Reviews (page 5 of 8)
7/10. At first I thought this was going to be like yesterday's album and be a bit uninspired. Whilst I'm not hugely into the slower, more melancholy style of blues in this album, I did find the whole thing growing on me. Particularly I enjoyed the instrumental tracks which exhibited some quite interesting guitar playing that captured my attention such as 'Alice's Wonderland', 'Smoker River' and 'Angie'. For this reason I find it hard to rate it lower than a 7 here.
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
Nick Drake sans ‘tortured poet’-vibe.
Would not have guessed this came out so long ago, although the style lends itself to be somewhat timeless. Amazing the emotions that can be expressed through such a stripped back, bare arrangements. Not the biggest fan of the folk/singer-songwriter genre but this was truly beautiful. Reminded me of a Jim Croce album I had back in the day.
really nice mid-60s folk album. i had known of bert jansch, but never listened to an album from him, so i'm very glad i finally had the chance to. a little reminiscent of his contemporaries (bob dylan, paul simon, donovan) but very much his own thing. the production is very classically a folk production - just a man and his guitar - and the songwriting and guitar playing is really nice. my favorite song was 'needle of death' but i really think you can't go wrong with anything on here if you're into 60s folk. i also really liked his version of 'angie' which I knew from the Simon and Garfunkel version. perhaps it's not a mind-blowing album, but i enjoyed it and would like to explore his music further.
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.
I'm not going to rationalize my opinion on this. I just hate it. From the first note. It's terrible.
I really liked this. I added a few songs to my playlist of favourites, Strolling Down The Highway, Running From Home and Angie. Apparently I’ve listened to Jansch a handful of times in the past but this is the first time I’ve paid attention to him. He’s on a similar level to Nick Drake, another favourite I’ve discovered via this project, and he’s someone I will surely investigate further.
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.
A pal, with impeccable folk taste and an extreme understanding of guitar playing, rates Jansch as the GOAT in that department, and immediately on listening to this, you understand exactly why. It is so nice, and so tuneful, but above all there's a real melancholy and beauty to it. I did a bit of reading, about his life and addictions, and the whole package just adds up to an ineffable mix of joy and sadness. I think this might be the best thing I've heard for the first time on the Project.
Amazing. I was vaguely familiar with Bert Jansch before, but this was my first proper listen. What this man can do with just a passable voice and one acoustic guitar blows my mind. A real depth and ingenuity - virtuoso playing but in service of the song rather than just masturbatory showing off. I'll be coming back to this. Immediate 5.
Eh
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!
3.9 Wow. Great stuff. Amazing for '65. Could of sworn I was listening to Nick Drake in parts. The second half of the album really kicks off, the run of tracks from Do you hear me Now till the end is impeccable, after a somewhat slow start.
Smooth
nice but nothing incredible imo
Sorry, but I don't understand why this album is on this list. What did it bring to the world of music? Another album where some of its only claim to fame is that it was put on this list...
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.
Perfectly fine piece of minimalist folk, but perplexing as to it's inclusion here.
If you’ve ever been to an open mic night at a pub or coffee house, you’ve heard something like this: a guy and his guitar playing original music when everyone really wishes he’d just play covers. It’s fine I guess but ultimately so banal that I’m deducting a star for taking Heart or Neutral Milk Hotel (or any other better music’s) spot.
Che borsa
Today’s album was such a lovely one. IF I was to lick the sound waves, I think they’d taste like hot chocolate. I’ve never heard of Bert Jansch before today, but this is that lovely kind of folk music like that of Carole King or Joni Mitchell that’s rarely seen any more. It’s like wrapping up in a warm blanket, but musically. After giving Rumours by Fleetwood Mac a perfect score yesterday, I felt it could only go downhill from there. But it didn’t. This was yet another delight.
Didn't WOW me
I think I might not be keen on folk music
I liked it! A little slow for me but his guitar picking is fun to listen to and it’s really calming.
Artiste inconnu. Guitare+chant uniquement, je n'ai pas du tout accroché. Seuls les instrumentaux le sauvent de la note minimale. =>2/5
Pretty
meh. 2.5 stars
The entire album was truly an excellent display of Bert Jansch's skills on the guitar. I feel like to fully appreciate it I needed to be sitting under a tree along the Mississippi Delta whilst smoking a pipe or something. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out Herbert was actually Scottish. Perhaps I should have listened to this whilst drinking scotch and watching a bar fight at some dodgy pub in Glasgow instead.
