John Renbourn - John Renbourn's Ship of Fools '1988/2005

Tracks list

In addition to being called Ship of Fools, this album is credited to John
Renbourn's Ship of Fools, signaling that it is not a Renbourn solo album, but
rather a group effort. Previously, Renbourn has used the credit "the John
Renbourn Group," but since the personnel is different, he seems to have opted
for a new moniker. The chief difference is that, in this case, the female singer
is not his old Pentangle partner Jacqui McShee but rather Maggie Boyle, who
takes lead vocals on four of the ten tracks, in addition to playing flute. Tony
Roberts plays wind instruments, as he did in the John Renbourn Group, with Scott
Breadman, producer Mitch Greenhill, and Michael Tempo adding various percussion
instruments. Renbourn is joined on the guitar by Steve Tilston, who also adds
mandolin. The music is stately traditional British folk in Renbourn's familiar
manner, and the mixture is also familiar, with "Cobbler's Jig/Maltese Brawls"
the instrumental and the album concluding with an a cappella hymn, "Travellers'
Prayer." The album is thus a worthy successor to the John Renbourn Group albums
A Maid in Bedlam and The Enchanted Garden.

© William Ruhlmann

Tracklist:
1. John Renbourn - Searching for Lambs (03:42)
2. John Renbourn - Sandwood Down to Kyle (03:56)
3. John Renbourn - Bogey's Bonnie Belle (03:55)
4. John Renbourn - Lark In the Clear Air (03:00)
5. John Renbourn - The Martinmass Wind (06:13)
6. John Renbourn - Cobbler's Jig / Maltese Brawl (03:28)
7. John Renbourn - I Live Not Where I Love (04:07)
8. John Renbourn - The Verdant Braes of Screen (05:00)
9. John Renbourn - Ship of Fools (06:45)
10. John Renbourn - Travellers' Prayer (02:38)

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