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Elly Roberts reviews
Light Flight Anthology: 
Band reunions are all the rage right now. This is the most unexpected of them all.
Pentangles first gig was at the Royal Albert Hall on May 27 1967. By 1973they were finished.
In the five years of their existence, they are credited with creating the jazz-folkgenre. Their greatest commercial success was album Basket Of Light (#5UK chart 1969) featuring hit single Light Flight used as the theme toBBC drama series Take Three Girls.
Over night, Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and TerryCox became household names. They had a brief reunion in 1980. This time it was,presumably, sparked because of their Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Radio2 Folk Awards in 2007, where they played together for the first time in over20 years.
Back with a 12 gig tour this folk-jazz-blues band, with all five original membersplayed their last night of the tour at the Phil in Liverpool. Having seenRenbourn/McShee and Jansch separately, I knew what kind of night to expect norazzamatazz . Its normally serious business, though McShee made light of theirdoom and gloom songs.
Nevertheless, we hadnt come to see fame merchants. Wed come to hear qualitymusic, and they didnt disappoint either. For over two hours they rolled backthe years like theyd never been away. A fan next to me told me he saw themback in the 60s. I asked how they were measuring up: “Theyve matured,”he whispered.
The stage setting was pretty formal: Renbourn and Jansch seated each side ofthe enormous Phil stage. Bassist Thompson and drummer Cox set further back,with McShee rooted at the centre, where for most of the night she shimmied andswayed. The backdrop was simple coloured panels.
On their second song in,McShee declared, “Theres plenty of doom and gloom to come. This is our hit,”Light Flight of course. It didnt sound as full as the original, but McSheeshowed shed lost none of her vocal gymnastics, now with added huskiness, drawingbig cheers and claps.
Janschs introduction to The Hunting Song came like this. “This nextsong is typical of songs we were writing in the 60s maids, knights and castles.We wouldnt get away with it now.” Coxs gentle glockenspiel eased in thebouncy ditty with masses of trad close harmony. Jokingly, McShee said, “Weregoing to play Once I Had A Sweetheart. It didnt get anywhere, but we likeit.” It was their first single in 69, reaching 46, good for a band of thistype. This beautiful and gentle love song was spellbinding. Renbourn was almost snapping the acoustic strings.
McShee left for the others to play out jazzy In Time. Thomsons funky bass precursored Renbourn’smasterful bluesy picks while Jansch, head down for most of the night, strummedaway. On McShees return she said: “We really are going back to the 60s now”,while Renbourn seated on he floor, prepared his sitar for trad styled The House Carpenter.
Jansch plucked coolly on his banjo, McShee fluttered in. Renbourn mooched innext and Jansch followed with his deadpan vocal until the combo let rip withCoxs thumping sticks, closing the first set.
Back for more they opened with Bruton Town a trad classic about a farmersdaughter falling in love with the house servant, who gets a thumping from her brothersfor his amorous advances. This featured some mind-boggling counter-play byRenbourn and Jansch while McShee swayed and tapped her feet.
The cool andbreezy Ive Got A Feeling with its pop template, still allowed Thompsonto indulge in one of his best solos of the night. With McShee off again, itoffered a duelling masterclass from Renbourn and Jansch on It Snows,while Goodbye Pork Pie Hat gave rise to some nifty basslines by Thompson.
By 10.10pm it was all over. They soon returned for a further two a requestfor Rain and Snow and the stylish closer Willy OWinsbury bringing atriumphant end to a tour we might not see again.
File under: Classic gig.
Weblink:myspace.com/pentangle
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.