Bert Jansch

This was okay, but it felt like a tribute album. Why is a Scot singing about highway's and smokey rivers? There are points where Jansch's Scottishness comes through and the album feels much more authentic and better for it, Needle of Death, in particular is a beautifully melancholy folk song. For the rest though, it just feels like someone pretending to be an American, and even though he's doing it pretty well, it doesn't quite get there.

Lyrics and vocals dated, in a bad way. Even by 1965 standards. Excellent guitar and sound though.

This was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

I don't think I gave this album quite a fair shot, listening to it while working instead of really paying attention to the lyrics and musicianship. Relistening to a few songs made me appreciate them more. But still a quite and mostly forgettable album for me, but I wouldn't object to listening again. 2.8/5 Listening notes: Bert Jansch?? Bert. Jansch. 1965 Scottish folk! Why not! big Inside Llewyn Davis vibes Pretty, a little boring Fine, forgettable.

Folk. Un hombre y su guitarra. Ni fu ni fa.

Folk.

Some of this was quite beautiful to me, but either I really was not in the mood for this kind of music or something is just to the left of what I like. I suspect it's more a mood issue though. I do think in the right time/place this would be wonderful. This feels raw and I saw someone else say handcrafted. Handcrafted is totally a perfect way to describe this. Worth at least a listen.

Never heard of this. Kinda groaned when I saw yet another 60s artist I've never heard of, but actually ended up enjoying this quite a bit. Maybe it was the simplicity of vocals + guitar. 3* Highlights: smokey river, needle of death

I know I've heard the name, but don't know where from, so was really interested when this came up. I really liked it. Yes it was simplistic, but it comes from a simple era. I could hear either where he had an influence on other artists, or they had an influence on him. I suspect it was the former. Either way the question is "Is it worth a 4?" No quite, definitely a 3.8/3.9 but not quite a 4.

When one sets their expectations low, you can normally only go upward. In this case, it did. I don’t normally like this sort of stuff, but it was certainly listenable and dare I say it, enjoyable. Some really good acoustic guitar work. For the surprise, it has to get a 3, due to the adversity it faced from my personal bias

In totality, the album doesn't have a lot going for it. It all kind of sounds the same and it's lyrical content leaves much to be desired. What it does have going for it however is great guitar work. So much so that even when I was zoning out while listening to this, the melodies would be there to guide me back in.

Pleased to have been introduced to this album! Some lovely tracks and really impressive guitar playing

Some good quality country and folk. Not as sad as we expected it toot be but the heroin song is still very sad

Гитарные пассажи клёвые! Пару гитарных композиций оценил. Но, к сожалению, музыка совсем не зацепила.

A solid folk album. Nothing special, apart from a few songs.

This was very nice

Nice acoustic music. Nothing spectacular. Overall a good album. 3/5 Might listen again.

I reviewed Pentangle's Basket of Light three months ago (love that I can see the date I reviewed it in my history), and I didn't care for it, but I'm willing to give this solo effort from Bert Jansch a fair shot. As a fun note, this is my second album in a row from 1965, and I don't think I've ever had consecutive albums from the same year before, and I'm over half way through this list. Also, even though I'm over half way done with my project, I've only reviewed 45% of the albums from the 1960's, so I know I'll have plenty more albums from that decade the rest of the way. Enough numbers, let's get into it! Eh, based on a little bit of research and what I heard on that Pentangle album, I'd say this was about what I expected from this album: some fantastic songwriting with some really nice guitar playing. This album was certainly pleasant to listen to, and it's pretty impressive for something that really didn't have a lot of prep work and planning put into it. I liked the overall "hippie gypsy" feel to the album, and the lyrics seemed to all be tied to the theme of being a free-spirited wanderer who's trying to strike out on their own and find their place in the world. Lyrically, these songs each felt like their own chapter in a journey of self discovery, and I liked the cohesiveness that this created. My biggest complaint is that the album wound up being boring a touch repetitive in its sound, even though it had a mangeable runtime. This is album is good, but for me, being good for a folk album means it's pretty middle of the road. Is it influential? Sure, but it's not the sort of thing that draws me in.

Not to deny Bert Jansch's stellar skills as a guitar player, OR his nice voice, OR his importance for the nascent British folk scene of the sixties, but that record of his, if agreeable to go through, doesn't exactly scream the words "intense", "catchy" or "thrilling". It makes for nice background music, though. And you have two or three highlights, such as "Needle Of Death" or "Running From Home". Those ones stand out for sure, and they will probably make you stop doing whatever it is you're doing while playing the record--if you're a folk music buff, that is. It's a little weird that even for songs about tragic themes, Jansch always favors major harmonies for his main keys. In the highlights the trick works, with quite a bittersweet mood as a result. But used for the whole duration of a record that is also filled with instrumentals that come off as a little "performative" at times, that lean toward airy major keys conveys the impression of 'low stakes' somehow. Maybe I'm too much of a minor chords fan myself. Maybe I lack the necessary patience and peace of mind required to appreciate Bert's delicate aesthetics. I don't know... Hope I'll find the time to revisit this record one day, and find out that it actually grows on me. In the meantime, I can't put it my own list of mandatory listens, at least not right away. There's something a little quaint in that album, with a result that doesn't fully pass the test of time for me. If you like folk songs or folk rock, and want to discover a recent, truly *stellar* British songwriter, by all means go check out Nick Wheeldon's work (especially his LPs *Gift* and *Waiting For The Piano To Fall*). In spite of Jansch's historical importance, he can only come second to Nick for me. Those critical rankings and best albums list get outdated quick, even for artists who are as old and "respectable" as Bert Jansch. Or they're not addressing the full scope of current music (because it's too soon to reach a consensus for musicians that target audiences missed somehow). In other words, those lists are imperfect (and even cruel) tools to know more about good music. In the end, all that's left is your dear subjectivity. Here's what I tried to express with this failed "review". 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums'. 8/10 for more general purposes (5+3) Number of albums left to review: 81 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 395 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 230 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 295

I’ve probably heard Bert Jansch’s name more often than I’ve heard his music so it’s nice to redress the balance a little. It’s hard for me to ascertain from the music and era alone that he was a particularly influential guitarist, but received wisdom suggests that was the case. Regardless, I enjoyed the album. The fingerpicked instrumentals grabbed my attention the most, but the guy clearly also knew how to write a decent original folk song.