Nice.
Day415 - the only thing interesting about this is the story of led zeppelin ripping him off and not giving credit
This one came out of nowhere! I hadn't heard of Bert Jansch before, but I really liked this album. The history to it was really interesting as well, but it's just good old songwriting.
5/10. I don't know, I just found this album somewhat dreary and boring. There are more enjoyable folk albums in the generator.
It has good parts and boring parts. Favorite song: Veronica
3.
I have a soft spot in my heart for English folk singers. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Greit med alt som e gjort
Acoustic ramblin type beat. Good stuff but a little repetitive. That’s sort of the nature of this type of music though
This is the 40th album I’m rating. Who is this this? I know nothing about this and I have low expectations. I’m expecting some country. Adding to my Playlist - Strolling Down the Highway, Smokey River, Oh How Your Love is Strong, Finches, Veronica, Alice’s Wonderland, Running from Home, Courting Blues, Casbah, and Angie. Not Adding to my Playlist - I Have No Time, Needle of Death, Do you Hear me Now, Rambling’s Gonna be the Death of me, and Dreams of Love. All in all I liked 10/15 songs. He isn’t a great singer but the composing is pretty good. Saved by those instrumentals.
Unfortunately nothing special but not horrible
I don't normally like folk so much. Especially when it comes to vocals with minimal instrumentation, here just a guitar, I think of false campfire romance. It's different with this album, even though the key data is the same. I enjoyed this album. I hope Bert Jansch, who I've never heard of, also enjoyed it. I might listen to the album again later. As one reviewer rightly wrote? Handmade, not manufactured. 4/5
Nothing special here.
A nice collection of tunes created with just a guitar. The lyrics are authentic. Can see his influence on modern music. 5/5
i like folk music :)
I’m glad to see Bert’s on the list. I don’t hear him discussed much and that’s a shame because he makes such beautiful music. This album, probably his best, is absolutely wonderful. His style of playing guitar perfectly complements his energetic, yet weary voice. His melodies are gorgeous and the whole of the songs are so well written. I only wish the instrumentals felt as finished as the others. Otherwise, love this album. 4/5
At the start I was worried Needle of Death would not only be the only song I knew starting out, but the only one I'd like by the end of the album, but luckily the album shaped up rather quickly, and although I'll admit almost every song I like off this album feels like a copy of Needle of Death, Bert Jansch's guitar picking mixed with his somber and soft vocal style allows many of this songs to shine through as personal ballads of a tortured yet satisfied soul. Not unlike Joan Baez's debut, many of the tracks are sold by the sheer talent at play in every facet of the album, and with artful lyrics in tow, this is just an extremely solid folk album some great instrumentals to really fill out the package.
Ok had a couple of ditties in there 2.9
Enjoyed this! Has a sound a lot like Jim Croce. Not quite as good, but definitely enjoyable
Sleepy blues. Decent.
It was ok..
Good but a little understated for my tastes.
Generic Bob dylan
6/10
Really good folk music. Particularly liked Alice's Wonderland and Angie. You can definitely hear this guys' influence all over bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, and The Rolling Stones. Some songs feel like unfinished ideas, but you still get the full emotional punch he was going for. Just a solid, great folk album.
Rating: 7/10 Technical ability mixed with good melodies, some very good stuff on here.
Great folk album
New to me and I like it
Boooooring.
He’s interesting! Pretty chill stuff and a great songwriter
I thought this was really good - I liked this.
This guy is a phenomenal guitar player. But I find his stuff to be a bit boring
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.
Really enjoyed this album, light folksy sound that was relaxing. Plus a new artist I’ve never listens to or even heard of before.
Some very good folk. Needle of Death was powerful. I also really enjoyed the acoustic Angie at the end of the album.
Simply produced (recorded in a friend's kitchen) this record sums up all that was good about the early/mid sixties folk scene. Bert Jansch was a mighty fine guitar player and his beautiful playing is the main attraction. The songs are mostly self written, no doubt inspired by Bob Dylan, have depth in the lyrics. His voice is pleasant but not exceptional. But it is a very good album worthy of inclusion in this list.
Noticed the fence needed a bit of fixing. Must have been the wind.
Loved this! Very easy and chilled, and not a hint of harmonica
Pleasant folk.
Bert Jansch is a new one on me. It was pleasant enough. Doubt I'd revisit.
