Naomi de Bruyn penned this review.
Maddy Prior is a very familiar name and voice, mainly due to her many years of being ‘front man’ for Steeleye Span. This is her first ‘Best Of’ collection, and has been taken mainly from her solo career. However, “Grey Funnel Line which is the title track from the movie Sirens, is included, as well as some previously unreleased material.
Prior made her first appearance in the late sixties on the folk club circuit, and has endured the years very well. She is still one of the most respected artists in British music. Born in Blackpool Prior began making her name known as part of a duo with Tim Hart. They put out two albums, Folk Songs of England Volumes One and Two. The pair joined Ashley Hutchings of Fairport Convention, and Gay and Terry Woods, and began Steeleye Span with the intention of fusing folk and rock music.
Throughout many lineup changes during the seventies, Prior and Hart were the constants in Steeleye Span. The group released a number of hit albums, some of which went gold and silver, and making world tours. Prior had some outside activities during this period. She released two albums with June Tabor, as the Silly Sisters. A number of solo projects had her working with top traditional artists, and developing her own song writing skills. She has also worked extensively with The Carnival Band, which is, for the most part, a Christmas seasonal group. They have also looked for ways to combine early music, classical, hymns, and other music forms. With five albums, they are a definite hit, with tours that really shouldn’t be missed.
Between her solo career, Steeleye Span, The Carnival Band, and her family, Prior was overworked and it was time to begin making decisions. After twenty-eight years, she said farewell to Steeleye Span. Her aim was “to keep folk music as a vibrant, constantly adapting and evolving medium,” and she began delving into more serious topics where her song writing was concerned. Prior loves to submerge herself in her favorite topics: tradition, mythology, history. When these are combined with her talent as a vocalist and songwriter, the result is nothing short of perfection.
Prior has a distinctive and strong voice, delivering her lyrics in a deep and meaningful way – this is a disc one could lose oneself in for a very long time. Memento is just that, a collection of the things that will jog the memory of the past. A collection of 18 songs to allow reflection upon the past, the present, and what the future will hold. The loves, the losses, the wins and gains, the friends, good times and bad… All are contained here. “Baggy Pants” is a rather lighthearted jazzy number, that stands out from the rest of the disc with ease. It is reminiscent of music you may have been heard in the late sixties on the AM radio stations. However, according to my son, it’s ‘swingy’ and he likes it. Be that as it may, this is a great song for picking up the mood and Prior did a great job when she wrote it.
Written by Prior and her husband Richard Kemp, “Bewcastle” evokes some interesting mental imagery. It makes you feel melancholy and exhilarated all at the same time. Bewcastle Fells sounds like a very beautiful place, even though the weather is horrid. The music is reflective, and well-suited to the lyrics.
Richard Kemp wrote “Deep in the Darkest Night” and I found it to be quite haunting. Prior’s vocals again reach within and tickle memories which haven’t been stirred in quite sometime. “I’ll be your harbour when there’s a storm/I’ll be your sunshine I’ll keep you warm/I’ll be your shelter in the rain and snow/Remember wherever you go/Deep in the darkest night.”
If you’ve not yet had the chance to listen to the wonders Prior shares on this CD, I’d suggest you do. There is no Steeleye Span nor Carnival material included on this disc. And as the liner notes say, “This album represents a seam of work that is perhaps less familiar and, in some cases, now unavailable.” It is well worth the listen.
(Park Records, 1995)