Interesting

i am in the soil chewing bone restless

-I’ve found that this whole project has given me a new appreciation for “simpler” and folkier music which I definitely didn’t have before. This is a pretty solid debut, I’d say - the guitar work is really nice, and the instrumental at the end of the album is phenomenally beautiful. -Favorites are Strolling Down The Highway, I Have No Time, and Angie

It's alright.

60s folk I’ve never heard. Pleasant. No need to seek out again.

Pleasant enough, but pleasant ain't gonna get you past three stars Bert.

Chill acoustic vibes. I think I liked this. Maybe needs another listen.

3.5 super great guitar work. Never heard this before but will listen again

Pleasant, but Pentangle is much better to listen to.

My 3 stars simply reflect the fact that I’m unlikely to return to this album. I’m sure it deserves more respect, but nothing is putting hooks into me personally…

睡的最香的一集

Seems like an even more dated Nick Drake. Pretty solid but just a little thin.

He can pick it, and it is a pleasant listen. But it drags on a bit. Standout it lead off “Strolling Down the Highway”

Stripped-back guitar album in the vein of Nick Drake, etc. A bit same-y in places, but a good listen.

Chill and calm. I enjoyed Casbah Nadia surprised to hear a Moroccan touch

It was ok with really good guitar playing

60’s blues with a country touch

Talk about an artist lost to time. Wikipedia is a great source of information for these albums, and is consistently the first place I go to. But when the Wikipedia article for an album only includes very general facts about it and the artist, and that it was included on this list, that isn’t leaving me with much to go off of. I’m always down for some folk music though. Never found it to be something you can have too much of. But I think like the psychedelic rock music of the same time period, it can often fall into a pit of mediocrity. Some folk songwriters are simply just not as good as others. But it is a genre that lends itself to a lot of simplicity. Some of the most renowned folk albums of all time are the ones with the most sparse instrumentation. Sparse is definitely a word that could be used to describe this. This album in its entirety is just Herbert and his guitar. It’s most similar to those early Bob Dylan records or something like Pink Moon by Nick Drake. Except, even as drab as this is, it doesn’t contain the potent melancholy of Nick’s music. Or the striking lyricism and iconic voice of Dylan. Or really the songwriting prowess of either of those two. At least Dylan had the harmonica to spice things up a little bit. I’ll admit that the highs of this album are definitely solid. And unfortunately those highs are often the songs that don’t contain Bert singing. I find his voice to be the less desirable half of this album. But the lows are nothing more than below average folk songs. They don’t do much of anything to maintain my interest for very long. I’m sure this played a role in the development of folk and its presence in popular music. But I believe it’s really only evolved for the better from here on out. Folk can be minimal, but it doesn’t always have to be. Rating: 5/10

It was fine, but I'm unlikely to seek it out again

#264. When I was listening to this I didn't realize this was 60 years old, it sounds just like every hipster folk album coming out these days. I don't know if its that this guy was ahead of his time, or that those guys these days are trying so very desperately to be behind their times, but I guess that's irrelevant. It was decent though, I guess. 3/5: acceptable.

Listened Before? N A nice 60's folk album in the vein of the music of so many of his American contemporaries. Underproduced and unpolished, and lovingly written from his heart. I really was surprised here. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Needle of Death

Got a bit tiresome towards the end but I still very much enjoyed this.

This is beautiful!

Alright

Reminded me of Nick Drake. Pleasant listen, but not much other than the guitar stuff. The short instrumentals were kind of boring. High 3

I think I would like this playing in my house, but like it wasn’t doing that much. Prolly would only listen to it passively. Like a 7.5/10 but a 3

Great guitar player — need to revisit this when walking in the woods!

3.5/5. Early discount Nick Drake.

It’s like the original Jose Gonzalez. Very ambient and bare. The passion is present and I can hear some Tallest Man qualities. However, I just don’t connect to it like I thought I might. Good, but did not connect with me.

He's like a one-man Simon and Garfunkel. I like the acoustic energy, but I got lost in his voice. I think the vocals are a little too abstract and layered for my enjoyment.

Melancholy. Picked up a bit of a sad, English, Woody Guthrie vibe. Courting Blurs is the best song. Liked the album well enough to rate it a (2.6*s)

This album will get you ramblin, the simplicity is it's allure. It feels very pure, handmade, and heartfelt. Great guitar work, Bert's skill really shines in "Instrumental Medley" but a lot of songs on here are good. Channel your inner hobo and go hop some trains with this one. Enjoyed it.

some great guitar playing, some janky singing, i do like the homemade quality to this but felt it lacked something that made it special

Great instrumentation and unique songwriting

Итс олрайт. Не совсем понятно, почему этот альбом оказался в этом списке; по большей части звучит как относительно стандартное сингер-сонграйтер инди. С другой стороны, это 65-ый год, и история возникновения этого альбома интересная - видимо причина в этом. Лучшая песня - Needle of Death.

ottima musica di sottofondo per studiare, non mi defenestrerei se qualcuno la mettesse su, ma non credo tornerò a volerlo ascoltare attivamente.

