THE LOST BROADCASTS 1968-1972

As I was saying in my other review about the BBC sessions, The Pentangle made frequent BBC appearances from 68 to 72 and this Hux record release numbers them up to 40 in just four years, although some are not documented well to say the least. This double Cd does not pretend to have all of them or even having access to the original tapes of these sessions, because most recordings of these are simply lost or have been taped over (this was fairly frequent back then).

Generally I rave about BBC materials that have been released over the years as they are generally of much interest and of good sound quality. If the interest part of this particular release is still evident (although there is a previous release existing that includes some of the tracks here), the sound quality is sometimes really not worthy of an official release, no matter the risk of bootlegging or the fans being desperate for them. Unlike most Hux release (I insist on this "Unlike"), this album is really of poor quality for a big percentage although there is nothing really shameful either. Just the fact of buying this double album for the full price may seem a bit harsh compared to the usual expectations one has grown accustomed to with Hux or its predecessor.

From the 40 sessions itemized in this booklet, a good deal of them is not included even in part, because the tapes are non-existent, some are duplicate/repeat broadcasts, some were patchy and the band not in full stride, but there are some real interesting tracks selections that the group played regularly live but never presented anywhere on record before: from my estimation there are about ten tracks never available including three of the first five tracks and another four in the next seven on the first disc.

However even for the fan I am, I found that this release was a little too shoddy, and a stricter selection to bring down the content to only one disc might have been a good idea, especially if, like me, you own the other BBC sessions that were not quite perfect either. For confirmed fans only.

I believe that this is the first time I have ever rated an album with a lowly one star. However, I have some very good reasons for doing so.

This collection of BBC sessions from The Pentangle are "from off the air" private recordings, as no BBC archival recordings of The Pentangle are known to exist. Shame on the BBC.

Well, not really. The BBC didn't have all of the session recordings that made up the impressive Fairport Convention BBC sessions compilation album titled Hey Day, which featured never recorded cover versions of American folk songs from Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen on through to Joni Mitchell, along with many other notable American folk artists. Original Fairport bassist and co-founder Ashley Hutchings at least had 1/4 inch tape "safety copies" made for his private collection that were of decent sound quality and were used to make the album. And what if they were not? Those rare Fairport recordings would still have warranted a listen regardless of the sound quality, as does the rare but dodgy sounding mark 1 Renaissance recordings titled Past Orbits Of Dust 1969/70. The early John Hawken led version of the now familiar Annie Haslam era mark ll lineup is precious because the group was only together for one year and were indeed rarely recorded live except for two or three songs that were occasionally recorded for "one off" radio broadcasts.

This is not the case with The Pentangle: The Lost Broadcasts 1968-1972. There is nothing super rare on this collection except a group arrangement of the inane song Moondog, which was a filler piece for drummer Terry Cox on the group's second album titled Sweet Child, in much the same way that Ringo Starr's songs were filler on many Beatles albums. Rubbish.

The sound quality of The Pentangle: The Lost Broadcasts ranges from poor (mostly) to passable (on rare occasions). As I've stated, there are no rare or historical performances featured on this BBC sessions compilation, I cannot think of any viable reason why it exists. Pass this one up unless you are a diehard fan that must have everything recorded by this once revered British folk/blues/jazz rock fusion ensemble.