''Tempted and Tried'' is the 13th studio album by

British folk rock British folk rock is a form of folk rock which developed in the United Kingdom from the mid 1960s, and was at its most significant in the 1970s. Though the merging of folk and rock music came from several sources, it is widely regarded that the ...

band

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...

. The album was recorded after a three-year hiatus after the release of ''

Back in Line ''Back in Line'' is the twelfth studio album by British folk rock band Steeleye Span. The album was released in 1986, after a hiatus of almost 6 years. It is their first album without founding member Tim Hart, who quit the music business enti ...

''. After releasing ten albums in fairly rapid succession during the 1970s, the band entered something of a creative dry spell, with 'Tempted' being only their 3rd album in 10 years. The album cover proclaims the album a "20th Anniversary Celebration", and the band was clearly eager to commemorate their anniversary, since strictly speaking the band had only been rehearsing in 1969, and didn't record until 1970. Long-time bassist

Rick Kemp Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Projects In the 1960s, he shot to promi ...

had left the band a few years earlier, due to a repetitive-motion shoulder injury that left him unable to play bass without pain. On tours, the band had rotated a variety of bassists in to replace him, but it was decided that in advance of the new album and a tour that the band needed a permanent bassist. Nigel Pegrum turned to a friend of his, Tim Harries, a self-taught bassist and classically trained pianist, who agreed to join. Harries brought the band some much-needed young blood, and ''Tempted and Tried'' proved a return to the band's 70s approach. Their previous two albums had relied heavily on songs written by the band and relatively little on traditional songs. But ''Tempted and Tried'' features mostly traditional songs arranged by the band, with only three new songs, all written by Peter Knight, and one of these, "Seagull", about the old game of Shove-penny, has a strong traditional feel to it. The only piece that feels strongly non-traditional is "Following Me", a song about a woman being stalked by a stranger who terrifies her. Highlights of the album include the vigorous "Jack Hall", the traditional ballad "The Two Butchers" and "The Fox", a short piece celebrating the cunning of a fox being hunted. In general, the album has a bright, confident feel to it, particularly "Padstow", which features a marvelous five-part harmony bridge. The album's title presumably refers to the fact that the band has become well-seasoned by 20 years of performing; it seems to be a line from the hymn "Farther Along". The cover features the head of a fox, in reference to the song. The album is dedicated to all those who supported the band over the previous 20 years. Shortly after the album was released, Pegrum chose to emigrate to Australia for relationship reasons, and the band brought in

Liam Genockey Liam Genockey (born 12 August 1948) is an Irish musician, who is the drummer with British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Biography Genockey was born in Dublin, Ireland. During the 1960s he lived in Plymouth, Devon, U.K, playing in local semi- ...

to replace him as the drummer. Consequently, although Genocky does not appear on the album, he was the drummer for the band's 20th Anniversary Tour and appeared on the video of the tour. The album was well-received, particularly in comparison to its two predecessors, although few consider it up to the high standards of the band's heyday. However, perhaps because of the infusion of new blood and perhaps because of the excitement of the anniversary, the album marks the beginning of a slow resurgence for the band. Over the next several years, the band members recommitted themselves to playing together and began exploring traditional material in new ways. Their real revival would still be a few years off, however. "Following Me/ The Two Butchers" was released as a single on " Dover Records". However, it had a serial number "FLUT 4" which showed that it had originally been on the Flutterby label.

Track listing

US Track listing (Shanachie): #" Jack Hall" ( Bob Johnson, Traditional) – 3:57 #"Two Butchers" (Johnson, Traditional) – 4:49 #"Padstow" (Traditional) – 3:03 #"Reels: The First House in Connaught/Sailor's Bonnet" – 2:48 #" Betsy Bell and Mary Gray" (Child 201) – 4:59 #"Shaking of the Sheets" (Johnson, Traditional) – 4:11 #"Searching for Lambs" – 4:12 #"Seagull" ( Peter Knight) – 4:32 #"

The Cruel Mother "The Cruel Mother" (a.k.a. "The Greenwood Side" or "Greenwood Sidey") () is a murder ballad originating in England that has since become popular throughout the wider English-speaking world. According to Roud and Bishop :''Widely collected in Br ...

" – 5:36 #"Following Me" (Knight) – 3:38 #"The Fox" (Knight) – 3:02 UK track listing (Chrysalis): #"Padstow" (Traditional) – 3:03 #"The Fox" (Knight) – 3:02 #"Two Butchers" (Johnson, Traditional) – 4:49 #"Following Me" (Knight) – 3:38 #"Seagull" ( Peter Knight) – 4:32 #"

" – 5:36 #" Jack Hall" ( Bob Johnson, Traditional) – 3:57 #"Searching for Lambs" – 4:12 #"Shaking of the Sheets" (Johnson, Traditional) – 4:11 #"Reels: The First House in Connaught/Sailor's Bonnet" – 2:48 #" Betsy Bell and Mary Gray" (Child 201) – 4:59

Personnel

;Steeleye Span * Maddy Prior - vocals * Bob Johnson - vocals,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

* Tim Harries - vocals,

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

* Peter Knight - vocals,

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

* Nigel Pegrum -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

;Guest musician * Martin Ditcham -

References

{{Authority control 1989 albums Chrysalis Records albums Steeleye Span albums