Maddy Prior discography

This album marks a return to her folk roots for the queen of British folk music. Maddy is joined on this album by Giles Lewin and Benji Kirkpatrick for a delightful selection of mainly traditional material. The songs range from the wistful ("I Heard the Banns", "North Country Lass") to the jolly ("The Collier Lad", "Came Ye From Newcastle") to the innuendo-laden ("Trooper’s Nag").

Maddy’s effortless delivery of each song, whatever the style, is perfect, and expertly accompanied by Giles and Benji, with occasional contributions from Banry Morse-Brown, Tony Poole, John Banks and John Kirkpatrick . The title comes from the final track "Magpie", a song Maddy wrote in the late 60s, but shelved as the TV programme of the same name appeared around the same time! In summary, a beautifully crafted album.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album, beautifully sung by Maddy Prior in her clear and distinctive voice. I confess I have not kept up her career since her early days with Steeleye Span. The accompaniment, mostly provided by Benji Kirkpatrick and Giles Lewin, is perfectly balanced with no great extravagance of fireworks, adding just the right rhythm and shading to a broad spectrum of good English folk songs.

In is indeed a broad range, mixing the less well known with very old favourites such as "North Country Lass". Maddy’s voice is as string as flexible as ever, whether singing with an audible grin in the earthy "Trooper’s Nag", the jaunty and carefree "The Collier Lad", with sad despair on "In Sad and Ashy Weeds" or the grim "Trimdon Grange".

Indeed my only reservation with this collection, which spans centuries as well as styles, was in the inclusion of "Come Again" which though equally well performed felt to me slightly out of place. Altogether, though this was a great. Maddy’s voice has slightly mellowed with time but is still wonderful and with excellent backing.