Steeleye Span - Below The Salt

English folk, with a focus on the mediaeval, and everything on overdrive a bit. Gadzooks – it’s fucking great!

And...Gaudete.

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Steeleye Span - Parcel Of Rogues

An album which addresses the tension between the old and the new during industrialisation and does that by creating tension between old and new musical forms.

Someone really needed to reign in the guitarists during the recording of this. Oh, and they’ve brought the drummer back.

I’m a sucker for Hares On The Mountain, and this album contains my least favourite version yet.

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Steeleye Span - Ten Man Mop Or Mr Reservoir Butler Rides Again

I remember, years ago, I was driving home from work in a Mitsubishi Mirage with an unnecessarily loud stereo, playing a ripped CD of Steeleye Span tunes with no track listing. It struck me that musically, the song Gower Wassail, which kicks off this album, could be NoMeansNo, with its taut stabs. Think, It's Catching Up.

I’ve pondered this now and then over the intervening years, but have never known which particular Steeleye Span tune it was. Now I know.

This has made me want to listen to NoMeansNo.

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Steeleye Span - Please To See The King

When they recorded the first album, Steeleye Span all lived in the same house, like a proper band. This, rather predictably, ended in tears and bitter acrimony and a corporate re-structuring.

The most noticeable changes on this, the second album, are the absence of a drummer and the presence of the then emerging English folk ledge Martin Carthy, whose presence is immediately apparent.

I wouldn’t mind betting that Planxty were listening to this, pointing at the record player and exclaiming “That!”

I feel like I’m going to have to buy the next album now.

The sleeve of this album is a hessian effect. This sent me down a rabbit hole trying to remember which 90’s Scottish punk band released an album with a real hessian sleeve. Found it.

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Steeleye Span - Hark! The Village Wait

A 1970s take on English folk, with a version of The Blacksmith and Blackleg Miner.

Maddy Prior has a wonderful voice.

Their wikipedia page actually says, 'Not to be confused with Steely Dan.'

Also, shout out to the shittiest, most low-effort record sleeve ever. Jesus.

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