| 1. Mysterious Integratron |
| 2. Hag at the Churn |
| 3. When She Drives |
| 4. Templo de Agua |
| 5. Gallega |
| 6. Walking the Plank |
| 7. B-52 |
| 8. Rip Hop |
| 9. Barcos |
| 10. Monkey Tree |
| 11. Bad Haggis |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
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First off is Gaudete from the album "Below The Salt", their well known version of a Christmas song sung in Latin.Then comes All Around My Hat" their one true hit and probably the one song for which they're most closely associated. It's an exciting arrangement with a great sing-along chorus and feisty mandolin breaks. The album of the same name was actually pretty uninspired and only contained one other true classic- "Black Jack Davy" which fortunately is also on this album.
The single version of "Thomas The Rhymer" is arguably their finest moment.With it's punchy verse, sublime chorus and ever shifting rhythms, this is Steeleye Span at their most progressive and exciting. Labelmate Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson was the production consultant and seems to have taken the experience of working with Steeleye Span when his band recorded the Songs From The Wood album.
"Alison Gross" and "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" are from the Parcel Of Rogues album which for the first time,shows the band moving into a more progressive direction. The latter song is particuarly haunting and beautiful.
"Little Lord Hugh","Long Lankin" and "Bach goes to Limerick" are all from the bands most underated album, Commoner's Crown.The epic eight and a half minute "Long Lankin"with its dramatic music breaks and dramatic feel is one of the band's crowning achievments.
The album also includes two of their later songs, "Gone To America" and "Let Her Go Down" from the Sails of Silver album which saw the band losing much of their eccentricity and becoming more mainstream.They are pleasant enough though a little pedestrian for my tastes.
This is the one Steeleye Span album I throw on when I need a quick dose of high energy inventive progressive folk rock. Anyone who buys this who only knows "All Around My Hat" are likely in for a treat! Highly recommended.
Actually, i think that you'll find that that distinction pretty much belongs to the previous band founded by bass player Ashely "Tyger" Hutchings, Fairport Convention.
Doesn't matter -- this is great stuff.
I already have these albums from the original CD releases and The improvement in sound clarity is for the most part great for a recording made over 30 years ago.
As a bonus, the set includes a great track "General Taylor".
Steeleye's first album (which I originally wrote this review for) truly is something special! Every song on here is great...too bad that this line-up didn't get a more thorough work-out since the magic is flying everywhere on this recording, and having BOTH female singers makes this one SOAR (though the male vocals are spot-on as well)!
The Blacksmith version on here may be one of my favorite songs I've ever heard in this genre. Other beautiful songs like Fisherman's Wife, Dark-Eyed Sailor, Lowlands of Holland, All Things Are Quite Silent, and One Night as I Lay on my Bed have such great harmonies, melodies and energy (some rock! I'd love to see Tull record a couple of these) that they stick with you long after the cd shuts off. Black-leg Miner is such an energetic and trippy string-whacking and cool vision of a new musical style, I am amazed...even that heavy accent really adds to the song (Bluegrass musicians should check this out). Is there a better way to start a new band and album than the Calling On Song? I could go on and on with other songs on HARK!
This album is just wonderful from beginning to end, do yourself a favor and let this soak into your soul, you won't regret it. Cross-over appeal is broad with this band. I should further explore Terry and Gay Wood's music to see if this magic was created on other recordings of theirs. I know it was on the (also great) later Steeleye albums (this album has drumming which gives it a familiar feel, although they tried it without drums after this album for awhile).
Now for this review, the next two great albums need at least some comment to reassure the unconvinced that it was no fluke - THE MAGIC CONTINUES! Please To See The King starts the "new" sound with the cranked up strings and dulcimer minus Terry & Gay Woods but adding Martin Carthy and Peter Knight (two incredibly talented musicians and singers). So many excellent songs here that getting into them all would be daunting, let's just say that they are ALL great and this package is a blast to listen to all-through.
I imagine this band sometimes as hairy-feet Hobbits smoking long-bottom leaf cranking their wired, crazy little electric instruments to the Shire's delight at the great harvest festival - Mordor quakes at the power of these Middle-Earth minstrels, Orcs and Goblins run for their lives...fun thought anyway! Thanks for the gift of your music Steeleye members past and present. The world would feel more empty without it. Enjoy!
The improvement in sound clarity is phenomenol. Its like hearing these albums for the first time again (especially the first two.)
As a bonus, the set includes the track "General Taylor" previously only available on the compilation "Individually And Collectively"
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
The opener, "Spotted Cow," is a very sweet love song--certainly a rarity for this band. Then the acappella "Rosebud in June" shows off the group's vocal abilities to breathtaking effect. It's a sort of fertility song, equating human and ovine fecundity. I suppose in this instance the word is being used in a manner similar to the French "jolie," but I can't help but smile at the line about the jolly, jolly sheep. The instrumental jigs are fine, if inessential--but then there's another stunner, "Sheep-Crook and Black Dog." It features some of Maddy Prior's best vocals--which, given her track record, is high praise indeed. I suppose that, broadly speaking, it's about feeling incapable of following societal expectations, in spite of the pain this causes--but that makes it sound way more like a sociology lecture than it should. It's beautifully sad, and the denouement is quietly devastating: "But she wrote that she's led such a contrary life/She said that she'd never be a young shepherd's wife."
