This was Hedgehog Pie’s second album, and probably their best. Not as well known as other folk-rock bands, but think ‘Trees’ meets ‘Spyrogyra’ meets ‘Fairport’ meets ‘Pentangle’ meets ‘Jethro Tull’ meets ‘Steeleye Span’ – the latter with significant influence as Rick Kemp (Steeleye Span) produced the album with Geoff Heslop. If you are partial to any of these bands, then this is a must, as it is first class electric folk, even with a splattering of fuzz guitar for psych fans and also incorporated elements of jazz and hard rock. Hedgehog Pie, a Newcastle-upon-Tyne band, moved away from their traditional Northumbrian folk sound of their first album, although there are a couple of tracks that are strictly traditional – ‘Hunter’s House/The oak tree’ and the title track. On this album you have founding members Jed Grimes – electric and acoustic guitars (who also did the fabulous artwork on the cover) and Michael Doonan – flutes and piccolos. The band were augmented with husband and wife Stu Luckley – bass guitar and vocals and Margi Luckley – vocals, as well as Martin Jenkins – mandolins, violins and vocals (great player who was ex-Dando Shaft) and Alan Dixon (Dik) – drummer. The album starts with a stirring version of ‘The burning of Auchendoon’ with great guitar work by Grimes and some Tullish flute by Doonan. Margie Luckley provides excellent vocals and the atmospheric track is a magical way to start the album. ‘The forest child’ (written by Grimes) may well have been listened to by the band Marillion, great vocals accompanied by some inspired violin and superb flute work. Dixon supports both these tracks with sensitive rhythms on drums. ‘Go with the flow’ (written by Jenkins) is another track with Tullish influence, both vocally and the flute, and is a really powerful electric folk track (great fuzz guitar duelling with the flute), featuring a Pentangle like chorus in the middle. ‘Hunter’s house/The oak tree’ is a more traditional instrumental led by Doonan’s flute/piccolo. The title track ‘The green lady’ starts in a gentle traditional way with the Steeleye influence and Margi singing in classic folk style. The track builds gradually in speed, complexity and volume and then takes off onto another level, led by Luckley’s bass and Grimes creating non-traditional sounds on his electric guitar. Brilliant track. Side 2 starts with’Cool reelies’ with flute and violin chasing each other and the insistent bass guitar behind with quiet drums and cymbals. Fabulous instrumental. ‘The gardener’ showcases Margi’s vocals with acoustic guitar and violin in a creative version of this traditional classic. ‘Daemon merchants’ (written by Doonan)also has a great traditional, but electric feel to it. Margi sounding more and more like Maddy Prior on this track – fabulous, with a great rhythm change towards the latter part of the track. ‘Camlaan battle’ (also written by Doonan) starts in eerie fashion with great drumming by Dik and sombre violin from Jenkins leading us into battle – one of the most atmospheric instrumentals you will hear. ‘Dreamer’ (written by Jenkins and back to his Dando Shaft best) sung by Jenkins with Margi is a brilliant way to close the album, with some really rocking electric guitar from Grimes. I could almost hear them closing a festival set with this track. This is a great copy of a really great album, that hasn’t been re-released on CD due to copyright issues, hence the music is really rare. Highly recommended album by a really skillful and imaginative folk rock bands, one of the best from the North east.
