A Green Man Review

The lie wasn’t meant to be believed. It was just social grease, intended to keep wheels turning. — Aliette de Bodard’s Fireheart Tiger

This is Gary, as Iain and Reynard both seem to be busy elsewhere at the moment, perhaps cleaning up after the lovely Solstice bonfire, or perhaps nursing a, um, headache, following the same. I’m enjoying myself because all this past week we’ve had nothing but Steeleye Span playing here in the Pub via the Infinite Jukebox. It’s not something anyone did; the mystical machine just won’t play anything else this time of year! There’s something about this particular long-lived (albeit of a sporadic, off and on nature) British folk rock band that lends itself to the aura that surrounds the Summer Solstice. Well, maybe not their album centered around that other Solstice, the lovely Winter. And believe me, with so many years of musical output, both official releases and various compilations of, shall we say, unofficial footwear, it’s entirely possible to go the entire week without repeating a single track!

Anyway, that being the case, I felt it was as good a time as any for an all-Steeleye Span edition. Now, of course it’ll mostly consist of recorded music reviews, but the Archives also contain an interview, some concert reviews, a film and a book!

I’d be remiss to not lead off with the splendid Steeleye Span career overview that the well known folk musician from Chester, Peter Massey, wrote up for us back around the turn of the Millennium, which also drew a bit on his own personal experiences with and opinions about the band. Check that out first as it’ll give you a good idea of what’s in store, and then proceed on with this edition …

Debbie Skolnik noted the Steeleye Span connection in her review of Ellen Kushner’s Thomas the Rhymer. ‘Ellen Kushner has taken Child Ballad #37 (upon which Steeleye’s version is based) and thoroughly fleshed it out into a most enjoyable and fascinating read. In one of those odd coincidences in life (or maybe not so odd), the aforementioned Maddy Prior is quoted on the back cover of this paperback, saying, “A book to introduce those who know nothing of the ballads to their rich and deep content…and intrigue those already familiar with them.” I couldn’t agree with her more. Think of it, if you will, as your invitation to a most marvelous world you might not discover otherwise.’

In the ’70s, Michael says, Steeleye regularly performed a Mummer’s Play in mid-set, and one was filmed as part of the Australian television show GTK. ‘The show’s film of the Steeleye Span Mummers Play was known to have existed but was feared lost, as much of the (Australian) ABC’s early programming was tragically and carelessly thrown away, wiped or literally used as road fill! No other video of the play has ever been mentioned. Luckily, the bulk of the GTK sessions were found unharmed a few years ago and have been appearing with some regularity on YouTube.’

Chuck Lipsig turned in a review of 1998’s Horkstow Grange, which was the group’s first without Maddy Prior. His verdict? ‘Maddy Prior may be gone, but it’s still Steeleye Span. Which is not to say Gay Woods has turned into a Maddy Prior clone; she has her own voice, much earthier than Prior’s ethereal instrument. Woods gets into the characters she is singing much more than Prior did.’

Debbie Skolnik wrote about the live compilation In Concert: The Collection, which featured two different lineups of Steeleye in a series of shows from the late ’80s and early ’90s. ‘No matter how many times you’ve listened to your old Steeleye Span recordings, you’ve never heard these songs like this before unless you were lucky enough to see the performances from which the songs on this CD were taken. If you love this band and especially if you were not able to see them perform live, go out and get a copy!’

Deborah was glad that the playing on 2013’s Dodgy Bastards was as tight as ever. ‘At the core of anything from Steeleye, though, are those vocals. Dodgy Bastards has them in almost perfect form: Maddy anchors almost every song, with the supporting vocals providing both a bed and a surround. The effect is crisp, clear and gorgeous. This is what I expect from Steeleye, and always have. They don’t disappoint here.’

Deborah also mused about Maddy Prior’s vocals and especially her dancing with Steeleye Span. ‘​So I don’t know when I first saw Maddy Prior dance. I don’t know whether it was before or after I heard the lyric to Ralph McTell’s song on the subject, “Maddy Dances.” Putting together his lyrics with the effect of her voice, I finally – all these years down the line – realised what set her voice apart, and matched it so perfectly to those flying feet.’

Gereg reviewed the CD release of 1980’s Sails of Silver, one of his favorites which he initially expected to dislike. ‘Sails of Silver isn’t the sound I expect from Steeleye. For long-time listeners, that can’t be emphasised strongly enough. Because if you go in expecting electric folk, you’ll be disappointed. This is rock with folk roots. And yet those roots run deep. So if you can wrap your imagination around the incongruous concept of a rock with roots, then this might be the album for you.’

Iain Nicholas Mackenzie was pretty enthusiastic about A Parcel of Steeleye Span. ‘This triple disc set contains the entirety of their first five albums for Chrysalis, from 1972’s Below The Salt to 1975’s All Around My Hat with Parcel of Rogues, Commoners Crown, and Now We Are Six being the recordings in between. This completely remastered collection has 46 tracks in all, including a number of very tasty bonus tracks.’

Lahri Bond reviewed two releases from the turn of the Millennium, Bedlam Born, and The Journey. Of the former, he says it is ‘… an album that hails the thankful rebirth of one of folk rock’s most celebrated bands.’ And of the latter, which was initially unavailable in the States, he notes, ‘This two CD set and lavishly illustrated accompanying booklet preserve the event in all its glory. The liner notes tell how the whole affair was miraculously pulled together and a group history is included in case you’re as confused as most.’

