glockenspielとの緊張感のある"The Earle of Salisbury"、Fluteとの"The trees they do grow high"、あっというまにJohn Renbournの世界に惹きこまれてしまいます。そしてguitarのテクニックのすごさを再確認させられる"Lady goes to church"。"Morgana"まではトラディッショナルフォークソング、そして"Transfusion"から"Seven Up"までフォークブルースの曲となります。下記のメンバーでリズムはおなじみのTerry Cox。fluteは多重録音をされているように思います。 現在、聴いても緊張感あふれる演奏がたまらないアルバムです。
John Renbourn : guitar Terry Cox : finger cymbals, African drums, glockenspiel Ray Warleigh : flute
レコード盤を裏返すことを前提に制作されているため、CD化に伴い、表裏を成すものが一面上に連続してしまっているが、本来は1〜4(A面)、そして5〜10(B面)で二分されている。(11〜13はボーナス・トラック。) A面は言わば「整然たる古典的サウンド」で、スティール弦による乾いた張りのある音が中世の空気を漂わせて整然と爪弾かれる。この面はその後「THE LADY AND THE UNICORN」へ、また緻密さ、完璧さを高めて「THE HERMIT」や「THE NINE MAIDENS」へと発展する。 他方、B面は「自由奔放なコンテンポラリー・サウンド」となり、レンボーンは戯れるかのようにギターを弾きまくっている。1stからの流れを汲むこの面は、興味深いことに、その後どのアルバムにも受け継がれてはいない。これほど即興的に音が飛び交う「活きのいい」プレイが聴けるのは、唯一、このB面のみである。 そうした意味で、本作はレンボーンのアルバムの中でも特異な1枚と言えるだろう。
Sir John Alot of Merrie England is one of my favourite albums by John Renbourn. It has its blend of early music, medieval music, classical music, folk music and hints of jazz blues. The album is instrumental and it is one of the finest albums ever recorded. John had recorded many albums previously. Two solo albums, one album and many tracks with Bert Jansch and two albums with Dorris Henderson. He had just been involved with the group Pentangle along with Jaquie McShee, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox. Now he turned to his next solo project. Here on this album Terry Cox helps out on percussion. And the connection to pentangle can also be found on track two, The trees they do grow high. This would be performed and feature on the next Pentangle album but this time sung. This album is different from previous albums in many ways. It is all instrumental for a start and the strong leaning towards early music gives it a different atmosphere. Ray Warleigh helps out on flute on some tracks which helps to give the album a more unique feel.
The album starts with a piece by Byrd, The Earl of Salisbury arranged by Renbourn, This sets the atmosphere perfectly. He plays guitar miniature on Lady goes to church, track three written by Renbourn, On track four, also by Renbourn we get an epic called Morgana complete with tempo changes. Transformation is a blues tinged piece with African drums. There are in fact six pieces by Renbourn and the other four from other sources. The album is wonderful The CD version has three bonus track which are just alternative versions of three of the songs on the original album but the presentation is generally very good. If you like John Renbourn, Bert Jansch or Pentangle you will like this album.
Renbourn è insieme al fido compagno Bert Jansch e a Davey Graham, il padrino della chitarra folk anglosassone e su questo non si discute. Sia con i Pentangle che come solista ha attraversato la storia della tradizione folk del suo paese con rigore filologico e con la sapienza da vero musicologo. Questo album è uscito nel 1968, anno di decollo del progetto Pentangle ed è uno dei vertici della sua produzione. Nient'altro da aggiungere.
I had an old vinyl copy of this from my younger years, but this had become of poor quality and I was surprised (during a nostalgic moment) to find it available on CD. Great quality and brings back my youth!
5つ星のうち5.0sir john alot of merrie.......impressioni d'ascolto
2014年6月15日にイタリアでレビュー済み
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oltre al valore storico musicale del disco, la valutazione è frutto di diversi ascolti fatti negli anni . considerando che stiamo parlando di un disco di musica folk inglese del 1968 suonata da un musicista ricercatore di suoni e testi antichi , posso consigliare l'ascolto a tutte quelle persone che ricercano sonorita' che alla fine non si possono relegare solo come musica acoustic folk,ma come musica senza tempo e senza etichette distinti saluti davide giovanetti
Sir John most definitely chose the right path some forty to fortyfive years ago, where so manny others went astray....And even the day that is today the ageing master presents us wondrous masterpieces like Palermo Snow....But this is where it all began....