Steeleye Span - Storm Force Ten (CD)

All Music Guide

Due to the rapidly changing musical climate in 1977 this album was largely overlooked. Although never immensely popular, Steeleye Span were successful and still part of the establishment that many young, upstart acts like the Sex Pistols and Elvis Costello sought to topple. While Storm Force Ten should have marked a new beginning for the band -- with the return of Martin Carthy and the addition of accordionist John Kirkpatrick -- 1977 more accurately could be regarded as the beginning of the end of Steeleye Span's first reign (ten albums in eight years). They returned to the studio sporadically to record four albums in the ensuing 20 years, including 1996's delightful comeback Time. To some Storm Force Ten represented all that was wrong with contemporary music at that time; it offered only eight (rather lengthy) tracks, ambitious production, and all traditional songs save for two Bertolt Brecht compositions. Perhaps the passage of time will cause some critics to re-evaluate their harsh... initial stance. Steeleye's impact on the renewed interest in British folk and Celtic music cannot be ignored. Maddy Prior (along with Sandy Denny) all but defined the standard by which female folk singers are judged. She had the versatility to sound demure, sassy, or harsh as each song dictated (see "Wife of the Sailor" and "Black Freighter"); no one could deliver a morbid olde English lyric as innocently as she. Martin Carthy's formidable guitar playing has never been in question, although some surmised that his motives for joining an established "rock" band were suspect. On this album Carthy's edgy playing could rival that of many of the new breed of players who had no use for machismo, hackneyed, and self-promotional guitar licks. Like them, Carthy could say what needed to be said within the structure of a group, albeit more refined. His wealth of knowledge of folk music and arranging skill added a freshness to Steeleye that, unfortunately, didn't jibe with the trends of the latter '70s. John Kirkpatrick proved that he was capable of playing more than morris tunes. Despite the bad rap that the accordion has endured, Kirkpatrick was able to adapt to a contemporary setting quite smoothly. Absent were the gaudy impressions associated with that instrument back then (thanks to Myron Floren). One could make the case that Kirkpatrick was partly responsible for transforming the accordion into the hip, frequently-used instrument it has become in recent years. Longtime members Tim Hart (vocals and guitar), Rick Kemp (bass), and Nigel Pegrum (drums) round out the lineup in reliable fashion. - Dave Sleger, All Music Guide Read more Less