Swedish musician and writer Lars Nilsson wrote a number of Steeleye Span review over the years:

One key to Steeleye’s longevity may be the way the band is constantly delving into the unexpected. That was evident in their 2006 release Bloody Men, an offbeat two-disc set reviewed by Lars. ‘First of all I am a little puzzled by the choice of format. You get two CDs, yet it does not feel like a full double CD. The first one contains 10 songs, clocking in at just under 47 minutes. The second is a suite of songs about the Luddites, clocking in at 16 minutes.’

Lars also gives a track-by-track rundown of 2004’s They Called Her Babylon, heralded by their record company as a new classic. ‘Had this been released in the early 1970s it would have been a classic, but I would not put it above albums like Please to See the King, Below the Salt and Commoners Crown, but history will certainly rank it higher than All Around My Hat, Rocket Cottage, Sails of Silver and a few others.’

He also closely reviewed Steeleye’s Christmas album, 2004’s Winter. ‘In the sleeve notes Peter Knight writes: “I am so glad that Steeleye has at last recorded a Christmas album.” I share his joy, and I am sure you will too. If you are to buy a Christmas album this year this is the one. And even if you were not considering buying one, buy it anyway.’

And Lars also liked 2019’s Est’d 1969, which he paired with a review of Fairport Convention’s Shuffle and Go from 2020. ‘Steeleye Span base their repertoire on old folk songs. They love old ballads, though they rework both the lyrics and the music for them. There are four ballads here, all performed with the full power of drums, bass and electric guitars. “Old Matron” starts of with bouzouki and harmony vocals, but soon it turns heavy. Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) guests with some wild flute playing. Listen to the interludes with flute and bass in unison.’

Our man down under Michael Hunter, something of a Steeleye Span expert, has contributed a number of write-ups over the years:

Michael brought us word of a collector’s item, Steeleye Span & Maddy Prior’s A Rare Collection 1972-1996. ‘The basis of this release is two Australia-only releases from the early 1980s: a compilation called Recollections and a live album called On Tour (both released on Chrysalis and now deleted). This new set picks some of the choicest tracks from those LPs and adds more up-to-date rarities to provide a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining look at some of Steeleye’s more unusual moments.’

He had mixed feelings about 2009’s live CD/DVD set Live at a Distance. ‘Well, it’s Steeleye Span, they’ve been around for 40 years and they’re as popular as ever. When they play a delicate piece, it can be genuinely moving. When they rock out, it can be exhilarating. When they just coast along however, it’s OK but disappointing, and while there’s not an overwhelming amount of coasting altogether here, there’s a bit too much for comfort.’

He documented a couple of late ’70s records from the lineup that included Martin Carthy on guitar and John Kirkpatrick on accordion, the studio album Storm Force Ten and Live At Last, released just before the band called it quits for a while. ‘Recorded at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth just days before the final split in 1978, the live representation of this lineup shows further diversity in their repertoire, and the presence of an obviously enthusiastic audience helps prevent any perceived malaise in performance that some may see in the studio album.’

He gave a thoughtful review of their 1996 record Time, which presaged nearly a decade of constant lineup shifts in the band. ‘Taken on its own terms though, it’s easy to categorise this as one of Steeleye Span’s best efforts in their long career. Lyrics and song explanations are included in the booklet, for those of us who like to understand the meaning and rationale behind a song. Musically and thematically, the CD can be seen as not just one of the better illustrations of the band’s work but as a fine example of electric folk generally, for anyone needing an initiation.’

Michael was upbeat about Wintersmith, the band’s project undertaken with humorous fantasy author Terry Pratchett, himself no stranger to our pages. ‘Steeleye for their part have released one of the best albums of their near-45 year career, and one that fits into that oeuvre while sounding rather different to much of their previous discography.  It’s still folk-rock of course, with a pleasing emphasis on the rock side – but it’s quite an intense sound in many places in terms of playing, and certainly production.’

Michael also interviewed Maddy Prior during a solo tour of Australia, in which she touched briefly on Steeleye and talked a lot about traditional music and the way it changes. ‘It’s never been pure, it’s always taken from anywhere. It’s like if you listen to any of the Top Twenty in any year, there’s the most ridiculous combinations of songs. You think, “that wasn’t around at the same time as that,” some crass novelty piece and some wonderful song that soars and rages, and loads of stuff you’ve forgotten that’s just rubbish. Well, traditional music’s like that. It’s all there. There’s novelty, there’s rubbish, it really does reflect people. The tradition has no taste whatever, you know.’

In his review of Please to See the King No’am pointed out an important distinction between Steeleye and Fairport Convention. Fairport plays electric folk-rock, while Steeleye plays traditional folk music, electrified. ‘I would recommend this disk to anyone who is interested in traditional English music. Although this and its sibling Ten Map Mop were landmark records, I think that very little of their experimental sound has percolated through to any of the Steeleye line-ups, or to any other group of the British folk-rock genre.’

Peter Massey took in a 2002 Steeleye show in Southport, Lancashire, on the tour that provided material for their “best-of” record Present. ‘Every one of the thousand or so that were in the audience must have returned home feeling they had been very well entertained. One of the nicer touches of the concert was the appearance of Rose Kemp, daughter of Rick and Maddy who is only 17, but already showing promise as a fine singer – she is clearly being groomed for the ‘family business’. The teaming up of her voice with Maddy’s sounded excellent when she joined the band on stage to sing the chorus to a couple of numbers.’

Steve reviewed the double album Present: The Very Best of Steeleye Span with the tracks selected by fans via online poll. ‘All in all, as an older fan, it’s worth having just for the improved production values and new arrangements of some tracks – and the sentimental value, of course. Those new to Steeleye Span have a ready made collection here, too, which is always a good selling point.’