I've always dug this kind of music. The guitar playing is way above average. Pretty impressive considering this is a 4 track demo. Outstanding album.
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
pertti, painuppa kiltisti vittuun. mahtava kulttiseuraamus kuulemma. "Jonestown" oli syrjäinen asutusalue Guyanassa, jonka perusti Peoples Temple, amerikkalainen uskonnollinen liike Jim Jonesin johdolla. Jonestown tuli kansainvälisesti pahamaineiseksi, kun 18. marraskuuta 1978 yhteensä 918 ihmistä kuoli ratkaisussa; läheisellä lentoradalla Port Kaitumassa; ja temppelin ylläpitämässä rakennuksessa Georgetownissa, Guyanan pääkaupungissa. Asutuksen nimestä tuli synonyymi näissä paikoissa tapahtuneille tapahtumille. Siinä teikäläiselle pikku kulttiseuraajakunta. suosittelen miettimään yhdesti/kahdesti ennen kun ruvetaan intoilemaan liikaa! needle of death
It’s lovely in places and he’s technically brilliant. Not something I would listen to again but I can appreciate it for what it is.
Forgettable. Afterward I couldn’t tell you his name or a single song part.
wayyy not my vibe
Man and a guitar, simple folk music. While Bert is clearly good on the guitar, I do not enjoy his voice and the album is just not interesting or exciting. In fact it’s quite grating. I prefer the instrumentals.
whatever
pleasant folk
Fine, but not particularly memorable.
Fancy fingerwork
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?
I get that this was influential, it's just not for me.
Folksy vibe, meh, not bad but was not good either
Muss nicht wa Bissorl longweilig
Such pretty guitar work
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.
есть интересные мелодии которые при развитии были бы топовыми жителями моего плейлиста но overall мне такое слушать скучно 💔
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
Ik moet bij Bert Jansch altijd denken aan een Duitse of Oostenrijkse piano componist die het net wat minder heeft gemaakt dan zijn Weense kameraden uit die tijd. Deze man kan echter gitaarspelen! En hoe, trouwens. Hij hanteert zijn six-string met fluwelen handschoen, wat vooral prachtig hoorbaar is in de intermezzo's zonder zang. Zijn stem is ook mooi maar misschien wat minder dan zijn ambtsgenoten van de andere kant van de grote plas. Echter vind ik het Brits een verzuchting tegenover het soms zo ontzettend irritant Amerikaans van zangers en zangeressen. Positieve verrassing op de zaterdagmorgen. 8/10 Highlights Oh How Your Love Is Strong Needle of Death Do You Hear Me Now
Not for me
This album is all right. I'm generally not big on folk music, but it's fine for what it is. Can't say any of it will stick with me or I'd listen to it again, but I also didn't hate it. That said, I'm also not hearing anything essential here either.
Not bad, just doesn’t leave much of an impression. “On How Your Love is Strong” is the first song to get my ears to perk up, but most of these songs sound exactly like that. “Needle of Death” is another one. Decent stuff but most of these sound the same with different lyrics and few, if any, standout for me. Very Bob Dylan inspired it seems, which I can at least appreciate on some level.
Chi cazzo è. Uhm interessante il coglione
Un ber tdisco ma
Strong 6 to light 7
Nick Drake vibes. Super chill.
It was very middle of the road. A lot of similar sounding songs. Would listen again.
Goddamn. Casbah is *hot*. Just lovely all around. Pure musicianship from a talented performer.
Wow, what a beautiful haunting raw album
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
This one is really pleasant to listen to. His voice is great and the simplicity of just him and his guitar really adds to the homemade feel. The instrumental tracks do a good job segmenting the album. Reminded me of Nick Drake. Favorite songs were Smokey River, I Have No Time, Needle Of Death, Running From Home, and Angie.
Pretty cool sounding 60s acoustic folk. Gets a little boring after a bit since it's literally just one guy and a guitar for the whole album and he's not exactly a dynamic singer. He's a damn good guitar player though, some pretty impressive finger picking throughout the album. Overall not a very exciting album but not bad.
just bert i guess
First listen. It was ok.
Solid 60s folk with some great guitar-playing.
Really surprised by how solid this debut from Bert Jansch is. I know him mainly by name but he sounds like one I just probably look into.
Folk singer out of the 60’s. Never heard of him, or his music.
