John Renbourn turns in an album of guitar instrumentals (with a few other instruments added here and there) in
The Nine Maidens. The dominant piece is the 13-minute title track, a three-movement original that allows
Renbourn the space to work out interesting chord patterns along with fingerpicking and harmonics, beginning with the slow "Clarsach" passage before picking up speed with "The Nine Maidens" proper. Just before that, he has given lively play to "Circle Dance," having devoted the first side of the album to more contemplative pieces that might fit into the new age category, even for an artist who predates that designation by quite a few years. ~ William Ruhlmann