Anne Briggs - The Time Has Come LP

Anne Briggs' second album appeared in 1971, but in sharp contrast to her debut, where she'd sung traditional music with scarcely any accompaniment, this was virtually all contemporary material, most of it self-penned, with Briggs playing guitar and bouzouki.

Included was the title track, which had already been covered by former boyfriend Bert Jansch, and showed Briggs to be a writer of some power and it's also the standout among Briggs' material, followed by Wishing Well, where Jansch gets the co-writing credit. Ride, Ride is a pastiche railroad song (obviously British railways don't have quite the same appeal), and the opening Sandman's Song harks back to innocent childhood, albeit a rather strange one.

The choice of covers is far from obvious, but very tasteful. Steve Ashley's Fire and Wine could almost be a traditional piece, while the perkiness of Henry McCulloch's Step Right Up works well with Briggs' artless voice.

Very much influenced by the folk revival which brought her into the public eye, her voice is untutored and unself-conscious, appealing in an offhand way. But it definitely quavers a little, even on her own work, and she seems most comfortable with the record's only traditional piece, Standing on the Shore. Briggs throws in a couple of bouzouki instrumentals too, Highlodge Hare and Clea Caught a Rabbit, that show some command of the instrument.

Tracklist:

1. Sandman's Song
2. Highlodge Hare
3. Fire and Wine [Steve Ashley cover]
4. Step Right Up [Henry McCulloch cover]
5. Ride, Ride
6. The Time Has Come
7. Clea Caught a Rabbit
8. Tangled Man
9. Wishing Well
10. Standing on the Shore
11. Tidewave
12. Everytime
13. Fine Horseman

About this product: this is pressed on black vinyl.