The Pentangle
Solomon's Seal

The Pentangle - Solomon's Seal 1972

After the masterpiece "Cruel Sister" and the good "Reflection", the Pentangle leave Transatlantic to join Reprise: the first album will be this "Solomon's Seal" from '72. But during this period, the group also began to experience internal conflicts, which led to inevitable tensions, even to the point of disbanding: the five would reunite again in the early '80s, but in reality, after the Pentangle experience, they each started individual careers.
A note: it seems that the master tapes of this "Solomon's Seal" have been lost, and at least until not long ago, the record was not available in a CD reissue. Now it seems a version has been released by Sanctuary Record.
The lineup is the classic one of the Pentangle, with the very talented Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on guitars, Terry Cox on drums, Danny Thompson on double bass, and the splendid voice of Jacqui McShee.
The album ties to the wonderful "Cruel Sister" in the use of instruments "different" from those used in more traditional folk: sitar, electric guitars, mouth harmonica.
The record opens with a piece sung by John Renbourn, "Sally Free And Easy" by Cyril Tawney: Jacqui McShee's voice immediately echoes, giving us a small taste of her qualities. The track has a slow, almost bluesy progression in the electric guitar phrasings.
With the second piece, the traditional "The Cherry Tree Carol", we enter the classic "Pentangle" sound, with the double bass providing a cavernous yet elegant sound, the perfectly arranged guitars among them, and McShee’s splendid voice making the track very peculiar.
"The Snows" has an introduction with guitars and sitar, very evocative and natural: the "exotic" instrument blends well with the "traditional" six strings and the flute. We then dive into the medieval atmosphere of "High Germany", also a traditional piece. The voice is always exceptional, the sound texture is very distinctive, one of the most traditional moments of the album.
"People On The Highway" is a band piece, the first bars harken back to Sandy Denny from the "Fotheringay" album, but the originality of Jacqui McShee's voice is never in question. The track is pleasantly listened to, the voices blend well, and the sounds of the electric guitar with tremolo give a general sense of relaxation.
At this point, arrives the masterpiece of the album and surely one of the most significant moments in the band's career: the traditional ballad "Willy O'Winsbury". The judgment of the other tracks on the album will inevitably be diminished after listening to this "diamond." The text is halfway between a fairy tale and a legend. Here, McShee's voice becomes a "flute," poignant, sweet, and melancholic, the arrangement of the guitars is elegantly perfect, a timid flute duets without ever being intrusive with the voice, the double bass provides solidity and depth. And then the splendid melody, ancient and modern, which is appreciated more and more with each verse. One never tires of listening to this song.
We return to the Pentangle authors with "No Love is Sorrow", a track with the classic sound, always well played, and "Jump Baby Jump", a slightly more upbeat piece where elements of American folk combine with European tradition. Beautiful are the sounds and harmonies of the acoustic guitars, as well as the solos. Here too, the Fotheringay come to mind.
The album closes with the tradition of "Lady Of Carlisle", enriched with the characteristics of the group: the harmony, fundamentally based on a chord, is embellished by choruses, by a well-timed electric guitar with wah and by embroidery with the harmonica. Nice piece.

It will not be easy to find this album, but to lovers of the genre, to Pentangle fans, and especially to lovers of good music, I can only recommend listening to it.