What can I say? The music is as honest as it gets, and the guitar playing is really interesting. For a bare bones folk record, it's hard to expect much more. 3 bastard babies out of 5 👶👶👶

Enjoyable, though a bit samey track to track.

Good Sunday Jawn for sure

Nice acoustic guitar

Another mid album. 3/5

Never heard of this dude. Not bad, little Bod Dylan vibe to me. Not a bad listen. 3 stars

This is some pretty solid easy listening. Will admit I had it on in the background while working so wasn't paying incredible attention, but some of these songs I found myself toe tapping to and really like the acoustic guitar work.

Mostly guitar, nice to listen to while working.

The album is too melancholic.

It’s pretty good - and you can hear the influence he’s had - but it’s fairly samey at the same time

More 60s rock, not the psychedelic kind though which was nice. Honestly at times I got Andy McKee vibes since it’s largely instrumental just Bert serenading on the guitar.

Simple, easy listening. The vocals aren't great but the guitar is nice. Nothing wrong with this. 5.5/10 (2.75/5)

Nice playing.

I had never heard of Bert before. This album was a good listen. It had the familiar feeling of sitting in a coffee shop listening to someone sprinkle my cup-o-ccino with a little bit of soul. Courting Blues was my standout track. I don’t know how often I would look for this one but I definitely would listen to again.

This was a cool album. I think I would have been a huge fan in 1965. Seems like others do this kind of music better now. This did lead me down a Roy Harper hole. Yes, the Hats off to (Roy) Harper guy. Did you know he is the singer on Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar"? I hope I just blew your mind like mine was blown last night. Anyway, chill stuff but I probably won't revisit this again. I liked it well enough to play it through twice.

Two notes about Bert Jansch: 1) I had heard “Needle of Death” previously, from 1001 SONGS you Must Hear Before You Die, 2) I gave his band Pentangle 3 stars about a year ago, but had its faux-medieval folk grow on me long enough to buy it on vinyl recently. A remarkable performance, though more impressed by the guitar craft than the songs for the most part. “Needle of Death” is rightfully acclaimed for its terribly tragic lyrics and beautiful melody, but that really isn’t typical of Jansch’s self-titled. More blues than elegiac ballads. 3.5 HL: “Smokey River”, “Needle of Death”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Running From Home” April 5, 2024

A nice relaxing folk album. Jansch is a monster on guitar, and I quite enjoyed the instrumental songs. Not much else for me to say about the record, it was good but nothing spectacular

This ended up being a really evocative album for me. Not one I love, no, but one where, with just a guitar and his voice, I can just see the open London highway Bert's rambling down. And the way I figure it, how much you enjoy this album really plays into how much you buy the vocation. Either you're traveling right along with him down the road... Or you quickly fade back into reality, wherever you are. As for me, I'm firmly more in the camp where I can smell the early morning breeze.

This is a good album. Great songwriting, just good for the period. Love the exploration of chords. "Needle of Death" is such a beautiful, poignant song. That could be a desert island song for me. Just really touches something painful and sad. 3/5, great time had

As a fan of Dylan, Seeger, Ochs and Van Ronk this seemed lesser. This sounded like a first attempt at song writing. The way Jansch resolves sequences seemed almost amateurish, as if he didn’t quite have the skill level to really accomplish what he was trying to accomplish. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but it was just alright.

Lovely, gentle, not outstanding, but didn't outstay its welcome. Nice guitar work though. 3.5 🌟

giving nick drake

Not his best but still good

Warm yet sparse atmosphere with beautiful guitar picking and evocative yet simple vocals. Looks like the needle of death can get to folk singers, too.

Soft acoustic songs. Twangy steel string sounds. Needle of Death is great but so is Casbah. Each song has a story

Pleasant but no more. Best singer songwriter album ever is Ben Watts North marine Drive! Better than most Dylan ones on list though, 3 stars

Folk isn't really my thing but this was pretty good

Just not interesting to me

Happy Leap Day everybody! This is the only leap day that I will listen to one of these albums on. Will this album make this day memorable at all? No. I wouldn't say so. This is a perfectly fine and serviceable album. Does it belong on this list? Not really. This album doesn't really have a ton of cultural impact. Although, admittedly, Bert Jansch himself, despite not being super well known himself, did influence quite a few artists that I like such as Neil Young and Nick Drake. Nick Drake in particular is the interesting one since, prior to listening to this album, I saw quite a bit of comparison in the reviews to him for this album. After listening to the album, I can kind of see it. The voice felt more Bob Dylan-esque for the first song, but later songs did give me an idea as to how someone could make comparisons to Nick Drake. This album isn't as good as his stuff though. A decent portion of the album is instrumentals, which is an interesting choice. His singing is fine. The musical contents are a bit samey, but not the worst in the world. The writing is probably the best part of the album, but it's still just kind of solid. Overall, nothing I really feel like revisiting ever again, but a pretty harmless album that's significantly better than a lot of the "this shouldn't be on here" albums that I've already listened to. 3/5.

Cool. 3.25

Some of the 60s folk selections on this list are interesting. I liked this one. UK folk that sounds more like US folk. I especially liked the instrumentals.

This was decent. One song was pretty moving though also pretty in your face about what it was about.

piacevole

nice enough

Another sad boy and his sad songs

Decent folk for snowboarding to 3/5.

