Storm Force Ten

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Storm Force Ten

Studio album by Steeleye Span
Released	1977
Recorded	1977
Genre	Folk rock
Length	41:55
Label	Chrysalis
All Music Guide link
Steeleye Span chronology
Rocket Cottage (1976)	Storm Force Ten (1977)	Live at Last (1978)

Storm Force Ten is an album by the folk rock band Steeleye Span, the band's 10th effort, released in 1977.

The album was the band's last production to reach the charts, topping out at 191 on Billboard's Pop charts. After "Rocket Cottage" Bob Johnson and Peter Knight left the band. As there was still a contractual obligation, they invited Martin Carthy back again. Back in 1971 when Martin Carthy had joined he had recommended John Kirkpatrick but they decided on fiddler Peter Knight instead. This time they accepted his recommendation and Kirpatrick's fiery accordion playing replaced Knight's fiddle. Producer Mike Batt had previously made the band sound slightly like "Jethro Tull", but the arrival of two folk stalwarts and a replacement producer made this a much less poppy album. The album was the victim of bad timing, since it was released just as the British Punk music scene was exploding into prominence. In many ways, Steeleye's music was exactly the opposite of the punk aesthetic, and the album was completely overshadowed by the release at the end of the year of the seminal Sex Pistols album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols.

The title may refer to the fact that "Storm Force Ten" is their tenth album or it may be a reference to tensions the band was experiencing after producing 10 albums in just 7 years and performing almost continuously during that period. Mike Batt pressured the band to record "Rocket Cottage" in only one week. The band nominally broke up after the album was released. Shortly after the album was released Maddy Prior released her first solo album.

The band had occasionally sang quite long songs - "Long Lankin" on "Commoner's Crown", "The Victory" here, and "Montrose" (over 15 minutes) on their next (live) album. Arguably "The Victory" is the best of their long tracks because of the masterful variations in tempo, instrumentation and choice of voices. The biggest surprise was the inclusion of two Brecht songs. Martin Carthy had sung "Wife of the Soldier" on "Biker Hill", using Brecht's words, but the music of Johnny Scott instead of the original music by Kurt Weill. The same arrangement is used here. PJ Harvey later recorded it, as did the Oysterband and Marianne Faithfull. "Pirate Jenny" (The Black Freighter) had been recorded by Judy Collins in the 60's and it was later to be sung by Barbara Dickson. Maddy gives these two Brecht songs an appropriate flavour of cynicism. According to Hugh Fielder in the pop paper "Sounds" in 1977, there is a uncredited musician here - Mike Batt playing synthesizer.

The album is unusual in that it is the only Steeleye album that does not use a fiddle at all. Instead John Kirkpatrick plays accordion, giving the whole album a very distinct sound from the rest of the band's output. No other Steeleye studio album features an accordion, although Hark! The Village Wait features a concertina on several songs.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Track listing

1. Awake, Awake (Traditional]) – 5:07

A love song.

2. Sweep, Chimney Sweep (Traditional) – 4:44

This is from the Copper family, here sung a capella.

3. The Wife of The Soldier (Brecht, Scott) – 2:40

An anti-war song, a sentiment also on "Fighing For Strangers" on the previous album.

4. The Victory (Traditional) – 8:37

First published by John Ashton ("Modern Street Ballads") in 1888. According to Roy Palmer this is a re-writing of a ballad about General Wolfe.

5. The Black Freighter (Brecht, Weill) – 5:59

A barmaid in "The Threepenny Opera" has a fantasy about cutting rich men down to size.

6. Some Rival (Traditional) – 3:23

This beautiful love song is possibly as old as 1656. Maddy sings it with a gentle acoustic guitar accompaniment. It is also known as "some Tyrant" and "A Rival Heart" (Roud 587).

7. Treadmill Song (Traditional) – 6:11

Treadmills were used in English prisons from 1779 to 1902. This was first written down in 1906 in Somerset. also known at "The Gaol Song" or "Durham Gaol" (Roud 1077)