Category Archives: Music

Steeleye Span’s Greatest Hits: The Reunion Tour, Southport, Lancashire, UK, December 7, 2002

Being an ardent fan of the band for the past 35 years, a chance to go and see Steeleye Span again was just too good to pass up. My home is in Chester, which is only about 35 miles away … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s They Called Her Babylon

Steeleye Span must have more lives than a cat. Every so often the group seems to have called it a day, but like a phoenix they rise again. So here they are for the umpteenth time, with something their record … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Live at a Distance

At first glance, it seemed like only a short while since the previous Steeleye Span double live CD Folk Rock Pioneers In Concert was released. But it was in fact more than two years ago, so the celebration of the … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Bedlam Born, and The Journey

Lahri Bond wrote this review. Steeleye Span is a British institution, like warm beer, “chips” with vinegar, or wet shoes. They have influenced generations of young would-be folk rockers, and have been home to some of Celtdom’s best musicians. Their … Continue reading

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Guillem Ballaz’s Substrat

I would never have seen the cultural or artistic similarities between the Sami of Norway and the people of the Spanish region of Catalonia, but Catalán musician Guillem Ballaz did. And he incorporates a couple of Sami singers including the … Continue reading

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Edward Simon’s Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women

I first encountered the song “Gracias A La Vida” on the iconic album of the same name by Joan Baez, when one of my university Spanish teachers played it in class. It was my introduction to the sublime joys of … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Present: The Very Best of Steeleye Span

Steve Power wrote this review. Past: One cold November night in the mid 1970s, I stood in line extending halfway around the ‘Liverpool Stadium’ (a large capacity venue originally built as a boxing arena) eagerly waiting to be given entrance … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Folk Rock Pioneers In Concert

It was only a few years ago that the future of Steeleye Span looked bleak indeed. One by one, various members had left until only stalwart fiddler Peter Knight remained. A number of their songs have contained a magical element, … Continue reading

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Brian McCarthy’s After|Life

Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Brian McCarthy doesn’t think small. In 2017 the critically acclaimed concept piece he recorded with his nonet, The Better Angels of Our Nature, delved into the Civil War era and its music through reimagined folk songs … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Winter

Folk rock and Christmas always seem to go well together. There is a long line of successful seasonal albums incorporating singers and musicians from that field. There have been three from different guises of the Albion Band, two from St … Continue reading

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