One of our earliest reviews of Steeleye came from guest writer Tony Wighton, who covered the band’s engagement at the Trinity Theatre and Arts Centre in Tunbridge Wells in October 1998, when the band were touring behind their latest release Horkstow Grange. ‘If I was going to make any criticism of the evening it would be that I would have liked to have heard more of the new album, and maybe a few more really old classics from years gone by, but I am nitpicking really. It was an excellent gig and a relief to know that Steeleye Span, despite a major upheaval, have lived to tell the tale, and here’s wishing them every success for a good few years to come.’

Reynard has a good find, the 40th Anniversary Souvenir Tour Guide from the band’s 2009 tour. ‘This Steeleye Span souvenir tour guide follows the format for pretty much every such publication over the past fifty or so years; a high gloss print job with lots of photographs and text covering the band. This one differs from the usual such offering by being a retrospective look at the band instead of focusing on the latest release which most of these publications rightfully do.’

The Horkstow Grange album gets mixed reviews but as Chuck pointed out in his review, the arrangement of the title song is superb. We don’t have a live version available, so here’s the official version.

All things flow from the spirit, Master Anderson. Governments are made up of their people. So long as they are men and women of character, the nation stands. ― James Stoddard’s The High House

I awoke well before dawn as I wanted to watch the Northern Lights as they’ve been particularly outstanding right now. Though none of the humans save Tamsin, our Estate Hedgewitch,  joined me, but several of the Irish wolfhounds that guard our livestock accompanied me as well and even some of Tamsin’s owl companions flew low overhead. We, well at least we humans, found them fascinating as the wolfhounds and owls seemed to be playing a rather complicated chase game.

We later had breakfast back in the Kitchen nook created originally for members of the Neverending Session to play in the Kitchen — thick cut twice smoked applewood bacon, blueberry waffles with butter and maple syrup, tea for me and Tamsin as well, and Border strawberries, the ones that start red as blood and turn white as bleached bone, as well. We both felt in need of  a very long walk to work it off, or a long nap… I, however, needed to put this together so both choices were put off for later consideration!

Cat goes sideways in time: ‘Ah, to visit John Carter and the inhabitants of Barsoom, Edger Rice Burrough’s richly imagined Mars. The characters in Robert Heinlein’s The Number of The Beast did in their travels across the multiverse, and now the protaganist of Rainbow Mars does it. Well, sort of. Maybe. Possibly. Let me explain the confusion that I may have intentionally generated… Larry Niven has stated many times that he firmly believes that time travel is logically impossible — an utter and complete fantasy. So when retrieval specialist Svetz heads back from polluted future Earth in search of extinct animals, he tends to sideslip into fantastic, fictional worlds. And delightfully so in these stories.’

He next has a collection with an an interesting premise: ‘Now we can add to the list of great Sf and fantasy pub tales  this Larry Niven collection, The Draco Tavern, which collects all of the previously printed Draco Tavern tales, with a few new pieces thrown in for a bit of value added like all the extras we get on DVDs these days.‘

He finished his Niven reviews with Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven’s The Mote in God’s Eye which he say of that ‘Until the likes of Iain M. Banks with The Culture series and Neal Asher with the Polity series came along, quite possibly the best Space Opera of all time was this forty year-old novel that took the Space Opera novels of the 1930s and 1940s and very, very nicely updated them.’

Lis says of Larry Niven’s Hugo Award winning Ringworld: ‘Louis Wu is 200 years old, and … bored.When a Puppeteer, a member of a species that’s been absent from Known Space for a bit over 200 years, diverts Louis’ transfer portal shift in the course of his birthday celebration, Louis Wu is ready to be recruited into a new offworld adventure. The fact that this will involve traveling with the Puppeteer, called Nessus; Speaker-to-Animals, a very junior diplomat of the predatory, big-cat-like species humans have been at war with multiple times, the Kzin; and a fellow human, Teela Brown, who is genetically “lucky”; and all of them in an untested, experimental hyperdrive ship much faster than any existing hyperdrives…what could possibly go wrong?’

Speaking of The Culture series, Gary has several reviews for us, the first being a book of literary criticism about the Culture series. He says Simone Caroti’s The Culture Series ‘is valuable reading for anyone who wants to move into a deeper understanding of what that series is really about, where it stands in the history of SF and literature, and why it’s important.’

He has read (and reviewed) a lot of the late great Iain M. Banks’s Culture novels, but for some reason hadn’t yet covered the second of the series, The Player of Games. He’s now remedying that: ‘It’s a deceptively layered story, something of a game in itself. From the very outset we’re told by the unidentified narrator that all is not what it seems. The story begins with a battle that is not a battle and ends with a game that isn’t a game, we’re told. Just who the book’s title actually refers to is but one of the bits of authorial legerdemaine we’ll contend with as we follow the story.’

He did look at the final novel that Banks wrote before cancer took him at far too young an age: ‘The Hydrogen Sonata: High concepts to ponder, natural and constructed wonders to marvel at, plus intrigue, mystery and action to keep you turning the pages; The Hydrogen Sonata is yet another Banks novel to savor.’

Gary here in this review echos what I really like about The Culture series: ‘As with all of Bank’s Culture novels, Surface Detail is richly imagined in addition to being intricately plotted. The characters’ actions sometimes surprise but never seem out of character. The settings are minutely described, and in such a way that I can almost always them see in my mind’s eye. There was a short section somewhere past the midpoint where I felt that the plot got bogged down for a while; other than that, I could hardly turn its nearly 650 pages fast enough.’

Speaking of summer blockbusters, James reviewed Catwoman, the one with Halle Berry … and was not amused. ‘If all you need in a movie is Halle Berry in a tight, revealing leather outfit cracking a whip, stop reading this right now and go see Catwoman. If you care about anything else in a movie – like plot, acting, originality, or excitement – see anything else.’

Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nathan had a book that was to the liking of Gary: ‘This is, the authors of Tequila! A Natural and Cultural History say, the “second tequila boom” in the United States. The first occurred around the turn of the 20th century, after a mescal produced by Sauza took top prize at the 1893 Chicago Exposition. But Mesoamericans have been pit-roasting agaves for up to 10,000 years, from the north rim of the Grand Canyon south to Guatemala, and cultivating the succulent plant for nearly as long.’

Debbie took a thorough look at Charles Vess’ The Book Of Ballads And Sagas #1 – 4. ‘Vess, who has a solid reputation for illustrating such works as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman stories (also published in graphic novel form) also loves the ballads and sagas that have been entertaining people for hundreds of years, and in this series of books he has collaborated with some of the best-known writers in fantasy literature, including Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Charles de Lint, Sharyn McCrumb (not a fantasy writer but an author of mysteries with an Appalachian folkloric theme), Midori Snyder, Robert Walton and Delia Sherman (whew!) — I hope I’ve not left anyone out!’

Gary soared with delight for Brian McCarthy’s After|Life. The jazz saxophonist and his nine-piece ensemble’s latest work is a musical exploration of the birth and evolution of our Solar System. ‘These are heady scientific and philosophical – even spiritual – concepts. But the music on After|Life, while heavenly to listen to, is distinctly down to earth. This is for the most part tuneful, melodic jazz by a crew that’s in synch.’

Gary also enjoyed a new recording by jazz pianist Edward Simon and his trio, with Mexican-American singer Magos Herrera, called Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women. ‘Edward Simon, a performer, composer, and arranger, has built his career since his first trio recording in 1994 on original compositions and “jazz informed” arrangements of pieces from the Great Latin American Songbook. His partnership with Herrera, who  sings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and is deeply connected to the Latin American jazz scene past and present, is a natural fit.’

And Gary delved into the new album Substrat by Guillem Ballaz, who is described as ‘a multi-instrumentalist musician who seeks inspiration on the margins of tradition …’ Gary says, ‘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 world renowned Mari Boine into his new project Substrat.’

John O’Regan penned an informative and moving remembrance of Irish musician and singer Mícheál Ó’Domhnaill. He was a central figure in the Irish music revival, playing in Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Nightnoise, with Kevin Burke, and many others from the 1970s until his untimely passing. ‘Mícheál Ó’Domhnaill was so pivotal to many eras in Irish music history. He may have been a quiet man but his influence can be detected and felt to this day. As well as a performer I will always remember Mícheál Ó’Domhnaill as a sensitive musician, poignant vocalist and above all a kind and gracious man. He was among my heroes and when I hear his dulcet tones on ‘Is Trua Nach Bhfuil me in Eirin’ on the first Bothy Band album or ‘Lord Franklin’ on ‘Promenade’ — I know one thing for certain — we won’t hear Mícheál Ó’Domhnaill’s like again.’

Lars reviewed a rare recording of folk songs by the U.K. singer Graham O’Callaghan. ‘In This Heart is a timeless album. Since Graham O’Callaghan steers clear of all things fashionable, he has created a recording that can be played no matter what fashion dictates. It may not catch your breath the first time you hear it. But give it time, and it will grow on you.’

‘One of the problems with listening to new albums from old groups is that we each have our favourite era of those groups’ history,’ Lars says about Steeleye Span’s Bloody Men. ‘Any new product is always compared with those “classic albums” of the past, albums that usually stood for something new and revolutionary when they first appeared. But how can you continue being revolutionary for almost four decades?’ Read his review to see what he thinks about this one. (Spoiler: he likes it!)

Speaking of Steeleye Span, Michael Hunter interviewed Maddy Prior when she was touring Australia with her then-new CD Ravenchild. They discussed the album, her bandmates, Steeleye, ravens, folk-rock, and folk music in general. As Michael said: ‘It’s been a long and influential career that shows no signs of slowing down, for which a great many people are very grateful! The Ravenchild CD is a fine representation of where she is now musically: mythological and current, folky and contemporary – and with that unique and unmistakable voice.’

Peter liked an early album by a Serbian band playing Celtic music, the Orthodox Celts’ Green Roses. ‘Musically, the band is very tight. As a folk rock band, they sit midway between The Pogues and The Old Blind Dogs. Orthodox Celts was formed by fiddle player Ana Đokić some seven years ago. They all come from Belgrade in Serbia. Aleksandar Petrović sings all the lead vocals. I have to say that at first I was not sure about his voice, but after listening a few times it grows on you, and there is hardly a hint of a Serbian accent. This album only goes to prove that good taste in traditional music is not just confined to the British Isles.’

Peter also got a kick out of John Bull’s Alive and Kicking: ‘For over 25 years the John Bull band has been plying their own particular brand of folk rock to tunes for ceilidh and barn dances. This is a long-awaited release from a band that is now broadening its horizons. Their ‘bread and butter’ is playing dance tunes, but here on this album they include some songs. While they are essentially a ceilidh dance band, making this album has provided the opportunity for the band to explore new ideas. These include some re-worked material taken from their involvement with theatrical productions by The Riverside Players on the Wirral, Cheshire. The result is indeed a fine example of the closeness a band only gets after years of playing together.’

Peter wasn’t quite as sanguine about Brian Peters’ Different Tongues: ‘Singers of traditional English songs are born to it, not made, so therefore some do it better than others. Listening to Brian Peters on Different Tongues, I somehow got the distinct feeling that Brian has got a lot more to offer than what is on this album.’