5/10
that's straight old. I like bob dylan
Poor man’s Nick Cave.
i can see this being a huge treat for folk guitarists but i found it to be a big snooze
Like a cooler James Taylor
It's competent, but not very passionate or anything. C
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
Ok, I'll do it. 4 stars. Tight arrangements and lots of talent. Instrumental tracks were highly enjoyable
I really enjoyed the songs without vocals. Maybe, I am unrefined or not cultured enough, but I just didn't get or enjoy this guys vocal choices.
I understand why it makes the list. Doesn't mean that I have to enjoy it.
Folky, Bluesy, old-school guitar picking. Surprisingly pleasant. 8/10
Hell yeah, best debut ever recorded in a kitchen if my memory serves me right. Would always way rather listen to Bert than Nick Drake. Songwriting and his voice simply has a bit more of the old verisimilitude or some such. Nothing like spending a grey day listening to Bert & Loudoun Wainwright III to get the heart pumping.
Enjoyed the guitar work. Pleasant vocals and lyrics, but fairly forgettable
Guitar work is great
Wasn't bad, just didn't grab me at all.
Just a guy and his guitar. Awesome playing but not my style. I'd like to give this three stars but I can't, although it is unquestionably better than most of the two star albums.
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.
Let’s make Bob Dylan less interesting
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.
Forgettable songs interspersed with quite good guitar instrumentals that could be the same one each time for all I know. It’s…fine.
No wonder Jansch has been an influence on so many guitarists (including Jimmy Page and Johnny Marr)—his style is a blend of all sorts of techniques and countries, coming together to form something unique. It’s so imperfect it’s practically flawless.
Nice surprise. I knew the name but not the music.
Just some nice folk music. 2.5
Lovely music by a very talented guy, clearly. Compared to later artists like John Denver or Woody Guthrie, it feels kinda two dimensional. Although maybe it was more groundbreaking at the time.
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.
Strange choice. Very obscure. Doesn’t date too badly. But still, should this actually be on a list in 2024
Great folk album
Brilliant stuff. Just one man and his guitar. No one else. No fancy production. Just brilliant. And if you wreathe Wiki article it shows what sh**s Led Zeppelin are!
Not bad not great. Nice little stripped back folk.
Qué bien suena!!! No lo conocía, pero creo que ha sido inspiración para muchos músicos y cantautores que le siguieron. Me he guardado: "Needle of Death", "Rambling's Gonna Be the Death of Me", "Running From Home" y "Casbah" que es instrumental. Un gran disco que me hace reconciliarme con esta lista.
Not a fan of the folk genre and Bert did not change my feelings. At least his voice isn't like that Dylan dude. I would have have found another musician, named Ernie. That would be awesome to see an album just titled Bert and Ernie and cover a bunch Sesame Street songs. Bring in Big Bird, The Count and Oscar to do some cameos. I think that would have been a pretty cool album. Anyway, this is none of that, so 2 it is..... 2
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.
Really nice set of songs. Not my usual style, but very much a decent listen - especially for 1965!
Consider me bored.
Meh
Bert Jansch by Bert Jansch feels very raw, but I mean that in a good way. A way that folk music almost should be. You can tell this was just a man writing songs and playing his guitar at home, doing his own thing. The recordings are unpolished and he almost rambles on, but this is pure folk. The songs sound warm and cosy with how they have been made. They are very relaxing. I can understand why someone may not care for this album, but I appreciate it for what it is.
3.5/5
This was great. There are many different ways of playing the guitar and the way demonstrated on this album with just vocals and guitar is masterful. One of my favourite albums on the 1001 list from the 1960s.
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
Enjoyed this album by an artist I had never heard of. The complex guitar work with good stories made for an entertaining listen, especially using headphones to really hear it.
Клевый альбом, слушал перед экзаменом в автошколе, приятная музыка, грустноватая и спокьйоая
I had never heard this one before. Pretty solid album, especially considering how it was recorded. This was a pleasant surprise.
Had a certain raw charm
2024-09-29...
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.
Some great guitar parts. Can't remember the timing, but of course reminded me of Nick Drake, if a bit more straightforward. Good stuff.
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 gave my love a Cherry that had no stone”…..grab, smash, bang…..”sorry”. If you know you know and that’s what this album reminded me of.
It was a chilled out album, I enjoyed it
Lo fi beautiful acoustic folk with stunning guitar. Echoes of Nick Drake.
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.
A snooze fest
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.
