Now We Are Six

by Steeleye Span

Overview

With Nigel Pegrum added permanently as drummer, the group rocks out for the first time, and from the thumping tom-toms and snare on the opening track, "Thomas the Rhymer," and Bob Johnson's power chords, it's clear that this is a record with balls. Actually, Now We Are Six is still a folk-rock album, albeit with a beat. This was the first Steeleye Span album that many Americans heard and it's a pretty good place to start -- in fact, it might've been the group's very best album, if not for the presence of drivel such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "To Know Him Is to Love Him" (the latter featuring David Bowie on sax), which still leaves 33 very solid minutes of great music to savor. For all of their rocking natures, "Drink Down the Moon" and "Two Magicians" (which can be heard in its more traditional form on Martin Carthy's first album) capture the mystery and lustiness, respectively, of their hundreds-of-years-old source material magnificently; "Long-a-Growing" is one of Maddy Prior's finest vocal performances; and "The Mooncoin Jig" -- which is alive with richly textured guitar and mandolin -- is one of the greatest instrumental folk-rock tracks ever recorded, vibrant enough to get even the clumsiest up and dancing. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	11/29/2024
Label:	CHRYSALIS
UPC:	0840401702802

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Steeleye Span   Primary Artist
David Bowie   Guest Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Alto)
Bob Johnson   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer
Maddy Prior   Vocals
Nigel Pegrum   Oboe,Drums,Flute,Recorder,Tambourine,Synthesizer
Rick Kemp   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Tim Hart   Banjo,Guitar,Vocals,Dulcimer,Tenor Banjo,Electric Dulcimer,Guitar (Acoustic)
Peter Knight   Banjo,Piano,Violin,Vocals,Mandolin,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Ian Anderson   Producer
Maddy Prior   Whisper,Composer
Peter Knight   Composer,Composer
Robert Vosgien   Mastering
Nigel Pegrum   Composer
Rick Kemp   Composer
Tim Hart   Composer
Phil Spector   Composer
Robert Johnson   Composer,Composer
Robin Black   Engineer
Traditional   Composer