Back to the music

Another entry in my marathon run-through of all the stuff on my hard drive.

We've reached Bert Jansch, particularly his albums Edge of a Dream, which is recent, and It Don't Bother Me, which isn't.

Jansch was one of those ubiquitous figures on the folk, rock and even jazz scenes in the 60s. Everywhere you looked, he popped up in or with groups - he was a member of Pentangle and played with loads of others. His guitar style was so compelling that people like Neil Young and Jimmy Page admired him hugely and learned a lot from him. His solo music tended to be dark, late-night stuff, though never minimal enough to hide his virtuoso guitar ability.

It Don't Bother Me is really early - 1965 - before he founded folk-rockers Pentangle, and it's great. Edge of a Dream is Jansch hanging around with the indie kids who adored him: Johnny Marr, Hope Sandoval (swoon, who frequently plays his stuff, and has him on her records), Bernard Butler, as well as 60s mates Dave Swarbrick and Ralph McTell. Good stuff to listen to over a whiskey.

Here's 'Needle of Death', his famous song about a friend who overdosed on heroin.



This one's Angie - from It Don't Bother Me: Zoot will love the guitar playing.



'On the Edge of a Dream', with Bernard Butler and 'The River Bank' with Butler and Marr.