Record Reviews
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  | FAIRPORT CONVENTION ~ FAIRPORT CONVENTION (EXPANDED EDITION)
POLYDOR 044006829128 (Barcode: 044006829128) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2003
This is the debut album by the legendary British Folk-Rock group Fairport ConventionFind albums by this artist, which was one of the pioneering and groundbreaking recordings of that genre in Britain. The group was a sextet at the time and comprised of lead vocalist Judy DybleFind albums by this artist, vocalist Ian MacDonaldFind albums by this artist, guitarist Richard ThompsonFind albums by this artist, vocalist / guitarist Simon NicolFind albums by this artist, bassist Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin LambleFind albums by this artist. A band fronted by a female vocalist was a novelty on the British scene. The debut album presented twelve songs, seven of which were originals and five were American Folk-Rock songs.
The musical setting of the debut album clearly shows the band influenced by American Folk-Rock, especially early American Electric Folk-Rock bands like Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist, ByrdsFind albums by this artist, Left BankeFind albums by this artist etc., and singers / songwriters like Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist, Leonard CohenFind albums by this artist, Tim HardinFind albums by this artist and others. Created at the very peak of Flower Power, the album was also influenced by Psychedelia, Avant-Garde Jazz and contemporary Classical music, as appropriate for the period. These influences are much more subtle that those of the American Electric Fork-Rock, but they are the reason why this album is not a stylistic carbon copy but an original attempt to find their own artistic expression and in many respects is much more complex than albums by their American counterparts.
The album was almost completely ignored at the time of its release, which prompted the band to switch to Island Records, where they subsequently released the bulk of their legendary classic material, with Dyble being replaced by the superb Sandy DennyFind albums by this artist. In retrospect the album sounds a bit naïve today, but all things considered it still is a great piece of music and a wonderful document of the times, definitely worth revisiting.
This remastered and expanded edition adds for bonus tracks, which include a rare studio track, the band´s first single and a couple of live French TV recordings as well as a nice booklet with rare photographs and informative comments by Hutchings. This is a first rate treat for the band´s many fans.
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ ALL THINGS ARE QUITE SILENT: COMPLETE RECORDINGS 1970-71
CHERRY TREE 022 (Barcode: 5013929692206) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2019
This Box Set collects the reissues of the first three magnificent albums by the seminal British Folk-Rock group Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist: "Hark! The Village WaitFind albums with this title" (1970), "Please To See The KingFind albums with this title" (1971) and "Ten Man Mop Or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides AgainFind albums with this title" (1971). The group was formed by the Godfather of the British Folk-Rock movement bassist / songwriter Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist following his departure from Fairport ConventionFind albums by this artist. The first lineup of the group, which recorded the first album in this collection, included also vocalist Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist, vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Tim HartFind albums by this artist, vocalist Gay WoodsFind albums by this artist and her husband multi-instrumentalist Terry WoodsFind albums by this artist. Following the departure of Gay and Terry, guitarist Martin CarthyFind albums by this artist and violinist Peter KnightFind albums by this artist joined the group and took part in the recording of the remaining two albums in this collection.
Steeleye Span was the absolute epitome of British Folk-Rock, performing mostly traditional British music with very few exceptions. The superb arrangements, which are based on wonderful vocal harmonies and exceptional instrumental work, made the group truly invincible in their idiom, and these sublime recordings are absolutely timeless and sound wonderfully contemporary to this very day.
Under Hutchings leadership the group showed deep respect towards the incredibly rich sources of traditional British music and brought it up to date with flair and elegance. Their approach was mimicked by many of their contemporaries and basically all Folk-Rock groups since can be referenced to these recordings. Prior´s exquisite vocals are an absolute treasure of this idiom and she remains invincible in her reign, with a long list of solo albums in addition to her work with Steeleye Span and other artists.
Only the third album in this collection is expanded by four studio bonus tracks. All three albums were reissued individually in 2005 / 2006 by CastleFind albums on this label Records and the second and third albums were expanded with the inclusion of wonderful BBC sessions, sadly not present here.
Overall this is an absolute essential material for all British Folk-Rock connoisseurs, since within the boundaries of that genre things don´t ever get better than what this Box Set offers.
| | Updated: 14/07/2022Posted: 14/09/2019 | CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ HARK! THE VILLAGE WAIT
CASTLE 1251 (Barcode: 5050749412515) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005
1st album by the finest UK Folk-Rock band in all times - Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist. Although Steeleye Span had fierce competition to the title of the leading force in UK Folk-Rock in their early days from bands like Fairport ConventionFind albums by this artist and PentangleFind albums by this artist, in retrospect they proved to be the winners in the long rum and emerged as the only band still active 35 years later. Their spectacular recorded legacy over the years not only managed to sustain a level of excellence rarely met by any other musical outfit, but also contains a cannon and core of the genre’s essence. The band was formed in the late 1969, when bass player Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist left Fairport Convention (after recording the seminal Liege & LiefFind albums with this title album) to start his own band and pursue a more traditional route than his former band was taking. Hutchings joined forces with Tim HartFind albums by this artist, Gay WoodsFind albums by this artist, Terry WoodsFind albums by this artist and the singer Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist to form the first version of Steeleye Span, which lasted only a few months, but managed to record this exceptionally beautiful album. Hart and Prior (who were a couple) were to remain in all the future versions of the band, with the cream of the crop of UK Folk-Rock players joining them on a less permanent basis. As on all the early Steeleye Span albums, the material consists of traditional Folk tunes, arranged and often altered by the band members. Prior’s superb vocals, vocal harmonies with other band members and exceptional instrumental work are all present here and will be the band’s trademark for years to come. The incredible sensitivity and respect for the origins of the music and incredible musicianship guarantees an unsurpassed mark of quality. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ TEN MAN MOP OR MR. RESERVOIR BUTLER RIDES AGAIN (EXPANDED EDITION)
CASTLE 1252 ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1971
3rd album by Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist Mk. II with identical lineup as their previous album. Based again on all traditional material, the group does not break any new ground here, but merely perfects and polishes their already almost perfect approach to making music. Everything is just the way it should be: the incredible vocal harmonies, the delicate instrumental work and the sophisticated arrangements, producing one more masterpiece and a classic of the genre. After this album was completed, Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist and Martin CarthyFind albums by this artist were to leave the band and Tim HartFind albums by this artist and Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist had to re-configure the lineup again, following with many more excellent recordings. However, the special magic of the first three albums was destined to last as a unique phenomenon. This beautiful new edition more than doubles the playing time of the album by including a BBC live concert recorded in 1971, previously unreleased. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
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