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Mark Edward Askren reviews the Steeleye album They Called her Babylon
They Called Her Babylon sees Steeleye Span returning once again to their historical roots. Not that they have ever lacked for historical material, for blending the historical with the modern has always been their claim to fame, but this album–perhaps more than any of their previous albums–is more in keeping with those from their early period. Whether this is due to the recent introduction of former Albion Band member Ken Nicol or to the lingering influence of former bandmate Martin Carthy, as Maddy Prior suggests in the liner notes, is unclear. Not a “concept” album in the sense that term is usually used, They Called Her Babylon is the most consistently melodic and thematic since Storm Force Ten, though it sounds more in keeping with those between Now We Are Six and Rocket Cottage. Whatever one’s views on the album, there can be no doubt that Steeleye Span remains one of England’s foremost rock bands. The album opens with “Van Dieman’s Land”, a song about poaching and transportation told from a woman’s perspective. Sung by Maddy, the song sports a strong melody from Ken Nicol and superb fiddle-playing from Peter Knight. The song’s link to Australia may be more than a coincidence, since the album was released to coincide with Steeleye’s recent tour there. “Samain,” a Rick Kemp tune, begins with a bluesy rift reminiscent of “Edwin” on Now We Are Six before it becomes a more traditional rock and roll tune honouring the pagan festival that became Halloween. Sporting a catchy melody, the tune is perhaps a little too up-tempo, as Rick himself speculates in the liner notes. Nevertheless, the song showcases Rick's wonderful bass-playing and song-writing ability. “Heir of Linne” follows, a tune inspired by Martin Carthy and written and sung by Maddy Prior. One of the strongest songs on the album, the song contains some fine fiddle-playing from Peter and equally superb acoustic guitar from Ken. A song of fortune lost and won, “Heir of Linne” is one of the finest songs by Maddy to grace a Steeleye album. Peter Knight’s “Bride’s Farewell” is next, a simple tune that is almost, but not quite, a round. A song about a woman saying farewell to her birth family on her wedding day, Maddy sings the words with accompanying harmony from Peter. Not comfortable to take the lead vocal, Peter is content to play the melody, which flows with lyrical intensity. The title track, “They Called Her Babylon,” one of three tunes by Ken Nicol, is the only one to feature him on lead vocal. A story of Lady Derby’s efforts to preserve Latham House from Cromwell’s Parliamentarians, the song builds in majesty, becoming perhaps the strongest of the historical songs on the album, recalling songs like “The Victory” from Storm Force Ten or “Fighting for Strangers” from Rocket Cottage. “Mantle of Green”–sung by Maddy, but written by Ken–is another great song, this time about love and mistaken identity. Ken plays acoustic guitar to perfection in this beautiful melody, while Peter adds his usual touches on violin. “Bede’s Death Song” follows, a short number sung almost acapella by the band. Accompanied by a sparse piano, the tune explores the theological notion that no one can know what the end may bring. Though philosophically intriguing, the melody is unfortunately far too short. One wishes for a fuller treatment. This apparent lack is compensated for by “Diversus and Lazarus,” another tune by Rick Kemp about spirituality and its role in the fate of two “brothers”–one rich, one poor. Despite an apparently predictable conclusion, the ending leaves open-ended the fate of evil brother Diversus. Would he truly be happy to “take the Devil’s power”? Again, Rick plays and sings superbly. The beautifully haunting “Si Begh Si Mohr” is up next, played with understated simplicity and grace by maestro Peter Knight. A wonderful Irish tune with classical influences, “Si Begh Si Mohr” replaces once and for all the jigs and reels of earlier albums with Peter’s remarkable violin. The song is followed by “Child Owlet,” Maddy Prior’s possible homage to former bandmate Bob Johnson, a grisly tale of murder not unlike “Little Sir Hugh” or “Long Lankin” from Commoner’s Crown. The song contains some powerful lyrics and equally spooky fiddle-playing from Peter Knight. The final track, “What’s the Life of a Man?”, is another tune from Peter, one very much in the same vein as “The Song Will Remain” from Time. Sung by Maddy with harmony from Peter, the song ends on a powerful note with the fine guitar playing of Ken Nicol. Indeed, the guitars are very much out in front for most of the album, revealing Ken’s marvelous playing to great advantage. Even Peter Knight, that maestro of the violin, appears at times to take a step back in order to allow Ken to shine. It is perhaps puzzling, then, that Ken sings lead on only one track on the album. One wishes for his voice more often. Another small complaint is that the lyric booklet that accompanies the album, which is beautifully presented in blues and browns, does not contain a breakdown of who played what on each song. While it is often obvious who is likely to be playing, a detailed list would have been nice. Nevertheless, They Called Her Babylon is a solid album, continuing the strong showing that Steeleye Span have made in their long 35-year history. This is one reviewer hoping for many more years to come.
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