Basket of Light

Maybe I am a Soviet arts commissioner, because there's no such thing as bad Folk.

I'm so ready to be done with this project.

Most of this sounded like straight-up Ren Fair folk to me, so I definitely wasn’t expecting a sitar to show up. That was a cool surprise though, and it gave the album a little more personality. “Cold Mountain” and “I Saw an Angel” stood out because they sounded pretty different from the rest of it. “Cold Mountain” especially was a bopper and probably my favorite song here. Overall, I liked it fine. There’s some really good playing and enough little surprises to keep it from getting boring, but this style of folk is only going to do so much for me.

It's not bad, but also not exciting.

Pretty OK psych/baroque folk. Weirdly, when it's not doing the psych sitar stuff, the ren faire stuff is pretty decent. But not super crazy about this one. It's cool.

Nice to listen to but to folk/spriteliest for me.

Never listened to before. Interesting folk rock 2 really good tracks, the others are ok

Not sure if these guys were too cool or not quite cool enough to enjoy mainstream popularity. A very easy listen.

es como que no me gusto el inicio, despues si, despues meh. como que nose. tiene un buen tema que me gusto, despues como qeue nose. ah no sabia nada ella

I liked this but I did find myself checking if it was still the same band on each track, in case the album ended and some other group was playing now. It was fine but didn’t hit the way I wanted it to.

3/5. Solid psychedelic folk album from the UK. Nice and easy on the ears, with pleasant vocals from both the male and female vocalists who trade back and forth throughout the record. The biggest highlight for me was the opener “Light Flight” which I think gets the most out of both the instruments and the vocalists out of any track here. It’s a pleasant album overall, though probably not one that I see myself coming back to in full very often.

this band is not for me

Next. No thanks.

When this album first started, it was a struggle to keep going, but the further I got into it, the more I appreciated the musicianship. This really isn't my thing, and I don't see myself coming back to it, but I can certainly recognize the talent on display.

Day1029 - i wanted to like it because it seems like a good idea to not forget traditional folk songs but it wasn’t easy to get thru

this was meant to be the wicker man's soundtrack

Very boring and meh

Boring

hmmmm folk rock This was a fun album I enjoyed the overall sounds and themes felt like i was in church. Rating: 3.5/5 GEMV (29.10.2026)

Renaissance Faire-core. Euro folk music doesn’t stand a chance against American folk. Train song was pretty cool though

full of whimsy

i liked the more psych aspects of this. the medieval stuff is interesting at least. bert jansch is cool.

Neat freak folk record. Put me in a cool headspace akin to one I recently experienced watching Roeg's Don't Look Now for the first time. McShee's vocals are much more interesting than Jansch.

First track was a bit pants, but the rest pleased my happy little Pagan heart

Interesting. First 6 songs are good, then it goes pretty country

Favorite track: Train Song

hát jó

ez ilyen 8.5 körül lebeg nálam. a jobb része megérint, high, dreamy. de van egy két értelmezhetetlen szám rajta, ugyhogy végül inkább 4 mint 5.

Kuku

Euforikus, tegnap délután boldog voltam

Ez annyira rossz, hogy már vicces. A gitár akár még jó is lehetne ilyen kis mókás háttérzenének (bár azt se látom, mikor raknám be, esetleg egy tematikus halloweeenen?), de az ének annyira rossz, hogy jár az 1 csillag, remelem soha nem kell meghallgatnom többé.

Szabad-e bejonni ide Betlehembe meets nyilazos furcsa emberek a sherwoodi erdoben. Nem az a vilag amiben konnyen elhelyezem magamat. 2/10

"Basket of Light" offers an enjoyable blend of folk and jazz traditions, defined by intricate instrumentation and a high-level musicianship. While the formal ('Folky'), highly stylized vocal delivery can feel slightly jarring at first, the strength of the arrangements remains evident throughout. For me, this is not an album that warrants frequent re-listens but clearly the overall craftsmanship and ensemble play are commendable. Side one 1 "Light Flight" (3/5) 2 "Once I Had a Sweetheart" (3/5) 3 "Springtime Promises" (3/5) 4 "Lyke-Wake Dirge" (3/5) 5 "Train Song" (3/5) Side two 1 "Hunting Song" (3/5) 2 "Sally Go 'Round the Roses" (3/5) 3 "The Cuckoo" (3/5) 4 "House Carpenter" (3/5) Total - 27 Average - 3 453/1001 239/453 albums reviewed were new to me.

