Albums: 1968-1972

When i lived in San FRancisco as a student, i would hear these guys on the radio, always wondering who they were...I tried to find vinyl lps of Pentangle, no luck there. Then i discovered they were available here! Oh Amazon! you did good! This group will put to rest, for a while anyway, the madding world around you. The Pentangle is for sure an acquired taste..but they get my vote!

(THE BOX) The small box is 5" 1/4 x 5"1/4 x 1"7/8 inches deep. The mini-album replica sleeves are cardboard. (BOOKLET) Informative liner notes, loads of photos and ads addressing the rise of the band to a surprising, unexpected end. Also a near complete concert listing from the time period. (CDs) Six VG releases. If a listener thinks of Pentangle as a slow steady decline, try reverse order. "Solomon's Seal", "Reflection" and "Cruel Sister" hold up to the regions best - ie. Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, Trees and Mellow Candle. They became more traditional less jazzy in their approach. (SOUND) The previous Castle reissues were actually pretty good except for "Basket Of Light" which came close to a feel of a closed metal trash can. Much improved in this release on vocals, instruments and nuances. The rest of the albums are remastered slightly better in treble, high quality. (BONUS TRACKS) For fans only. Alternate takes have a nice fit. Bootleg songs are frustrating. I prefer non-group projects on separate discs like on the "Pentangling" box set where the flow stays more intact. (CONCLUSION) Pentangle was a special kind of band fusing jazz, blues, folk and pop like no other. Their 2nd release "Sweet Child" represents a talented well oiled machine right from the get go whether it was live in concert or in the studio. Six albums was just enough as the band members grew tired of each other and world touring. This box set is a closure. Essential only for Pentangle collectors.

Item arrived in great condition - thank you !

I have the LP's and wanted a better format. This was reasonably priced for the whole set of original albums. The "extra" material was not significantly innovative, but nice renditions of songs on the same or another album.

Great presentation of the original Pentangle's first six classic Transatlantic and Reprise albums. Unfortunately, the sound is a bit muted as if too much noise reduction was utilized in the mastering process. I still listen to the Castle CDs instead which sound crisper with more treble.

This is about all you will ever need from the band. All of the albums and the extra live show have great, dynamic sound. The packaging for the albums mirrors the vinyls in smaller form. Some gatefolds, a couple card-style replicas along with a detailed book with photos and information about the band's eras. It's all housed in a compact slipcase design that looks good and doesn't take up too much space.Each album has an abundance of bonus tracks, but the big find here is the live disc from Festival Hall. It has intimate and detailed sound, plus it gives you a very fine look into the band at this time during their most popular period's birth in the Sweet Child era. If you ever wanted a great collection of some of the best folk ever made, it's here at a reasonable price.

"Reflections' was a non-functioning CD. Pretty well ruins the idea of a complete set then, doesn't it||||?

Pentangle were a folk and jazz influenced band formed in the late Sixties by outstanding and , still, hugely influential musicians. Acoustic guitarist Bert Jansch was a revered virtuoso whose legion of fans include Jimmy Page, Neil Young and Johnny Marr. Fellow guitar slinger and close friend John Renbourn was also a wonderful player and added to his pallet with electric flourishes, sitar and all manner of stringed instruments. The rhythm section contained the still mighty Danny Thompson on upright bass and Terry Cox on drums and other percussion. Topping off the line up, was the amazing crystalline vocals of Jacqui McShee. This box set collects together all the group's six albums with assorted bonus tracks. All are packaged in miniature replica LP sleeves, gatefolds where appropriate, together with a highly detailed and informative book packed with great photos, band history and the story behind each CD. The recordings have been freshly remastered and , as far as the original album tracks are concerned, the aural results are simply stunning. Despite making some amazing music and enjoying a top 20 hit with the theme to BBC series Take Three Girls, original LP sales were steady but unspectacular.Listening here to the self-titled 1968 debut to 1973's Solomon's seal, the music is at various moments traditional, contemporary, melodic, challenging but above all , superb. The original band reconvened in 2007 for what was to prove a farewell tour. Both Jansch and Renbourn are now no longer with us. There is an excellent live recording , titled Finale, of that reunion , released last year. But this package is the real deal. My favourites here include the double album Sweet Child , an expanded version of the original, made up of a full live concert recording from 1968 on one CD and studio numbers on the other. Many say the follow-up, 1969’s Basket of Light, was their best and it is hard to argue although for me, Solomon's Seal is on a par. One downside to this package are the three bonus live tracks on this particular album. The quality is little better than bootleg standard but serves as an historical document of the group in their final days. Some of the extras are in fact solo recordings by Jansch and Renbourn which incorporated various band members. All in all, a great set. Those new to the group should maybe dip their toe in one of the many compilations around before forking out for this, still good value collection. For myself ,even though I have al the albums on both vinyl and CD, this is still a lovely object to have. Real quality and thought has gone into it. A lesson in how these album collections should be done.

Just perfect. All six albums by the classic line up of Jaqueline McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox. Beautifully presented with bonus tracks and a nice booklet. It’s probably not apparent to anyone that wasn’t around when these albums were released just how groundbreaking they were at the time. I still thoroughly enjoy their mix of folk, rock, jazz, blues and whatever else they drew their inspiration from. Whether you are a long time fan like me or have yet to discover them, this attractive box is just the job. Superb remastering too.

Although I've been a huge fan of late 60s / early 70s UK folk scene for years and have loads of albums from the usual suspects (Fairport, Watersons, Comus, Mr Fox, Steeleye Span, etc) I've never owned a single Pentangle album. I'm not sure why, as I'm certainly well versed in their music and have a couple of Bert Jansch albums. I thought it was about time I dived in and the re-pressing of this excellent set gave me the ideal opportunity. I've only ever read and seen good reviews of this set. The fact that it's on the excellent Cherry Red label, who have a great reputation for the quality of their reissues, gave me even more reassurance that this wasn't going to be a wasted fifty quid or so. The miniature LP sleeves look great and are nicely packaged together in the main box. The remastering sounds fantastic and choice of bonus material is excellent. Most of the discs are expanded to double the running time of the original albums and the choice of bonus tracks isn't just arbitrary; the material sits within the same timeframe as the album on which it appears, such as outtakes, alternative versions, unreleased songs and also some material from Bert Jansch and John Renbourn solo albums, which feature Bert and John backed by the Pentangle rhythm section. The accompanying booklet is excellent as well and gives plenty of information on the period of time covered and gives real context to this collection. Five brilliant musicians, six brilliant albums in one essential set. I can't fault this.

One of the finest bands ever and every album a delight in its own right. The musicianship and interplay is so refined you can just sit back and listen with joy and respect. They are the equals of any musician you could name and think of. Thanks for a lifetime of listening.

Absolutely superb box set. Highly recommended.