They Called Her Babylon

Performer: Steeleye Span
Engineer: Steve Watkins; Steve Watkins
Producer: Steeleye Span; Steeleye Span
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: Steeleye Span: Maddy Prior (vocals); Rick Kemp (bass guitar); Ken Nicol. Personnel: Ken Nicol (guitar). Audio Mixer: Steve Watkins. Liner Note Authors: Maddy Prior; Rick Kemp; Ken Nicol. Recording information: Warehouse Studios Oxford. They Called Her Babylon marks the return of longtime vocalist Maddy Prior to the fold, resulting in Steeleye Span's most cohesive offering since 1989's Tempted and Tried. No offense to the talented Gay Woods, but Steeleye Span is like a ghost ship without Prior at the wheel, and the newly minted five piece have finally regained the confidence and grand scope that graced their lucrative mid-'70s heydays. Opening with the cautionary poaching tale "Van Dieman's Land," Prior delights in the reunion, offering up a commanding vocal that in turn offers original members Peter Knight and Rick Kemp, as well as relative newcomers Ken Nicol and Liam Genockey, a rousing call to arms. Steeleye have always been masters of adaptation, and Nicol's lush title cut, Prior's "Heir of Linne," and even "Samain," Kemp's rousing ode to pre-Christian Halloween, which takes a very Spinal Tap subject and infuses it with mischievous yet reverent fun, are spitfire examples of their bottomless well of creativity. They Called Her Babylon loses steam near midway, due to some meandering instrumentals -- "Si Begh Si Mohr" -- and long-winded misfires -- the nearly eight-minute "Diversus and Lazarus" -- but even those tracks fare far better than the ones on 1999's torrid Horkstow Grange. In fact, if it weren't for the lethargic second half, TCHB might have become a fan favorite along the lines of Storm Force Ten or Rocket Cottage, but even near the end of the warm and beautiful closer, "What's a Life of a Man," where it descends into a stadium power ballad complete with a Neal Schon-infused guitar solo, the listener can't help but smile at these generous and endlessly experimenting group of veteran folk rockers. ~ James Christopher Monger

On a par with Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span was one of the premier British folk-rock bands in the 1960s and '70s. Like Fairport, it combined traditional U.K. folk songs with a rock-influenced, occasionally electric edge. Though the group has seen numerous personnel changes throughout its long career (which continues into the 21st century), its roster has included some of the biggest names in British folk, including Martin Carthy and longtime linchpin Maddy Prior.

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