Tim reviewed some banjo-forward CDs, including an omni of three: Hilarie Burhans’ Put On The Skillet, Hubie King and Diane Jones’ There Are No Rules! and Reed Island Rounders’ Goin’ Back. ‘I was lucky to get to hear some good old-time banjo recordings recently. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground when it comes to banjos. There are the folks who love them, and then there are the misguided. I think there’s hope for the misguided, though; they just haven’t listened to the right recordings. These three, for instance.’

Tim then went on to Steppin’ On Cords and The Road To Burhania, a couple of releases by Hilarie Burhans’ Hotpoint Stringband, which specializes in contradance tunes. ‘I’ve said before that good contradance bands rarely make good sit-and-listen-to bands. I’ve also noted that there are exceptions to that rule, and Hotpoint Stringband can be added to that list. All of the tunes on these discs are danceable, and they are also eminently listenable.’

Somebody else, but we’re no longer sure who, reviewed Hotpoint Stringband’s Hotpoint Special, one of that ensemble’s most enduringly popular CDs. ‘This band from Athens, Ohio, has taken a new approach to playing contradance music, namely throwing in everything including the kitchen sink. Traditional reels and waltzes are fused with original compositions and the result is a heady mix ready for the dance floor. The album kicks off with “Bus Stop Reel” which illustrates well the Hotpoint’s specialty. Start off with a rump-shaking rhythm. Add banjo and then remaining instruments. For a dash of something extra, throw in a bit of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” ‘

Our What Not this week is another treat from Folkmanis. Says Robert: ‘I seem to have another Folkmanis puppet lurking around, this one the Rat In a Tin Can. The Folkmanis website describes him as being ready for a playful picnic (note the napkin in one paw). However, it seemed to me that he might just as easily be a waiter in an upscale rat restaurant: his black-and-white pattern might almost be taken for formal wear.’

For our Coda, the young Norwegian “hard” folk rockers Gangar have teamed up with one of Norway’s most promising folk singers, Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen, on their upcoming debut album. We have a preview of their first single, “Sukkeri Er Søtt (Sugar Is Sweet)”, which drops June 16 just in time for your Solstice revelries. It’s taken from a fun old folk song of the same name, learned from a recording by fiddler Aslak Brekke (1901-1978), and combined with a Reinlender (what Norwegians call the Schottische) they learned from a recording by Ole “Ola” Løseth (1897- 1978). Done of course very hard fast and loud. (Gary reviewed Gangar’s Tre Danser EP from late 2022.)

There are few joys to compare with the telling of a well-told tale. — Charles de Lint’s Yarrow: An Autumn Tale

So what was the best book you’ve read this year? Or the best recording you’ve had  a listen to? Do you have a favourite dark chocolate? Mine’s the Ritter dark chocolate with hazelnuts which is the perfect size for an afternoon snack while walking out and back to our Standing Stones.

Everything we like is unique to us as I noticed when Cat asked Deborah, author of the Haunted Ballad Series and the JP Kinkaid Chronicles, what her favourite Grateful Dead was and she replied, ‘I’m an old school Dead woman. Give me Aoxomoxoa, Anthem Of The Sun, Live Dead, Workingman’s Dead, and American Beauty. I helped Annette Flowers and Eileen Law stuff cartons of Europe ’72. After Pigpen died, they started losing me for good and never really got me back. But that was my period of Dead.’

 To me, one of the joys of this enterprise we are doing is reading what other staffers, both now and going back decades, has found that they really appreciate (and what they sometimes really, really don’t appreciate) as they’re often things I’d not a clue existed such as gremlins made physical from Roald Dahl’s The Gremlins: The Lost Walt Disney Production!

So let’s see what we found for you this time.

Cat has a confession to make about Robert Heinlein’s fiction: ‘The Cat Who Walks Through Walls is, after over thirty years of my reading works beyond count by him, my favorite novel by him bar none. There are without doubt better written novels by Heinlein that stir strong passions in readers, say Starship Troopers and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, both of which can cause otherwise sensible readers to start hissing and spitting at each over the perceived political and social commentary in those books, and let’s not even broach the matter of Stranger in A Strange Land, as that work will really get the mojo rising in many readers!’

Another novel written in the last years of his life drew this comment from Cat: ‘Robert Heinlein’s Friday, was a novel that deeply divided critics when it was published. Part of that was the gender and race politics of a male author writing a female character that got raped,  part of it was the usual kvetching about every novel Heinlein wrote from Stranger in a Strange Land to the end of his writing career.’

Joel looks at a juvenile, The Star Beast: ‘Beating out The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by a good three decades, and Men in Black by over four, Heinlein didn’t just do this story first, he did it best. I’ve been enjoying the recent books in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. The last few books have been much more about diplomacy than space battles, and are no less riveting for it. But who knew that Heinlein, the creator of the self-same military science fiction tradition which led to Old Man’s War, was himself quite capable of having his heroes save the day by talking and listening as well?’

Kestrell looks into the future to review John Langan’s House of Windows. What does Kestrell have to say of this work of literary horror? Well, this might help — ‘House of Windows can be read on many levels — as a modern updating of the old-fashioned ghost story, as a commentary on the psychological ‘ghosts’ created by physical and emotional abuse, and as a perceptive reading of the overlapping of classic literature with supernatural fiction. Beneath all of these, however, runs the ongoing questions of why we read at all, why do words and stories possess such an irresistible attraction for us, and what these stories can reveal — or tragically fail to reveal-to us about our own lives and experiences.’

