Folk Cup 2019 Round 6 Match 1 *echolalia 8- TCE 7*

[never/ever]

A

Robert Lester Folsom – See You Later, I’m Gone





B

Steeleye Span - Fighting For Strangers

[C]

Let's start with my beloved Steeleye - a band I absolutely adore.

Fighting for Strangers was a single and taken from the album Rocket Cottage which to my ears is a bit hit and miss.

The actual track selection here is a traditional song full of angst and sadness seeping from every lyric of this great tune.

But what have Steeleye done?

The percussion is terrible and over-bearing and alone ruins the song and atmosphere of it.

Further, launching into a hymn every few bars is just 'no'.

I am sorry Steeleye, I am sorry selector but I can't vote for this dog's breakfast.

Robert Lester Folsom I have never heard of and it was pleasant and well sung. The vocals reminded me of the Canadian bloke who leads Built to Spill (and Granddaddy as well actually)

Nice

Very nice.

So, A has it

A has it

-+A+-





.

[toomanyhatz]

Hmm...A seems an interesting enough character - perhaps I'll check out some other tracks. That one just doesn't have enough happening to make up for the cliche chord structure.

B is, to contradict what C says about it, pretty much the only track that works for me on the last album from Steeleye MK 3. It's a bit abstract, which I think was a good way to go with it. It's also like absolutely unlike anything else in their catalog, and to me there's something to be said for that.

[Flower]

A

[T. Berry Shuffle]

A: Mama Put My Guns in the Ground nickery
B: Make it stop


A

[Darkness_Fish]

Yeah, it's Knocking on Heaven's Door again, though it's a pleasant enough take on it, if not exactly startlng enough to need a revisit. Unless it was recorded first, in which case, Dylan did actually do it better. Didn't Neil Young do it first, or something? Anyway, it goes on repetitively and aimlessly for 3 minutes too long.

Steeleye Who? I'm surprised we've not encountered them before in this cup. This is an odd one though, a trad thing with experimental touches and dub-esque rimshots echoing through. Sounds like a drum machine, too, though I think it's too early to actually use one. You know what, I like this one, it's breaking the mould, and a risky pick from a safe band.

B

[Jumper K]

Another Span track. You'd think they are the only freakin group who'd ever played folk music. Lazy beyond belief.
A. Even though its duller than a lump of coal.

[never/ever]

I can't get with B, somehow that rhythm box takes it to really cheesy levels.
A is pretty good, it's like Radical Face going country...


A

[Purgatory Brite]

B

[fange]

Not really for me this tie, but i'll give this to A.


A

[Nick Danger]

A

[Spock!]

Neither did much for me, but I on the grounds that I do like the 'To be a Pilgrim' melody & find this track marginally more interesting than A, B it is.

[trans-chigley express]

I have to completely disagree with Carlsson regarding the percussion in the Steeleye Span song, I find it quite mesmerizing and really makes the track.


A was a nice slice of easy-on-the-ear hippy folk, I enjoyed it but B is the much more interesting one for me.

[Corporate whore]

'A' is like a poundland Neil Young - diverting enough, but nothing much to see here.

Which brings me to bloody Steeleye bloody Span. Again. Unfortunately for A, this is one of my favourite Span tracks (although the version by Boiled in Lead ('My Son John' kicks this ones backside).

+B+

[Hightea]

A - okay sort of a Neil Young rip off although not sure when this was recorded.

B - this is just too dated and of key and beat for me to like it.

A

[The Fish]

A is the sort of thing that should tick my boxes but didn't like this much. Not my favourite Steeleye period, but I can damn this with faint praise which is enough here.

B

[Neige]

YAWN

Nothing against Steeleye Span as a rule, but this is a bad song from their worst album.

And I really hate A too.

Sorry, abstain.

[never/ever]

echolalia 8

Trans Chigley Express 7