Live In Australia

There is something quite special about a live album—provided you can get over the envy at not having been present(!). It can sound a lot better than the gig itself without the risk of one’s toes being trodden or a shower of a fellow reveller’s beer. Certainly a Bert Jansch gig was a treat however you experienced it, especially when he was at the top of his game, as captured on Downunder: Live In Australia. Eschewing the familiar stalwarts of previous live sets, this memorable recording saw Jansch debut two new (at the time) songs; ‘Downunder’ and ‘My Donald’, as well as ‘Little Max’ which never had a studio outing (but will feature among the recently discovered home recordings in Earth’s 2017 Living In The Shadows collection).

There is a warmth about this recording which echoes that of Live at The 12 Bar, recorded three years before. It’s mostly just Bert and his guitar, with the welcome addition of intuitively placed flourishes of bass and percussion. Available on vinyl for the first time, this ambience is heightened by Brian Pyle’s sensitive remastering, bringing a real intimacy to this enduring collection of songs.