This has a Medieval, Renaissance and psychedelic feel to it. I like the acoustic guitar. Some of the more interesting folk I've listened to so far. 3.2/5 Favorite Songs: Light Flight Once I Had A Sweetheart Springtime Promises Haunting Song Sally Go Round The Roses

it did not drive me crazy

Does not hurt anyone, and hence 2 - I do keep 1 to things i would like to NEVER hear again. Tending to boring. May have had its importance in influencing the industry in 1969, but i fail to see the relevance.

Actually quiet liked this one!

Pretty. Apparently important folk music from the late-1960s UK. Not really sure why I needed to hear it before I died, but it didn't make my ears bleed or anything.

J'ai bien aimé c'était rythmé ! Un petit côté Cranberries dans la voix (vite fait) version hippie, j'aime bien le fait qu'ils alternent entre une voix mec et meuf

Pas trop convaincu, assez répétitif

The first time I heard this it was definitely not for me. I mean the renaissance fair vibe isn’t my jam. But listening today I realized I really dig the instrumentals, and the jazzy use of vocals, it’s just the medieval/ folky imagery that leaves me cold. And then considering that this is 1969, I had to consider what this really means to FOLK that followed. And my appreciation went up. 4 Boolean: True

This is very interesting, not at all up my street, but infinitely more enjoyable and honest than a number of it's peers and prog albums that took a similar influence. It really sounded like they believed in the music they were making, target than it being some historic affectation. Bravo.

This sucked to listen to. But the more Irish folk influenced parts weren’t awful I guess.

The couple of “regular” folk songs they had on here were decent, the rest not so much. Right after this album ended, Matty Groves by Fairport Convention came on. That song is fantastic. Showing them how it’s done.

This exact album was on continuous repeat at the last Renaissance Fair I went to and all the fair maidens loved it. …hard pass.

What in the name of Fairport Convention is this shit? This is the soundtrack that plays as you think, ‘this might be a cult’.

This was not a serious band. It's a goof or some sort of inside joke but I simply refuse to believe this was a real band.

A deeply cool album

This was uhm, I don't know. Folk-Jazz with psychodelic influences? Not for me.

Wow. Drugs.

Felt weird and all over the place. 2.5/5

First I thought I was liking it, then I started really not liking if, then finally I just sort of liked it. 2.5

kinda creepy but nice

I was less into this than I expected to be. Review TBC

There is so much better folk music out there from that era. This is not very good.

3.5

not my stuff

Just fine. Reminded me of a good high school choir.

This is what I'd expect if I was at an English town fair and 8 people walked on stage decked out in musty tweed and hightened self belief. Hard pass

This album was annoying.

Net niet echt wat. Soort van wel grappig though.

Psychotic yet gas. The type of album that this list is made to expose

Very nice Folk/Medieval Music, very pleasant listening experience

Oh. Oh boy. Is that strong smell patchouli? There's a... musk that goes along with it too. It seems a bit stronger over here where… you're… at. Oh my… that's... I guess thanks for the flower you put in my hair, but I don't really want to join your cult err... I mean commune.

Very lovely record - production is spot on, vocals excellent. Favourite tracks: Light Flight, Springtime Promises, Lyke-Wake Dirge, The Cuckoo, House Carpenter.

Pentangle introduced the style of "no-nuts" folk rock that Fleet Foxes would later perfect.

I believe that this is good, important, and quality music. It also makes me want to challenge someone to a joust or produce a mockumentary. Either way, more mead, less Pentangle.

Loved this. It was folk-y and had sort of hymn-vibes, also felt like modern bluegrass...

Pretty good, but I'd rather be listening to Bert Jansch's solo stuff or early Fairport Convention.

Pentangle have always seemed unbalanced to me. You have a band based on songs from the English folk tradition and the pure and beautiful vocals of Jacqui McShee. But you also have drum and xylophone solos, bass solos, and the much more jazzy vocals and (admittedly superb) guitar playing of Bert Jansch. They never seemed to gel. However, this is still a beautiful album, and a great place to start if you want to find out more about them. (Pentangle are still going btw - still fronted by Jacqui McShee, now in her 80s.)

I just needed something more this morning.

It has nice bard-core vibes. Very chill.

Takes me back to Nilfgaard, where the ale is strong in the gwent houses.

This is the kind of album that is more acceptable when it is 30 minutes or less.

Fun, feels like a renaissance fair from the 70s

#254/1001 🇬🇧 2 days after getting Bert Janch's first solo record i get this, another treat. I wasn't too keen on the opening track, first listen but it has grown on me. I love the fusion of other styles alongside the traditional, almost medieval folk sound. There are jazzy and blues feels on some tracks and i'm a sucker for the sitar and banjo picking. The best songs are generally those where Jansch and Jacqui McShee share the vocals. Best Tracks: Hunting Song, Sally Go Round the Roses, House Carpenter, Springtime Promises.

