STEELEYE SPAN

A forward-looking celebration of 50 amazing years.

It’s fair to say that 1969 was a big year. Men walked on the moon, people got very muddy at Woodstock and – not least among that year’s events – Steeleye Span were born. Combining the virtuosity of ex-Fairport talent with a salty sense of humour and a profound understanding of traditional folk, the Steeleyes never looked back. This 50th anniversary album Est’d 1969 could have worn its heritage like a threadbare cloak. Instead, the Steeleyes’ history – which includes Top 10 singles and work with the likes of Peter Sellers, Bowie and Tull – is carried with a rare lightness of touch. They look forward with ongoing ambition.

Appropriately the album begins and ends with one of English folk music’s greatest and most inimitable voices: Maddy Prior. Opener Harvest soars as her voice is joined in a characteristic multi-layered harmony, while closer Reclaimed – an a cappella paean to nature’s power – unites Prior in sweet harmony with the rest of the band.

The Steeleyes dare to indulge in a few backward glances at their past. Old Matron features some fierce flutage from old friend Ian Anderson, a counterpoint to Prior’s backing vocals on Too Old To Rock And Roll. There is also an exquisite cover of Dave Goulder’s The January Man which was notably covered by Prior’s friend Tim Hart in the 60s.

Yet, while the Steeleyes have had their ups and downs over the past five decades, there’s no doubt that Est’d 1969 continues the renaissance generated by 2015’s superb Wintersmith. Newer members such as fiddle player Jessica

May Smart and Bellowhead’s Benji Kirkpatrick have energised the core of the band. Indeed, Est’d 1969 offers an exquisite balance between old and new. Lead guitarist and vocalist Julian Littman continues to be a shining asset. His soloing on The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter is sweet and deceptively technical. On ballad Roadways his baritone beguiles, making the listener want to run away with him for a life on the ocean waves.

Prior – rightly – continues to preside over proceedings with effortless grace. If vocals on Mackerel Of The Sea are easy and elegant, Est’d 1969 is a team effort. Domestic is a tour de force whose shifting rhythms, mood and tone showcases the gifts of Liam Genockey.

The final word should be given to Prior, however. On closer Reclaimed she supplies the final line, ‘This too shall be reclaimed.’ Her voice holds sufficient hints of age and vulnerability to bring a tear to the eye. If this album becomes a final Steeleye statement – and let’s hope not – it is a reminder that we shall not see their like again.

AN EXQUISITE BALANCE OF OLD AND NEW… WITH ONGOING AMBITION.