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SouthSideoftheSky View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Steeleye Span - any prog credentials?
    Posted: July 11 2008 at 08:15
 
I can't really answer that question myself because I have only heard two albums by them so far. Anyone here know them? Are they prog- related? Any recomendations for specific albums? Apparantly Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull produced one of their albums.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 09:30
They a electric-folk/folk-rock with little or no prog, though that's not to say a Prog-Folk fan wouldn't enjoy them. The Anderson produced album is "Now We Are Six" and is one I'd recommend since it is my personal favourite, and (again personally), I'd avoid the two Mike Batt produced albums.
 
For something with a prog-flavour you could try The King Of Elfland's Daughter by Peter Knight and Bob Johnson - a concept album based on the book by Lord Dunsany - though it is an extremely rare find.
 
Bob%20Johnson%20&%20Pete%20Knight,The%20King%20Of%20Elflands%20Daughter,Netherlands,Deleted,LP%20RECORD,384319


Edited by Dean - July 11 2008 at 09:34
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 09:56
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

They a electric-folk/folk-rock with little or no prog, though that's not to say a Prog-Folk fan wouldn't enjoy them. The Anderson produced album is "Now We Are Six" and is one I'd recommend since it is my personal favourite, and (again personally), I'd avoid the two Mike Batt produced albums.
 
 
Thanks for the advice, Dean!! I actually ordered Now We Are Six a while back, but apparantly it takes forever to get here Angry   My choice fell on that one because of Ian Andersons involvement and also that syntezisers are included in the list of instruments used Smile   Apparantly David Bowie plays sax on the album as well!!! Shocked  (wouldn't it be fun to watch Ian Anderson and David Bowie working together in the studio? LOL)
 
Since then I also bought the album All Around My Hat because I found it really cheap and yesterday I downloaded Parcel of Rouges as well. I'm certainly not blown away by any of these but I'm still looking forward to hearing Now We Are Six (soon I hope!!) which I hope will be a bit more proggy.
 
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

For something with a prog-flavour you could try The King Of Elfland's Daughter by Peter Knight and Bob Johnson - a concept album based on the book by Lord Dunsany - though it is an extremely rare find.
 
 
Interesting! I'll remeber that. Thanks!
 
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 10:12
David Bowie isn't renowned for his saxophony LOL - it's a disposable fun track really.
 
also, I take back what I said about the Mike Batt produced albums - Rocket Cottage features Span's finest moment - Fighting For Strangers - a traditional anti-war folk song (previously recorded by Shirley & Dolly Collins as A Forsaking - Our Captain Cried) sung over the Vaughan Williams' tune to To Be A Pilgrim, with lots of military percussion overdubbing.


Edited by Dean - July 11 2008 at 10:20
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 10:16
Great band, co-founded by Ashley Hutchings once of Fairport Convention. I always think of the two bands as following broadly similar paths, and thus would be comfortable with them being listed as prog related. I seem to recall though in past discussions I was in the minority.

Edited by Easy Livin - July 11 2008 at 10:17
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 11:36
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

Great band, co-founded by Ashley Hutchings once of Fairport Convention. I always think of the two bands as following broadly similar paths, and thus would be comfortable with them being listed as prog related. I seem to recall though in past discussions I was in the minority.
 
I have been listening a bit to Fairport Convention lately actually. My favourite album by them is Babbacombe Lee, a very good concept album or "rock opera", though not very proggy. The earlier Sandy Denny period didn't impress me much though, but I like some of Full House and Angel Delight.
 
Judging from what I've heard so far Steeleye Span is no less prog than Fairport, which is to say not very much. But there are other even less proggy bands on the archives.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2008 at 18:10
I sort of remember that drummer Rod Coombes of Strawbs fame played first in Steeleye Span. Perhaps we need Easy Livin' to substantiate that claim with his encyclopedic knowledge (aka search engineLOL) Dick?
I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 13 2008 at 00:48
Steeleye Span instantly remind me of Fairport Convention so no coincidence of the connection. I would also agree with prog related or even Prog Folk inclusion.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 11:29
Hi there,

at first I'd like to apologize for my much too formal and sometimes very clumsy English, for I'm a German student  who is greatly interested in Progressive Rock music - and in those great Progressive Rock pages in which I'd like to participate.

I'm listening to the Steeleyes for a couple of years already  and always missed them here ...  

