Record Reviews
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  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ ALL THINGS ARE QUITE SILENT: COMPLETE RECORDINGS 1970-71
CHERRY TREE 022 (Barcode: 5013929692206) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2019
This Box Set collects the reissues of the first three magnificent albums by the seminal British Folk-Rock group Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist: "Hark! The Village WaitFind albums with this title" (1970), "Please To See The KingFind albums with this title" (1971) and "Ten Man Mop Or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides AgainFind albums with this title" (1971). The group was formed by the Godfather of the British Folk-Rock movement bassist / songwriter Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist following his departure from Fairport ConventionFind albums by this artist. The first lineup of the group, which recorded the first album in this collection, included also vocalist Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist, vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Tim HartFind albums by this artist, vocalist Gay WoodsFind albums by this artist and her husband multi-instrumentalist Terry WoodsFind albums by this artist. Following the departure of Gay and Terry, guitarist Martin CarthyFind albums by this artist and violinist Peter KnightFind albums by this artist joined the group and took part in the recording of the remaining two albums in this collection.
Steeleye Span was the absolute epitome of British Folk-Rock, performing mostly traditional British music with very few exceptions. The superb arrangements, which are based on wonderful vocal harmonies and exceptional instrumental work, made the group truly invincible in their idiom, and these sublime recordings are absolutely timeless and sound wonderfully contemporary to this very day.
Under Hutchings leadership the group showed deep respect towards the incredibly rich sources of traditional British music and brought it up to date with flair and elegance. Their approach was mimicked by many of their contemporaries and basically all Folk-Rock groups since can be referenced to these recordings. Prior´s exquisite vocals are an absolute treasure of this idiom and she remains invincible in her reign, with a long list of solo albums in addition to her work with Steeleye Span and other artists.
Only the third album in this collection is expanded by four studio bonus tracks. All three albums were reissued individually in 2005 / 2006 by CastleFind albums on this label Records and the second and third albums were expanded with the inclusion of wonderful BBC sessions, sadly not present here.
Overall this is an absolute essential material for all British Folk-Rock connoisseurs, since within the boundaries of that genre things don´t ever get better than what this Box Set offers.
| | Updated: 14/07/2022Posted: 14/09/2019 | CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ GOOD TIMES OF OLD ENGLAND: STEELEYE SPAN 1972-1983
CHRYSALIS 5060516098798 (Barcode: +506051609879) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1972 - 1983 Released: 2022
This magnificent Box Set combines the recordings by the seminal British Folk-Rock group Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist, starting with their 4th album from 1972 and spanning all the nine albums released on the ChrysalisFind albums on this label label until 1983, which were: “Below The SaltFind albums with this title” (1972), “Parcel Of RoguesFind albums with this title” (1973), “Now We Are SixFind albums with this title” (1974), “Commoners CrownFind albums with this title” (1975), “All Around My HatFind albums with this title” (1975), “Rocket CottageFind albums with this title” (1976), “Storm Force TenFind albums with this title” (1977), “Live At LastFind albums with this title” (1978) and finally “Sails Of SilverFind albums with this title” (1980). Three additional CDs include the Australian only live album “On TourFind albums with this title” (1983) and two previously unreleased live concerts “Live At The Rainbow Theatre” (1974) and “Live At The Berklee Performance Centre, Boston” (1976), altogether twelve CDs of some the of the best music ever recorded on this planet. The original albums are all remastered and expanded with bonus tracks. An excellent booklet full of detailed information and retrospective look at these albums is also included.
This release continues the much smaller Box Set entitled “All Things Are Quite Silent: Complete Recordings 1970-71Find albums with this title”, which collects the first three albums by the group, released in 2019 on the Cherry TreeFind albums on this label label.
Fronted by the brilliant and charismatic vocalist Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist and featuring over the years the crop of the cream of the British Folk-Rock musicians, such as guitarists / vocalists Tim HartFind albums by this artist and Martin CarthyFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick KempFind albums by this artist, fiddler Peter KnightFind albums by this artist and others, Steeleye Span were undoubtedly the finest representatives of the genre of all time and their glorious recording legacy is an absolute treasure chest. The group performed original material written by the group members and traditional Folk material, always wonderfully arranged and beautifully balancing between the acoustic and electric approach and above all always perfectly sung and played. The music includes songs, instrumentals, a cappella vocalese, and anything imaginable, often groundbreaking and intellectually challenging, superbly demonstration the British music aesthetic.
Overall, this is one of those Box Sets any serious music lover simply can’t ignore, even if he (most probably) already has the original albums in his collection. This fairly priced Box Set is simply elegant, and to be honest useful and space saving, not to mention essential, being worth its weight in gold and precious stones, etc. British Folk-Rock offered the world, or at least those who wanted to listen, some of the most honest, heartfelt music on this planet and Steeleye Span were simply a Godsend. This is beyond essential!
