Steeleye Span
Commoners Crown - Chrysalis 1975
Tracks: 1. Little Sir Hugh / 2. Bach Goes To Limerick / 3. Long Lankin / 4. Dogs And Ferrets / 5. Galtee Farmer / 6. Demon Lover / 7. Elf Call / 8. Weary Cutters / 9. New York Girls
Comments:
"Commoners Crown" from 1975 is one of Steeleye Span best albums, partly because the album contains some great songs, but also because it's very tastefully produced by the group itself in collaboration with Robin Black.
The lyrics are all traditional, while the music in most cases is composed by the members of the group, obviously in a way that they sound like traditional songs. The group expanded on the previous album with drummer Nigel Pegrum, and the electric sound is prevalent on most tracks.
Part of the lyrics are quite dark, funny enough, this applies in particular to the three strongest tracks, "Little Sir Hugh.", "Long Lankin" and "Demon Lover."
"Little Sir Hugh" and "Demon Lover" are fine songs with very catchy choruses. "Long Lankin" is the album's most complex number, with several melodic pieces.
"Dogs and Ferrets" and "Galtee Farmer" are musically more sparsly and almost acousticly arranged, the former almost a capella in the familiar beautiful Steeleye Span way. "Weary Cutters" is Maddy Prior singing polyphonic a capella with herself - very beautiful, too.
The final track "New York Girls" has a funny guest appearance by Peter Sellers on ukulele; a fun and unpretentious song, arranged in a similar informal way.
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