Kathleen has a confession regarding Time For The Stars: ‘Robert Anson Heinlein is inarguably one of the great formative writers of science fiction. His work is not only seminal, it’s good — well-told, well-plotted, with solid characterization. It’s also frequently thought-provoking, with underlying philosophy and speculation that stays with the reader for a lifetime. Most modern readers attribute these qualities to the more outré and/or famous novels, like Time Enough For Love and the iconic Stranger In A Strange Land. But Heinlein’s so-called juveniles are actually among the most thoughtful of his books.’

Kim found a book that was more than merely good: Ursula K. Le Guin’s Buffalo Gals. This novella, she says, takes the reader ‘… into the magical world Gal, or Myra as she is known in some circles, experiences after being injured in a plane crash and then rescued by Coyote. Boulet’s work draws us into the world Gal sees with her new eye, a multilayered field of vision that bridges the nature and the appearance of things so beautifully communicated in Le Guin’s story. It has earned a place next to my treasured “children’s” books — the selfishness of an adult who finds some things too beautiful to actually let the wee wilds grub them up.’

Lis says ‘Lies Sleeping picks up after The Hanging Tree, with Peter Grant newly promoted to Detective Constable, and Martin Chorley, a.k.a. the Faceless Man, pursuing his dire plan, which Nightingale and Peter still don’t know nearly enough about. As they involve most of the Metropolitan Police in finding the information they need, we see Nightingale in action more than usual, Peter has some educational experiences he might have preferred to avoid, and we find out why Lesley May really decided to join Chorley. Also why, apart from wanting to destroy everything Nightingale, Peter, and most decent people hold dear, Chorley really is truly evil. All this, and more, on the way to a doozy of a conclusion.’

She also appraised T. Kingfisher’s A House with Good Bones: ‘Archaeoentomologist Sam (Samantha) Montgomery, during an interruption in work at a dig site, heads home for the first extended visit to her mother in a while. She’s not taking too seriously her brother’s warning that “Mom seems off,” and isn’t expecting anything other than an enjoyable visit with her mother. The first hint that her brother could be right might be that her mother has redecorated in Gran Mae’s style, including the Confederate wedding painting. Or, it might be the vulture perched outside.’

Paul says ‘In Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun, a mostly historical fictional take on the end of the Yuan Dynasty becomes out and out fantasy when the author genderflips the future Ming Emperor, and adds some mild supernatural elements in the bargain.’

Somehow, we’ve never done a stand-alone review of Steven Brust’s The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, which oversight Robert has corrected for us: ‘Steven Brust’s The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars is a strangely deceptive novel. It seems, at first, fairly straightforward – a narrative about a group of artists trying to make it, interspersed with sections of a folk tale – but you start to wonder whether it’s really that up front or if Brust is pulling a Gene Wolfe and playing with your head – there seem to be all sorts of clues in the book, but are they?’

Cat looks at Doctor Who’s The Unicorn and The Wasp episode: ‘One of my favourite episodes of the newer episodes of this series was a country house mystery featuring a number of murders and, to add an aspect of metanarrative to the story, writer Agatha Christie at the beginning of her career. It would riff off her disappearance for ten days which occurred just after she found her husband in bed with another woman. Her disappearance is a mystery that has never been satisfactorily answered to this day.’

Our culinary review this outing is about a book edited by Louise DeSalvo and Edvige Giunta, The Milk of Almonds: Italian American Women Writers on Food and Culture, which had a Proustian effect on Leona: ‘There is, within every Italian-American family, a story about why the family left Italy… usually, at the heart of a family’s emigration story, there is a story about food….” (from the Introduction of The Milk of Almonds). This book is a collection of those stories, each with a silver hook that dragged me through my own memories as I read.’

Cat starts us off with a smashing review of Old Blind Dogs’ Play Live. ‘The Old Blind Dogs new CD Play Live was recorded in 2004 on the road in Chicago and Tulsa and I believe captures their live feel quite well. As befits a group that was judged Best Folk Band at the 2004 Scots Traditional Music Awards. Sadly though …’ Well, read the review to find out what’s so sad!

David reviewed a couple of live offerings from the 70s singer songwriter Jim Croce: A DVD that collects material from several concerts in about 1973, and a CD of kitchen demos of what would go on to be some of his best loved songs. ‘Jim Croce is one of those artists who slipped off the radar. He was once highly thought of, a star in fact – gold records, No. 1 hits, albums on the best-seller lists. Then mentioned in rock’n’roll death contests, and in the same breath as any number of one hit wonders. Two new releases from Shout! Factory go a long way towards recovering Jim’s credibility, and forcing us to reconsider his talent and catalogue.’

Gary reviews a new release from the Malian “desert blues” band Tinariwen, their ninth studio album Amatssou. ‘This time out they draw on some major players in Americana. Grammy winning producer and guitarist Daniel Lanois (I’ve covered his albums Belladonna and Goodbye to Language) was originally signed on to produce Tinariwen’s ninth at his Nashville studio but had to bow out due to Covid, so Amatssou instead was recorded mostly in Algeria and Morocco, but Lanois was able to contribute pedal steel and piano, and some production, to three tracks.

Gary notes that one of his favorite bands, Calexico, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its album Feast of Wire with a re-release and a special tour of Europe and North America. Read Gary’s original review of Feast of Wire, and check out the expanded re-release on vinyl or CD, and keep up with tour dates on CasaDeCalexico.com.

John Benninghouse thoroughly enjoyed two albums of medieval and Renaissance music by a pair of American musicians, Duo LiveOak’s Piva and Woman of the Water. ‘Duo LiveOak consists of Nancy Knowles and Frank Wallace. Knowles brings her voice and poetry while Wallace contributes his guitar and lute plus his voice. And he is a composer to boot. As contemporary classical artists, the pair look back to the Renaissance and Middle Ages for inspiration and song.’

