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Pentangle — Reflection
Album: Reflection
Avg rating:
5.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 746









Released: 1971
Length: 11:08
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Last night the sky
Was filled with light
I saw the sun's reflection
Saw the whole world take flight
Saw the whole world take flight

I heard the guns of heaven
Thundering in my ears
I opened wide my eyes
And watched the whole world disappear
And watched the world disappear

I reached out my hand
There was no one there
Just this empty room
So cold and bare
So cold and bare

I'm gonna climb my tower
And survey the earth
Gonna cross the ocean
Gonna ride the surf
Gonna ride the surf

People told your mother
What I've been through
She signed away your soul
Onto Satan's crew
Onto Satan's crew

And as you sail away
On that flaming tide
You see your own reflection
On the other side
On the other side

I've seen the devil's face
I've looked in his eyes
I've searched for satisfaction
Disillusion is his guise
Disillusion is his guise

I've got a notion
And I'm sure I'm right
My sun will rise again
And put evil out of sight
Put evil out of sight
Comments (115)add comment
Not bad except for the vocals. Would have been good to drop them and make the whole thing a bit shorter.
I hear "A Love Supreme," obviously, and Steely Dan's  "Show Biz Kids." Lots of stuff in there. But yeah it is a little too long. Like Spinal Tap's Jazz Odyssey.
I enjoy the groove of this but I think that their jazz improvisation flow goes on a tad too long. My 2 cents.
I really liked this tune at first, but finally had to tap out at around 8 minutes.
loved them enough that in 1972 I tattooed a small pentangle on my forearm which is still visible.  Glad that's the only tattoo I have. I REALLY stand out in a country full of tattooed NZ people. Not a favorite song this one tho. So many much better tracks imo 
Never heard of them or this track until today, but turning it up a bit and actively listening, it's pretty cool actually. And definitely not a background tune, that is my hunch why so many negative views. Next time everyone...turn it up a bit and pay attention.  And to each their own...
 deepwoodskev wrote:
The drummer sounds a lot like how I play the drums. And I suck at playing the drums.
 
If this is Terry Cox, he was good enough to play on Space Oddity and Madman Across the Water.    
 droos wrote:
Does this song ever end?
 

Two years later....still playing!   I find this very modern, amazing it was from 1971.   It is a 9. 
Will it never end?
Dark words that end on a positive note; aren't the Brits great at doing that?
there is always something in Pentangle's music that stops me and makes me listen attentively, damn fine musicianship I guess!
 bentonian wrote:
It may be boring and repetitive, but it is long!
 



Wow, this was 1971, dang! Starting it off with a solid 8.
Thanks, RP. I always love discovering old music I missed the first time around.
 droos wrote:
Does this song ever end?
 
I’m wondering the same thing.    
If Hell were run by Greenwich Village hipsters, this would be played on a continuous loop.
The drummer sounds a lot like how I play the drums. And I suck at playing the drums.
Does this song ever end?
an average rating of 4.6 and it's still getting played......
UGH!
Sorry, but it sounds like my neighbor (who CANNOT sing) who INSISTS on singing....could not even get in the choir.  Just MHO
This is ridiculous.
Please make it stop! PSD! P.S. really Different.
Painful
psyche folk baby
Another song to stimulate memories,  or at least a feeling of the time.   Like some others,  I enjoyed it. 
Thanks for spinning this one, Bill.  Enjoyed it.
 kcar wrote:
Pentangle is the cousin to the band It's A Beautiful Day. The hashed-out cousin with too much time on its hands.  

Lemme know if you ever get to the point, fellas!  

 
Pentangle was more British folk-based (or "folk-baroque") than the more LA-hippie-like It's A Beautiful Day, plus Pentangle originally featured guitar legends Bert Jansch and John Redbourn.  Anyhow a lot of the "folk revival" music from 1967-68 sounded like those two bands.
Please don't play this again...ever.
 
Far too groovy for me, daddy-o.  PSD for this old geezer.
Pentangle is the cousin to the band It's A Beautiful Day. The hashed-out cousin with too much time on its hands.  

Lemme know if you ever get to the point, fellas!  
how cool, I just PSD'd away from Suzanne Vega doing the very noisy 'Blood Makes Noise'
I like this for its odd style and could listen to more, some serious musicians with a living approach to their combined sound

 JHZ wrote:
Great tune, but the female voice is a bit off for me.
 
It's his attempts at harmony that ruin it for me.
 AskAlice wrote:
Thank goodness for the Play Something Different feature!

 
I came here because of PSD. Kinda like it.

Once.