Then there's "Royal Forester," which takes a mischievously proto-feminist approach to the "stolen maidenhead" trope that's so common in the band's oeuvre--even if the conclusion, wherein the maiden in question's violator's "punishment" is being forced to marry her, forcibly drags things back to a more medieval context.
"King Henry"--man, seriously, what can you say? At eight minutes, with several phases and complex arrangements, it's the album's obvious centerpiece. It's a tale of hospitality and duty with obvious echoes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Wife of Bath's Tale, among others. It sort of feels like there should be another verse or two--but there I go, applying modern narrative sensibilities to an ancient song. Bad! I suppose I'd also be guilty of that if I noted that Henry's "hospitality" seems, in places, remarkably indistinguishable from plain ol' cowardice--but regardless of how you read it, it's a great song.
"Gaudete"--eh, it's decent enough, very pretty, great singing, and so forth, but, while I know it's one of the band's best-known (best-loved?) songs it doesn't exactly set me on fire.
"John Barleycorn" gets things back on track, however--there are innumerable variations on the "patron saint of alcohol" theme, including a number of well-known versions of this same song, but this one is, predictably, one of the best. "Saucy Sailor" finishes things well, even if the instrumental section at the end drags a bit.
So yeah. In summary: fantastic stuff. Easily the band's best album. Commoner's Crown is another popular candidate, and I think (somewhat surprisingly) that their reunion album Time ought to be another--but, great as those albums are, I don't think they can really touch Below the Salt. If you think you might be at all interested in archaic British folk music, this is the only place to start--and even if you don't, give it a try. You may well surprise yourself.
This will make you want to further explore Steeleye Span's catalog of cds, and you will want to delve further into Irish Celtic music. I highly recommend this beautiful, catchy, folk music cd.
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
I wish they had kept Gay Woods, a concertina player from the first album and Martin Carthy, an excellent singer/guitarist. That would have been seven people, but who cares? It would be awesome. I think that adding Nigel Pegrum, a drummer, to the band helped the band and hurt them. Before he came along, they relied on amazing mellodies, their songs were more acoustic. When they got Pegrum, they were forced to turn far more electric than they planned. Some people say that he is a bad drummer, but I disagree. He plays what he needs to.
Get this with Below the Salt or All Around my Hat. You won't regret it...
all in all a great album. nothing too fancy and white mans moccosins are still some of my favorite um songs even with all their new stuff out
I like the use of acoustics as lead guitars in Uncle Wally and Water. Andy's Last Beer is a song anyone will like. Ringo, Roulette and Hurt Bird Bath are very very sexy, but my favorite song (which I have yet to hear live) is 2nd Self, mainly because of the last minute of so, which is a nice little guitar jam...BUT IT, LISTEN TO IT!
(and read the liner notes, they're fun)
Some have compared UM to Phish, but I don't hear it. These guys ain't about one guy as much as Phish.
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
You might want to get "Lark in the Morning" if you don't have the 1st 3 Steeleye albums - all 3 remastered on 2 cd's for about $11.00 is a nicely packaged steal! I imagine this band sometimes as hairy-feet Hobbits smoking long-bottom leaf cranking their wired, crazy little electric instruments to the Shire's delight at the great harvest festival - Mordor quakes at the power of these Middle-Earth minstrels, Orcs and Goblins run for their lives...fun thought anyway! Thanks for the gift of your music Steeleye members past and present. The world would feel more empty without it. Enjoy!
I am reminded of a recent quote from John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: "We're not this good in spite of our age, we're this good because of it."
Enjoy.
The best thing here is "Bonny Black Hair," by far the dirtiest thing the band's ever done. It's kind of refreshing to here them singing about casual sex with none of the crippling shame/stigma that typically haunts their work on the subject. "The 3 Sisters" is vaguely catchy, as is "Demon of the Well." "Whummil Bore" is intriguingly elliptical. The five-part "Ned Ludd," comprising the second disc, isn't great, but it's not terrible either, and you've got to appreciate that the band can still embark on something so ambitious after all these years. The first part even puts to music words by John Clare, which is pretty cool. Overall, the verdict is this: none of the songs make me want to fling myself down a steep embankment. That's more than can be said for TCHB.
However--and this cannot be emphasized strongly enough--if this were one of the band's classic seventies albums, giving it two stars would be extremely generous. The appeal of Steeleye Span was that they offered highly evocative renditions of Olde Englishe folke songes, with imaginative and highly memorable arrangements. Apart from the inexplicably excellent Time, none of their post-seventies albums have done much to recapture this dynamic, and Bloody Men offers only the most faint, barely-audible echo of the band's former greatness. Some may call this judgment unfair, but I assure you, it is entirely accurate. Please call to mind some of the band's best classic songs--"Copshawholme Fair," "King Henry," "Sheep-Crook and Black Dog," "Cam Ye O'er Frae France," "Boys of Bedlam," "False Knight on the Road," "Little Sir Hugh," "Demon Lover," "Edwin," "Drink Down the Moon," "Montrose," I could seriously go on all day--and then try to tell me with a straight face that anything from Bloody Men comes anywhere near to touching them. Even the (pointless) remake of "Cold, Haily, Windy, Night" doesn't come close.
So basically, while not completely worthless, this is an album for true diehards only. It's impossible for me to imagine anyone who doesn't already have the rest of the band's catalogue finding anything at all edifying here. If you're not already acquainted with the Span experience, check out Below the Salt and Commoner's Crown, and work backwards and forwards from there, approaching the band's many reunion albums (always excepting Time) with extreme caution. If you do this, you may ultimately end up getting some modest enjoyment out of Bloody Men, but it's certainly not a major artistic achievement by any standard.
