stem begint te zingen. Het moest kennelijk op een koopje, want dezelfde stem en gitaar vullen met z'n tweeën de rest van het album op middelmatige geluidskwaliteit. Het is wel aardige minimale folk, er valt voor fans van Nick Drake (zoals ik) wel wat te halen, maar echt goed is het ook niet. Had even een betere gitaar gekocht, man.
Een wikipedia-pagina die voornamelijk bestaat uit de tracklist en een samenvatting in welke snoblijstje dit album is opgenomen. Dan ook nog een naam waarbij ik denk met de oudere broer van Ernst Jansz van doen te hebben. Dat voorspelt allemaal niet veel goeds. Laten we de boel maar eens afspelen dan. Het is oud, en zo klinkt het ook gelijk. Een man met zijn akoestische gitaar, die zijn zielenroerselen bezingt. En dat zingen doet hij een stuk beter dan tijdsgenoot Bob, aan wie sommige nummers doen denken. Er staan ook stukken instrumentaal op, waarop hij lekker gaat pielen op zijn gitaar. Spelen kan Bert wel, niks mis mee. Ondanks het Dylanesque van met name het eerste nummer, doet het me verder vooral denken aan een combi van Nick Drake en James Taylor. Je verwacht eigenlijk dat de beste Bert niet ouder dan een jaar of 27 is geworden en aan het genot van iets teveel psychedelische of andersoortige harddrugs ten onder is gegaan. Maar de beste man is zowaar 67 geworden, een prestatie. Ik vond dit best prima om een keer te luisteren. Betwijfel of ik het vaker op ga zetten. Ik zit de laatste tijd een beetje in de hoek van de al dan niet vergeetbare 3. Ben bang dat ook dit er toch in gaat belanden. Het is simpelweg niet genoeg voor een 4.
Thoughts before listening: I think Bert is a 60s Greenwich Village folk scenester who would have been a contemporary of Dylan, Joan Baez, etc. I don't know his music. Review: Well I had the folk part right, but Jansch was actually British. Seems London had their own folk scene similar to New York's in the 60s and Bert was a leader of this group. He was also known as a great acoustic guitar player which is evidenced on this album. Overall this album is full of well played and sung folk originals, although the sound is a bit more dark than I prefer. 3-stars
love the soulful picking. Soothing
P funk
Coldplay if it was a shoegaze band
Surprisingly pleasant. Bob Dylan if he was good. I'm kidding
Quite enjoyable and calming music
Har pendlat mellan 3 och 4. Gillar ändå denna genre, men till slut landar jag nog i att låtarna totalt inte lever upp till fyra. Det är bitvis stämningsfullt, som det kan bli med gitarr och sång (om gjort rätt). Bra iaf.
Trevlig skiva som puttrar på på en jämn nivå utan att lyfta till några högre höjder. Noterar att bästa låten Angie är en cover, vilket förmodligen illustrerar att Bert är duktig men inte riktigt har förmågan att skapa magi på egen hand. Urtypen av en trea.
Simple, subtle singer songwriter folk music. Pleasant.
This is nice. It makes sense why it's still loved. It's not really my thing. But I know it's good. That's kinda all
Another odd (Scottish) selection from the murky backwaters of this project, further clouded by the nearly absent Wikipedia entry for this album (thankfully the "1001 Albums" entry was a little more verbose, and I appreciated learning that artists as wide ranging as Donovan and Maryanne Faithfull did covers of his songs). I was reminded of another mainly-acoustic artist, Leo Kottke, as I listened to the album (especially "Angie"). I particularly enjoyed "I have no time", "Do you hear me now" and "Courting blues"; I really wanted to enjoy "The needle of death", but it felt like the folk style got in the way of a very modern and sad story. I wanted to rate this album higher than three stars, especially because a number of the lyrics are really nicely done, but it's a high bar for me when it's just a solo artist with an instrument and his or her voice.
I enjoyed this low-key Willie Nelson sounding album.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album.
its good but not really my thing. nothing here really caught my attention, kinda boring
Just a pretty average folk album with better than average guitar work. 3 stars or C+.
Fantastic guitarist although I found the vocal parts and lyrics a bit bland. Definitely looks like he influenced many many other artists.
