Cruel Sister

Cruel Sister was an album recorded in 1970 by folk-rock band Pentangle. It was the most folk-based of the albums recorded by the band, with all the tracks being versions of traditional songs. Whereas their previous album had been produced by Shel Talmy, and featured quite a heavily-produced, commercial sound, Cruel Sister was produced by Bill Leader, noted for his recordings of folk musicians. The album has an "uncluttered" sound with each instrument clearly placed in the mix and, despite its use of a range of instruments, including electric guitars, it maintains a clarity and simplicity, appropriate for the material.

The album opens with the song "A maid that's deep in love": one of several English folk songs that tell the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a man in order to follow her lover to sea. The instrumentation features Bert Jansch playing the underlying rhythm on appalachian dulcimer in an arrangement reminiscent of the version recorded by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior on their 1968 Folk Songs of Old England.

"When I was in my Prime" is an unaccompanied folk song, showcasing Jacqui McShee's solo voice.

"Lord Franklin" is a version of the traditional ballad, also known as "Lady Franklin's Lament" which describes Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition to discover the Northwest Passage. John Renbourn sings the lead vocal and plays acoustic guitar. A heavily overdriven, sustaining electric guitar, also played by Renbourn, is used as a melodic instrument, almost violin-like in its sound. Unusually, Bert Jansch plays the concertina on this song.

"Cruel sister", the song which provides the title for the album, is a traditional ballad (known in some versions as The Twa Sisters), telling the story of the violent rivalry between two sisters for the love of knight. It features the most complex vocal arrangement on the album with McShee, Jansch, Renbourn and Cox all contributing to the vocal texture.

The whole of side two of the album is taken up with an extended version of the ballad "Jack Orion", previously recorded by Jansch on his own Jack Orion album. "Jack Orion" is a version of the Child ballad "Glasgerion". The arrangement on Cruel Sister develops through several sections with different rhythms and instrumentation: acoustic guitars, recorders, glockenspiel and electric guitar, together with some dramatic double bass playing by Danny Thompson.

The album cover features engravings by Albrecht Dürer. The picture on the back cover is his The Sea Monster, dating from 1498.

1 Track listing
2 Credits
3 Released versions
4 External links

[edit] Track listing

"Maid That's Deep In Love" (Traditional, arranged Jansch, Renbourn, Cox) – 5:30
"When I Was In My Prime" (Traditional) – 2:57
"Lord Franklin" (Traditional, arranged Jansch, McShee, Renbourn) – 3:23
"Cruel Sister" (Traditional, arranged Jansch, Renbourn, Cox) – 7:03
"Jack Orion" (Traditional, arranged Jansch, Renbourn, Cox) – 18:38

[edit] Credits

Terry Cox – drums, percussion, dulcitone, glockenspiel, vocals
Bert Jansch – acoustic guitar, appalachian dulcimer, recorder, concertina, vocals
Jacqui McShee – vocals
John Renbourn – acoustic guitar, electric guitar,sitar, recorder, vocals
Danny Thompson – double bass

[edit] Released versions

Cruel Sister was released as a UK LP on 27 November 1970, as Transatlantic TRA228. The U.S. release was Reprise RS6430. In 1977, it was re-released on the XTRA label as Xtra 1172. A CD version was released in 1992 as Line TACD900S and in 2001, a digitally remastered version was released as Castle CMRCD206.