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Grex > Music2 > #40: Steeleye Span comes to Ann Arbor |  |
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| 25 new of 62 responses total. |
krj
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response 35 of 62:
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Dec 16 18:06 UTC 1998 |
I finally wrote a quickie review for Usenet on rec.music.celtic and I will
recycle it here:
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Schimmelhorn@my-dejanews.com wrote:
> > SO how is it? I would be a bit uncertain to pay alot for a
> post Maddy import cd unless I heard alot of glowing reviews.
I just gave it another spin today. I find it solidly interesting.
Almost all the songs are traditional, with the band's own songwriting
contributions at a minimum, and where Steeleye is concerned I have
found this to be a good thing. Bob Johnson's strong
contributions on electric guitar and singing are almost the only
ties to the Steeleye Span of the past; I find myself thinking that
in most senses this is a new band, keeping only the name.
Gay Woods' singing seems to have a rougher, looser feel to it than
I remember from the past.
Borrowed drummer Dave Mattacks fits in very well; there's only one
song with the over-the-top "Celtic boogie" style from the late 70s.
The downshifted percussion brings back memories of some of
the early, pre-drummer Steeleye works. I miss Liam Gennocky a bit,
though.
I'd rank HORKSTOW GRANGE as about as good an album as Steeleye has recorded
since the 1978 breakup, and far superior to everything from the 1980s.
If you like the fundamental electric folk idea of traditional-ish music
played with rock instrumentation, I think you'll find HORKSTOW GRANGE
worth your US $20. Even without Maddy Prior.
-- Ken Josenhans, critic wannabee
krj@netsun.cl.msu.edu
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krj
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response 36 of 62:
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Sep 9 01:54 UTC 1999 |
I've got the new Maddy Prior album, RAVENCHILD, sitting in the In basket.
Tonight at Borders I spotted a new Steeleye anthology from Australia's
Raven Records. This seems to be largely a reissue of an Australian
Steeleye rarities collection from around 1980, with some additional
stuff added for the CD issue. David Bratman discussed this with me
when it was originally released, and his observation was that many of
the "rare" tracks for the Australian audience were standard tracks
for American issues, such as Steeleye's cover of "Rag Doll."
So it's not as attractive a release as it might have been; I didn't
instantly snap it up. I had hoped that it would have the great lost
Steeleye track "General Taylor," but that one continues to elude me.
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dbratman
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response 37 of 62:
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Sep 14 21:06 UTC 1999 |
Ken, it's been a long time since I've played that Australian Steeleye
rarities LP; but despite the fact that some of what were rarities to
Australians were regular tracks to Americans (like "Rag Doll" on LIVE
AT LAST), it had some otherwise unavailable stuff well worth having,
including a stunning "Boar's Head Carol" that was worth the price of
the album all by itself.
I'll look for this in the next couple days, but if I can't find it I
may ask you to pick a copy up for me. (There's no Borders in this
neighborhood.)
I actually heard Steeleye's version of "General Taylor" once, and I
remember who had it. Inquiries are clearly in order. <note to self>
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krj
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response 38 of 62:
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Sep 14 23:32 UTC 1999 |
Sure, David, let me know and I'd be happy to send a copy along.
A little bit of speculation which I forgot to add to my previous
response: if Raven Records could get the clearances to release
this Steeleye rarities collection, *maybe* they can get the clearance
to release the live Steeleye album from 1980, which appeared only
in Australia. I've just got a tape from David's copy of the LP;
I'd love to have my own copy, as it was a fun recording.
And I suppose I should mention that Raven Records seems to be an
operation run by Australian Fairport Convention fans.
I'm pretty sure that Steeleye's recording of "General Taylor" appears
only on the old Mooncrest anthology ALMANACK, maybe on TIME SPAN too.
However, it hasn't appeared on any of the CD-era anthologies of
the first three albums, whose rights were controlled by the Mooncrest
label when I got my copies, and which are now controlled by the
Castle Communications conglomerate. I'm guessing the tape is just
plain lost. (Those first three Steeleye albums must have been milked
for a dozen anthologies over the years...)
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krj
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response 39 of 62:
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Oct 21 17:07 UTC 1999 |
From the Park Records ad in the November FOLK ROOTS: The next Steeleye
Span release will be a live album called "The Journey," drawn from the
1995 live benefit in London which retraced the history of the band
in a six hour show.