Some cool moments here from Bert Jansch. Very folksy and easy to get into for a quick listen. Completely cooked me that he’s Scottish, this sounds like any other American folk record of it’s time to my novice ears. It’s so interesting to me that yesterdays record was Zeppelin 3, a project (or group of projects) that often employed the same rolling, plucky folk guitars that get played all the same on this Bert Jansch album - “The Casbah” is a good example of these similarities. “Needle Of Death” is the obvious pick to listen to, this is a super harrowing story and it’s told with such blunt sorrow. Really, really good song. Listening to that one over and over again. 3/5 straight up
Boring, but not bad. 3/5
inoffensive and mostly pleasant. just wasn't anything special to me!
this album sure was fine. i liked the parts that felt like i was ramblin' down an old dirt road with a british hippie with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder. but then after a couple songs i start to realize he doesn't know where we're going, he's talkin' nonsense, and he smells terrible. anyway that's the album. favorites: strolling down the highway, smokey river, needle of death, angie
Bart Jensch
very peaceful if a little repetitive
I don't have anything terrible to say, but I also don't have anything nice to say.
i remember being blown away the first time i listened to this and not so much the second time. but there is a stroke of genius here i will say
Scottish Dylan. Enjoyable.
Decent enough folk album. Easy listen, nothing too remarkable or noteworthy. I appreciate the ultra stripped-down sound of just vocals and guitar, has a nice chamber performance feel to it. Top tracks: I Have No Time, Needle of Death, Alice's Wonderland
angie is a banger. 3.5
I humbly propose a new category of album to myself and anyone reading this, that of the "nowhere" album - any album that makes me check my fully legal, authorised, signed PDF copy of the 1001 albums book. I have no idea how this album made it onto the list or what I'm doing here, but where to go but with the flow? It's a good time. The guitar performances are distinctive and there's a strong case that can be made for the inclusion of lo-fi acoustic albums on this list. It's much easier for me to fall into the atmosphere of these albums, as they almost demand that you imagine yourself listening to them in-person. I can perceive the cozy, fire-lit room I am sitting in while listening to this music with a group of barely-illuminated strangers. Bert sits in front of the fireplace, the dim light bouncing off his dark silhouette and the sounds of his voice reverberating throughout the house during the louder parts. What a wonderful memory I will never have. My chief complaint with this album is how mentally exhausting it is. This album felt way longer than 38 minutes, which I chalk up with to having to engage with 15 different tracks - many of which sound identical to one another. Okay, let's have a lookee at what the book says. A mix of folk, blues and jazz. Lo-fi, amateurish production. Sold for cheap to a fledgling record company and managed to become a surprise success. Influential among other artists of the time. Certainly a bigger rap sheet than some of the other albums on this list, though I, an individual of esteemed taste, must object to the induction of such an album into the list. There are surely more pleasing acoustic/folk albums out there than this one.
Really didn't know what to expect here. The cover feels jazzy, my app said pop, and at times it actually sounded like folk and blues. I enjoyed it, I hope to poke around into the artist's other work.
I'm usually not a fan of folk but I have my favourites. I like the intimacy of the recording, with a genre like folk it really adds a depth to the guitarwork. There was a little noise in some of the instrumental tracks which sounded like someone breathing very heavily, I'm not sure if it was but it was a little distracting, it sounds like poor Bert is crying. It's a pleasant album and I liked Rambling's gonna be the death of me, Running from home, Angie and Strolling down the highway, but most of the songs just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Decent listen. Didn’t like or dislike this enough to move it above or below average. 2.5/5
I was only distantly aware of Jansch as a member of Pentangle, but this solo stuff was a nice pleasant listen. A good chill change of pace.
Nice guitar and song writing. Can’t say I listen to a lot of British folk so not sure if this stands out or is par for the genre. 2.75
Nice little acoustic album. Not enough here to elevate it to great status but solid chill tunes. 3.25/5
Quite nice
Was okay. Didn't really grab me but I didn't hate it.
Quiet little folk album
Poor man’s Paul Simon. A couple good songs. Not as well written or arranged.
Kinda nice, good for the listen Will I listen to again: 10%
Interesting. Pretty cool to develop such guitar style before you could just you tube travis picking and weird ass chord voicings. Pretty good songs.
Nice folksy, didn’t sit through the whole thing. Wasn’t what I needed at the moment you can say. Won’t be coming back.
