Steeleye Span
Tempted and Tried (Shanachie) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Steeleye Span, that seminal English folk-rock group, celebrates their 20th anniversary together with the release of ”Tempted and Tried.” Reworking folk idioms in a rock setting while remaining true to their traditional spirit has been their forte. In the past, though, a leaden heavy-handedness threatened to overwhelm the essentially quiet nature of their material. This time, however, the sound is considerably mellower, the arrangements folkier.
”Tempted and Tried” consists of mostly traditional songs in addition to three originals and two short reels. Steeleye always has had a soft spot for macabre murder ballads and a sympathetic ear for the plight of society`s misfits. Thus, on ”Tempted and Tried,” there are tales about the execution of an 18th Century London rogue; the stabbing of a good Samaritan; the victims of a plague; and the dastardly crime of infanticide. If all this sounds a bit too gloomy, it really isn`t. Steeleye finds humor in the grimmest of material. With the exception of the chillingly effective ”The Cruel Mother,” most of the songs here are performed in the band`s typically cheery fashion.
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