I found this really pleasant, albeit a little unmemorable. Nice acoustic guitar music for driving. More of a 3.5.

There is some pleasing guitar work on here that keeps the coffeehouse folk sound from getting too repetitive. Get some Arlo Guthrie/Nick Drake vibes. Overall pretty decent. 3.4

Wry folksy blues stuff. Not bad but was kind of bland.

Disco de folk de un señor con su guitarra. Si te gusta este tipo de música, te encantará. Y qué guitarra.

Good! Fast but mellow acoustic guitar - sounds like finger-picking? All good, with 2 or 3 highlight tracks.

Yeah it was okay, track 3 was great, reminded me of Nic Jones.

Not bad.

- Solides bluesiges Folk Album - Schöne Stücke drauf - Kann man wunderbar nebenbei laufen lassen, ich denke besonders zum Schreiben werd ich mir das mal auf die Ohren hauen - „Needle Of Death“ hat mich sehr an eine schnelle version von „Blues Run the Game“ von Jackson C. Frank erinnert - Insgesamt stach aber nichts besonders stark heraus oder blieb in großer Erinnerung Rating: 3/5

- Chilliges, schönes Album. Stehe ja hart auf Singer-Songwriter Folk - Erinnert mich stark an Nick Drake und Jackson C. Frank - Tolle Patterns, die einem sofort das Herz erwärmen - Stimmlich manchmal etwas vage, wenn er sich aus seiner Comfort-Zone begibt - Textlich toll (und häufig traurig-schön) - Mir fehlen ein bisschen die richtig mitreißenden, im Ohr bleibenden Charakter-Stücke 3,5/5

Not riveting but fine 2.5 stars

Pretty and raw, but I don’t think I’m likely to listen again

He's talented, and I can hear the folks he's influenced. 3/5

Never felt a stronger father-son bond emanating from a guy and his guitar. I bet he sleeps next to it and gives it kisses on the neck every night. Really genuine, I enjoyed it.

Very impressive playing and lovely moments throughout, missing that bitta something to elevate it into something special.

Interesting little guitar record, I quite enjoyed it. I was locked into the instrumental solo guitar passages, and found they let the album flow really nicely. I'd be keen to give this a proper listen soon. Three and a half. Fave track: Smokey River

Having only read and heard of Bert Jansch and having not heard any of his music, I was intrigued. It started well but soon became a bit uninteresting as it was well, repetitive. Man playing guitar (very well) and singing (quite well) to almost the same song, over and over. Nice idea, I may put this on again as it was nice but repeat and repeat was a bit much.

listened 2x, and while not bad, not something i really plan to revisit. 2.9/5

I love folk and this is no exception. Surprised I'd never heard of him. I adore the ability of a good folk song to grab and hold your attention with a heartfelt story, with such stripped down instrumentals. The guitar on this album is gorgeous though too.

Despite being later associated with English Folk (with Pentangle), Bert Jansch’s first album leans far more on Blues and other American folk styles. There are some gems but in general the album was, in my opinion, pleasant but dull. Glad to have filled in this gap in my listening knowledge and would put this on as more background music in the future, but it’s not headphone music for me.

Best nice maar wel heel kort. Schotse makker. Drie sterren voor de naam

Nice, not life-changing, but a cool document of an interesting scene.

cute and I kinda liked it, will relisten some day in the distant future

I'd never heard of him before. Some nice tunes and guitar playing.

Sup bert

Decent folk, but nothing spectacular. 3/5

Interesting Scottish Folk. Pretty chill.

The more folk I listen to that isn't Bob Dylan, the more I realize that Bob's overrated while all others don't get more respect. Nice, relaxing album. 6/10.

Nett

Guitar guitar guitar YAWN

It's a great folk album but I prefer Jansch's work as part of Pentangle where there is a bit more musical variety. This album here should've been more about Scottish folk music I find.

Kinda bluesy, kinda Bob Dylan-esque rambly. I feel like, in Bert's mind, the lyrics are the main draw here, but it leaves the vocals kind of monotone, and during non-instrumental tracks, the guitar fades into the background. It's a lot more in the foreground during those instrumentals, though. Favorite tracks: "Needle Of Death", "Angie"

NOOOOOOO: I was so excited to listen to this but alas it has failed me. Was I mainly excited for the final track? Yeah, my dad would play it on his guitar all the time when I was a child. There was me being naïve think the whole album would be like that, nah it was just so bleh. I get this man was like the Hendrix for the acoustic but it just doesn’t hit. Oh well, Angie massively boosts this.

3/5

3.5 - very talented and the songs would be great listening to about 5. After that it felt a bit too intense. Feel like it needed editing down as an album

Haven’t I had this one already? Déjà vu I guess. Bert is perfectly competent as a musician and songwriter, but nothing really stuck with me after three rotations through the whole album. I guess my heart just already belongs to Bob Dylan, he's my guy for 60's singer-songwriter folksy rock. You alright though, Bert. I'm content that our relationship is simply ships that have passed in the night.

