Album review by Mark Edward Askren

Winter

 

I must confess that it has taken me a long time to form an opinion about Winter, the newest compact disc recording by Steeleye Span.  Billed as a “Christmas” album, the music continues what fans have come to expect of Steeleye, pushing the new by reinventing the old in exciting and dramatic ways.  And in just as many ways the band has never sounded tighter; coming after a year of touring and their excellent They Called Her Babylon, the band has had plenty of time to gel as an group.  Much of the uncertainty created from the comings and goings of former band members has been replaced by the strong and cohesive playing of relative newcomer Ken Nicol.

What has bothered me, I guess,  about Winter  is that it doesn’t sound like a Christmas album, or at least my vision of a Christmas album.  For that, I must turn to Maddy Prior’s excellent work with the Carnival Band.  Indeed, if weren’t for the obvious carols and a few other scattered references to the Christ child, one would never recognize the album as a Christmas album.  I’m not trying to push a particular religious view here; rather, it has to do with the genre of tunes themselves.

Historically, there are songs we tend to think of as uniquely tied to the holiday tradition, songs which have a certain sound, a certain feel (to be rather vague about it)--songs we listen to at the holiday season and at no other time of the year.  And it is precisely because Steeleye is seeking to break out in new directions, pushing the envelope, that Winter becomes both exciting and somewhat disappointing.

Don’t get me wrong.  The album is recognisably Steeleye.  By the same token, however,  it is an album that moves in directions that are not only different for Steeleye Span, but different from the seasonal music it purports to represent.  With one or two exceptions, the traditional carols lose their seasonal flavour, and the best tunes, interestingly, are the original compositions by those two twin geniuses, Peter Knight and Ken Nicol.  Elsewhere, the album sounds respectively like the solo work of Maddy and Rick.  I cannot decide at times whether I am listening to Rick’s Codes or Maddy’s Bib and Tuck.  And yet all of the tunes are wonderfully sung and marvelously produced, showing once again that Steeleye Span is still the finest folk-rock band around.

The album opens with “The First Nowell,” a song familiar to us all, though the liner notes reveal a touch of defensiveness about the spelling of the title.  Maddy sounds almost apologetic about using the spelling from the Oxford Book of Carols rather than the spelling most of us are familiar with (“Noel”).  The song itself is competently done, but not a standout opening number.

Things become more interesting, however, with each successive track.  In fact, that is one of the joys of Winter--each song is stronger than the preceding one.  “Down in Yon Forest” follows, a song from Vaughan Williams with allusions to the Grail legend.  The song sports some unusual imagery, despite references to the Virgin Mary and Jesus: “Under the bed there runs a flood/The one half runs water, the other runs blood.”  Hardly Christmas-like, perhaps not even Christian.  However, the melody and lyrics form just the kind of tune Steeleye is known for, and it is sung perfectly by Maddy with accompaniment from Peter.

“Unconquered Sun” is next, an original composition from Ken Nicol, one of two original tunes he contributes.  A song about the winter solstice, the melody blazes forth from Ken’s guitar.  Ken’s songs on Winter  are the best on the album, though he gets a good run for his money from his fellow compadres.  Like Maddy, Ken also shows remarkable understanding of the history behind the tunes he sings, and his liner notes make for insightful reading.

“Chanticleer,” a sprightly song, with a bubbly violin melody from Peter, moves along briskly to Maddy’s vocal.  We all may be familiar with legends surrounding the famous cockerel proclaiming the dawn.  And the melody is a catchy one that I find myself humming even when the compact disc is not playing.  Liam Genockey’s drumming is especially good on this track.

This is followed by “Bright Morning Star,” sung acapella by the band.  The song is has all the flavour of an American Negro spiritual, though I am unfamiliar with its history, nor is any provided in the liner notes.  More in keeping with the season than “Chanticleer,” the tune also sounds a lot like Maddy’s fine Bib and Tuck solo album.  The soaring harmonies of the band are particularly noteworthy.

“Winter,” the title track and the album’s only instrumental, is an original composition from Peter Knight.  It is a lilting, peaceful number, evoking the season the title suggests.  With this tune, Peter demonstrates his obvious virtuosity, playing not only violin, but viola and electric piano.  A lovely tune, revealing the contemplative side of Peter’s personality, “Winter” is an absolute joy to listen to, regardless of the occasion.

Then comes “See Amid the the Winter’s Snow,” a rousing number featuring a chorus from the band in addition to Maddy’s marvelous vocals.  Also impressive is the return of Peter’s mandolin, not heard since 2002’s Present.  And I swear I detect, especially in the opening chords, what sounds suspiciously like a crumhorn!  Crumhorn or not,  the tune is majestic and powerful.

This tune leads directly into the song I consider to be the best tune on the album, Ken Nicol’s “Mistletoe Bough.”  This lovely melody, opening with a small acoustic guitar interlude and closing with a round, builds in majesty as it goes on.  The liner notes show the song’s background in remarkable detail, noting the paegan influences of the Druids as well as the influence of the feast of fools from the French tradition.  Ken is absolutely brilliant in this standout track.

The softer “Sing We the Virgin Mary” is another Maddy tune.  Beautifully sung as only Maddy can, the song features Peter on viola, playing splendidly as usual.  Another sprightly tune follows, “Today in Bethlehem.”  I am not familiar with this tune, though the liner notes claim it is traditional.  It is a fun piece, bouncy and jubilant.

“Blow Your Trumpet Gabriel,” which follows, is a surprise, however.  I normally associate this tune with the Annunciation, and Maddy notes that it was sung at her mother’s funeral, making it one of those tunes that seems again atypical of the holiday season, though this one is clearly in the Christian tradition.  The tune benefits from rousing drumming from Liam.

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” is another favourite of mine.  This version is bluesy and understated with wonderful lyrical violin-playing by Peter and equally strong guitar from Ken.  “Good King Wenceslas," however, is a bit of a disappointment by contrast.  Ripping along at breakneck pace, the song almosts feels as though the band just wanted to get it over with.  The ending mitigates this impression somewhat; as the traditional lyrics are left behind, the band is free to jam in old rock ‘n’ roll fashion, until the tune gradually comes to a halt.

The last track is “In the Bleak Midwinter,” a Maddy perennial, sung sparingly with occasional punctuation from Peter’s violin and viola.  A beautiful tune with lyrics by Christina Rossetti and a melody by Gustav Holst, “In the Bleak Midwinter” marks a very nice closing to Steeleye’s first “Christmas” album.

Fans of Steeleye may miss the blood and gore tales, the bawdy love songs, the tales of poverty and wealth regained, but Winter is definitely a strong album with some of the best playing of any from the band since the early days.  Special commendation should also go to Rick Kemp for his fine bass playing and backing vocals, though I wish he was allowed a lead vocal on at least one of the tracks.  Viewed in context, the album is solid Steeleye.  Still, for a holiday album, this reviewer wishes there was a little more of winter in Winter.

Mark Edward Askren
2004