Steeleye Span "All Around My Hat" 1975

I wholeheartedly disagree with Mr. Eder's 3 stars for this album. It deserves a big fat 5 stars! I think these are some of Steeleye Span's most imaginative songs. And yes, this is one of their hardest rocking albums, and they have plenty of talent to pull it off. I've heard several Black Jack Davey's and theirs is by far my favorite. Hard Times of Old England is both uplifting and catchy. The Wife of Usher's Well is a deep song that sparks the imagination. I went down a deep rabbit hole with that one on Wikipedia. Gamble Gold is a truly fun song, and of course All Around My Hat is a rollicking good time. Dance with Me is both haunting and catchy, while Bachelor's Hall is the perfect record finale -- a long, drawn-out (but in a good way) tale that lingers after it's over. Cadgwith Anthem and Sum Waves are both fine songs, but all the other songs have outsize personalities for me. - Jon LThe biggest selling of all Steeleye Span albums is also their hardest rocking record. They sound like would-be competitors to the Who on the opening bars of "The Wife of Usher's Well," with Bob Johnson's electric guitar grinding out power chords like nobody's business. The vocals have their usual elegance, the harmonies soaring exquisitely, but between the choruses the guitar puts out lots of wattage. The guitar competes with Maddy Prior's voice for dominance on tracks like "Hard Times of Old England," "Bachelor's Hall," and "Dance with Me." There's some more traditional-sounding material here, including the lovely "Cadgwith Anthem" and "Gamble Gold (Robin Hood)," where the group returns to acoustic instruments. A single of the upbeat title track also made the charts in England, and the overall sound was the work of producer Mike Batt, who gave the band a raw, stripped-down style, with only the smallest touching up and the very lightest of overdubbed strings. - AllMusic Review by Bruce EderPersonnel:

Maddy Prior - lead female vocals / Tim Hart - vocals, guitar, dulcimer / Robert Johnson - vocals, guitar / Rick Kemp - vocals, bass / Peter Knight - vocals, violins, mandolin / Niguel Pegrum - drums, flute

trax:

01. Black Jack Davy 02. Hard Times Of Old England 03. Cadgwith Anthem 04. Sum Waves 05. Wife Of Usher Well 06. Gamble Gold 07. All Around My Hat 08. Dance With Me 09. Bachelors Hall

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