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
So, track by track:
1) Little Sir Hugh - absolutely incredible, one of the best vocal and instrumental arrangements the band ever did, with chilling lyrics, and a great "a capella" vocal break near the end.
2) Bach Goes To Limerick - The album practically falls flat on its face here: by far the most boring instrumental the band recorded in any lineup; a waste of time that goes nowhere, and makes one wonder exactly what they were thinking. Fairport Convention they ain't.
3) Long Lankin - this might just be the best thing they ever recorded; see comments for track one, and amplify them tenfold. A masterpiece on every level, and one of their most rocking tracks before the "All Around My Hat" album.
4) Dogs And Ferrets - enjoyable, but a bit of a throw-away: nothing really substantial here musically or lyrically, but a nice respite from the intensity of the previous track.
5) Galtee Farmer - very amusing lyric, but repetitious musically; nothing special here.
6) Demon Lover - this is one of the songs that Steeleye fans are either going to love or hate; I absolutely love it, especially the moment where Rick's bass brings the chorus back in at the end of Maddy's line "He sunk the ship in a flash of fire to the bottom of the sea". One of their best tracks ever, IMO, although some (most?) purists might be put off by its "pop" aspects.
7) Elf Call - Even more pop-oriented than "Demon Lover"; this again is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition for most Steeleye fans, and I love it; the chorus features one of the most beautiful vocal arrangements they ever did, and this ranks as one of my favorite Steeleye tunes.
8) Weary Cutters - lovely vocals, but again, nothing special. One suspects that by the time of this album, the band were really more interested in offering rock/pop songs with a folk influence, rather than their previously inverse approach, and the more overtly folk-oriented material comes off as largely indifferent on this album as a result.
9) New York Girls - again, this seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it track. I think it's a perfect, irreverent ending to the album, with brilliantly funny lyrics, and nice ukulele playing from special guest Peter Sellers (yes, "Inspector Clouseau").
So, overall, a mixed bag, but tracks 1,3,6 and 7 are so incredible as to make it essential listening, IMO; albeit not quite on the same level as the three albums listed at the start of the review.
One thing about Old English folk tunes is that they can all sound the same after awhile. What the group managed to do during this period was arrange these songs into either rollicking or haunting "modern" folk tunes using various timbres of the instruments of their time while performing them in the spirit of a former time. Every song comes off well, especially the sublimely haunting "Long Lankin" and the a cappella "Weary Cutters". The ensemble singing during the chorus of "Demon Lover" punctuated by the electric guitar statement is sweet. "Galtee Farmer" manages to be both haunting and rollicking at once, driven by a superb guitar and bass line. Granted, "New York Girls" seems out of place but it serves to end the album on a humorous note after the more severe and somber tunes that precede it.
If I recall correctly, this album wasn't made widely available in America upon its original LP release; perhaps that's why it doesn't garner as much of a reputation among American listeners. No matter, because this along with Below the Salt are in my opinion the best examples of Steeleye Span's studio recorded output. I'll also grant that this CD seems a bit pricy, but what can one do about that except buy it used.
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
In response to an earlier reviewer, and to the best of my knowledge, Tim Hart sings lead vocal on Wife of Ushers Well, Bob Johnson on Gamble Gold, and Rick Kemp(bass player) sings lead vocal on Batchelors Hall. The first album that Peter Knight(fiddler) sang lead on, I think, was Sails of Silver(1980).
`I have a Wish` is surely a filler, if ever there was one. `Fire on the Line`?..isn`t that taken from a Prior/Kemp CD which is not `rare`.
This CD is for completists. Even though it`s good to have those singles, such as Boar`s Head Carol, Holly and the Ivy, on CD, I personally would prefer them as bonus tracks on the appropriate album CD reisssues - Boar`s Head Carol on Storm Force Ten, for example - instead of having them all thrown together in a disjointed compilation. Still, better than not having them at all, I guess. There are some great live tracks here, but again, I think Raven should have saved them for their recently released *live* CD. Royal Forester is a standout track here, much livelier and rockier than the studio version, thanks to Pegrum`s energetic drumming(the original didn`t have a drummer), and Knight`s wild fiddle playing!
Yeah...but....the real LOW point of this compilation is the last, and definitely least, track - it`s Status Quo performing a cover of All Around My Hat, live, with Maddy Prior purportedly `guesting`. Hmm..no disrespect but, what`s Status Quo got to do with Steeleye Span/Maddy Prior! Haven`t we heard enough versions of this song already, anyway, without being subjected to a Status Quo interpretation(especially if you don`t like Status Quo)....
Oh yeah, one more moan - The exact same version of `Rave On` being peddled here as unavailable elsewhere is, and has been since 1991, a bonus track on Please To See the King(Mooncrest). Not so rare...
All in all, a disjointed collection comprising some genuinely rare and unique singles, some tracks that are not unique and sound very much the same as their album versions, one superfluous single that is completely eclipsed by the un-edited album original, a couple of tracks already on other CDs, some great live tracks, some fillers(I Have a Wish, Stookie)....and of course the Status Quo thing.
Nice pictures, too.
A first timer would be better advised to take his/her chances with the original albums, or one of the better compilations such as Original Masters or Spanning the Years.
.