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dbratman
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response 40 of 62:
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Nov 2 21:37 UTC 1999 |
As an attendee of that six-hour show, who enjoyed myself quite a lot,
I'll probably buy this album. But I can't say that the band sounded
particularly well-rehearsed or on form during that concert. So unless
I change my mind after hearing the album, I doubt I'd recommend it most
highly to those who are not Steeleye fanatics.
This is in contrast to Fairport Convention's 25th anniversary concert a
couple years earlier, which I also attended (how do I manage these
things?), and which is also on CD, and with the exception of Robert
Plant's guest spot was just marvelous.
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krj
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response 41 of 62:
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Aug 23 22:16 UTC 2000 |
From Peter Knight's web site, http://www.peterknight.net ::
Another lineup change for Steeleye Span: longtime guitarist Bob Johnson
has left the band. Johnson's electric guitar sound was a bit of a
Steeleye trademark, and he was probably the third greatest contributor
of songs to the band, after Maddy Prior and Tim Hart. His specialties
were the gruesome murder ballads.
Tim Harries switches from bass to electric guitar, and Rick Kemp
(Mr. Maddy Prior) comes back to play bass again. The drummer's spot
is rotating between Gerry Conway, Dave Mattacks and two folks whose
names I do not know.
New album, "Bedlam Born," is scheduled for a late September release
in the UK. Needless to say I'll be in line to get an import, I won't
wait a year or so for US distribution.
Peter Knight's website also includes all sorts of other interesting stuff
for Steeleye fans, and a good deal of material about his solo projects.
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krj
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response 42 of 62:
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Nov 21 20:53 UTC 2000 |
The most recent Steeleye Span album, BEDLAM BORN, is sitting in
the in basket. We played it once over at Twila's place,
and I can't remember a thing about it. Hope I can get back to it
soon.
Maddy Prior has another Christmas album -- her fourth? -- due for
UK release on November 27. I guess the holiday niche has proven
profitable for her. Copies won't make it over to the USA in time
for 2000 holiday listening, is my guess: if you want one, you'll
have to order it from musikfolk.com or amazon.co.uk or somebody like
that.
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anderyn
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response 43 of 62:
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Nov 22 23:42 UTC 2000 |
Bedlam Born is cool. (Ken, if you decide you don't like it, I *will* take it
off your hands!)
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krj
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response 44 of 62:
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Nov 23 01:21 UTC 2000 |
What? And break up the collection?
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micklpkl
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response 45 of 62:
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Nov 23 04:35 UTC 2000 |
If only I had not been under the mistaken assumption that you had Bedlam Born,
Twila , I could've sent you my copy. I listened, liked a few songs, but I
remain even more lukewarm about this one than the last, Horkstow Grange. I
sold my copy on half.com, only recently...
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anderyn
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response 46 of 62:
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Nov 23 17:48 UTC 2000 |
Oh, I liked a great deal more of it than I thought I would!~
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dbratman
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response 47 of 62:
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Nov 24 18:05 UTC 2000 |
I've completely forgotten _Horkstow Grange_, which I think I've
listened to only once. So I'll buy _Bedlam Born_, because a band
doesn't lose my loyalty lightly (only Clannad and the Bobs have ever
achieved this). But I don't expect much of it. Steeleye without
Maddy - it's just not the same at all. Thanks, Ken, for alerting us to
its existence.
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anderyn
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response 48 of 62:
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Nov 24 22:11 UTC 2000 |
I didn't think Steeleye without Maddy would be at all good, but it was much
better than I expected. Though, of course, it's not the same (tm).
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krj
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response 49 of 62:
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Jan 8 19:34 UTC 2001 |
News item from Usenet newsgroup uk.music.folk:
Maddy Prior was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honors list.
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dbratman
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response 50 of 62:
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Jan 11 01:11 UTC 2001 |
It's not a knighthood (or dameship, or whatever it's called, for
women), but still:
!!!
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krj
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response 51 of 62:
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Jan 19 20:00 UTC 2001 |
More Steeleye news, confirmed on a couple of web sites:
Gay Woods quits. In her statement on
http://www.gaywoods.homestead.com/Gayquits.html
it sounds like she had some conflicts with the band.
Peter Knight, on his website, writes:
"Once again we have the opportunity to restructure the band and its
music..." (http://www.peterknight.net)
*My* guess is that since Rick Kemp returned to the band after
Bob Johnson left, the next progression is for Mrs. Rick Kemp (Maddy)
to come back... failing that, I have no idea what they would do.