I always liked that folk music where the acoustic guitar is played so well that, you don't want to hear the singing you are too focused on the instruments. I think that is what I got from Bert Jansch. I do appreciate that he did give us an instrumental with Smokey River, Veronica, Alice's Wonderland and Angie; all might be some of my favourites on this album. I don't know much about Bert Jansch, except he has been compared to Bob Dylan... but then I think anyone that sang folk like this in the 60-70's were. I had a look and see that people like Jimmy Page, Mike Oldfield, Paul Simon, Pete Hawkes, Nick Drake, Donovan, Neil Young, and Johnny Marr have all cited him as an influence, which is an impressive list. I believe there is more Jansch on this list, so I am looking forward to hearing more, but it makes me now want to listen to Australian music folk legends, The John Butler Trio. Standouts: Smokey River, Oh How Your Love Is Strong, Veronica, Needle Of Death, Alice's Wonderland, Angie

A man, his guitar and a bundle of his music. A folk-country collection of songs with excellent guitar picking vibes and a suitable voice. Not a top choice to listen to on n my own, but would love to hear him in a pub with a pint or two in hand. Mid 3

Little goofy but pretty peaceful album.

chill

Just a guy and his guitar, mid 60's folk. Good enough, but not really anything special. I prefer Leo Kettke or John Fahey. Easy 3/5, but no higher.

Excellent acoustic guitar work. Very thoughtful lyrics. Needle of Death was a very sad song. Good album.

Okay 60s singer-songwriter stuff.

unfortunately i did not listen to this but i promise i will

yes, it's folk music. not bad but not memorable

I don't know, it's just a generic folk album. There's nothing special here. I mean, can you think of any more stereotypical folk song titles then "Strolling Down the Highway" or "Rambling's Going To Be The Death Of Me"? I mean, really. There's just nothing that stands out here. At least, from a songwriting perspective. What DOES stand out is Burt's guitar playing. Truly fantastic and earned him a star right there. Overall, it was underwhelming but not outright frustrating.

не запомнила, но вроде ничего такой

Good, more of a familiar And easy listening sound for me.

bobbed along at a lovely rate

Simple yet beautiful, however I don’t see myself returning to this album

This one caught me at the right time: It’s a decidedly autumnal day here in Asheville, NC, and these rambling acoustics complemented rather well the swirling ballet of leaves pirouetting upon the crisp fall air.

Folk. Bastante bien.

Fun, but a lot of these acoustic projects blend together for me. I appreciate the art, but I always rather just listen to something else

Didn't leave much of an impression either way

Very nice guitar playing but not my cup of tea

Fine.

Folk.

4/15, 27%

Creative guitar and more vibes than Steve Earle (which I had listened to right before) — acoustic guitar takes many forms

Surprisingly enjoyed. Folk music is not my forte. I think I'll keep delving into his music/this genre slowly

Context: I don't know much about Folk music at all. Listens: 1 Opinion: The album is really pleasant, easy going. Nothing really mind blowing but nice. Highlight: None I would be interested in hearing more Folk music from different artists for sure.

Alright. Liked Needles.

Some very cool fingerstyle guitar in this one, adds to the folk vibe and is in some cases quite technical and groovy. 3/5

3.7 - A pretty little folk record with bright guitar fingerpicking and Donovan-sounding vocals. “Needle of Death” is a devastating tribute to a friend passed on, that reminds me of Elliot Smith. Some nice instrumentals mixed throughout. I imagine playing this some cold winter morning while enjoying my coffee.

Solo guitar. Kinda boring

Simple and enjoyable. Good guitar work

3/5. A pretty solid guitar focused album. Well-played but not amazing. It's quiet but not personal, so it feels distant. With little instrumentation, the emptiness doesn't do this one justice. Nice lyrical phrases and guitar playing though.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Angie (15) 2 - Running From Home (11) 3 - Rambling's Gonna Be the Death of Me (9)

Pour vrai, c'est un peu du folk sans saveur. Je n'ai pas capoté pour être franc.... 2.90

This album has both feet solidly in the American folk genre. Beautiful, near-classical (Windham Hill-ish at times) acoustic guitar takes you into this journey beset by A Mighty Wind. The vocals ranged and at times were really hospitable and at other times less so and feeling a bit obsolete.

Bert Jansch’s self-titled solo album is perfectly adequate folk music. It was more enjoyable than the group effort of Pentangle, particularly on a few of the better tracks and the instrumentals.

pretty good. no standouts besides the first instrumental. cool for an album like this to even have instrumental tracks

Beetje Nick Drake-ish. Not bad.

Lijkt een beetje op Tim Buckley, denk ik.

Strong 'Detectorists' vibes from this one. Lovely, gentle and dreamy British folk songs. It makes me want to pick up a detector and head to Denby to while away a day in a field with Lance and Andy. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Dreams of Love Date listened: 14/06/23

Interesting pure 'guy with a guitar ' music. Nice to enjoy the raw feed instead of heavily buried with orchestra.

Not for me, Clyde. But I like the guitar arrangements.

Very reminiscent of early Singer songwriters like Bob Dylan in Van Morrison. Found some of the songs interesting and still current sounding. The production is excellent for 1965, however, I did not find the overall album to be compelling beyond compatriots of the time.

Good traditional folk album, albeit a little bit homogeneous but that's to be expected with this genre. Bert's playing is the real draw here, with his impressive fingerpicking and overall dynamic style. Nice but not much more.

Good single guitar/voice folk in its most traditional way. Not bad at all, but gets pretty tiredsome in the end.

Great discovery of folk rock album. I've never heard of it.

Nothing so memorable around there, but a nice folk album with an excellent guitar player for sure. I enjoyed it, but won't come back to it.

that good ol' folk... god, it's obsolete

Didn't age all that well.

meh. 3 stars

Pleasant enough

His guitar picking is quite good compared to many other folk artists but it’s another folk album that I don’t know. For folk with good guitar picking, I really just want to listen to Gordon Lightfoot’s Summer Side of Life. RIP Mr. Lightfoot.

With such sparse arrangements, recorded in someone’s living room, the songwriting, singing & guitar playing better be good. I’ve listened to a couple of Bert’s albums over the years and there’s usually one or two outstanding songs. On this LP it’s “Needle of Death” IMO. His singing is better than Leonard or Bob and he seems to be an adept guitar player, but I’ll defer to my brother’s better judgement.

