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Clive Byerley reviews the Steeleye album They Called her Babylon
Having heard several
tracks from the current album at Steeleye's recent concert in Melbourne I
looked forward to a more leisured listening via the CD. Just as I was
somewhat disappointed at the lacklustre performance live, so with the CD it
seems we are dished up "more of the same".
The sound balance is
of course infinitely better than the live performance - though Maddy's voice
seems to have faded in its upper register and she hardly ever sings further than
a limited range where she is obviously comfortable - this shows itself in
the harmonies where once her clear treble voice part carried the
tune and held the men's lower harmonies together.
This lack of clear
higher part singing means loss of tonal contrast, less clarity and sadly less
tunefulness. One can forgive Steeleye for sticking to the old safe
Scottish ballads, though the plots become more and more obscure, but the
overall sense of "been here before" is inescapable.
Downright dreary was my reaction to several of the tracks - especially the
title one, relieved from boredom only by Peter Knight's luscious playing.
Where the voices can no longer soar the fiddle flies undismayed; Knight's
sensitive cadenzas rescue the album from insignificance.
The most tuneful track
is undoubtedly " Mantle of Green" reminding one of Maddy's
solo album "Year" and their hey days in the Seventies when the tune
was as important as the words. The acoustic playing on this track is an oasis
in a dessert of electric ho-hum. "As I Was Awalking One Morning At
Ease" continues the acoustic side of the album; Maddy is in good voice
and the harmonies are well balanced.
Call me old fashioned
but I long for the days when Tim Hart's nasal hand-on-ear part singing made
Steeleye's ensemble numbers something special; the current line-up is not
strong in accapella and close harmony - surely the mainstay of folk singing,
whether traditional or rock.
For fans of Steeleye
Span this will probably be a pleasurable hour's listening; but I doubt it
will win any new followers. To those exploring folk rock I would say
get a copy of "Now We Are Six" or "Below The Salt" to see
what Steeleye Span is - or was - really all about.
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