STEELEYE SPAN - Below The Salt (BGO Records BGOCD324)
STEELEYE SPAN - Parcel Of Rogues (BGO Records BGOCD323)
Ah, Below The Salt - "Beam Me Up Scottie..." - I've just come back from folk heaven! It has to be said, this was a watershed period for Steeleye featuring as it did the impressively simple piano arrangement by Pete Knight for the setting of 'Saucy Sailor'. In addition to his own dexterity on a multitude of instruments for the set of jigs 'The Bride's Fancy' the album included Bob Johnson's excursion into madrigals with everyone's favourite 'Gaudete'. The band could do no wrong. This carried on to the wah-wah influenced (even on the fiddle!) Parcel Of Rogues with so many gems it's difficult knowing where to start or finish. Steeleye at their inventive best and another huge hand for Mike Gott and his team at BGO for their sterling work in keeping the folk-rock banner flying.(Pete Fyfe)