Steeleye Span - Please To See The King [Green]

Please to See the King by Steeleye Span returns to vinyl-a groundbreaking album that helped redefine British folk music in the early 1970s. Originally released in 1971, this was the band's second album and the first without founding member Ashley Hutchings. It marked a bold departure from traditional folk instrumentation, stripping away drums and instead building a dense, hypnotic sound driven by electric guitars, layered vocals, and ancient balladry. Steeped in English folklore and medieval tradition, the album presents a stark, electrified take on traditional songs. Tracks like "The King," "The False Knight on the Road," and "Boys of Bedlam" are haunting and intense, performed with raw harmonies and darkly textured arrangements that give these centuries-old songs a new and powerful urgency. Maddy Prior's voice-clear, commanding, and timeless-leads the ensemble with grace and fire, backed by Tim Hart, Martin Carthy, and Peter Knight, whose interplay of guitars, mandolin, fiddle, and vocals is both intricate and forceful. This reissue captures the spirit of a band pushing boundaries, marrying electric folk with the ritualistic drama of England's musical heritage. A cornerstone of the electric folk movement, Please to See the King is a must-have for lovers of folk-rock and innovative traditional music.