One thing is certain in this uncertain world -- you can trust
Ashley Hutchings to do interesting things with various areas of British folk and rock music. In the case of the
Albion Dance Band, under its various names, the focus was on mutating traditional English dance and folk music, which led to escapades involving traditional tunes, Morris dancers, double drummers, dance callers, Philip Pickett's entire collection of medieval instruments, and serious rock guitar front lines that tend to leap onto the hay cart and start blazing away.
The Prospect Before Us is particularly unusual, even for
Hutchings and the
Albions -- a number of the tracks were recorded live in the studio, complete with dancing by the Albion Morris Men, an effort that resulted in some especially raucous moments: the bonus version of "Merry Sherwood Rangers" is far more staid than the live rendition that made it to the original version of this album. An essential purchase, we think. ~ Steven McDonald