Customer Reviews

Sails of Silver

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After disbanding upon the release of "Live At Last" Steeleye reunited about two and a half years later to record this magnificent album. Unlike a lot of "reunion" albums, "Sails of Silver" is not an embarrassment, or a painful reminder that past glories lie behind. Instead, it ranks among the very best of all of the band's albums.

Although only two of the songs here (the gorgeous "My Love" and the wistful "Marigold/Harvest Home") carry the familiar Trad. Arng. by Steeleye Span credit, each of the songs here sound very much like they fit that bill.

From the ocean imagery of the title track, to the rural fiddle and theme of "Barnet Fair" to the tragic consequences of "Gone To America" and "Let Her Go Down," these are originals that can easily stand alongside the centuries old songs for which Steeleye is best known. Throw in the traditional "My Love," which ranks among the finest tracks the band has ever recorded, and you have a band that returned to form after a nearly three year hiatus.

"Sails of Silver" is usually quite difficult to find. Order it now while you can!

I'm amazed at the negative reviews this album has been getting (although the overall average has been artificially dragged down by a one star review that was posted twice). This album was the first one Steeleye made after disbanding for three years and the time away really revitalized the band. Previous studio albums, "Rocket Cottage," and "Storm Force Ten," although not without their merits, clearly lacked the excitement of previous albums and a live album called "Live at Last" was, by and large, on the lackluster side. It seemed that after 8+ years of recording and touring and zapped some of the band's energy.

Three years later Steeleye came roaring back and this album was not only an improvement of the previous two studio albums but one that could take its place along side their best work of the early and mid 70's. many reunion albums prove to be an embarrassment. Not this one.

Highlights of "Sails of Silver" included the title track, which opens the album, the festive "Barnet Fair," a pair of melancholy originals "Gone to America," and "Let Her Go Down," and a pair of traditional songs given modern arrangements -- the type of songs Steeleye was always best known for -- "My Love" (one of the most gorgeous things the band has ever recorded) and "Marigold/Harvest Home" which makes prime use of the band wonderful vocal harmony gifts.

If you are a Steeleye fan it is difficult to imagine why you would not like this, and it belongs in your collection for reasons far beyond any motivated to have a complete set of their work.

I've loved this album since I first heard it (which must be getting on for 25 years ago). I love pure folk and I enjoy rock and even metal (as well as high doses of classical), and this is probably the one Steeleye Span album that I put on more than any other.

It's not an album for folk purists, the basslines are extremely heavy rock with very prominent rock-style drumming, but it's fun!

Almost every track on the album has a great tune which you can sing or hum along to. It was a departure for Steeleye Span away from the more traditional performances they had tended to previously, although they always tended towards a slightly irreverent treatment of pure folk. But then folk music is music of the people for the people and to give it a bit of a boost with a flavouring of modern instrumentation and styling to give it an injection of fun may be strongly disapproved of in purist terms but it helps make the wonderful songs more approachable to the as yet uninitiated and keeps the music alive.

There are plenty of pure folk albums around to give you much the same songs without the electric bass, but if you want something a bit more light-hearted with a bit of a kick to it that you can really enjoy without giving your braincells a workout and eardrums a bashing from some corncrake of a purist folk-singer then this is worthy of a listen.

Unless you're utterly pedantic you'll probably find that enjoy it a great deal. I recommend listening to the music itself to decide if you like this treatment or not. I think it's very, very good and rates among the best, but if you can't get over the fact that it's not pure folk, then forget about Steeleye Span and shut your ears to Fairport Convention and go study the music scores you can find to see if you can uncover the essence of the real words and the real tunes - then you might discover the whole point of folk music.

If you like folk AND you like rock, and you don't mind hearing highly-professional musicians and vocalists blend the two together in a manner that really works to make some excellent music then listen to this album, buy this album. You'll enjoy this album and you'll keep coming back to it year after year, and you'll still sing along with Maddy!

