[.ca] Horstow Grange

From Amazon.co.uk:
Given that Steeleye Span has been such a carnival of personalities over years, it was a little strange that the 1997 departure of vocalist Maddy Prior was viewed by some as the end of the band who had pretty much invented the electric folk rock genre. Horkstow Grange (named from the ballad that gave the group its name) is a less overwrought work than it's predecessor Time (the drums of guest Dave Mattacks appearing on a mere four tracks), as if almost an attempt to mark a new chapter. The dramatic balladry of guitarist Bob Johnson is still a major feature (best demonstrated by "Lord Randall") while Peter Knight's fiddle playing takes him into places that few would dare to follow, informed as much by classical and improvisational techniques as it is by traditional music. Bassist Tim Harries anchors the whole sound, occasionally bursting through, as well as supplying the vocal for the almost Gothic "One True Love". Gay Woods's Irish influences are perhaps the most noticeable development, moving from the lament of "Erin" to "I Wish I Never Was Wed"'s knockabout humour. A thoughtful, considered album and something of a rebirth. --Phil Udell

Still my favourite folk/rock band:
I have loved Steeleye Span since the mid 70's when I first heard Gaudete on the radio. Yes, their sound has changed over the years, and with whatever configuration they were playing at any given time. Somehow though, they always stay recognizable. Gay Woods is not Maddy Prior, but so what. She is a founding member of the band, and that seems to have brought them full circle in their music, back to more traditional interpretations of well-known songs.

Steeleye Span, a Fine Celtic Band:
I find it hard to think of this record as being by Steeleye Span. Without the soaring vocals of Maddy Prior (to borrow another reviewer's phrase) it just doesn't sound like da Span. That said, The songs are interesting and Gay Woods is a fine Irish singer. The CD is well worth the replaying and the arrangements are quite intriguing. I found the Lord Randall to be the best version of that old turkey I've ever listened to.

Get over it!:
Maddy Prior has left Steeleye Span; you're sorry, I'm sorry,we're all sorry. Get over it! Now that we have that out of the way canwe bring in a little objectivity here? This is a FINE record! The interplay between Peter Knight's violin and Bob Johnson's guitar has never been better; Gay Wood's voice is terrific (can she sing like Maddy? No. And Maddy can't sing like Gay, either. This proves what, exactly?); Tim Harries is a gifted bass player with an original style; and it's always a joy to hear Dave Mattacks on drums. The songs are are among the best recordings the band has ever done. Particularly, to my ear, "The Old Turf Fire," "Horkstow Grange," Erin," "Bonny Birdy," and "The Parting Glass." And the more acoustic arrangements fit Steeleye really well; something they might have tried years ago! OK, "Lord Randall," while very well done, is lyrically rather depressing. Poisoning? Yecch. Still, it's a minor down check for this otherwise enthralling CD. I can't wait to hear more from this line up. By the way, you might want to check out Maddy Prior's "Ravenchild" and Peter Knight's "The Gemini Cadenza" (if you can find it). "Gemini" in particular is one of the more original and moving works I have ever heard.

Better than ever:
I've loved Steeleye Span for a long time. I was sad to see Maddy go but this, I agree is one of their best efforts. The Parting Glass is the only misstep I see here. They seem to have forsaken the lilting original melody in favour of something less tuneful. Still, it is finely wrought like the rest of the disc. Someone one new to the group would likely find this an amazing, eye opening slab of music. Fan's of Dave's drumming with Fairport, Richard Thompson or on Nick Drake's "Bryter Layter" won't be dissapointed, either.

A disappointment, but not a surprise:
Because I love their early work so much, I keep buying new Steeleye Span records, and I always regret it. You'd think I'd learn. I was sorry to find that "Horkstow Grange" shares the flaws that make all Span's work after their first breakup so disappointing. The lyrics are purportedly traditional (though much-adapted, as has always been Span's wont) but the music is too often penned by the band. The songwriting hasn't been strong in any of Span's configurations -- you'd think *they'd* learn. Robert Johnson (at whose feet I lay the blame for the weary bore Span has become) writes hopelessly ordinary melodies that drag down fine traditional lyrics. Gay Woods, working with the remnants of what was once a very nice, if small, voice, insists on bellowing in a way that exposes all her technical weaknesses. The men's vocals are relentlessly dull, as they have been since Tim Hart left the band a hundred years or so ago. All I can say of the bass and drums is *too much*! What happened to the pipes and fiddles of the band's earlier incarnations? The title track is not awful, and it is the song that explains the band's name, but it's in such an abbreviated version that it's not much help. The lowlight is a truly atrocious version of "Lord Randall" -- it has all Johnson's trademarks of a bass-heavy, echo-y arrangment that obscure the lyrics without hiding the nothing-much vocal, and is all dreary pretentiousness. No more -- this time for sure.

• Old Turf Fire
• Tricks of London
• Horkstow Grange
• Lord Randall
• Erin
• Queen Mary/Hunsden House
• Bonny Birdy
• Bonny Irish Boy
• I Wish That I Never Was Wed
• Australia
• One True Love
• Parting Glass