Span,Bad Haggis,Ruben Blades,Aix Entertainment,Latin,Latin Pop/Rock,Tropical
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Best of Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: EMI/Chrysalis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
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ASIN: B00000743T Release Date: 1992-01-01 |
Tracks:
- Gaudete
- All Around My Hat
- Thomas The Rhymer
- Alison Gross
- Little Sir Hugh
- Cam Ye O'Er Frae France
- Long Lankin
- Gone To America
- Let Her Go Down
- Black Jack Davy
- Bach Goes To Limerick
Customer Reviews:
The essential collection of Steelye Span.......2005-08-12
First off is Gaudete from the album "Below The Salt", their well known version of a Christmas song sung in Latin.Then comes All Around My Hat" their one true hit and probably the one song for which they're most closely associated. It's an exciting arrangement with a great sing-along chorus and feisty mandolin breaks. The album of the same name was actually pretty uninspired and only contained one other true classic- "Black Jack Davy" which fortunately is also on this album.
The single version of "Thomas The Rhymer" is arguably their finest moment.With it's punchy verse, sublime chorus and ever shifting rhythms, this is Steeleye Span at their most progressive and exciting. Labelmate Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson was the production consultant and seems to have taken the experience of working with Steeleye Span when his band recorded the Songs From The Wood album.
"Alison Gross" and "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" are from the Parcel Of Rogues album which for the first time,shows the band moving into a more progressive direction. The latter song is particuarly haunting and beautiful.
"Little Lord Hugh","Long Lankin" and "Bach goes to Limerick" are all from the bands most underated album, Commoner's Crown.The epic eight and a half minute "Long Lankin"with its dramatic music breaks and dramatic feel is one of the band's crowning achievments.
The album also includes two of their later songs, "Gone To America" and "Let Her Go Down" from the Sails of Silver album which saw the band losing much of their eccentricity and becoming more mainstream.They are pleasant enough though a little pedestrian for my tastes.
This is the one Steeleye Span album I throw on when I need a quick dose of high energy inventive progressive folk rock. Anyone who buys this who only knows "All Around My Hat" are likely in for a treat! Highly recommended.
Folk rock for starters.......2004-05-10
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05
The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of there female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.
Their style reminds me sometimes of a feminan version of Jethro-Tull. Those guys sure know what they are doing. A must buy!!!
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05
The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of their female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.
Their style reminds me sometimes of a feminan version of Jethro-Tull. Those guys sure know what they are doing. A must buy!!!
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The Lark in the Morning: The Early Years
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Castle Music UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
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ASIN: B0000A55U9 Release Date: 2003-09-16 |
Tracks:
- Calling-On Song
- Blacksmith
- Fisherman's Wife
- Blackleg Miner
- Dark-Eyed Sailor
- Copshawholme Fair
- All Things Are Quite Silent
- Hills of Greenmore
- My Johnny Was a Shoemaker
- Lowlands of Holland
- Twa Corbies
- One Night as I Lay on My Bed
- Blacksmith
- Cold, Haily, Windy Night
- Bryan O' Lynn/The Hag With the Money [Jigs]
- Prince Charlie Stuart
- Boys of Bedlam
- False Knight on the Road
Tracks:
- Lark in the Morning
- Female Drummer
- King
- Lovely on the Water
- Rave On
- Gower Wassail
- Jigs: Paddy Clancy's Jig/Willie Clancy's Fancy
- Four Nights Drunk
- When I Was on Horseback
- Marrowbones
- Captain Coulston
- Reels Medley: Dowd's Favorite/10 Float/The Morning Dew
- Wee Weaver
- Skewball
- General Taylor
Album Description
2003 compilation combines the UK folk band's first three albums, 'Hark! The Village Wait' (1970), 'Please To See The King' (1971), & 'Ten Man Mop Or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again' (1971). Includes 12-page booklet with liner notes by the band members, photos & credits. 33 tracks. Castle.Album Details
34 Track Compilation of Early Recordings which Includes the Band's First Three Album plus Three Rare Recordings.Customer Reviews:
steeleye span collection.......2007-05-25
A Correction.......2006-07-08
Actually, i think that you'll find that that distinction pretty much belongs to the previous band founded by bass player Ashely "Tyger" Hutchings, Fairport Convention.
Doesn't matter -- this is great stuff.
Much improved sound quality but........2005-06-18
I already have these albums from the original CD releases and The improvement in sound clarity is for the most part great for a recording made over 30 years ago.
As a bonus, the set includes a great track "General Taylor".
Hark!........ I hear a new and beautiful sound being born!.......2005-06-09
Steeleye's first album (which I originally wrote this review for) truly is something special! Every song on here is great...too bad that this line-up didn't get a more thorough work-out since the magic is flying everywhere on this recording, and having BOTH female singers makes this one SOAR (though the male vocals are spot-on as well)!
The Blacksmith version on here may be one of my favorite songs I've ever heard in this genre. Other beautiful songs like Fisherman's Wife, Dark-Eyed Sailor, Lowlands of Holland, All Things Are Quite Silent, and One Night as I Lay on my Bed have such great harmonies, melodies and energy (some rock! I'd love to see Tull record a couple of these) that they stick with you long after the cd shuts off. Black-leg Miner is such an energetic and trippy string-whacking and cool vision of a new musical style, I am amazed...even that heavy accent really adds to the song (Bluegrass musicians should check this out). Is there a better way to start a new band and album than the Calling On Song? I could go on and on with other songs on HARK!