John O’Regan had a good time learning about the music of Childsplay, via their CD called Childsplay Live. ‘The group Childsplay includes over two-dozen musicians drawn from the folk, traditional, Celtic, and roots music communities whose mixed backgrounds and styles blend to form a cohesive whole. Getting such a large ensembles together is not an easy task but such is the respect shown to Bob Childs and his instruments. Childsplay Live offers an exhilarating chariot ride through a myriad of diverse musical styles displaying versatility, ensemble virtuosity, technical panache, and exuberance.’

Michael Hunter took a look back at a couple of offerings from Steeleye Span including Live at Last! ‘Recorded at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth just days before the final split in 1978, the live representation of this line up shows further diversity in their repertoire, and the presence of an obviously enthusiastic audience helps prevent any perceived malaise in performance that some may see in the studio album. Kirkpatrick takes lead on the opening instrumental “Athol Highlanders / Walter Bulwer’s Polka” and with [Martin] Carthy’s distinctive acoustic guitar adding its part, the integration of the two ‘new’ members is quite apparent by this stage, while still sounding like a band worthy of the name Steeleye Span.’

Our What Not is one that we like to use often here…  We’ve asked  some well-respected writers as to what was their favourite folk song and why. The answers were illuminating to say the least! The very much missed Kage Baker gave us a Grateful Dead-ish answer: ‘Probably ‘The Rambling Sailor’. The lyrics are sort of heartless, but it makes a helluva dance tune, especially a morris dance. I was once at a morris-ale held in an oak forest one summer night in northern California. Kate and I were providing the ale. The conditions were perfect — a full moon, thunder rumbling around the sky, there was a big turnout of dancers, we had a fairly full band– two fiddlers, a concertina, a standing bass, a couple of pennywhistles and a shawm.

There was a lantern strung up in the branches of this one big oak tree that must have been about 400 years old, and the dancing was done in the open space underneath. The different sides did the usual tunes, with the sword dances and the sticks, but then everyone got out the white handkerchiefs and the band struck up ‘Rambling Sailor’. There must have been fifty or sixty dancers moving in perfect time, and my memory insists the boys were all as beautiful as young satyrs and the girls all looked like wood nymphs. The white cloths flashed like seagull wings. The little gold bells rang. The ground shook. It was one of the most perfect moments of my life.’

It being almost Summer, let’s have something warm and sprightly for our music this time. Hmmm… ‘Kashmir’ by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant will do nicely! It was recorded  apparently thirty five years ago, possibly at Glastonbury but I wouldn’t bet the farm on how truthful that is. It’s definitely a lovely take by them on this Moroccan influenced work

For heroes do not make history—that is the historian’s job—but, passive, let themselves be borne along, swept up to the crest of the tide of change, of chance, of war.― Ursula K. Le Guin’s Orsinian Tales

It’s a cold, damp afternoon with temperatures nearly fifteen degrees celsius below normal, so many of us are in the Pub catching  up on our reading, or just engaging in conversation. See Gus, our Estate Gardener at the end of the Bar enjoying our Queen’s Lament IPA? He’s reading Cheese Holidays, a magazine solely devoted to cheeses and cheese regions worth visiting, which cheeses to try, best hotels in terms of the cheeses they offer and even local history as related to the cheeses created there. It even has a centrefold of sorts with a spread of the cheeses from a featured cheesery.

I’ve been reading the recently published journals of a British diplomatic attaché who spent quite some years in Orsinia nearly three centuries ago. Fascinating look at a country few even visit now, but I’ve had a decades long mail-based friendship with the Librarian for the National Archives there.

And Catherine’s been happily immersed in a history of medieval musical instruments and the contemporary renaissance of their usage, and making notes on which ones Max, our resident luthier, might make for her. She’s enjoying an Irish coffee made with Kona beans we roasted here, a generous measure of Redbreast 12-year-old Single Pot Still Irish whisky and a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Now lets see what we’ve got for you in this edition…

Lis starts off with a Star Trek review, a novel by Janet Kagan, Uhura’s Song: ‘Enterprise is sent to respond to a devastating plague on a Federation world inhabited by a cat-like species, the Eeiauoans. McCoy and Chapel are on the planet working with local medical personnel, the disease has jumped species and is infecting humans, too, and Uhura’s old friend, Sunfall, an Eeiauoan diplomat who shares her love of music and gift for it, is among the ill. There’s an acting Chief Medical Officer on Enterprise, Evan Wilson, who when sent had hoped she’d be working with McCoy, not filling in for him. And she’s…unusual. As both Uhura and Spock search through all the information they have that might be relevant, they start pooling their efforts using the ballads she learned from Sunfall, and what he can piece together from their history and biology. Soon they’re convincing Kirk they need to go looking for the Eeiauons’ original homeworld. The result has Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and Evan Wilson trying to get medical information from people who are deeply ashamed of their ancestors having exiled the Eeiaoans, two millennia ago, and don’t want to talk about it. Oh, and the landing party has to figure out how to deal with a culture according to whose customs they’re not even adults. It’s a lot of fun.’ 

Next she has a review of a Revelation Space novel by Alasdair Reynolds: ‘Elysium Fire is the second adventure of Prefect Tom Dreyfus and his deputies, Thalia Ng and Sparver Bancal, confronting a new crisis. Or two crises. Or maybe the two crises are converging into one … They’re facing the new fragility of the Glitter Band, a seemingly inexplicable wave of deaths, and a very effective demagogue of murky background and unknown motives.’

