Ravenchild
Encyclopedia
Ravenchild is an album by Maddy Prior
.
Ravenchild is the first album album that Maddy recorded after she stopped working with the Carnival Band. It has a distinctive flavour that we can now recognise as the influence of Troy Donockley. There are frequent sound effects such as wind, echo and washes of synthesiser chords. Alongside 5 traditional songs are ones written or very much adapted by Maddy. In general she is strong on words, but not so memorable with her self-composed tunes. The well-known song "Rigs of the Times" is here updated to offer social criticism of monopolies and faceless international industries. "Rich Pickings" contains the first example of Maddy singing in rap style. By far the best track is "Dance of the Wind". In an exultant extended guitar solo, Troy Donockley sounds like Mike Oldfield. It is surprising that he is not given co-authorship of this track. "Bold Poacher" is a song that Maddy had sung with Steeleye Span
on "Parcel of Rogues", but Tim Hart
had sung the lead vocals in that version. Maddy admits that she had previously been embarrassed to sing "Twankydillo" because of the silly-sounding title, but once she discovered that "Twanky" means "gin" (as in "widow twanky") she liked it once again. Tracks 3,4 and 5 are continuous. Tracks 3 to 6 have the heading "With Napoleon in Russia". Tracks 7 to 12 have the heading "In the Company of Ravens".
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
.
Ravenchild is the first album album that Maddy recorded after she stopped working with the Carnival Band. It has a distinctive flavour that we can now recognise as the influence of Troy Donockley. There are frequent sound effects such as wind, echo and washes of synthesiser chords. Alongside 5 traditional songs are ones written or very much adapted by Maddy. In general she is strong on words, but not so memorable with her self-composed tunes. The well-known song "Rigs of the Times" is here updated to offer social criticism of monopolies and faceless international industries. "Rich Pickings" contains the first example of Maddy singing in rap style. By far the best track is "Dance of the Wind". In an exultant extended guitar solo, Troy Donockley sounds like Mike Oldfield. It is surprising that he is not given co-authorship of this track. "Bold Poacher" is a song that Maddy had sung with Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
on "Parcel of Rogues", but Tim Hart
Tim Hart
Tim Hart was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band, Steeleye Span.-Early years:...
had sung the lead vocals in that version. Maddy admits that she had previously been embarrassed to sing "Twankydillo" because of the silly-sounding title, but once she discovered that "Twanky" means "gin" (as in "widow twanky") she liked it once again. Tracks 3,4 and 5 are continuous. Tracks 3 to 6 have the heading "With Napoleon in Russia". Tracks 7 to 12 have the heading "In the Company of Ravens".
Track listing
- "Twankydillo" (Trad) – 2:57
- "Bold Poachers" (Trad) – 4:12
- "Boney (Shanty: Boney was a Warrior)" (Trad) – 1:51
- "Scorched Earth (The Bonny Bunch of RosesThe Bonny Bunch of Roses"The Bonny Bunch of Roses" , also called "Bonaparte's Retreat", is an English folk song.The earliest known version of the tune is in William Christie's "Tradition Ballad Airs" , but there is another tune, of Irish origin. There is an obvious difficulty in identifying the narrator's voice...
)" (Trad) – 4:21 - "Loot" (Words: M Prior/ Tune: Trad) – 5:00
- "Rigs of the TimesHard, Hard TimesHard, Hard Times is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/ballad. There is an earlier version, from England, called "Rigs of the Times". The latest version written in 1936 at the time of the Great Depression by William Emberley of Bay de Verde and performed by Dick Nolan.Emberley's verses, which...
" (Words: M Prior/ Tune: Trad) – 4:06 - "In the Company of Ravens" (Maddy Prior) – 3:09
- "Young Bloods" (Maddy Prior) – 4:09
- "The Masts of Morrigan" (Maddy Prior) – 3:42
- "Rich Pickings" (Maddy Prior) – 4:32
- "Ravenchild" (Maddy Prior) – 3:00
- "Dance on the Wind" (Maddy Prior) – 3:56
- "Great Silkie of Sules Skerry" (Trad) – 6:56
Personnel
- Maddy Prior - vocals
- Nick Holland - keyboards, backing vocals
- Troy DonockleyTroy DonockleyTroy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of uillean pipes.- Early life and career :...
- Uilleann pipesUilleann pipesThe uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
, electric and acoustic guitars, low whistleLow whistleThe low whistle, or concert whistle, is a variation of the traditional tin whistle/pennywhistle, distinguished by its lower pitch and larger size. It is most closely associated with the performances of modern Irish musicians and groups such as Riverdance and Davy Spillane, and is increasingly...
, tin whistleTin whistleThe tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, citternCitternThe cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
, backing vocals - Terl Bryant - drums and percussion
- Nick Beggs - Chapman StickChapman StickThe Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...