Bert Jansch (Folk)
English version · automatic translation
Anachronique: Bert Jansch (Folk)
Bert Jansch is a Scottish singer-songwriter who released some twenty albums, from 1965 to 2006. Today’s anachronique article will focus on his very first, Bert Jansch. Made up of 17 tracks, it holds some of the purest Folk there is, Nick Drake style. There are certain albums that reveal a very particular poetry. Listening to them, you tell yourself that nothing is really all that serious, that the earth will keep on turning with its whims and that the beauty of a beautiful song surpasses the beauty of a beautiful landscape. Bert Jansch’s first album is of that calibre. From the first second to the last, you discover a raw-nerved artist, the kind who gave the Folk genre its letters of nobility. That is why Bert Jansch’s influence, though he is barely known to the general public, is so major. He left his mark not only through all his solo records, but also through the music of Tim Buckley, Pentangle, John Martyn, Renbourn and many more, who drew so much inspiration from him.
But let us come back for a moment to Bert Jansch’s very first album. This record has a magic power. No joke. Able to dictate our mood, it takes us on an emotional roller coaster, driven by the tracks as they follow one another.
The album opens with “Strolling Down the Highway“. Strangely, this is the track where the guitar sound is the most dated. It is a sincere and moving little Folk ballad. “Smokey River“, an instrumental, follows right after. A beautiful mise en abyme, darker, which leaves an air of mystery. And then “Oh How Your Love Is Strong” brings out the first resemblances with Nick Drake’s music. It has that same shared melancholy. The album’s first knockout finally arrives with “I Have No Time“. One for the folk pantheon, this track will remain one of Bert Jansch’s ultimate songs. And then, at the opposite end, you would swear you see a ray of sunshine break through the clouds with “Finches“.
“Rambling’s Gonna Be the Death of Me” drops us right into a ranch, in the heart of the United States of America. You picture Bert Jansch with a stalk of wheat in his mouth, an old acoustic guitar on his knees. And then comes “Needle of Death“. An eternal melody, a heart-wrenching loneliness. ‘How strange, your happy words ; Have ceased to bring a smile from everyone‘. Bert Jansch’s voice plunges us deep into our darkest thoughts. Fortunately, “Do You Hear Me Now?” comes along to lift our spirits again. “Alice’s Wonderland” is part of the same movement. This instrumental track invites you to retreat into the fair one’s marvellous world. We gently approach the end with “Courting Blues“. The simplicity of the chords makes it a very gripping track, unlike “Casbah” which wins you over with the complexity of its structure. We then ride away from the ranch at full gallop. The last masterstroke comes on “Angie”, where Bert puts his technique at the service of a beautiful melody.
The same year this record came out, Bert released It Don’t Bother Me. Others followed in quick succession, including Bert and John with the very beautiful “Red’s Favourite“, or Jack Orion. The rest of Bert Jansch’s discography now belongs to legend. Listening to Bert Jansch’s music means embracing the dolce vita of the great American Far West, despite his Scottish origins. We bring out our best bourbon, spend our days reading and rereading Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, and vibrate to the rhythm of his acoustic guitar, the great Bert’s only accompanist. You tell yourself that the whole essence of music lies here, and that above all it is a story about humanity.
Related links:
Anachronique article on Nick Drake
Link to ALL the anachronique articles
Original version (French)
Mais revenons un instant sur ce tout premier album de Bert Jansch. Cet opus a un pouvoir magique. Sans rire. Capable de dicter notre humeur, on y vit d’ascenseurs émotionnels, dicté par les titres qui s’enchainent.
L’album s’ouvre sur “Strolling Down the Highway“. Etrangement, c’est le titre où le son de la guitare y est le plus daté. C’est une petite balade Folk sincère et émouvante. “Smokey River“, titre instrumental, suit immédiatement après. Une belle mise en abime, plus noire, qui laisse planer le mystère. Et puis, “Oh How Your Love Is Strong” fait apparaître les premières ressemblances avec la musique de Nick Drake. On y trouve cette mélancolie commune. La première claque de l’album arrive finalement avec “I Have No Time“. A inscrire au panthéon de la folk, ce titre restera l’un des ultimes de Bert Jansch. Et puis, à l’opposé, on jurerait voir apparaître un rayon de soleil percer les nuages avec “Finches“.
“Rambling’s Gonna Be the Death of Me” nous plonge en plein dans un ranch, au coeur des États-Unis d’Amérique. On imagine Bert Jansch une paille de blé à la bouche, une veille guitare acoustique sur les genoux. Et puis, vient “Needle of Death“. Une mélodie éternelle, une solitude arrachante. ‘How strange, your happy words ; Have ceased to bring a smile from everyone‘. La voix de Bert Jansch nous plonge en plein dans nos pensées les plus sombres. Heureusement, “Do You Hear Me Now?” vint nous redonner du baume au coeur. “Alice’s Wonderland” participe de ce même mouvement. Ce titre instrumental pousse à se recueillir dans l’univers merveilleux de la belle. On approche doucement de la fin avec “Courting Blues“. La simplicité des accords en fait un titre très prenant, à l’inverse de “Casbah” qui séduit par la complexité de sa structure. Nous nous éloignons alors du ranch, au triple galop. Le dernier coup de maitre apparaît sur “Angie” où Bert met sa technicité au service d’une belle mélodie.
La même année que celle de la sortie de cet opus, Bert fera paraître It Don’t Bother Me. D’autres suivront dans la foulée, dont Bert and John avec le très beau “Red’s Favourite“, ou encore Jack Orion. Le reste de la discographie de Bert Jansch appartient maintenant à la légende. Ecouter la musique de Bert Jansch, c’est accepter la dolce vita de l’Amérique du grand Far West et ce malgré ses origines écossaises. On y sort notre meilleur bourbon, on passe nos journées à lire et relire De Sang Froid de Truman Capote, et on vibre au rythme de sa guitare acoustique, seul accompagnateur du grand Bert. On se dit que toute l’essence de la musique se trouve ici, et qu’il s’agit avant tout d’une histoire d’humanité.
Bert Jansch – Needle of Death