Some interesting stuff on both those websites for Steeleye Span fans.
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dbratman
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response 52 of 62:
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Jan 23 23:39 UTC 2001 |
Well, I can't say I'm too grieved. But with all the comings and
goings, I no longer have much of an idea who _is_ in the band, which is
a bit distressing.
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krj
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response 53 of 62:
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Jan 24 03:51 UTC 2001 |
Peter Knight on fiddle, Tim Harries on guitar; maybe Rick Kemp on bass
although officially he was only filling in; a rotating corps of drummers
including Dave Mattacks and Gerry Conway. I still have barely heard
the newest album "Bedlam Born," since the living room ate my copy.
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anderyn
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response 54 of 62:
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Jan 24 12:10 UTC 2001 |
I like the newest album, actually. Didn't think I would, but it's grown on
me... Mostly because of the guy singers, though. I do not really like Gay
Woods' vocals very much.
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dbratman
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response 55 of 62:
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Jan 26 07:43 UTC 2001 |
So the only official members at this point are Knight and Harries? Ye
lawks. I already have an album whose official performers are Knight
and Harries: it calls itself a Peter Knight solo album.
I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the idea, proffered during the mid
70s, of "Fairport Convention" as a band consisting of whoever Swarbrick
had gathered around him that week; and the idea of a Steeleye as,
likewise, the fiddler and his sidemen, is equally depressing.
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krj
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response 56 of 62:
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Mar 3 19:12 UTC 2001 |
I just got a flyer from musikfolk.com listing a Steeleye compilation
for May release: "Steeleye Gone Australia." I'm hoping that this
will be an issue of the very rare Australian live set from the
early 1980s, but I have no real information beyond a title and
release date.
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krj
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response 57 of 62:
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May 9 17:14 UTC 2001 |
Maddy Prior's new release is "Arthur The King," which includes a big
Arthur song cycle and some traditional songs. Since Park Records
now gets CDs into Borders stores in 2-3 months rather than 12, I'm waiting
for the US-distributed copies to show up rather than paying $21 for
an overseas order.
News from http://www.peterknight.net is that the latest, possibly only
temporary, Steeleye lineup is: Tamsyn Alexander (listed as a guest),
Tim Harries, Rick Kemp, Terl Bryant (drummer, I guess; never heard of
him) and Peter Knight. This lineup may just be only for a folk
festival this weekend; however, Peter Knight went to the trouble to
put a picture and a few paragraphs about Tamsyn Alexander on his web
page.
Tamsyn Alexander has been the singer with Sin E', a band I've followed
with interest. They blend Irish traditional and "world" influences,
and I haven't heard a peep about the band since their record label
(BMG's Wicklow) was shut down last year. So it's possible Tamsyn
could be available to take the Steeleye singing gig on a regular basis;
even if Sin E' is still a going concern, it's now quite common for
folk musicians to play in multiple bands to make ends meet.
Tamsyn is a much more "controlled," "cool," singer than Gay Woods,
maybe with a "darker" voice than Maddy's. This could be interesting;
I hope Tamsyn gets to record with them.
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dbratman
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response 58 of 62:
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May 9 21:37 UTC 2001 |
I hope they get their act together. I am terrifically fond of the last
two Steeleye albums with Maddy Prior ("Tonight's the Night"
and "Time") - the best Steeleye since their 70s heyday - but the two
subsequent albums have been a great disappointment. The latest one
sounds more like a Peter Knight solo album than anything else: not a
bad thing in itself, but not Steeleye. Rebuilding the band in its old
image will be quite a job.
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krj
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response 59 of 62:
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May 29 16:15 UTC 2001 |
Very ominous note from Steeleye Span fiddler Peter Knight, posted
on the http://www.peterknight.net website on May 19:
"Tim leaves.
"Tim Harries has had a change of heart and has decided not to battle
on against the odds. I don't feel at present that I want to
reform the band alone, but I will live with it for a while before
making a final decision.
"Good luck Tim and thanks for your wonderful musicianship."
Peter Knight's website also includes a track list for the new
Australian release "Gone To Australia," which looks like it does
include the rare early 1980s live Steeleye album, plus about five
other live tracks recorded in Australia. (David, could you check
the posted track list and maybe confirm that?)
There are also reviews of the one appearance of the temporary
Steeleye Span lineup I described in resp:57
which might turn out to be the final appearance for a while.
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