If iBill played a lot I'd be turning on the radio or hitting iTunes. But good for a one timer.
Soon after Pentangle broke up, I remember a DJ in Los Angeles following up one of their songs with: "That was the late, and soon to be lamented, Pentangle." Was that you, Bill? {#Cheesygrin}
It seems that just about the same percentage of folks lament the passing of Pentangle now as did then, LOL.
I didn't really appreciate the whole "Celtic sound" back then. Although I loved John Renbourn, and owned a couple of his albums.
I did hear Bert Jansch perform one night in the backroom of a music store in (Santa Monica, I think). It was pretty disappointing. He tried to play "Angie," and completely lost track of the song somewhere in the middle of playing; he finally just stopped. He seemed to be someone at the tail end of a long... shall I say, "period of sleep deprivation?"
Of course, I recognize that he was a great musician, having a bad night. RIP.
Thank you, Bill, for playing Pentangle.
And yes, I do, now, lament their passing!

{#Guitarist}
 Empty room shifting is endearing.
Thank you for sharing, Bill.  Another gem from the "magical era" that I would have otherwise not known.  
I liked it when it came out and still like it now {#Music}
I quite like it. Anything is better than U2, anyway.
Man, this is crapity crap. Did they get money for farting around in a studio and dumping this on the world?
too long {#Beat}
if i hear that crap one more time... I m gonna stop giving money!! :D
I think my meter is running low. Need to feed it a nickel. 
Wow. Pentangle. Haven't heard them for years. But they have so many better songs (IMO).
Annoying, just stop it.
 Proclivities wrote:

"The food at that restaurant is terrible...and they have such small portions!"

 
Flying saucers: Threat or Menace?
From the Wiki entry :

"The album was recorded over a three-week period in March 1971, at a time when the tensions between the band members were high. Different band members were continually threatening to leave and attendance by Jansch and Renbourn at the recording sessions was dependent on their state of sobriety."

For what it's worth... 

Sounds from fevered dreams in childhood..

PSD
 bentonian wrote:
It may be boring and repetitive, but it is long!

 
"The food at that restaurant is terrible...and they have such small portions!"
Personally I love every second of this track, but I can see why others might not. It would be great to hear some other tracks from Pentangle on here who were an amazing band.
Totally irrelevant piece of a long nothing
They did pretty good stuff ... but not that song, no.
 bentonian wrote:
It may be boring and repetitive, but it is long!

 
Time for a bathroom break. 
Boy that voice is painful. She's hitting the notes... that's about all I can say that's nice.
It may be boring and repetitive, but it is long!
I noticed a lot of negative comments from last year but the song is still here which makes me very happy. Lots  of wonderful musicianship, arranging, vocals... A nice atmospheric piece.
cringe worthy!
Thank goodness for the Play Something Different feature!
This song sounds good to me, but Bill should respect the vote and get on the air, some of the well-reviewed non-feature songs.

Danny Thompson. What a bass player. Like this a lot.
 hanssachs wrote:
This is the most irritating song in the RP rotation, bar none - even listening with half an ear, the repetetive keening vocal track immediately hit all the wrong sensors ...

 
Agree 100%! It's miserable.
This is the most irritating song in the RP rotation, bar none - even listening with half an ear, the repetetive keening vocal track immediately hit all the wrong sensors ...
Great tune, but the female voice is a bit off for me.
 ShepHeard wrote:
Thought it was Roni Size, Brown Paper Bag when the bass started.. Nevermind. Maybe that would be a bit much for RP.. (Though with all the Massive Attack and Portishead you are bigging up the Bristol sound, so maybe one day...!)
 
Hello, neighbour?
Bill has me in the way back machine.
 inindian wrote:
Not the most memorable Pentagle song, well maybe yes, for the interminable tortured-cat violin and diddle-dee guitar I think something more like 'Light Flight' from the 'Basket of Light' album would draw higher approval ratings from uninitiated listeners
 
Agreed. I actually like this, but for someone not already into the group I'd recommend just about anything from "Basket of Light", or many tracks from "Sweet Child", including some of the pure jazz pieces like "In Time". Perhaps someone with more ambition than me could upload some better chosen tracks....
the second cool song, within 10 minutes, from the 70s that I've never heard before... interesting artifact...
That song's about 5 min too long
All I can think of are dirty hippies.....VERY dirty hippies!
 Leslie wrote:
Just like Donna Godcheaux in the Grateful Dead
 