Of course, only "progressive" bands should be here,   I don't think the Village People would fit here - I think nobody does.  LOL

In my humble opinion  Steeleye Span  were (are?)  progressive, even in two ways:  

With their combination of psychedelic, folk und rock music  they created - with their partner-band Fairport Convention -  the Folk Rock,  a genre which still is very modern (just listen to those Pagan Metal artists like Korpiklaani and their Scandinavian neighbors Wink.)  

Especially  Steeleye's first four albums were very unconventional,  for example the hypnotic, driving beat in "Lowlands of Holland" and the colorful instrumentation of Banjo, Dulcimer, Concertina, Mandolin and all those instruments,  or the psychedelic-spacy guitar sounds on TEN MAN MOP (where the distorted guitars crash and wail in "Gower Wassail" and "Captain Coulston")  or the BELOW THE SALT album, where we have kind of an epic in the polyphonic and multi-parted (does that word exist? Ouch)   "King Henry" .

And now we get to the *prog*  that we usually mean,  with the somewhat strange rhythms,  complicated structures and epics -  and that can be heard on NOW WE ARE SIX  where drummer Nigel Pegrum  brings the Progressive Rock in the music.
(Off topic -  those three fun numbers with David Bowie and the ST.EELEYE-Primary-School-Choir ...   I think theyre quite funny LOL).

Especially as a "newbie" in this music pages  I don't want to dictate anyone to get this band in the list ...  Wink
But as a lover of that music  I just wanted to put in my twopenn'orth.  I hope you don't mind. Smile

Kind regards,
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 11:35
Well said sir!Clap
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 14:01
 
Hi, its funny that you should revive this old topic at this specific moment since I have been listening to Steeleye Span these last couple of days. I have finally recieved Now We Are Six now and I like it more than All Around My Hat and Parcel of Rouges.
 
What do you think should be the next step for me in the Steeley discography? I'm thinking Commoners Crown or Rocket Cottage, but you seem to like the early ones better, is that right? From what I've heard the early albums are more traditional sounding and less rock. I prefer rockier stuff.
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 14:05
Aah I'm very sorry, but I don't possess the CC and the RC-albums ...
what about a little "aperitif" for TEN MAN MOP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHhvGwv3fuo
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 15:06
 
Thanks anyway!
 
Another related band is The Albion Band. I am listening to Rise Up Like The Sun and I like it! It is just at prog-releated as Now We Are Six and the proggiest moments of Fairport Convention.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 17:54
love this band, so under-appreciated and misunderstood  ..absolutely progressive over the course of several albums - Parcel of Rogues, NWAS, All Around My Hat, Rocket Cottage - excellent, progressive Celtic rock.. like a more refined and musically learned Tull

ProgRelated?  Well, OK, but frankly I think that's inaccurate and does not do this gifted ensemble justice


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 18:00
I agree, they have a Folk Prog connection, not enough for a full genre, but OK for Prog Related.
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 19:20
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

love this band, so under-appreciated and misunderstood  ..absolutely progressive over the course of several albums - Parcel of Rogues, NWAS, All Around My Hat, Rocket Cottage - excellent, progressive Celtic rock.. like a more refined and musically learned Tull

ProgRelated?  Well, OK, but frankly I think that's inaccurate and does not do this gifted ensemble justice


I don't see Steeleye as overtly Celtic myself - I've always regarded them and quintessentially English, yet following a fully British path by blending music from all corners of the Kingdom, of which Scottish and Irish forms a part. Unlike bands such as Planxty and Runrig who played 100% Celtic Rock or modern Prog bands like Mostly Autumn and Bluehorses who are heavily influenced by it.
 
While I'll happily go along with the PR suggestion (as I would for any band that was closely associated with the Prog movement during the 70s) - as I said before, they were  Folk Rock, sticking fairly rigidly to traditional folk structures and arrangement with little or no Prog in the music.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2008 at 20:38
 ^ that may apply to their career overall, but my perspective is of their prog period which was a clear fusion of traditional musics and hard rock


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2008 at 03:51
Anyone want to take on the addition? If so, let me know and I'll ask the Admin Team if they will approve for PR.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2008 at 04:15
I could give it a go I suppose, unless SouthSide had hoped to do the bio










Edited by Atavachron - September 25 2008 at 04:16
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2008 at 04:41
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

 ^ that may apply to their career overall, but my perspective is of their prog period which was a clear fusion of traditional musics and hard rock


 
Which period is it exactly that you consider their prog period?
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