Not for me
Very nice guitar playing. I liked the simplicity of just voice and guitar, it was chill and relaxing. 3.75/5
OK music, but somehow boring
Glad to hear something different but a bit dull with the best will in the world.
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.
The guitar work was really exceptional in places, but I couldn’t take to his vocals.
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
Bert Jansch was the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar. Superb debut album with incredible guitar playing that influenced countless musicians later.
Forgive me I am sick
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.
I'm not usually a fan of folk, but I loved this. It felt warm and put me in a good mood. The guitar playing was definitely the stand out for me Favorites: "Smokey River", "I Have No Time", "Needle of Death", "Casbah", "Angie"
Fantastic. Can’t believe this was produced in the mid 60’s
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
Impressive guitar skills, but not much else standing out for me.
Album 525 of 1001 Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch (1965) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Some pretty awesome guitar work. Good folk music. You could say he is another guy's Bob Dylan. Don't know that I'm saying that...but you could.
Great guitar playing
Гитарные пассажи клёвые! Пару гитарных композиций оценил. Но, к сожалению, музыка совсем не зацепила.
Jansch was a 10/10 guitarist but a 6/10 singer and songwriter. You'd really need to be at least 8/10 in all three to properly make it as a solo artist, so Jansch was probably at his best as a member of Pentangle. This is still a good album though, and so is Jack Orion.
OK.
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.
Wow, lived this, so simple but speaks to the heart
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
Sorry I can't leave a review im currently in a thousand year slumber because of how boring this was
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.
Absolute genius - would have been close to full marks even without the Scottish bonus point! Every song tells a story or evokes a feeling (or both!) and his influence is still being felt to this day - even by artists who may never have directly experienced his work.
Interesting
i am in the soil chewing bone restless
Hay discos que no son para uno, este claramente no es para mí.
A very straightforward album. I dug it. Hard to believe it is almost 60 years old. The instrumentals were really good as well. I don't think I needed them all medleyed at the end. And "Angie"... I did not need a live version, although it was interesting to hear it different than the acoustic version. Recording on it was bad as well. It reminded me a bit of Nick Drake, but I found myself enjoying this more than that. Not sure why. Will definitely come back to this. Top tracks: "Strolling Down The Highway," "Needle of Death," "Veronica"
Meh, I got bored. Even his big tune, Needle of Death, I was looking at the track list wondering what boring song is this? I went to start skipping forward songs after that, though I got caught up in what I was doing and never bothered. Maybe this album deserves better than a 2 - it wasn't awful. But did I mention I was bored?
Fine
-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.
now do classical gas
Any danger of a tune at some point mate
È così semplice e puro, davvero bello. A volte stona un po' ma va bene così. Un uomo e la sua chitarra soli contro il mondo a creare magia
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
Kveikir ekki í mér.
i keep getting this beautiful Relaxcore music and honestly thank you the first week back at school is very stressful 8/10
Pleasant, but Pentangle is much better to listen to.
Not memorable. Basically a “find another dylan”
Very fine tuned brittish fingerpickin' folk and blues
JOOOO GEIL NOMOL FOLK. find etz oh hoe your love is strong recht nice i have no time au. s isch cool er singt cool aber ha eig gnueg gha vo fingerpicking gitarremusig woni meeega mue uf de text lose zums guet finde. bin bi needle of death und ich wird langsam warm demit, möst echt voll uf de text achte aber schaffs nöd. isch aber schön. er tönt sehr amerikanisch für das daser schott isch Running from Home isch sehr nick drake (aber vor mick drake) het mich afoch am nick drake sini stimm erinneret. angie isch anschinend es bekannts intrumentals stuck. recht cool aber s lupfts nöd. ich glaub well ich under anderem sochli folk-übersättigt bin gits es zwei
smokey river ischmer extrem ufd eier gange oh how your love hani jz rig na cute gfunde ICH MÜED poah also die gitarre interludes findi ganz schrecklich veronica more like ver het nach dem lied gfrögt d lieder woner singt eig na sehr cute do you hear me now arsch gambling blabla au ja s isch definitiv nöd besser worde
Sparse, intimate sound with just Bert and his guitar and that's pretty much all you need. Obviously, comparisons to Dylan or Paul Simon are expected, but Jansch has his own voice and his talent as a songwriter and guitar player are evident. I've only heard bits and pieces from Bert and everything I've heard is brilliant.
I don’t know why, but I really enjoyed this.