Easy listening

Was very interested in hearing this when I found out that this artist had a major influence on two of my favourite artists, Neil Young and Jimmy Page. Preferred the instrumentals over the songs with vocals. The guitar playing is excellent. Folk isn't my thing but this was fine.

Je ne suis peut-être pas dans le meilleur mood pour cet album (surtout avec un rhume comme j'ai), mais c'est loin d'être l'album de folk le plus incroryable que j'ai entendu. Beaucoup de pièces sont de belles balades folk, mais certaines, pour une raison que j'ignore, viennent carrément m'énerver (probablement le style de composition qui ne me rejoint pas). Je mettrais 5 à 6 sur 10.

A nimble-fingered motherfucker.

An overall pleasant, but not particularly engaging, listening experience. It is interesting to hear how the 60s folk revival was getting along in the UK.

This is folk. It's kind of exactly what I expected and it stayed in the background. You know how Joni Mitchell kind of grabs you by the lapels every now and then? This one couldn't find my lapels. And they're right there. I did kind of dig the overly harsh picking on Casbah, though.

Not bad. Dug the instrumental stuff; vocals reminded me a bit of Leonard Cohen (though Nick Drake is a great comp) without being as good as Leonard Cohen. But yeah - some great guitar playing!

Alright

3,5 of 4

unexpected cowboy

I enjoyed it. Great story telling through guitar. Mixes are a bit rough, but that tended to happen in the 60s.

Raw, chill guitar vibes. Similar to Nick Drake, acoustic-centric and feels largely unedited

Need to listen again .

Not in the mood for folk rn but damn those guitar works are fire.

it's ok

- Quality folk - James Taylor vibes - Strong chance of being played at the next campfire - Fantastic guitar skill

The guitar picking is good. It’s totally fine. But not my thing.

Just a guy pickin' and sort of singin'. Best track: Smokey River

Sounds about like a lost, unappreciated (but secretly influential) troubadour ought to sound. Some lovely quiet playing. It’s good to know lost gems like this, even if the listening experience is a little underwhelming, with a strong "eat your vegetables" feel. BJ looks a long shot to change one’s life. 2.9 > 3

I didn't love it, but at least that is something different that I would not listen to without the 1001 list, so it increases my rate a little since I'm here for it (sometimes?). Excellent to listen to a good folk album that does not go so fast to the bland country and early rock and keeps it folk until the album's end.

enjoyable, but would rather just listen to nick drake

This was a good album not one I personally intend to revisit though.

Very artistic guitar work which was pleasing to listen to. If you don't get it, you prolly won't. Solid 3 from me.

Un bon album de ringos-folk, ce genre musical mettant généralement en scène un chanteur, le plus souvent extrêmement ringard, venant nous bassiner avec ses histoires peu passionnantes sur fond de guitare acoustique. Merci Bert.

J'ai passé un agréable moment avec cet illustre inconnu de Bert, qui s'est averé être extrêmement sympathique, me proposant même de payer ma consommation, Un vrai chic type.

Bert coming in with that era of acoustic poets doing their thing

What if Bob Dylan were Scottish and didn't haven an annoying voice?

It's oj. I like the instrumental music at the end. kek

Jag kan inte tänka bort Nick Drake när jag lyssnar, och då känns detta nervlöst och klent på egensinne. Och lite för rootsigt. Men han spelar ju fint gitarr.

Didn't mind this at all, nice folky vibe.

2.75

Needle of death inspired Ambulance Blues, so that's good. Acoustic wizardry.

3.5/5. good listen.

3.5

An interesting foray into a folk singer I had never heard of. I did not know his reach and influence and back catalogue was so immense. I could hear how it influenced people like Donovan and the Thompsons and Neil Young. Sad to say though I’d still rather listen to them. Jansch is a very accomplished musician and storyteller. The quality of this record is undeniable to say he recorded it in his bedroom on one mic. In 1965, that was a feat in itself. Until now, Bert and this record have completely passed me by. I’m glad to have added to my musical education - I knew of no song about taking heroin before The Velvet Underground so Needle of Death was a plaintive revelation. On the whole this was very easy to listen to and an album I was glad to be introduced to.

Why have I never heard of Bert Jansch? This is a very good folk music album with some interesting guitar work. I wasn't in right head space to listen closely to this album. It seems a little rough but decent first album for an artist that recorded a string of solo albums over the years. This is not a favorite but definitely peaked my interest for his other albums and his work with his band Pentangle. I didn't recognize any of the songs but the instrumental song "Angie" has a familiar riff but I'm not sure where I've heard it. I plan to revisit this artist and album again.

I'm glad I got to hear this, because I know how influential Jansch was to so many musicians in the '60s and '70s. Then again, I prefer his work with Pentangle because there's more variety (plus, there's a whole band and another (better) singer). There aren't too many dude-with-guitar albums where I can get through the entire thing. Pink Moon is the only one that comes to mind, and that's because Nick Drake is a better singer and songwriter than Jansch. Bert's a great guitarist, though. I can see why so many people value his work.

Never heard this before, but it was pretty good.

Pretty boring folk, nothing good or bad about it

Simple, stripped down, listenable.

folky fun, finger picky, not as good as leo kottke, light weather stuff. the deuxe has a medley on it that i liked (but no one else listening did). its recorded like shit, but rules. it’s a fine album. you might like it. run of the mill whatever jams to plink plunk cry to.

