Now We Are Six

by

Steeleye Span

Edit

Steeleye's sixth album continues on the path of the previous ones, with mostly positive results.

The album begins with the magnificent "Thomas The Rhymer," an exquisite blend of traditional British folk and a thumping rock beat. Many years later, it still excites.

Many other fines songs may also be found here. "Drink Down The Moon," "Two Magicians" "Seven Hundred Elves," "Edwin" and "The Mooncoin Jig" all come to mind. In fact, the only thing that scars this album are two tracks sung with a boys choir, and a very odd and out of place cover of "To Know Him Is To Love Him" with David Bowie on saxophone. Chalk one up for CD technology that these three may be programed out.

I think I might just be the only Steeleye fan who prefers the *short* verson of Thomas the Rhymer on this version of the CD. I`ve also got the BGO Records version of Now We Are Six, so I`m very familiar with the `album` version of the song. Personally, the album version doesn`t work for me, the way it slows right down, it drags a bit for me, whereas the short version, although maybe a tad TOO short, has a much nicer `feel` to it(it`s a different recording, as well as being shorter). The album version is the `common` version, the one the band always perform at gigs, and there are other versions of it on other CDs(The Journey, Rare Collection, bonus track on Park Record`s Sails of Silver) - so, for me, the short version has a uniqueness about it that the album version lacks. Anyway, enough of Thomas the Rhymer. ---- This album would qualify as vintage Steeleye if it wasn`t for the inclusion of drivel(IMHO) like Twinkle Twinkle, Now We Are Six, and To Know Him is to Love Him, a song that is completely incongruous and irrelevant to the album.

By the way, the `St. Eleye Primary School Junior Choir` thing is a band `joke`, and one which they should have kept off the album. I dunno, it probably seemed like a good idea at the time?! It is actually Maddy Prior and the others singing. Have another listen. It had me fooled too, at first, until someone pointed it out to me. St. Eleye = Steeleye. And the `Miss Knight` on piano forte accompaniment is none other than MR. Peter Knight.