Bwahahahaha!
Like the instrumentation but the vocals are very sixties.
Will have to investigate more from them.
Why does it seem to go on forever ... {#Wall}
Not the most memorable Pentagle song, well maybe yes, for the interminable tortured-cat violin and diddle-dee guitar I think something more like 'Light Flight' from the 'Basket of Light' album would draw higher approval ratings from uninitiated listeners
then it got tiresome... sounds like chicks from the chior trying to be cool. Get back to the jamming part and I'm cool....
it got cooler...
The jazz vocal is essential to the wrap ... without the female voice it is just noodling around with chords ...
Aaaauugghhh! That voice!! My ears!! The pain!! I actually had to turn it off. That's never happened to me on RP before.
This song is seriously painful to listen to. Sucko-barfo indeed!
rah wrote:
this is what happens when you let your girlfriend sing in the band.
Are you refering to Yoko.
THUMBS up !
I quite like it. I can hear elements of so many other bands in here that I have to assume they were at the vanguard in the 60s.
This last set of songs is the coolest one i have heard in long time at radio paradise...
rah wrote:
this is what happens when you let your girlfriend sing in the band.
Just like Donna Godcheaux in the Grateful Dead
Ugh.
cosinus wrote:
It would be fine without the vocals. Many songs from "Basket Of Light" are much better.
rah wrote:
this is what happens when you let your girlfriend sing in the band.
It would be very fine without the vocals. Many songs from "Basket Of Light" are much better.
very, very, cool indeed.
So far, this has been one of the longest set's I've ever seen Bill throw down: 2:17 pm - Pentangle - Reflection 2:11 pm - It's A Beautiful Day - Hot Summer Day 2:04 pm - Traffic - Glad 2:00 pm - Medeski, Martin & Wood - Reflector 1:56 pm - Beck - Mixed Bizzness 1:53 pm - Little Barrie - Love You 1:50 pm - Tom Petty - American Girl 1:46 pm - James Gang - Funk #49
This has to be the best radio station on the planet. Thanks, BillG!!
this is what happens when you let your girlfriend sing in the band.
man, enough's enough...
I do like this but the vocals are really shrill and sort of hurt my ears. I'd like it much better if it was instrumental only.
Sounds like Robbie Krieger on guitar.
Whoa dude the meds are kickin in.....
cool, very cool.
Mari wrote:
Bill of course, and I second it! Pentangle broke new ground and were the forerunners for the unprecedented folk/rock sounds to come and to whom we all owe a huge favour for the grandchildren sounds of today Just imagine! Reflect.
Yes, Cruel Sister was a landmark album. Check it out. Way to go Mari
Dissonant harmonics for 20 years and counting. After I dragged the cat from under the sofa I realized it wasn't him...it was the song. But in all seriousness, it wasn't bad, certainly broke new ground, but could be 2 minutes long and I'd have gotten the point. If they are such amazing guitarists I'd love to hear a song featuring the guit. But thanks for challenging me anyway. I like trying bussel sprouts over and over...hoping that one day I'll like 'em.
kinda nice. don't play it everyday! but kinda nice once in a while to keep things interesting. It does make Me wanna bong or two. wink wink nudge nudge
Thank Gawd it finally ended! I was just about to go postal and end up on the evening news! :P
An interesting history lesson, but the vocals are threatening to make my brain explode. The only word I can conjure for them is "insipid". The geetars were reasonably tasty, and very cool for the time, I'd guess, but not enough to carry it for me. Where is that confounded bong, anyway?
for crying out loud please play someething else. i'm not a fan of pentangle, but even they have done a hell of a lot better than this drivel.
gillespp wrote:
I'm curious who ranked this 10 within 5 seconds of the beginning of it being played for the first time on RP.
Bill of course, and I second it! Pentangle broke new ground and were the forerunners for the unprecedented folk/rock sounds to come and to whom we all owe a huge favour for the grandchildren sounds of today Just imagine! Reflect.
Reminiscent of better times!
I was started to become suicidal and then I realized it was this song. ack. had to turn it off!!!!!
     Umbrella = Mute Button.
Thought it was Roni Size, Brown Paper Bag when the bass started.. Nevermind. Maybe that would be a bit much for RP.. (Though with all the Massive Attack and Portishead you are bigging up the Bristol sound, so maybe one day...!)
Please, not again !!!!!!!
It's almost as if they forgot the end (where's the bong?), so they just kept repeating. And repeating. And repeating. Until someone got the munchies and left the room. (Where's the bong?)
good lord, make it stop - enough already!
I mostly just wish it wasn't so damn long!! Anything is tolerable for 3 minutes but this has been going on for what - 8 or 9 minutes now?
this is pretty tedious...where's the bong? that might help
Meh. It's kind of Jazzy, I don't mind it, but if I never heard it again it would be OK.
I'm curious who ranked this 10 within 5 seconds of the beginning of it being played for the first time on RP.