| | Updated: 14/07/2022Posted: 14/07/2022 | CD 12 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ HARK! THE VILLAGE WAIT
CASTLE 1251 (Barcode: 5050749412515) ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005
1st album by the finest UK Folk-Rock band in all times - Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist. Although Steeleye Span had fierce competition to the title of the leading force in UK Folk-Rock in their early days from bands like Fairport ConventionFind albums by this artist and PentangleFind albums by this artist, in retrospect they proved to be the winners in the long rum and emerged as the only band still active 35 years later. Their spectacular recorded legacy over the years not only managed to sustain a level of excellence rarely met by any other musical outfit, but also contains a cannon and core of the genre’s essence. The band was formed in the late 1969, when bass player Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist left Fairport Convention (after recording the seminal Liege & LiefFind albums with this title album) to start his own band and pursue a more traditional route than his former band was taking. Hutchings joined forces with Tim HartFind albums by this artist, Gay WoodsFind albums by this artist, Terry WoodsFind albums by this artist and the singer Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist to form the first version of Steeleye Span, which lasted only a few months, but managed to record this exceptionally beautiful album. Hart and Prior (who were a couple) were to remain in all the future versions of the band, with the cream of the crop of UK Folk-Rock players joining them on a less permanent basis. As on all the early Steeleye Span albums, the material consists of traditional Folk tunes, arranged and often altered by the band members. Prior’s superb vocals, vocal harmonies with other band members and exceptional instrumental work are all present here and will be the band’s trademark for years to come. The incredible sensitivity and respect for the origins of the music and incredible musicianship guarantees an unsurpassed mark of quality. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ TEN MAN MOP
MOONCREST 009 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
3rd album from 1971 by this best ever UK Folk / Prog group. Along with Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span practically defined the genre. The group included some of the finest British players and singers let by the sensational Maddy Prior, whose hounting performances on this album count among the highlights of the genre. This is an absolute must have for every Folk / Prog fan!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEELEYE SPAN ~ TEN MAN MOP OR MR. RESERVOIR BUTLER RIDES AGAIN (EXPANDED EDITION)
CASTLE 1252 ~ UK ~ Folk-Rock
Recorded: 1971
3rd album by Steeleye SpanFind albums by this artist Mk. II with identical lineup as their previous album. Based again on all traditional material, the group does not break any new ground here, but merely perfects and polishes their already almost perfect approach to making music. Everything is just the way it should be: the incredible vocal harmonies, the delicate instrumental work and the sophisticated arrangements, producing one more masterpiece and a classic of the genre. After this album was completed, Ashley HutchingsFind albums by this artist and Martin CarthyFind albums by this artist were to leave the band and Tim HartFind albums by this artist and Maddy PriorFind albums by this artist had to re-configure the lineup again, following with many more excellent recordings. However, the special magic of the first three albums was destined to last as a unique phenomenon. This beautiful new edition more than doubles the playing time of the album by including a BBC live concert recorded in 1971, previously unreleased. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | TEE ~ FIRST VOYAGE
VITAL 007 ~ JAPAN ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
1st album by Japanese ensemble TEEFind albums by this artist, recorded live and mainly a demo album made by the band in pursue of a recording contract. Fronted by the excellent flautist Kenji ImaiFind albums by this artist, the quintet plays classic Symphonic Prog. All the music is composed by the leader, keyboardist Ryuji YonekuraFind albums by this artist, who was a member of the great band Interpose before forming TEE. The band faithfully reconstructs the Symphonic Prog feel of the style´s golden Era in the 1970s, but adds a slight edge with Fusion inspired instrumentation. Fans of Symphonic Prog should enjoy this stuff outright, and the band´s studio album, which followed this release, enjoyed a warm reception worldwide.
| | | CD-R 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | JAY-TEE TETERISSA ~ DON`T JAY WALK
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 9789079496112) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010
This is the 2nd album by Dutch bass virtuoso Jay-Tee TeterissaFind albums by this artist, a superb player and composer, who remains relatively unknown, although his talents put him in the front row of today´s Fusion Masters. Recorded with an excellent team of great musicians, which includes US guitar hero Mike SternFind albums by this artist, Canadian bassist Alain CaronFind albums by this artist, Dutch keyboardist Jeroen van ItersonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Martijn van ItersonFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tom BeekFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcel LatupeirissaFind albums by this artist, this is one of the best Fusion albums I´ve heard in a very long time. Completely fresh and full of energies, which remind me of the early days of Fusion, when Weather ReportFind albums by this artist, Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist and other brilliant ensembles were breaking sound barriers and stylistic limitations. Of course these players perform brilliantly, as expected, but performance alone is not enough to make an album work, the music they play is the real deal. Co-composed by Jay-Tee Teterissa and Jeroen van Iterson it is first-rate from start to finish, from the first note to the last, from top to bottom, with great melody lines, perfect harmonies and powerful driving rhythms. Add to this excellent production, arrangements and sound quality and you have a Fusion gem of rare beauty. Jay-Tee´s bass sounds sometimes like a lead guitar and sometimes like a pulse of a sprinter. The keyboardist plays a superb Fender piano, which takes the music on a retro trip on occasion. In short this is one great Fusion album, which no fan of the genre should miss. A must!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | JAY-TEE TETERISSA ~ JAY-TEE (EXPANDED EDITION)
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 9789079496129) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1998 Released: 2010
This is the 1st album by Dutch bass virtuoso Jay-Tee TeterissaFind albums by this artist, a superb player and composer, who remains relatively unknown, although his talents put him in the front row of today´s Fusion Masters. Recorded with an excellent team of great musicians, which includes US guitar hero Mike SternFind albums by this artist, Canadian bassist Alain CaronFind albums by this artist, Dutch keyboardist Jeroen van ItersonFind albums by this artist, drummer Marcel LatupeirissaFind albums by this artist and several others, this is a great Fusion album, which somehow never managed to draw the attention it deserves. Of course these players perform brilliantly, as expected, but performance alone is not enough to make an album work, the music they play is the real deal. Co-composed by Jay-Tee Teterissa and Jeroen van Iterson it is first-rate from start to finish. This new edition adds previously unavailable material and brings this great album back in circulation. In short this is one great Fusion album, which no fan of the genre should miss. A must!
| | | CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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