This is a guy who plays the guitar and occasionally sings. Quite well, I guess.
Felt like it was just ahead of its time and inspired Simon and Garfunkel
Vocals are a bit too crooner-y for me but the music was very enjoyable!
nice but nothing incredible imo
Interesting guitar work. Very stripped down and mellow.
Had never heard of him. Enjoyed it unexpectedly. If I have to listen to folk, would much rather listen to this than another Dylan album.
This was an OK folk music album. It's guitar and voice so it's good as background music. Nothing stood out.
I liked it! A little slow for me but his guitar picking is fun to listen to and it’s really calming.
Pretty
It has good parts and boring parts. Favorite song: Veronica
3.
i like folk music :)
Ok had a couple of ditties in there 2.9
Sleepy blues. Decent.
Good but a little understated for my tastes.
6/10
Rating: 7/10 Technical ability mixed with good melodies, some very good stuff on here.
Great folk album
He’s interesting! Pretty chill stuff and a great songwriter
I feel this is one of those albums that you need to be in the right mood for. It's stripped back and bare, letting the songs speak for themselves. A relaxing listen that is a great antidote to the craziness of the world around us.
A pretty good album, I liked Dreams of Love the most.
Pleasant folk.
Bert Jansch is a new one on me. It was pleasant enough. Doubt I'd revisit.
Bert Jansch is a warm little listen, just a guy with an easy but vulnerable voice, sad and dark themese, and accomplised guitar picking. It's gentle folk/country stuff that makes you think, probably wouldn't return to it for another listen but enjoyed discovering it. One of the better examples of this stuff that we've had, and we've had a lot, it's an easy 3.
This is very different from most of the stuff we've had from the 60s, and I like it because of that. It's very reminiscent of Nick Drake in places, though it gets a bit more energetic and adventurous than most of his work. Think it definitely deserves a place on this list, even if I probably won't come back to it. 3/5.
Important, apparently
Decent enough 60s singer/songwriter album, with a similar sound to Nick Drake. I did recognise the last song as Chumbawamba use it a the score for Jacob's ladder. 3/5
Lovely folk music. The acoustic guitar plucking is fantastic. There are some nice, subtle guitar parts that keep the music interesting even when it’s as spare as this style can get. “I Have No Time” is a powerful song about how we choose to turn away from other people’s suffering. I really sat with the lyrics on that one. I like the inclusion of instrumentals. They’re excellent and work as palate cleansers after songs with heavy lyrical themes.
Nice Dylan-esque singer songwriting. I particularly liked "I Have No Time", great chord progression anchored in an uncharacteristic-for-guitar Eb minor. The guitar is a little out of tune too which actually adds a nice character to the sound; it's imperfect. Pretty nice listen. The guitar playing was fun and he has a nice soft warbly voice that fits the style well. Would have liked a little more exploration I think?
Wish I could play like Bert and great influence on UK folk but the songs get a little repetitive on this first lofi home recording.
1965 veröffentlichte Bert Jansch sein Debütalbum – schlicht aufgenommen, aber voller Magie. Mit Songs wie „Needle of Death“ und dem virtuosen „Angie“ prägte er den britischen Folk und inspirierte Musiker wie Jimmy Page und Neil Young.
я чуть не уснул, неплохо
Folk in de vein of Nick Drake, vooral als je kijkt naar het gitaarspel. Altijd elegant, en soms onnavolgbaar, worden de songs aan elkaar geritst met een soortgelijke fingerpicking style. Maar waar het verhaal en poëzie mij bij Nick Drake en soortgelijke artiesten vaak tot op het bot raakt, is dat over de gehele lengte op deze plaat wat minder. Veel gaat aan me voorbij. Maar nummers als 'I Have No Time', 'Needle of Death' en 'Dreams of Love' zeker niet, waarin alles verpakt zit wat folk zo magisch maakt. 'Needle of Death' is echt spookachtig mooi, één van de beste nummers over de tragiek van drugsverslaving. En de cover van 'Angie' is een waardig laatste toegift, die duidelijk maakt dat Bert Jansch z'n gitaar op één heeft staan en zijn poëzie op twee. 7/10 Highlights: I Have No Time Needle of Death Dreams of Love Angie
Chi cazzo è. Uhm interessante il coglione
Un ber tdisco ma
Strong 6 to light 7
It was very middle of the road. A lot of similar sounding songs. Would listen again.
