BACK IN LINE

... and sent him hameward, tae think again

Following the release in 1980 of the creditable "Sails of silver", Steeleye Span once again went into hibernation. By the time they returned in 1986, founding member Tim Hart had left both the band and the music business. Health issues would increasingly dominate his life, and sadly he is now no longer with us.

The rest of the line up remained unchanged from "Sails of silver", although this would be Rick Kemp's last recording with the band for the time being. Maintaining the path they had chosen on more recent releases, the band remain in pop rock territories, with only occasion nods toward the folk rock for which they are best known. Peter Knight's fiddle provides welcome colours at times, but these are more in line with the synthesiser backing used by other rock bands than the overt soloing of a true folk band.

Also as with the immediate predecessors, the band assume responsibility for composition themselves, rather than adapting folk standards. That said, they do make every effort lyrically to add historical context to the songs.

The opening "Edward" is largely devoid of the distinct vocals of Maddy Prior, the song being a curious mix of light dirge and melodic chorus. The following (depending on the version you have, the track order may be different) "Lanercost" written by husband and wife team Prior and Kemp has a much more traditional Steeleye Span feel. The chanted chorus borrows its lyrics from a traditional prayer, while the verses continue the references to Edward, here reflecting Edward I residency at Lanercost during his futile fight against the Scots (who sent him homeward tae think again!).

While "Lady Diamond" is an adaptation of a traditional Scottish song (which Kemp discovered while producing an album for the Tannahill Weavers), the version here is enjoyable but lightweight. "Isabel" returns us to the Edward I story, Maddy Prior's delicate opening vocal gradually building to a fine crescendo as she describes Robert the Bruce's victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. Here, Knight is allowed the latitude he requires to add a superb fiddle solo. Once again, this song harks back to the glory days of the band, and a such is a highlight of the album. Knight continues alone on the brief "A Canon by Telemann", which has more than a passing resemblance with Fairport's "Bridge over the River Ash".

The live rendition of "Blackleg miner", a reworking of a song from "Hark, the village wait", is more significant for its historical context. The performance of the song in Nottinghamshire, UK in 1986 at the height of the notorious miner's strike caused significant controversy at the time, especially as that area was one of those directly involved the strike.

"Peace on the border" has an anthemic feel, the lyrics being rooted in the 1700's and telling a tale of deportation from England for untold transgressions. "Scarecrow" is the least distinguished song on the album, the prosaic guitar riff and pop rock feel of the song being rescued by a decent arrangement and some good production. "Take my heart" is the final song to deal with the war between Scotland and England, the arrangement once again making good of a lightweight song.

"White man" drifts into world music territories, here the ethnic themes complement the lyrics, which deal with the expanding foreign empires of the UK and other European nations.

The CD version includes three further tracks. "Somewhere in London" was released as a single A side (backed with "Lanercost") but did not originally appear on the album. The song has a convivial feel, clearly seeking the same market as "All around my hat" and "Gaudete". The most interesting thing about the song is Maddy's apparent attempt to sound like Kate Bush! The final two songs are live renditions of "Spotted Cow" (from "Below the Salt") and "One Misty Moisty Morning" (from "Parcel of Rogues").

In all, a decent addition to the Steeleye Span catalogue. The band's admirable efforts to write new traditional songs and the fine production combine to minimise the distraction of the occasional dip in the quality of the songs themselves. Those with a bent for all things Steeleye Span should not overlook this largely forgotten album.

Peace on the border (between Folk Rock and "plain" Rock)

Steeleye Span are best known for electrifying traditional Folk songs and bringing traditional Folk music into a Rock context. This happened mainly in the 70's, but the evolution of Steeleye Span did not stop there. What makes the present album somewhat unique in the Steeleye Span catalogue is the fact that they write much of their own material here instead of relying on traditional music as they usually do. Back In Line was not, however, the first time the band wrote new material of their own, they had done so also for the previous Sails Of Silver album from 1980 (an album I have yet to hear). It is impressive that the material here still sounds very much as if it was traditional and it is clearly in line with what the band had done before (and since). Only Blackleg Minor is a traditional Folk song and, surprisingly perhaps, this is one of the most "progressive" songs of the album. I think it was recorded live. Another piece that is not original is the short Classical violin performance of A Canon By Telemann which is exactly what its title implies. The inclusion of such a piece shows the diversity of the band even though it's not the first time they included a Classical piece. White Man is another song that stands out. This one has an African sound and a quite complex vocal arrangement.

The sound of Back In Line reflects the spirit of the age i.e. the 80's. The drums and production in particular have a typical 80's sound. But don't let this stop you from enjoying the mostly good songs presented here. The trademark features of the band are all present including Maddy Prior's very distinctive vocals alternating with male lead vocals. Personally, I even enjoy this album as much as some of their albums from the 70's, but it is by no means among Steeleye Span's best albums. The songs are generally rather short and there is not much progression in most of them. There are certainly many better places to start investigating this band, but coming to the present album eventually is worthwhile if you enjoy Steeleye Span and British Folk Rock in general (as I do). But for the general Prog fan, digging this deep into the discography of Steeleye Span may not be a priority.

I can therefore recommend this album to fans and collectors only, but for us it is certainly not without its merits

While "Back in Line" seems overly optimistic for what is actually going on here, I suppose that, relative to the monumental misstep of "Sails of Silver", a bounce back was inevitable. It's just a shame that the only orb available was an underinflated balloon.

Once again the band is determined to write and perform its own material and, once again, it will never be mistaken for anything by Trad Arr, but at least here the emphasis is on the darker more brooding mood for which the group is better known rather than upbeat middle of the road rockers. "Edward" establishes this shift at the outset, and "Take my Heart" and "White Man" are even better, with Peter Knight the fresh choice for lead vocalist on the latter. He also contributes fiddle solos here and there that raise the bar on some ordinary numbers like "Isabel" and "Cannon by Telemann".

A dreary mood is all well and good I suppose, but it becomes oppressive on the otherwise promising "Lanercost" and "Scarecrow", with its 1980s oriented robotic percussion. A few of the other tracks are all too reminiscent of the prior effort, particularly "Lady Diamond" and "Peace on the Border". A sad truth is that the live version of the oft covered historical tune "Blackleg Miner" makes even the high points here seem dispirited by comparison.

For Steeleye to actually fall back in line would have to wait until the excellent "Tempted and Tried" 3 years later, but here at least the group has inserted itself a ways back in the queue. Just under 2.5 stars.