Rating: 6/10

This album has been my first exposure to Bert Jansch’s unique brand of folk. I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t a guitar virtuoso on this level. These songs feel like the steeliest dust-bowl blues tracks to ever have materialised from a folkie in Glasgow. I’d hesitate to praise “Bert Jansch” as an album to listen to for the strength of the vocals, songwriting or narratives. Jansch does a serviceable job of all three, but nothing to elevate him above his peers. Instead, this is a guitar album through-and-through, with no other instruments (or musicians) featuring across its 38 minutes. Everything is doggedly unadorned and stripped back, usually to the benefit of the material and stark cold aesthetic. Of “Bert Jansch”’s fifteen tracks, six are instrumentals. When these get a little more rushed or odd notes are flubbed (like in “Casbah”) it doesn’t even matter: it feels raw, real, honest. In “Smokey River” and “Alice’s Wonderland”, you can even hear the faint sound of Jansch breathing underneath the sonic textures he manages to craft out of a single acoustic guitar. It’s sheer expressive playing in its purest form, and helps give the instrumentals every bit as much value as the vocal tracks. In terms of the other songs, they’re mostly unremarkable if not for the guitar playing. They’re generally straightforward blues tracks and concepts or dark laments on war, famine, love, death… the usual suspects. “Needle of Death” is the most poignant track on offer here and deserves to be singled out: it’s a rare track where the guitar settles in a repeated fingerstyle pattern and the melody sits comfortably above it, occupying the sweet spots of Jansch’s range. Finally, it’s eye-opening reading about those who Jansch influenced with his guitar playing, which read like a who’s-who of 20th century titans. Jimmy Page adored this album. Neil Young placed Jansch above Hendrix in his own guitar pantheon. Paul Simon adapted “Angie” early in his career. Nick Drake seems to have based his whole career on picking up where this album leaves off, with “Angie”’s final wistful strains. Bert Jansch may not be talked about enough in 2022, but respect to this list for giving him a rightful place among giants.

This one didn’t leave much of a mark on me, but the guitar work was enjoyable in the moment.

reminds me of elliot smith in a weird way

So so. Good background music. Acoustic and folksy, Kinda like James Taylor with a bit of a drawl. Not my favorite but I didn’t hate it. 3 stars seems perfect.

Really quiet. Good finger picking, singing could be better.

Ég heyri vel áhrifin sem hann hafði á Zeppelin III plötuna sérstaklega, og jú þetta er alveg skemmtilegt svo langt sem þetta nær og sumt er flott. En þegar allt kemur til alls er þetta bara ein rödd og kassagítar, og ég vil eitthvað meira.

Pretty good in places, pretty average in others

Very fun listen. The guitar „solos“ in between the songs are a nice „pause“ that are also just fun to listen to. Couldn‘t really determine a highlight since the entire album flows really well while also working if you jump in at any point. Not my favourite kind of music either but I enjoyed this more the longer I listened to it.

Buena voz y buenos acordes para un disco fácilmente escuchable. Tranquilo y reposado

A pleasant folk surprise…feeling fresh and nostalgic simultaneously.

Don't love it, but I appreciate the new discovery.

Very folksy, lots of instrumentals

I don't know that I would ever listen to this album again but it was neat to hear a 1960s take on blues.

Needle of Death was good

3.5/5

I liked the last few songs a lot but then it turns out the album had finished and I was listening to Waggoner’s lad from a different album.

Some of the guitar playing was really nice but the songs didn't really stick out to me

Good shit

I enjoyed the guitar in general and the instrumental tracks and a couple of the songs but less so.

If Bob Dylan could play guitar and sing like this, he might have never gone electric.

Kind of cute British Folk. I liked it more at the start but it became a little same-y by the end. Not bad though.

Listened to on 6/24/2022 3.5/5 Favorite song: Veronica The guitar playing in this album is so beautiful and continually impressed me - very easy to listen to in the background and enjoyable

Almost a 4.

Fav Song: Angie

Cool, mellow 60s folk

I like how this kicks off with Strolling Down the Highway, the whole album has quite a nice feel but didn't really grab me.

Some foundational folk stylings here. A really solid group of songs for the most part, with some real standouts. However, the whole thing is so homogenous that it gets a little tired by the end, even as the songs get better, and it just didn't suck me in like some others of the same vibe like Nick Drake.

Действительно потрясающая гитара и приятная мелодика.

It's a good record. Might have to give it another listen one day. 3.5/5

Alluring folk music that could have undoubtedly scratched a persistent itch in the time that it came out, mediating between short guitar noodling and thoughtful, lyrical performances. Favorites: Strolling Down the Highway, Needle of Death, Do You Hear Me Now, Running From Home, Courting Blues, Casbah, Angie.

Solid folk music.

A very simple formula for a pleasant listening experience.

Genre: Folk Baroque 3/5 I do admit, I've never heard of the guy, and that when I got this album in my queue, I giggled very hard. Bert Jansch, while certianly not the most unfortunate name around, is certianly giggle-worthy. Tangent aside, Bert Jansch seems to have been the dude who preceded the folk heavy-hitters. As soon as the album began, I heard George Harrison, Brian Wilson, Donovan, the good parts of Bob Dylan, and even some of what Taylor Swift has been up to over the past few years. This was a really cool listen from that viewpoint, that this is one of those albums that contemporary songwriters were clearly influenced by. Other than that, this is fairly bland folk-pop, which is not altogether my favorite type of listening experience. What he was saying was way prettier and way less cringy than Bob Dylan, and his guitar playing was sweet and fit the mood, but it certainly lacks energy. Influential to many, but a bit too stale for my tastes. I'm sure, though, this will please plenty of listeners looking for more quiet projects. Not bad.

