A versatile guitarist, gifted songwriter and accomplished singer, Steve Tilston has been a constant presence in British roots music for over 35 years. He has been highly prolific throughout that time, so it follows that this 5-CD, 85-track epic from the excellent Free Reed contains only a small fraction of his vast output.
Operating in the area where folk begins to open up to some pop sensibilities, Steve Tilston’s mastery of Anglo-Irish traditions is coupled with an emphasis on big, memorable melodies. This core approach is in evidence across four CDs of remarkably consistent quality, divided broadly into key solo tracks, breakthrough recordings and collaborations, unreleased recent songs and cover versions.
For once, highlights really are too numerous to mention, but suffice to say that Naked Highwayman (from 1992) and the gorgeous Mirror Dance (2003) convey nearly every facet of Tilston’s still underrated talent.
Given the riches on display to this point, it would be reasonable to expect Disc Five, comprising covers by other artists, to be something of an anti-climax. Not a bit of it: Ralph McTell & Maartin Allcock (Is This the Same Boy) and Robin Williamson (The Proud Man) are among the many to find something new in Tilston’s resonant songs.
