Play 90 second soundbite of 'Hopping Down In Kent' @ 'CD quality'
Because of their penchant for sticking more to the roots of the genre, The Albion Dance Band never quite got the commercial recognition that came to the like of Steeleye Span. But, The Albion Dance Band still had a massive following and went through many line-up changes during their 'popular' years. They actually went into The Guinness Book Of World Records as "the band with the most line-up changes over its life"! Ashley Hutchings formed the band following his departure from Steeleye Span and the band acted as a spawning ground for some of the finest folk musicians in the land. With their use of some weird and wonderful sounding 'ancient' instruments combined with modern amplified gear, loads of natural enthusiasm and their notoriously transient line-up, The Albion Dance Band brought new life to traditional British and European folk music. The Albion Dance Band became popular when England was bulging with small, back room 'folk clubs', the early days of folk festivals and specialist radio programs. Much of that scene has been wiped from the music map making it difficult for trad folk to survive and flourish and that's a shame really as it's important to remember and re-visit such influential work.
'Dancing Days Are Here Again' will not break new ground and probably won't pull in too many new fans. But, as a retrospective release I'm sure it will be welcomed with love and appreciation by the old school 'finger in the ear folksters' everywhere. I have to admit to being a follower at one time but by today's standards the music now sounds quite dated and lacks a bit of punch. However, this is important work; there's a lot of history wrapped up here and much of our folk heritage is drawn from such roots music. Many artists took their early inspiration from the likes of Hutchings and his beloved Albion Dance Band. Quite right too!
This is music for the Morris dancers and purists to ponder over and enjoy, it's a great piece of work within its much underrated genre. Ashley Hutchings still carries the torch and through him and his contemporaries Traditional Folk and folk rock lives on, and so it should. 'Dancing Days Are Here Again' by The Albion Dance Band is an important and bold release and if trad folk does it for you, well worth a looksee.
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