This album is just wonderful from beginning to end, do yourself a favor and let this soak into your soul, you won't regret it. Cross-over appeal is broad with this band. I should further explore Terry and Gay Wood's music to see if this magic was created on other recordings of theirs. I know it was on the (also great) later Steeleye albums (this album has drumming which gives it a familiar feel, although they tried it without drums after this album for awhile).
Now for this review, the next two great albums need at least some comment to reassure the unconvinced that it was no fluke - THE MAGIC CONTINUES! Please To See The King starts the "new" sound with the cranked up strings and dulcimer minus Terry & Gay Woods but adding Martin Carthy and Peter Knight (two incredibly talented musicians and singers). So many excellent songs here that getting into them all would be daunting, let's just say that they are ALL great and this package is a blast to listen to all-through.
I imagine this band sometimes as hairy-feet Hobbits smoking long-bottom leaf cranking their wired, crazy little electric instruments to the Shire's delight at the great harvest festival - Mordor quakes at the power of these Middle-Earth minstrels, Orcs and Goblins run for their lives...fun thought anyway! Thanks for the gift of your music Steeleye members past and present. The world would feel more empty without it. Enjoy!
Much improved sound quality.......2005-01-14
The improvement in sound clarity is phenomenol. Its like hearing these albums for the first time again (especially the first two.)
As a bonus, the set includes the track "General Taylor" previously only available on the compilation "Individually And Collectively"
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Below the Salt
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Shanachie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
General
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Folk
| Folk
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ASIN: B000000E75 Release Date: 1989-08-08 |
Tracks:
- Spotted Cow
- Rosebud In June
- Jig: The Bride's Favorite/Tansey's Fancy
- Sheep-Crook And Black Dog
- Royal Forester
- King Henry
- Gaudete
- John Barleycorn
- Saucy Sailor
Amazon.com
Like Fleetwood Mac would five years later, Steeleye Span had lost its most celebrated members, Fairport Convention alumnus Ashley Hutchings and guitarist Martin Carthy, when they reconvened in a comparatively anonymous lineup that proved to be their most successful. This 1972 album found vocalist Maddy Prior and guitarist Tim Hart (who'd worked as a duo prior to joining Steeleye) taking the reins, with violinist Peter Knight providing an instrumental foil for the then-drummerless quintet's electric and acoustic guitars. Prior's regal alto and a carefully chosen program of traditional songs (including a medieval Christmas hymn, "Gaudete," that's among the few rock songs extant boasting a Latin lyric) sustain the album's decidedly pre-industrial mood. Below the Salt stands as a British folk-rock classic. --Sam SutherlandCustomer Reviews:
Relive Olde Times.......2007-06-08
Quintessential "Classic" Steeleye Span..........2007-05-02
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
The best of the best.......2007-02-17
The opener, "Spotted Cow," is a very sweet love song--certainly a rarity for this band. Then the acappella "Rosebud in June" shows off the group's vocal abilities to breathtaking effect. It's a sort of fertility song, equating human and ovine fecundity. I suppose in this instance the word is being used in a manner similar to the French "jolie," but I can't help but smile at the line about the jolly, jolly sheep. The instrumental jigs are fine, if inessential--but then there's another stunner, "Sheep-Crook and Black Dog." It features some of Maddy Prior's best vocals--which, given her track record, is high praise indeed. I suppose that, broadly speaking, it's about feeling incapable of following societal expectations, in spite of the pain this causes--but that makes it sound way more like a sociology lecture than it should. It's beautifully sad, and the denouement is quietly devastating: "But she wrote that she's led such a contrary life/She said that she'd never be a young shepherd's wife."
Then there's "Royal Forester," which takes a mischievously proto-feminist approach to the "stolen maidenhead" trope that's so common in the band's oeuvre--even if the conclusion, wherein the maiden in question's violator's "punishment" is being forced to marry her, forcibly drags things back to a more medieval context.
"King Henry"--man, seriously, what can you say? At eight minutes, with several phases and complex arrangements, it's the album's obvious centerpiece. It's a tale of hospitality and duty with obvious echoes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Wife of Bath's Tale, among others. It sort of feels like there should be another verse or two--but there I go, applying modern narrative sensibilities to an ancient song. Bad! I suppose I'd also be guilty of that if I noted that Henry's "hospitality" seems, in places, remarkably indistinguishable from plain ol' cowardice--but regardless of how you read it, it's a great song.
"Gaudete"--eh, it's decent enough, very pretty, great singing, and so forth, but, while I know it's one of the band's best-known (best-loved?) songs it doesn't exactly set me on fire.
"John Barleycorn" gets things back on track, however--there are innumerable variations on the "patron saint of alcohol" theme, including a number of well-known versions of this same song, but this one is, predictably, one of the best. "Saucy Sailor" finishes things well, even if the instrumental section at the end drags a bit.
So yeah. In summary: fantastic stuff. Easily the band's best album. Commoner's Crown is another popular candidate, and I think (somewhat surprisingly) that their reunion album Time ought to be another--but, great as those albums are, I don't think they can really touch Below the Salt. If you think you might be at all interested in archaic British folk music, this is the only place to start--and even if you don't, give it a try. You may well surprise yourself.
Beautiful British folk music.......2006-10-26
This will make you want to further explore Steeleye Span's catalog of cds, and you will want to delve further into Irish Celtic music. I highly recommend this beautiful, catchy, folk music cd.
