Folk Rock Pioneers In Concert

Performer: Steeleye Span
Engineer: Tony Poole; Milton Keynes; Tewkesbury Spike; Richard Holifield; Patrick Hannan
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: Steeleye Span: Ken Nicol (vocals, guitars); Peter Knight (vocals, violin); Rick Kemp (vocals, bass guitar); Maddy Prior (vocals); Liam Genockey (drums, percussion). Steeleye are indeed folk-rock pioneers, and it's a testament not only to the songs, but also the genre, that they retain a popularity 35 years after their formation. This double-disc live set from 2004 shows a band that's older and grayer now, but far from just going through the motions. The core of the heyday -- Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp and Peter Knight -- is as solid as ever, while the most recent members, drummer Liam Genocky and guitarist Ken Nicol, are well bedded in. The focus is on the older material, the classics, as it were, but with a smattering of the recent, as with "They Call Her Babylon." Whether it was necessary to include a drum solo is debatable, but otherwise there's a real sharpness to the sound, and, more remarkably, they still sound fresh in the way they jump into the material. There's nothing substantially new or different, but it's still a pleasure to hear, and the record does capture the live atmosphere. A couple of bonus tracks fill everything out. It won't change the world, but it's nice to hear. ~ Chris Nickson

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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