Steeleye Span 1970 to 1989 On Track:
Every Album, Every Song
by Darren Johnson

The book series of which this is a part, takes an artist and looks, as a name suggests, at every track that they’ve recorded or released over their career or a defined period. In this case we are treated to the output of Steeleye Span between 1970 and through to the end of the 80s.

Written by Preston native, Hastings resident and thoroughly 70’s infused kid, Darren Johnson, it represents a departure from his previous books covering Suzie Quatro, The Sweet and Slade, His first encounter with he subject of this tome were first encountered at Croydon Fairfield Halls 2011, which began a transition he explains thus: “I was well into my late 30s by the time I got properly into folk rock, via a convoluted route through 70s glam rock, early 80s heavy metal, the late 60s counterculture and American folk rock.”

What he has been able to do is cover all 14 albums recorded and released during those 2 decades. What we get is a thoroughly well researched guide to the output of one of the most creative, influential, successful and indeed ‘colourful’ folk rock bands that the UK has produced – with a reach and a presence that lasts into the repent day – although presumably that is for another book.

There is of course a preamble that gives us some background on the formation of the band, the personalities involved and the artistic raison d’etre. Of course, anyone who knows even a little bit about the band will be aware that the line up changes started soon after birth and continued apace throughout – which gives the author an immediate challenge, but one that is dealt with in the level of detail that characterises the book, giving a narrative feel to what could simply be a series of events.

Each album is dealt with starting with an information section that gives us the lineup and instrumentation, release dates and such details as chart positions for the UK and the US. This effectively structure sets the scene into ongoing coverage of the myriad lineup changes for which the band were renowned, followed by a track by track coverage of the album, giving not just a story and subject to the song but also details of recording interspersed with critical responses to the album both from the press of the time and commentary drawn from the members themselves at the time.

There is occasional commentary, an additional subjective element to the text, which allows for readers to assess the degree to which they are in agreement or otherwise, with what Darren has to say.

Mixed in amongst all this there are details of singles and bonus tracks, plus snippets of trivia, some of which sometimes relate to the singles themselves. For example the bands quirky habit, at a time when their album output was almost exclusively reworkings of traditional material, of recording cover versions of classic tracks, such as Rave On, Rag Doll, and To Know Him Is To Love Him, which were features of their live sets too.

As we progress, we see the trajectory of the band, both in commercial and musical terms, as there is a move from the almost exclusively traditional material to self-penned material and instrumentally from the mainly folk instruments, through the inclusion of drums, to the 80s appearance of, and whisper it gently, a synthesiser!

Both satisfying and engrossing, what should’ve been a simple task to read and comment on, became a series of rabbit holes, as songs and entire albums had to be revisited or indeed investigated. Both for the purposes of research and pure enjoyment, as well as a degree of nostalgia.

For anyone with even a passing interest in the band, essential for those with a deeper love.