Steeleye Spans Their Talent in Their Fourth Album, "Below the Salt".......2006-05-28
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Parcel of Rogues
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Shanachie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
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ASIN: B000000E79 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- One Misty Moisty Morning
- Alison Gross
- The Bold Poachers
- The Ups And Downs
- Robbery With Violins
- The Wee Wee Man
- The Weaver And The Factory Maid
- Rogues In A Nation
- Cam Ye O'er Frae France
- Hares On The Mountain
Customer Reviews:
Steeleye Span.......2007-07-16
Quintessential "Classic" Steeleye Span..........2007-05-02
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
Great CD from Steeleye Span.......2006-08-07
Made someone very happy.......2006-07-17
"Parcel of Rogues" Does the Talking .......2006-05-29
I wish they had kept Gay Woods, a concertina player from the first album and Martin Carthy, an excellent singer/guitarist. That would have been seven people, but who cares? It would be awesome. I think that adding Nigel Pegrum, a drummer, to the band helped the band and hurt them. Before he came along, they relied on amazing mellodies, their songs were more acoustic. When they got Pegrum, they were forced to turn far more electric than they planned. Some people say that he is a bad drummer, but I disagree. He plays what he needs to.
Get this with Below the Salt or All Around my Hat. You won't regret it...
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Local Band Does O.K.
Umphrey's McGee Manufacturer: Sci Fidelity Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00019PDX4 Release Date: 2003-06-01 |
Tracks:
- Andy's Last Beer
- Uncle Wally
- Hurt Bird Bath
- Headphones & Snowcones
- Ringo
- Blue Echo
- The Empire State
- White Man's Moccassins
- Prowler
- 2nd Self
- Roulette
- Dough Bro
- Water
- Nothing Too Fancy
Customer Reviews:
Umph's=Greatness.......2006-12-02
Unimpressive.......2006-03-11
better once youve heard it live.......2006-01-06
all in all a great album. nothing too fancy and white mans moccosins are still some of my favorite um songs even with all their new stuff out
Keepin in Real.......2005-12-17
I like the use of acoustics as lead guitars in Uncle Wally and Water. Andy's Last Beer is a song anyone will like. Ringo, Roulette and Hurt Bird Bath are very very sexy, but my favorite song (which I have yet to hear live) is 2nd Self, mainly because of the last minute of so, which is a nice little guitar jam...BUT IT, LISTEN TO IT!
(and read the liner notes, they're fun)
Not your average white band.......2005-07-29
Some have compared UM to Phish, but I don't hear it. These guys ain't about one guy as much as Phish.
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Hark! The Village Wait
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Shanachie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
General
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ASIN: B000000E7H Release Date: 1991-07-01 |
Tracks:
- A Calling-On Song
- The Blacksmith
- Fisherman's Wife
- Blackleg Miner
- Dark-Eyed Sailor
- Copshawholme Fair
- All Things Are Quite Silent
- The Hills Of Greenmore
- My Johnny Was A Shoemaker
- Lowlands Of Holland
- Twa Corbies
- One Night As I Lay On My Bed
Customer Reviews:
Quintessential "Classic" Steeleye Span..........2007-05-02
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
Steeleye Span is off to a great Start!.......2006-05-28
Hark!......... I hear a new and beautiful sound!.......2005-06-08
You might want to get "Lark in the Morning" if you don't have the 1st 3 Steeleye albums - all 3 remastered on 2 cd's for about $11.00 is a nicely packaged steal! I imagine this band sometimes as hairy-feet Hobbits smoking long-bottom leaf cranking their wired, crazy little electric instruments to the Shire's delight at the great harvest festival - Mordor quakes at the power of these Middle-Earth minstrels, Orcs and Goblins run for their lives...fun thought anyway! Thanks for the gift of your music Steeleye members past and present. The world would feel more empty without it. Enjoy!
A Tie for Steeleye Span's Best: "Hark! The Village Wait".......2005-04-10
Fresh sound, amazing vocals.......2003-06-01
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Bloody Men
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Park ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
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General
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ASIN: B000JR0PM2 Release Date: 2006-11-27 |
Tracks:
- Bonny Black Hare
- Story of the Scullion King
- Dreamer and the Widow
- Lord Elgin (This Song Is Not What It Seems on the Face of It)
- 3 Sisters
- First House in Connaught/The Lady of the House
- Cold Haily Windy Night
- Whummil Bore
- Demon of the Well
- Lord Gregory
Tracks:
- Ned Ludd, Pt. 1: Inclosure
- Ned Ludd, Pt. 2: Rural Retreat
- Ned Ludd, Pt. 3: Ned Ludd
- Ned Ludd, Pt. 4: Prelude to Peterloo
- Ned Ludd, Pt. 5: Peterloo the Day
Customer Reviews:
A Fine Effort that Grows on the Listener.......2007-03-06
Another Fine One from Steeleye!.......2007-03-06
I am reminded of a recent quote from John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: "We're not this good in spite of our age, we're this good because of it."
Enjoy.
