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The Pentangle - Cruel Sister CD (album) cover

CRUEL SISTER

The Pentangle

 

Prog Folk

3.50 | 77 ratings

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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk
3 stars 3,5 stars really!!!

The fourth album from the pentangle can only be a slight disappointment when one knows how superb was their previous album, but there are many other interesting points most notably a side-long epic Jack Orion.

The Maid Deep In Love track is yet another great tune starting with the now-famous but ever-impressive bowed bass underlined by a violin then the crystal clear vocals of McShee take over while a welcome harmonica closes off the track. When I Was In My Prime also brings nothing new to the Pentangle palette but remains enjoyable. Lord Franklin comes with a harmonium underlining but is rather tame until its middle section where an electric guitar comes in. Cruel Sister is a rather lenghty track so typical of them but it has a déjà-vu feeling.

Progheads are waiting to read about the side-long track, but alas a small deception is around the bend as nothing really develops during its 18 min length even if there are excellent moments in it. The first part is your average but pleasant Pentangle track but being ended abruptly but a medieval sounding flute with a droning contrabass and medieval troubadour rythms, but the section is also abruptly ended by another guitar ostinato underlined by lovely bells rings, to lead via some meandering solos towards the starting verses again. There are clumsier guitar strums again to start in the last part. My main gripe towards this track is the lack of link towards the separate movements and maybe a lack of chord progression that would've pasted those parts together. In stead we have a rather clumsy collage of some parts: too bad it was not lacking much to be a real chef d'oeuvre.

Although weaker than the two albums surrounding it, Cruel Sister is still a mighty and worthy album but it is imperfect.

Sean Trane | 3/5 |

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