Bert Jansch's self-titled is OK; it's a pleasant enough album. Too quickly, the album finished and began anew--and it was easy to continue listening. While I'm not the biggest fan of folk, Jansch had a way of creating very easy going music. But I don't know if this album is remarkable. It's better than Bob Dylan's folk, for sure, and this style of folk persisted at least.
This is very minimal...a guy singing folk songs and playing his guitar. It's pretty inoffensive, but it's also not particularly interesting. The guitar playing at times is very relaxing, but Jansch's vocals leave a bit to be desired. Many of these songs seem incomplete or half-baked, too. A pretty weak 3 for something that has simple, pleasant beauty, but is ultimately pretty forgettable and unfinished.
Just a man and a guitar singing bluesy folk songs and ripping through some pretty incredible fingerstyle parts. A bit Nick Drake, a bit Led Zeppelin III, but not as melodic and bitter sweet as former and lacking the hard rock edge of the latter. His playing is really incredible, open string drones and moving pass notes, while picking out complicated chords and lead lines - hard to fathom how he pulls it all off. Technically impressive while also being gentle and soulful, but it’s not the most dynamic stuff and very solidly in its lane genre-wise. He’s just doing folk music (extremely capably) rather than doing something with the folk style/palette.
This guy plays a damn smooth guitar
that's straight old. I like bob dylan
Like a cooler James Taylor
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. You can hear so many bands that have been influenced by Bert Jansch. The album is hard to put into a genre, the tracks go from Blues to folk to pop linked together by some great guitar work! Loved it!! Favourite song: Angie and Needle of death Least favourite: Alices wonderland Album artwork: Cool cover, It’s a classic look
3/5
Enjoyed the guitar work. Pleasant vocals and lyrics, but fairly forgettable
Guitar work is great
I dug the simple nature of this album. Sort of Bob-Dylan esque. 3.0
On one hand, kinda boring. But also pleasant in a very minimalistic sort of way.
11 canciones muy habría estado muy, muy bien. Eso me pasa con el folk de los 60/70: al rato se torna repetitivo y, al menos sonoramente, las ideas se repiten, una canción se mezcla con la otra y ya no sabes cuantas han pasado ni cuánto falta para que termine.
Could be listening to bob dylan
Some good stuff in here, especially in the instrumentals, but eh on the whole. 3.3/5 to be very specific.
Not bad not great. Nice little stripped back folk.
3.5 Never heard of the guy, but I found this to be a perfectly pleasant listen. This is a style of UK folk music I’ve learned to appreciate largely in part to Nick Drake’s work, an artist that, after hearing this, I have to imagine was largely inspired by Bert Jansch. There are a lot of similarities between the two’s music that definitely helped me appreciate this, though ultimately, this guy’s stuff doesn’t have quite the same sense of identity to it that Nick’s does - or that iconic deep, delicate voice. Not much else to say on this one. This isn’t a particularly commentable listen, but there’s a certain calming vibe throughout, and no song felt like it outstayed its welcome - not even the instrumentals. I think this is a good accompanying piece to Nick Drake’s small but mighty body of work, and I could definitely see myself given a re-listen on a certain kind of night.
Folksy story telling. His guitar playing was excellent. Kind of reminds me of Kings of Convenience.
Relaxing, especially for a cozy fall day
Fine. Reminds me of how much I like John Fahey.
Bert Jansch? What’s next, Ernie? Ernie Jansch? Well, moving on, I did like this quite a bit. While the songs themselves weren’t all that exciting the fingerpicking was really great and elevated everything. So yeah. Bert.
Sometimes I feel like if you’ve heard one not very well know folk artist from the London scene or the Greenwich Village scene in the 60s, you've heard them all.
3.5/5
This is really good. He does a lot with only his voice and an acoustic guitar. It's not my favourite music and songwriting, but I certainly respect it.
Never heard of Bert Jansch before so didn't know what to expect. Very decent 60s folk music, but I definitely enjoyed some songs a lot more than others, especially Needle of Death which is brilliant. Fav tracks: Needle of Death, Oh How Your Love is Strong, I Have No Time
Just ok
2024-09-29...