Weekly last.fm charts (featuring Bert Jansch)

Top Artists this Week (see more)

4 Nov 2007 – 11 Nov 2007

1	1		Bert Jansch	93
	2		Bill Sheffield	12
	3		Katie Melua	4
	4		Bucks Fizz	2
	4		Cliff Richard	2
	4		Culture Club	2
	4		Blondie	2
	4		Dexy's Midnight Runners	2
	4		Jive Bunny	2
	4		David Bowie	2

As suspected, Bert is at the top by a country mile! I have a long history with Bert Jansch. I flicked on the TV back in 1991 and caught the beginning of a documentary called Acoustic Routes. It was all about Bert and featured many songs both of Bert on his tod and playing with others such as Wizz Jones, Duck Baker and Davey Graham. I was blown away by what I saw, particularly the track Angie/Anji and went out the very next weekend and bought my first guitar. I've been a fan of Bert ever since and have even learned a few of his songs.

I've recently been having a bit of a Bert revival, adding some missing CDs to my collection, including his latest release, The Black Swan (released last year).

I saw him play a couple of years ago at a little theatre in the Scottish borders [The Wynd Theatre]. I went with a friend and we arrived late. The promoter, knowing that I had travelled all the way from Luxembourg to see the gig, took pity on us and put us on seats right on the stage, in the wings. Well how about that ladies and gentlemen! To be honest, I wasn't that impressed and the same goes for some of his more recent recordings prior to The Black Swan. So I was rather tickled at just how good The Black Swan is. It's a belter to be sure. Really.

Bert played a big part in the folk revival that took place in London in the 1960s and is one of those people who never made millions or became famous or a household name but who influenced many people who did (including Bob Dylan to a degree, Jimmy Page, Neil Young and more recently Bernard Butler, Johnny Marr and Beth Orton (Beth plays on The Black Swan)).

So, here are three tracks for your enjoyment. The first is the first track from his first album, released in 1965 and entitled simply Bert Jansch. This is one that I can play.

Strolling Down the Highway

Bert Jansch

The next is the opening track from The Black Swan, as I said released in 2006, 41 years after his first!

The Black Swan

Bert Jansch

And finally an instrumental, this one from his third album, Jack Orion, released in 1966. This is a belter!

The Waggoner's Lad

Bert Jansch

As to the other artists in this week's charts, I've mentioned Bill Sheffield before and he was my featured artist on the charts that week. I got his latest CD through the post last week and it's reasonably good. There is one really awful track on it though with poor lyrics. Good guitar though.

I borrowed Katie Melua's latest CD from a friend and haven't enjoyed it much at all. Again, one really poor track with poor lyrics has put me off (If You Were a Sail Boat - Midge Ure did it so much better!)