Bloody-*minded,* presumably.......2007-02-15
The best thing here is "Bonny Black Hair," by far the dirtiest thing the band's ever done. It's kind of refreshing to here them singing about casual sex with none of the crippling shame/stigma that typically haunts their work on the subject. "The 3 Sisters" is vaguely catchy, as is "Demon of the Well." "Whummil Bore" is intriguingly elliptical. The five-part "Ned Ludd," comprising the second disc, isn't great, but it's not terrible either, and you've got to appreciate that the band can still embark on something so ambitious after all these years. The first part even puts to music words by John Clare, which is pretty cool. Overall, the verdict is this: none of the songs make me want to fling myself down a steep embankment. That's more than can be said for TCHB.
However--and this cannot be emphasized strongly enough--if this were one of the band's classic seventies albums, giving it two stars would be extremely generous. The appeal of Steeleye Span was that they offered highly evocative renditions of Olde Englishe folke songes, with imaginative and highly memorable arrangements. Apart from the inexplicably excellent Time, none of their post-seventies albums have done much to recapture this dynamic, and Bloody Men offers only the most faint, barely-audible echo of the band's former greatness. Some may call this judgment unfair, but I assure you, it is entirely accurate. Please call to mind some of the band's best classic songs--"Copshawholme Fair," "King Henry," "Sheep-Crook and Black Dog," "Cam Ye O'er Frae France," "Boys of Bedlam," "False Knight on the Road," "Little Sir Hugh," "Demon Lover," "Edwin," "Drink Down the Moon," "Montrose," I could seriously go on all day--and then try to tell me with a straight face that anything from Bloody Men comes anywhere near to touching them. Even the (pointless) remake of "Cold, Haily, Windy, Night" doesn't come close.
So basically, while not completely worthless, this is an album for true diehards only. It's impossible for me to imagine anyone who doesn't already have the rest of the band's catalogue finding anything at all edifying here. If you're not already acquainted with the Span experience, check out Below the Salt and Commoner's Crown, and work backwards and forwards from there, approaching the band's many reunion albums (always excepting Time) with extreme caution. If you do this, you may ultimately end up getting some modest enjoyment out of Bloody Men, but it's certainly not a major artistic achievement by any standard.
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Commoner's Crown
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Bgo - Beat Goes on ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
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ASIN: B0000011OT Release Date: 2002-02-15 |
Tracks:
- Little Sir Hugh
- Bach Goes to Limrick
- Long Lankin
- Dogs and Ferrets
- Galtee Farmer
- Demon Lover
- Elf Call
- Weary Cutters
- New York Girls
Customer Reviews:
Quintessential "Classic" Steeleye Span..........2007-05-02
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
"Long Lankin'" is Steeleye's "Thick as a Brick".......2006-05-30
A very good and enjoyable album.......2005-11-14
Wow, this is a controversial album...!.......2005-01-12
So, track by track:
1) Little Sir Hugh - absolutely incredible, one of the best vocal and instrumental arrangements the band ever did, with chilling lyrics, and a great "a capella" vocal break near the end.
2) Bach Goes To Limerick - The album practically falls flat on its face here: by far the most boring instrumental the band recorded in any lineup; a waste of time that goes nowhere, and makes one wonder exactly what they were thinking. Fairport Convention they ain't.
3) Long Lankin - this might just be the best thing they ever recorded; see comments for track one, and amplify them tenfold. A masterpiece on every level, and one of their most rocking tracks before the "All Around My Hat" album.
4) Dogs And Ferrets - enjoyable, but a bit of a throw-away: nothing really substantial here musically or lyrically, but a nice respite from the intensity of the previous track.
5) Galtee Farmer - very amusing lyric, but repetitious musically; nothing special here.
6) Demon Lover - this is one of the songs that Steeleye fans are either going to love or hate; I absolutely love it, especially the moment where Rick's bass brings the chorus back in at the end of Maddy's line "He sunk the ship in a flash of fire to the bottom of the sea". One of their best tracks ever, IMO, although some (most?) purists might be put off by its "pop" aspects.
7) Elf Call - Even more pop-oriented than "Demon Lover"; this again is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition for most Steeleye fans, and I love it; the chorus features one of the most beautiful vocal arrangements they ever did, and this ranks as one of my favorite Steeleye tunes.
8) Weary Cutters - lovely vocals, but again, nothing special. One suspects that by the time of this album, the band were really more interested in offering rock/pop songs with a folk influence, rather than their previously inverse approach, and the more overtly folk-oriented material comes off as largely indifferent on this album as a result.
9) New York Girls - again, this seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it track. I think it's a perfect, irreverent ending to the album, with brilliantly funny lyrics, and nice ukulele playing from special guest Peter Sellers (yes, "Inspector Clouseau").
So, overall, a mixed bag, but tracks 1,3,6 and 7 are so incredible as to make it essential listening, IMO; albeit not quite on the same level as the three albums listed at the start of the review.
One of Their Two Best.......2003-11-14
One thing about Old English folk tunes is that they can all sound the same after awhile. What the group managed to do during this period was arrange these songs into either rollicking or haunting "modern" folk tunes using various timbres of the instruments of their time while performing them in the spirit of a former time. Every song comes off well, especially the sublimely haunting "Long Lankin" and the a cappella "Weary Cutters". The ensemble singing during the chorus of "Demon Lover" punctuated by the electric guitar statement is sweet. "Galtee Farmer" manages to be both haunting and rollicking at once, driven by a superb guitar and bass line. Granted, "New York Girls" seems out of place but it serves to end the album on a humorous note after the more severe and somber tunes that precede it.