Finally she looks at a novellette, At Witt’s End to be precise, in the Spade/Paladin Conundrum series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: ‘Science fiction fandom’s most renowned detective when things go wrong, has a sad job of a different kind to do. An old friend, another BNF (Big Name Fan), going by the single name Witt, has died, and Spade has the job of both organizing his memorial service for the benefit of fandom, and of auctioning off his collection of fannish treasures and memorabilia for the benefit of the charities Witt designated. Since Witt never wanted a memorial, and no West Coast convention in the right timeframe is large enough to host the auction, Spade has a major challenge. But when he gets those details sorted out, he soon finds himself confronting a bigger problem. During the memorial preceding the auction, the most valuable item in the collection disappears.’

Well, I lied. She also reviews another Spade/Paladin Conundrum story: ‘Spade is determined to stay far away from Unity Con, a convention run by people he loathes, who have no conrunning experience, whom he is convinced will make a disaster for all of fandom if well-known conrunners are seen to be involved. Then he gets a call from Paladin, telling him about a disaster that’s going to damage fandom anyway, unless she and Spade can prevent it. And Spade can’t say no to Paladin.’

‘The scenery, costumes, and sets in the movie are really lovely,’ Andrea says of a Hallmark production, Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale. Never a good sign, when a reviewer praises the sets, costumes and such … so what else does she have to say? ‘A great deal of the acting was sub-par. It was in many places too childish for adults and in many others too adult for children, and did not do justice to the subject, one of the most revered writers in the history of fairy tales.’

Gary has all of our culinary reviews this time and he says in his first review, ‘Not only has alcohol been intimately involved in the history of the United States of America, it has been closely associated with some of the key moments in that history, from the very beginning. That’s the argument that Susan Cheever makes in her book Drinking in America: Our Secret History.’

A loving look at Reid Mitenbuler’s Bourbon Empire which bears the subtitle of The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey being his second review. A history of bourbon lovingly told? Need I say more to get you to read his review? I think not!

Amy Stewart’s book might be a novel from its title but as Gary notes ‘No, it’s not a murder mystery or a light romantic comedy. The Drunken Botanist is a botanical exploration of “The plants that create the world’s great drinks,” as its subtitle says.’

Michael tackled an omnibus review of the entire series of Paradox Press’ series called The Big Book of … ‘Each is the size of a magazine, weighing in at 200 pages, give or take a few. These are well-designed, sturdy volumes which will look good on any shelf. Essentially, they’re graphic novels, with the numerous entries in each book written either by one author or one of several, and illustrated by any one of dozens of different artists. That’s right, one book can include upwards of 70 artists or more, featuring a wildly varying range of styles. While listing them all would be prohibitive, some regular and familiar names include Gahan Wilson, Sergio Aragones (of Mad Magazine and Groo fame), Eddie Campbell (the From Hell graphic novel), Phil Jiminez (current writer and artist of Wonder Woman), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), Frank Quietly (The Authority, New X-Men), and so many more.’

Gary reviews One Night in Texas, a tribute to Willie Nelson recorded at his ranch about a year ago for his 89th birthday, by a bunch of like-minded musicians. ‘They were all backed by the house band of Bruce Robison’s all-analog record label and studio known as The Next Waltz, and Robison had tape running. The result is a stellar recording that celebrates Willie’s big milestone in the best way possible, with gritty, soulful renditions of some of the best songs associated with the Red Headed Stranger.’

John O’Regan turned in a massive omnibus review of all sorts of Celtic music: ‘Celtic music is a wild and strange beast at the best of times, but beauty exists alongside the power and fury. This omnibus crosses both power and beauty and also the whole gamut of performers from harpists and pipers to families – parents and sibling outfits, various artists and a sole female vocalist who stands on the operatic side of Irish music. The artists hail from Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, USA and the UK.’

John also reviewed six CDs of  ‘Celtic mavericks‘ music, which he characterized as ‘a bunch of releases from people who have more than once stepped outside the zone marked “Familiar.” ‘ For example, he says of one of them, Music From the Four Corners of Hell by The Woods Band: ‘Named after a Dublin side street at which a pub existed on each corner, nostalgia is part of this package – but only half. Taking a bunch of popular Irish ballads like ‘Finnegan’s Wake’, ‘As I Roved Out’, ‘Spanish Lady’ and ‘The Travelling People’, some of which have been battered to extinction or forgotten in Celtic Tiger/Cosmopolitan Ireland, Woods returns them to their state of beauty, but tinged with with a little smattering of depravity.’

Camille has a look at toys made based on the characters in a film that never existed except as a script: Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics, recently released Roald Dahl’s The Gremlins in commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the United States Air Force. In a slightly melodramatic and over-sentimentalized introduction, Leonard Maltin gives a nevertheless fascinating brief history of this Disney-movie-that-wasn’t.’ They even came with an actual Gremlin bitten cookie!

Once upon a time and place, Enya was a founding member of Clannad and there are live recordings of the band from that period. She has never toured as a solo artist so, alas, there are no live recordings of her doing her own work.

So here are two of Clannad’s early pieces, with first up being ‘The Two Sisters’  from a performance in Köln, Germany, in 1977. This is a variant of the better known ‘Cruel Sister’ which is a Child Ballad covered by myriad bands. Pay attention to the lyrics at the end as they tell the gruesome ending the murderous sister comes to. It’s an ending worthy of the original Grimm Tales!

The second piece by them is ‘Down By The Sally Gardens’, which was performed in Bremen, Germany, in 1980 in what might have well have been one of Enya’s last performances with the band. The lyrics to the latter come from that well-known Irish poet William Butler Yeats.