Spotted Cow/Rosebud In June/The Bride's Favourite-Tansey's Fancy/Sheep Crook & Black Dog/Royal Forester/King Henry/Gaudete/John Barleycorn/Saucy Sailor
The success of the British folk group Steeleye Span, featuring vocalist Maddy Prior, continued to grow. Below The Salt includes the unlikely UK top twenty single Gaudete, an a cappella version of a Latin hymn. (UK:43)
“Tim Hart and Maddy Prior steer the good ship Steeleye Span into medieval waters, with a range of classic traditional songs given the electric folk treatment. With a mixture of full-band effort, a capella pieces, and a wide emotional range, the album is another success in the Span's ongoing project to explore the potential of electrified versions of traditional British folk music.”
“This album is a purer tribute to the folk music and 19th century sources Steeleye so admire. Some may object to the religiosity in songs like Gaudete, but by singing it straight, the focus paradoxically is on the aesthetic of the past and not on the beliefs themselves.”
“The uniqueness of Below The Salt lies in its instrumentation: a sparse blend of electric guitar, electric bass, and violin, and apart from the occasional tabor there are no drums on the album. But it's very effective; Sheep Crook & Black Dog is A-grade intense, heavy folk, Royal Forrester is rollicking and, for folk-rock, and the absolutely gorgeous Gaudete is almost the live incarnation of a medieval cathedral. There are some weak parts but on the whole this is a reasonable exposure to the band.”
“Maddy Prior`s voice is so good it makes me wonder why they didn't let her sing all the songs. Too bad they didn't have a drummer on this record but they get by without one. Just a solid album. Excuse me while I do a jig.”
“With this album, Steeleye Span came to the fore of the British folk-rock movement. Though it begins with the precious yet jaunty Spotted Cow followed by the forlorn Rosebud In June and then some snappy jigs, the songs become progressively complex thereafter. Tunes such as Sheep Crook & Blackdog, Royal Forester, the resplendent King Henry, and a cappella Gaudete are haunting. The interplay between voices, guitars, bass and violin is unlike anything else on record.”
“This album is one of the very finest of any kind I have ever heard. The songs are just utterly gorgeous, haunting, and beautiful. This album is something to be cherished forever, a glorious, timeless classic.”
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