If I recall correctly, this album wasn't made widely available in America upon its original LP release; perhaps that's why it doesn't garner as much of a reputation among American listeners. No matter, because this along with Below the Salt are in my opinion the best examples of Steeleye Span's studio recorded output. I'll also grant that this CD seems a bit pricy, but what can one do about that except buy it used.
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All Around My Hat
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Beat Goes On ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
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ASIN: B000026HFP Release Date: 2007-05-21 |
Tracks:
- Black Jack Davey
- Hard Times of Old England
- Cadgwith Anthem
- All Around My Hat
- Gamble Gold (Robin Hood)
- Wife of Usher's Well
- Sum Waves [Instrumental]
- Dance With Me
- Batchelors Hall
Customer Reviews:
Quintessential "Classic" Steeleye Span.......2007-05-02
Skip the newer releases, like: They Called Her Babylon, Bedlam Born, Bloody Men.
Go for the Classics: Tempted and Tried, All Around my Hat, Sails of Silver, Storm Force Ten, Rocket Cottage, Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop, Commoners Crown, Now We Are Six, Parcel of Rogues, Below the Salt, Back in Line.
If you must pick up "modern" Steelye albums, pick up: Time (one of their best "modern" releases) and Horkstow Grange (their other good "modern" release). "Winter" is supposed to also be good, on par with the classics (traditional arrangements of holiday songs), though I haven't yet seen it.
The above "classic" albums cover the early and middle years.
"All Around My Hat" Stands out above all Latter Span Releases.......2006-05-30
A Folk Band With A Modern Sound!!! And Maddy's HOT too!!!.......2005-04-26
for all folks.......2004-12-10
great !.......2002-05-13
In response to an earlier reviewer, and to the best of my knowledge, Tim Hart sings lead vocal on Wife of Ushers Well, Bob Johnson on Gamble Gold, and Rick Kemp(bass player) sings lead vocal on Batchelors Hall. The first album that Peter Knight(fiddler) sang lead on, I think, was Sails of Silver(1980).
Average customer rating:
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Rare Collection 1972-1996
Steeleye Span Manufacturer: Raven [Australia] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Alternative Rock
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British Folk
| Traditional British & Celtic Folk
| Folk
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ASIN: B00000JNMJ Release Date: 2001-12-10 |
Tracks:
- The King
- Thomas The Rhymer
- Elf Call
- Gaudette
- Lanercost
- I Live Not Where I Love
- The Boar's Head Carol
- Montrose
- The Holly & The Ivy
- Like The Wind
- I Have A Wish
- Rag Doll
- Rave On
- Fire On The Line
- Somewhere Along The Road
- Autumn To Spring Medley: Marigold/Harvest Home/The Spring Will Bring Us Together
- Betsy Bell And Mary Gray
- Stookey
- The Royal Forester
- All Round My Hat
Album Description
75 minutes worth of rare & previously unreleased performances by this hit British folk rock group & its lead vocalist Maddy Prior. 20 tracks, including unique single edits only issued in Australia and live performances taken from Adelaide in 1982 & Perth in 1995. The highlight of the concert recordings is the previously unreleased breathtaking eight & a half minute 'Autumn To Spring Medley'. All tracks have been mastered using Super Bit Mapping (SBM) technology. 1999 release.Customer Reviews:
Good all around, but best for the specials.......2004-12-24
Not the very best, but definitely in the top five........2003-08-13
I agree with another reviewer--the butchered version of "Montrose" should not have been included. "Stookie, a theme from a British children's TV show, is a nice touch. Even Steeleye Span can be annoying. (Does TV corrupt everything it touches?)
hotch-potch.......2002-05-10
`I have a Wish` is surely a filler, if ever there was one. `Fire on the Line`?..isn`t that taken from a Prior/Kemp CD which is not `rare`.
This CD is for completists. Even though it`s good to have those singles, such as Boar`s Head Carol, Holly and the Ivy, on CD, I personally would prefer them as bonus tracks on the appropriate album CD reisssues - Boar`s Head Carol on Storm Force Ten, for example - instead of having them all thrown together in a disjointed compilation. Still, better than not having them at all, I guess. There are some great live tracks here, but again, I think Raven should have saved them for their recently released *live* CD. Royal Forester is a standout track here, much livelier and rockier than the studio version, thanks to Pegrum`s energetic drumming(the original didn`t have a drummer), and Knight`s wild fiddle playing!
Yeah...but....the real LOW point of this compilation is the last, and definitely least, track - it`s Status Quo performing a cover of All Around My Hat, live, with Maddy Prior purportedly `guesting`. Hmm..no disrespect but, what`s Status Quo got to do with Steeleye Span/Maddy Prior! Haven`t we heard enough versions of this song already, anyway, without being subjected to a Status Quo interpretation(especially if you don`t like Status Quo)....
Oh yeah, one more moan - The exact same version of `Rave On` being peddled here as unavailable elsewhere is, and has been since 1991, a bonus track on Please To See the King(Mooncrest). Not so rare...
All in all, a disjointed collection comprising some genuinely rare and unique singles, some tracks that are not unique and sound very much the same as their album versions, one superfluous single that is completely eclipsed by the un-edited album original, a couple of tracks already on other CDs, some great live tracks, some fillers(I Have a Wish, Stookie)....and of course the Status Quo thing.
Nice pictures, too.
A first timer would be better advised to take his/her chances with the original albums, or one of the better compilations such as Original Masters or Spanning the Years.
Good Summary collection of this eclectic group.......2001-10-22
Rare Collection.......2000-03-06
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