THE LADY AND THE UNICORN

John Renbourn's forth acoustic solo album and first real foray into pre Classical and pre Baroque instrumental music was quite an eye opener when it was first released in 1970 and was credited, either rightly or wrongly, with helping start up the genre known as "Early Music" in the UK. Unlike Renbourn's pseudo Elizabethan album Sir John Alot, The Lady and The Unicorn actually reproduces 13th and 14th century English, Italian and French songs and dances that are collected in stately medleys like "Trotto/Salterello", "Lamento Di Tristan/La Rotta", and "Bransle Gay/Bransle De Bourgogne". These songs also feature Pentangle member Terry Cox on hand percussion and heavenly glockenspiel, as well as Fairport stalwart Dave Swarbrick adding fiddle on the latter song as well as to the medley "Veri Floris/Triple Ballade". Renbourn's acoustic guitar fills the void left by both lute and harpsichords being absent most admirably.

Somber concertina accompanies the last medley "Alman/Melancholy Galliard" before Renbourn goes solo with low level electric guitar (a rarity!) on Bach's "Sarabande". As if all this is too relaxing, Renbourn then finales with a medley of the traditional songs "My Johnny Was A Shoe Maker/Westron Wynde/Scarborough Fair" accompanied by the remarkable Tony Roberts on flute to instill a merry send off.

The Lady And The Unicorn is so outside the realm of rock that the music contained therein makes a group like Renaissance sound almost raucous in comparison, but that's all part of this remarkable album's charm. 4 stars for something that remains truly unique and singular almost 40 years after it conception.

You have probably heard that nobody has heard what music actually sounded like before rudimentary recording was possible, and while JOHN RENBOURN on "The Lady and the Unicorn" makes a notable effort at approximating pre Renaissance fare, I daresay it never sounded quite this sterile. I would imagine chickens and street people formed the initial backing band, whereas Renbourn's attempts appear to emanate from a soundproofed castle chamber that even the red death couldn't penetrate, but I'm mixing time slots here.

Finally Renbourn goes full olde world so this is much more integrated than the oddly structured "Sir John alot of.." The album consists of a set of short dances that are paired up with a compatible partner as befits a good instructor. All of these are at least pretty, with the opener's "Saltarello" (always a failproof choice), the sitar and glockenspiel driven "Lamento di Tristan/Las Rotta", and the courtly "Bransle De Bourgogne" emerging especially triumphant. If Gryphon had just not sung on their debut, and remembered to take off their corsets, it might have been half this good. I'd be negligent if I didn't also give props to the closing medley that is primarily a version of "Scarborough Fare" for those who wish the monster S&G hit from a few years prior had been longer and more instrumental.

I don't necessarily expect the contents of an album to all be of a certain style, but in this case Renbourn has combined not dissimilar tunes synergistically which elevates all above the sum of their parts, and encourages a gentlemanly upgrade to 4 stars.