Super guitar picking. I prefer the blues pieces to folk. Jansch's version of "Angie" has long been a favourite, so although the album really doesn't pull me in, I am inclined to give it another listen a medium mark for Angie and for the amazing guitar picking.

Ok folk album

Ok album. Some songs felt like quintessential folk songs from the 60s. The album was enjoyable however it felt like there’s been stronger albums of the same style. In 65 this may have been viewed better but to me it’s just ok. 5.7/10

That's some guitar twiddling.

A bit plucky and twangy for how I was feeling, but a pleasant interlude nonetheless

Good folk rock and great guitar playing - reminds me of a whole album of Beatles’ “Blackbird”

Liked Bert’s album… great guitar playing

Nothing wrong with it

Some real nice stuff here. I often like folk music, and I also happen to like fingerstyle guitar, so this album has some solid tracks on it because Bert Jansch can really play well. So expressive and flowing. This genre was massive in the 60s, so it's a little hard at times not to hear it as part of that large catalog produced in the 60s folk revival, and this album has a lot of elements common to that movement, but to my ear, he's good enough to stand out a bit from that crowded field.

Charming collection of folk songs, if a little repetitive in style.

Good singer, happy to know about him

Folking hell. Superb guitar playing singing classic folk songs. Distinctly British. Best Tracks: Needle of Death; Running From Home; Angie

Running from home, Dreams of love j'ai bien aimé

Bon album, mais je sais que y'a des meilleurs albums de folk et des meilleurs albums de Bert Jansch que celui-là. Prefs: Smokey River, Finches, Needle of Death, Do You Hear Me Now?, Casbah, Angie Moins pref: Oh How Your Love Is Strong

Great guitar player. In his field completely untouchable. The album was a bit one dimensional.. bit that ain’t Bert’s fault!

The guitar work on this album is pretty amazing. The singing/lyrics leaves much to be desired though. They sort of even each other out. This musical style isn't really my cup of tea but gotta give it up for that guitar playing. 3.5 stars

Guitar was really good. Preferred the instrumental tracks over the songs with his voice. Finches and Alice’s Wonderland were my favorite. 3.5/5

Some nice songs but a bit disconnected, confusing at times.

Eh, a couple of decent tracks. But overall, a bit slow for me.

I had never heard of Bert Jansch. He has a wonderful voice on this album. I liked how there were some instrumentals - when one loves playing guitar, I assume sometimes one just wants to play, and do their best to express something with the instrument. Glad to have been introduced to this artist.

Schon arg überstrapaziert, dass uns Ahnungslosen da als Referenz immer als erstes Nick Drake einfällt, ne? Vor allem, weil diese hier schon lange vier Jahre vor Five Leaves Left rausgekommen ist. Man könnte - auch hier wieder gesegnet mit Ahnungslosigkeit - den Sound des frühen Drake über weite Strecken sogar für deutlich angelehnt an Mr. Jantsch halten, viel mehr als zB immer nur an Donovan. Aber sei‘s drum. Das hier steht für sich, und es steht sehr schön. Bisschen haunting, deutlich in sich ruhend, wunderbar sparsam und trotzdem dicht gewebt. Beim ersten Durchgang besonders im Gedächtnis geblieben - weil stärker heraus ragend aus dem doch oft auch homogenen Sound: Casbah und Do You Hear Me Now. Werd ich gern noch öfter hören und vergebe erstmal 3,4 - beim nächsten Mal vielleicht mehr. Wobei: Drake wird - weil für mich halt der erste - schon auf Anhieb mehr bekommen. So ist das eben.

Solid folk, it didn't make a huge impression beyond that.

This album didn't really do much for me. He has a nice voice, and the tone on the guitar was captured well, but I'm not really into this style of folk music 3/5

some of that was brilliant. some of it not so.

Folking hell. For folks sake. Un-folking-believable. Have you seen that video where Haaland balances three balls on each other and hits a target? Yeah, I've got nothing else to say.

Nice, calming little album

Boring for me

Cultura general

Good but not for me

nice songs accompanied by acoustic guitar, some songs in de middle are kinda of lacking in diversity and a different dynamic, angie is nice altough i wonder what kind of lyrics theme it would fit

I'd like to believe that the Coen Brother's "Inside Llewyn Davis" is based on this chap. This is literally just a dude and his acoustic guitar, but said dude can play! I hear a lot of The Beatles' "For You Blue" on the first song. I hope Bert at least had a cat hanging around the studio like Llewyn Davis would.

Folk. Un hombre y su guitarra. Ni fu ni fa.

solid folk rock.

Very unique and cool voice.

Ok

Acoustic voice and guitar folk. It's fairly well done with some amazing guitar playing. Sadly I just find his voice quite dull and there's nothing to really grab me.

i think the first song is fantastic but i quickly lost interest for the vast majority for the rest of the album. the songs were not bad but did not do enough to garner my full attention. the runtime is quite short though which makes it relatively acceptable. 2.5 to a 3/5

Pleasing- good Sunday afternoon listening

This definitely has a 60's folk vibe. It's mostly soft folk with a few instrumentals. It's great to just put on repeat and have as background music. My favorite song was Needle of Death.

Nice easy listen

Hard not to like. It was nice. None of the songs really stood out to me, but I enjoyed it. I don't know why this album made the list when there are hundreds just like it. I hope to listen again but not sure if I would seek it out to listen again.

Inoffensive background music

I can hear how this album influenced Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, etc. Great acoustic guitar playing, and great folk music.

Good album…nothing special in my opinion

Good music

Good old folk