Recorded a couple of years after their initial breakup, "Sails of Silver" found that the brief hiatus had rejuvenated Steeleye Span. After a pair of passable, but generally uneven studio albums ("Rocket Cottage" and "Storm Force Ten") a passable but generally uneven live album ("Live At Last") there was a sense that Steeleye had hit its peak.

But "Sails of Silver" seriously questioned that assertion. Opening with the drum beat of the title track this album showcased a set of original songs (all written in the traditional style) as well as a pair of traditional numbers that hung together as a while. "My Love" (featuring gorgeous harmonies) "Gone to America," "Barnet Fair," "Let Her Go Down," and "Marigold/Harvest Home" were among the highlights. This CD edition adds tree bonus live cuts.

"Sails of Silver" may not be Steeley's best album, but it is probably their most overlooked and has enough memorable tracks to make it a real must for Span fan's everywhere.

18 years ago, I took out a vinyl record from the local library (in Lakewood, New Jersey, USA). It was Steeleye Span's "Sails of Silver". I was entranced. Hooked. In love. Too young and too poor to buy a copy.

So, I borrowed that album from the library at least 6 times that year, and at least 3 times the next year. And, the name of the group and the album have stayed with me, all these years. Now, I'm SO glad to see that Amazon.com can bring this memory back to life for me (us), in such easy fashion, though that first encounter was 18 years and a world's diameter away from here and now.

Well done, Steeleye Span, and well done, Amazon !

Readers, you'll cry with "Let 'er go down", and soar with "Sails of Silver".

I encountered Steeleye Span only three weeks ago, when an overseas friend played 'My Love' for me over the internet, and could not rest until I'd gotten that gorgeous rendition for myself.

The rest of the album is just as lovely - 'Sails of Silver' with its rich, exuberant sound, and 'Let Her Go Down' following in true ballad style, being two of my favorites.

I shall be listening to this CD, and sharing it with my own friends, for a long time to come.

This album is Steeleye's last from the early section of their career. Made in 1980, they were rudely dropped from the record label when groups like The Knack and Duran Duran appeared. Their glory was stripped from them on the music charts as well when the world fell for the synthesizer. If you ask me, Steeleye left the music stage with as much grace as an Indian freedom fighter from the thirties. They left with an album to remind the world of what they threw away. This album gives me sadness, because probably the worst musicians were popular in the 80's, and Steeleye, one of the best unsung bands ever, was kicked out to fend for themselves when Chrysalis's eyes fell on silly eighties groups that they soon would realize were nothing like Steeleye. But Sails of Silver is as good as any other Steeleye album, which is truly amazing, ballistically awsome.!

By this time, the time being 1980, Steeleye Span were done. There ability to take centuries old British folk songs and interpret them through a rock vein seemed exhuasted. This uninspired sounding recording is marred by weak song selection, uncharacteristically tepid musicianship and slick production. Stick with any of their 70's recordings avoid all that came after as the magic got lost...Simon

I agree with a previous reviewer that Sails of Silver just does not compare with earlier Steeleye Span albums. It was a significant departure for the band, in that most of the material is "original" and there is very little of the traditional instrumentation that is to be found on earlier albums(fiddle and mandolin player Peter Knight was more into playing piano by this time). The album is over-produced and pop-orientated(by Steeleye standards). This is more pseudo-pop-(folk)-rock than folk-rock, which is a shame. On a couple of tracks I am even reminded of Abba!? Well, a sort of poor man`s sub-Abba, if you like. And Bob Johnson`s style had never sounded so `pop` than on the track "Longbone". It`s hard to believe this was the same guy who wrote/sang/played on "King Henry", amongst other classic Steeleye gems from the Seventies.
Steeleye Span continued to be a great `live` band but as far as studio recordings were concerned they had lost the plot. The next studio album, Back in Line(1986), would even surpass Sails of Silver for sheer awfulness.