This was exactly what I was expecting with a name like Pentangle. Muzak

Well it’s different at least. But I suspect the reason we don’t have more albums like this on here is that we’d have all quit this project long ago if we were repeatedly subjected to this sound.

I think I liked it, but not really sure why, as it is very dated and the vocals are shaky throughout. I guess the melodies are clean and there is a certain flow to the album.

I’ve been fond of this album since I fell into the Fairport esque era wormhole some time ago. What’s not to like about some ever so slightly pop psyched up electronic folk. Evoking feelings of an era that probably never existed, but who cares, the musicianship is first class.

Not good at all

#445 Not quite my bag but I appreciated the arrangements and the inclusion of a sitar in the mix. The vocals were probably what made this something I wouldn’t really return to but there was a lot to enjoy in the music. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): Sally Go Round the Roses Rating: 6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was a bit cautious about this as it's late 60s folk which brings back bad memories of getting The Incredible String Band early on in this project. It was much better than that and quite charming in places with some interesting instrumentation though didn't love the vocals personally. Favourite tracks Hunting Song and The Cuckoo.

Wow wow wow!! 6 étoiles!! Je suis un gros NERD pour la musique ancienne et la musique folklorique déterrée des boules à mite. Tout de suite, j'ai spotté les belles quintes parallèles de Lyke-Wake Dirge, et les rythmes médiévaux un peu partout avec des métriques qu'on pourrait dire assez reculées. Après recherche, je découvre que plusieurs trucs (Dirge, Cuckoo, House Carpenter) ont été puisés du Roud Folk Song Index, et je peux vous garantir que je vais pousser pour introduire ce répertoire à ma prochaine session de chorale (oui oui, chorale dédiée à la musique ancienne)

Nah j'ai trouvé ça plate. Désolé Félix! Sally go round the roses était pas si pire.

This will not be everybodies taste, but for the during time of this record I enjoyed it. Not really groundbreaking but good old 60's folk psychedelica played in the 80's.

Severely unengaging.

I was expecting some Jean-Michelle Jarre type new-age thing, not a 60s hippy "psych folk" thing. I liked it more than expected.

I swear I told this site not to give me country or folk and this is distinctly folk and I get folk all the time. I just don't like it.

Made me think I was at a Renaissance Fair. Liked it and would probably warm to it even more with more listens.

oh HELL no. seriously whose genre is this..these have to be belle&sebastian's parents LOLLL sorry but that was sonically awful - actually irritating at times so I am gonna be cruel and chuck a 1.5 out there... but hey what do I know

I feel like I'm in church, and we will be rounded up and asked to walk off a cliff together later this afternoon.

Pentangle (and specially Bert Jansch) prompted a whole generation of British lads (and perhaps a few lasses) to sit down and really play their instruments. Ahem. When it starts off the whole sound is a bit alien but when you really get into it the incredible musicianship and otherworldly vocals come to the fore and it is quite and impressive sound. Listening on speakers the forced separation really puts center stage and the depth of the recording is stunning. 3.5 stars.

English folk rock revival with added sitar. I wasn't totally sold on this. 3 stars

For the duration of an album like this, I temporarily believe that the ultimate music is folk-rock arrangements of traditional English songs sung by a lady with a nice voice, and that there's nothing lovelier. (I guess the guys are allowed to sing a bit as well, if they must...) Goes overboard with the sitar but I enjoyed it all!

I’m not a folk music purist and prefer my folk rock to have more rock than folk with it. This was OK but all folk and no rock to my ears. I remember the singles on this album but they didn’t, and still don’t, move me enough to give Pentangle any more of my time.

Fully expected to hate this - I even read the reviews and thought yeah it will just be crappy white dudes playing sitar nonsense...but it kind of drew me in ....even if I couldnt stop thinking of Spinal Taps Flower People. Train Song is bonkers magic.

Too hippy dippy for me. Its all very competent but goes on too long and my mind kept wandering and thinking of other stuff, never a good sign! The cover is fantastic, though.

The album was boring, but wasn’t so bad when it was the female singer. Unfortunately a male singer joins in after a song or two, and it just got worse.

I initially liked this but it ended up getting old after a while; nearly an hour is too long for this niche sort of listen. On another day I could see rating higher, but the length kills it for me today. 2.5/5 rounding down