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10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Steeleye Span FanSep 15, 2001
Worth it, BUT....
Don't get me wrong folks... I am a huge Steeleye Span fan and I was extremely psyched to get this tape since it's about the only thing on VHS, but this tape/performance just isn't very good, or maybe I expected too much from a live performance after 30 years of listening to albums/cd's. I'm still at a loss to explain what it is exactly, but I'll give you a few examples and maybe it's a combination of all. First off, I believe the mixing of the music is very poor. On heavy songs like Thomas the Rhymer, the guitar should absolutely grind away, where here it is barely audible. Same for Cam-France and Black Jack Davey. Robert Johnson is the original guitarist for that era, so you'd think he would know when to let 'er rip. I can see him plucking the strings, but he just isn't making any sound. SS's heavy songs depend on a heavy guitar for Maddy to sing on top of. That is the whole beauty of Steeleye Span... their definition. Not there. Maddy's voice and Liam's hi-hat are the promonant sounds throughout the concert. Why they bothered with the bass player if they weren't going to mix him properly escapes me... very little bass on any setting of Ye Ole Surround Sound/Stereo system. Peter's fiddle and mandolin were ok, but not enough to fill the room and compensate. Enough on Mixing. The Performance: Maddy Prior, Peter Knight (Fiddle, Mandolin, vocals), Robert Johnson (vocals, rumored to be playing electric guitar), Liam Glenocky(drums) and Tim Harries (bass, vocals). Sorely missed are Nigel Pegram, Rick Kemp and Tim Hart.
Thank goodness Maddy Prior can still sing as well as the day she started, because she simply carries this concert. Granted, her voice mixing with SS's "eclectric" sound has always been the reason I love them, but you need the rest of the band to join in now and then. Robert Johnson just isn't there at all. Most of my favorite songs are ones that he played guitar on during all those "middle years" albums, but he didn't have it here. Most songs just had no backbone. He's no Tim Hart on vocals either, that is for sure. They did well on some 4 part harmonys with the bass player chiming in, but they were pretty sad on Gaudete and Thomas. The whole band, minus Maddy seemed a bit tired and uninspired. Peter's singing and fiddling sound tired too. No offense to SS, and I cater to the purist in them, but they really should have another guitarist filling in the bottom so Johnson can concentrate on what he does best.
***HOWEVER.. the thrill of actually seeing SS in concert is worth all the negative things I have said, and if you don't care as much about picky things like mixing and playing instruments, you will probably enjoy this concert as I did. Buy It.!!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Pleased to see the kings and queen MaddyApr 29, 2002
By johnheery
As [another reviewer] said,it was just great to see them performing.Concerts very rarely live up to the true sound,but it was fine by me.They are still the greatest,despite all the different line ups.Incidentally they have two other videos that i know of.'Time'and 25th celebration concert,both also featuring Gay Wood harmonising great with Maddy.Just great to see them again on VHS.Thanks,Cheers.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Steeleye at their peakFeb 06, 1999
By Bill Coleman
"billc140"
After 20 years, you would think that the energy and fun would be gone. Perhaps it was the personnel changes over the years but the core was still there. I couldn't really imagine Bob Johnson taking over Tim Hart's lead in older songs but somehow it works. Maddy, no longer young, has as much energy and is having as much fun as when she was in her twenties. Watching, I missed the old days when we were all young, what I would give to see a Steeleye concert from 1971. But I wish I could have been there in 1989 to relive the magic. Particularly since by 1994 the magic was gone and now Steeleye's Maddy-less
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great Steeleye SpanFeb 23, 2001
By jk
"jeffgpz550"
Well worth the price. Yes, Maddy does play for the camera a bit much, however there is some very fine music here.
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