Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch was often quoted as saying “I’m not playing for anyone, just myself”, and this feels no more apparent than on 1979’s Avocet, his beautifully meditative paean to British birds.

This isn’t to say that Jansch was throwing commercial success to the wind, or was unaware of his audience; more that this album feels like a uniquely personal reflection of him. (The subject of British birds is one that Jansch held close to his heart. Indeed, just preceding this album was his 1978 split 7” single with Shirley Collins - with proceeds in aid of the RSPB.)

For fans of Jansch this is often the album that is singled out as his best work. The freedoms of a post-Pentangle career are much in evidence: folk rock and even trad. folk give way to an album that is not only without lyrical accompaniment but really quite orchestral, classical even, in its composition.

With the original master tapes lost, it took over 20 years for Avocet to receive its first reissue (and its first issue on CD), with Castle Music rescuing the audio from a copy of the original LP. This was followed, in 2016, with a glamourous reissue by Earth Recordings, complete with 3 different LP presentations, 1 CD version, and all new artwork.

2016: Earth Recordings (EARTHLP010L)

2016: Earth Recordings (EARTHLP010)

2016: Earth Recordings (EARTH010L)

2016: Earth Recordings (EARTHCD010L)

2003: Castle Music (CMQCD763)

1980: Kicking Mule (KM310)

1979: Charisma (CLASS 6)

1978: Exlibris (EXL 30.005)