Young Man Blues: Live In Glasgow, Pt. 1

Taken from tapes recorded on non-professional equipment at three separate concerts in 1962, 1963, and 1964, this important archival release gives us a good idea of how Jansch sounded prior to his official recording debut (which was released in 1965). The surprise, perhaps, is that Jansch already sounds much like he would when he began recording professionally in the mid-1960s. His folk-blues guitar is already excellent, and his vocals confident. The 30 songs include seven numbers that would appear on his debut LP, as well as several that would show up on other Jansch recordings; there's even a version of "Train Song," the showstopping track on Pentangle's Basket of Light album. More obscure selections include Davey Graham's "Angi," "Something's Coming" (from West Side Story), Jackson Frank's "Blues Run the Game," several blues on which Jansch keeps time with a stomping foot, and interesting Jansch originals like "One Day Old" and the instrumental "Joint Control." The sound isn't great, but it's listenable, and with 74 minutes of music and extensive historical liner notes, the packaging is excellent.