Storm Force Ten
| Storm Force Ten | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Steeleye Span | ||||
| Released | November 1977 | |||
| Recorded | September 1977 Phonogram Studios, Hilversum, Holland |
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| Genre | Electric folk | |||
| Length | 41:55 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Steeleye Span and Mike Thompson | |||
| Steeleye Span chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |
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| Q | |
Storm Force Ten is an album by the electric folk band Steeleye Span, the band's 10th effort, released in 1977.
Until their 2013 album Wintersmith, released 36 years after Storm Force Ten, this album was the band's last production to reach the charts, topping out at 191 on Billboard's Pop charts. After Rocket Cottage, Bob Johnson and Peter Knight left the band. As there was still a contractual obligation, they invited Martin Carthy back again. Back in 1971 when Martin Carthy had joined he had recommended John Kirkpatrick but they decided on fiddler Peter Knight instead. This time they accepted his recommendation and Kirkpatrick's fiery accordion playing replaced Knight's fiddle.
John Tobler writes on the 1996 reissue of Storm Force Ten:
In 1974, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull had been the producer of Steeleye Span's Now We Are Six. In February 1977, Tull had released Songs from the Wood, their most folky album to date. Just as Tull were starting to record a cappella sections in songs ("Ring Out, Solstice Bells"), Steeleye were recordings spiky guitar riffs (Sligo Maid), bringing the two bands closer than ever. Storm Force Ten reversed that trend.
The title may refer to the fact that Storm Force Ten is their tenth album or it may be a reference to tensions the band was experiencing after producing 10 albums in just 7 years and performing almost continuously during that period. Mike Batt pressured the band to record Rocket Cottage in only one week. The band nominally broke up after the album was released. Shortly after the album was released vocalist Maddy Prior released her first solo album.
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