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
This and Nick Drake have sold me on this slower, more intimate folk music. Bert is a great songwriter, and he is incredible at guitar. There are complex riffs and instrumental pieces throughout this album that were very technically impressive, hidden under the facade of simple folk music. There were several that I loved here: Needle of Death, Alice's Wonderland, Angie, The Casbah, and I Have No Time. Amazing album.
Definitely a mood album. Very depressing themes and super interesting melodies and instrumental breaks as well. Great album
Seems like an even more dated Nick Drake. Pretty solid but just a little thin.
This was lovely, nice and relaxing, perfect for a Sunday morning. It wasn't quite good enough for 5 stars, but it was pretty close.
Beautiful recording and a beautiful record overall.
I really don't like folk music, and this is some really folky folk music.
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.
Pretty good, saw a review that said this was similar to Nick Drake, and I have to agree. Just the acoustic guitar and some vocals, for the most part.
Feels like a demo album from some artist that never planned to release it. Kind of all over the place and not an overall great album experience. His guitar playing is really good but something about it just doesn't sit right with me.
A man, his acoustic guitar, and his depressing songs.
This was really, really good. Excellent guitar work. Vocals just okay. Angie is phenomenal.
Chill and calm. I enjoyed Casbah Nadia surprised to hear a Moroccan touch
It was ok with really good guitar playing
I like the bluesy acoustic guitar, but that’s about it.
60’s blues with a country touch
Even for a 60's folk muppet this guy is terribly boring.
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
Like John Denver, Jose Gonzales and the Soggy Bottom Boys all had a child (don't ask how that works...) I really really enjoyed it and would probably listen to it again sometime.
Oof. Sadly did not enjoy this one The off tune guitar strumming and heavy breathing really made it worse. Didn't really like his voice either Kept waiting for it to end 😩 2 ⭐️
Never heard of the guy before, will probably forget about him tomorrow. Not a big fun of Scottish folk music from 50s, surprisingly. Music wise I didn't remember even one melody or piece of lyrics from the album. I might be 70 years too late to the hype.
It was fine, but I'm unlikely to seek it out again
Wish I liked it!
#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. Song added to playlist: Strolling Down The Highway I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Some ol’ classic folk.
A definite whole album vibe rather than songs that hit you individually. Love it.
Good album. Honest, real. 4/5
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
I'm a bit biased as I loved Bert- a legend in British folk. I missed a chance to see him live shortly before he died and have always kicked myself for it. This guy was one of the all time guitar greats. If you get chance what a documentary he did " Acoustic routes" where he meets some of his idols and plays with them.
Not my cup of tea
Pleasant and endearing sound to it, there are a few issues with the production and peformance that mostly add to the character of the album. It feels like a precursor to something like Nick Drake.
I feel like I'm at the point now where I'm really starting to realise how much I underestimated the size of this list. I feel like I've already heard this one about 100 times because there is nothing about it that makes it even remotely interesting or memorable.
Boring
My introduction to Bert Jansch was by way of Yo La Tengo’s fantastic cover of “Needle of Death” on their Today is the Day EP from 2003. In fact, I can thank Yo La Tengo for turning me on to a lot of great music over the years and the fact that they are excluded from this list while the likes of the Zutons and the Beta Band are included (in the case of the Beta Band more than once) is an omission that’s bugged me consistently while working through this list the last two years. The aforementioned “Needle of Death” is the highlight here for me, a harrowing tale of life cut short by heroin use. Neil Young fans may notice some similarities with “Ambulance Blues” from On the Beach. As a whole, Jansch’s self-titled record is impressive with its intricate guitar playing (a clear influence on the work of Nick Drake) and often somber songs, even if you might have to be in the right type of mood for it.
first listen so much character and culture to both the content and quality of these recordings
Can imagine how influential this was. I get a lot of Nick Drake and everyone that followed. Enjoyed it! 4
I give his guitar work is great. I like the quality of his voice over all but I don’t like his vibrato. I’m picky, yes. I love the feel of the album overall. 4
Got a bit tiresome towards the end but I still very much enjoyed this.
This is beautiful!
Great
Really cool singing and acoustic guitar. Thats it. Beautiful album. 9/10
needle of death and the instrumental tracks were my favourite
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
Really quite nice! And an absolute L for whomever sold this for 100£. 8/10
4/10 - I was pretty bored the whole time. It was not very interesting and made my work feel much longer than I wanted it to
I think I might've just been really in the mood for this, but I found it very enjoyable