Sleeve: Pastoral depiction of childhood innocence and rural plenty.
Sleeve notes: Impressive, with band members Maddy Prior, Bob Johnson and Peter Knight giving useful insights into each song.
Content: Being the season of goodwill, let's excuse Steeleye Span releasing yet another "greatest hits" collection to add to those released by Chrysalis in 1984 and BMG in 1991. What redeems this double CD package is that all 18 tracks are new recordings to show that Steeleye Span's musical juices are still flowing after more than 30 years.
High point: Maddy Prior's haunting vocal on Hard Times Of Old England.
Low point: All Around My Hat because its success as a single gives a misleading impression of the band's regular repertoire.
Glaring omissions?: No.
Anything new?: 18 fresh studio versions of evergreen songs.
Excuse for release: To bolster the pensions of ageing folk/rock musicians
Ideal Christmas gift for: Middle-aged folk fans wanting to replace their scratched vinyl.
Updated: 10:15 Thursday, December 19, 2002
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