Steeleye Span All Around My Hat CD

Personnel: Tim Hart (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Bob Johnson (vocals, guitar); Peter Knight (vocals, violin, keyboards); Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp (vocals); Nigel Pegrum (flute, drums).
Liner Note Author: John Tobler.
Recording information: AIR Studios.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Maddy Prior; Tim Hart; Bob Johnson.
Arrangers: Peter Knight; Prior; Bob Johnson.
The 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. ~ Bruce Eder
Steeleye Span's eighth album, 1975's ALL AROUND MY HAT, is a fan favorite, up there with PLEASE TO SEE THE KING as one of the band's most beloved records. It's a superlative piece of folk-rock, where both halves of that genre come into equal play. Produced by Mike Batt, best known for his bubblegum singles with British children's show stars The Wombles, the results, while undeniably commercial--several songs have orchestral strings and brass supporting the fiddles--are crisp and inviting. It's not surprising that this is Steeleye Span's best-selling album.
Besides the lovely title track, highlights include an excellent version of the standard "Black Jack Davy," the gloomy "Hard Times of Old England" and the beautiful, unaccompanied "Cadgwith Anthem." If you're a pop fan with little knowledge of English folk music, this may be Steeleye Span's most immediately accessible and rewarding album.Q (2/93, p.92) - 3 Stars - Good - "...possibly the most commercial British folk/rock album ever...there are enough pleasant tunes, cheering rhythms and inspiring harmonies here to please everyone..."