DAVE THOMPSON
Fire and Wine: An Armchair Guide to Steve Ashley
Create Space

www.createspace.com/‎
 

Although English singer-songwriter Steve Ashley was never a “household name,” he has produced high quality work since his career began in the early 1970s.

This book presents a comprehensive career overview, complete with details on Ashley’s recording sessions and completed albums, his dealings with record companies and even his early days as a folk club organizer. You’ll also get a good sense of the man himself, since about half of Fire And Wine consists of direct quotes from him – and Ashley is an articulate, but direct and plain spoken fellow. His engaging personality comes through clearly in his remarks.

In fact, what I liked best about Fire And Wine was its fantastic “you are/were there” feeling about events and recording sessions in England that I could not possibly have attended. The extensive comments from Ashley himself, along with those from colleagues like Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg and Chris Leslie and Decameron’s Dik Cadbury really bring that out.

Anyone interested in English folk-rock will find this book absolutely essential, since many of the major participants played significant roles in Steve Ashley’s career. In fact, the book could be viewed as a concise history of the English folk-rock movement, as seen through the eyes of Ashley and his legendary colleagues.

Fire And Wine includes a full discography, a list of the musicians who either joined Steve Ashley at recording sessions and/or appeared with him at gigs, and a list of Ashley’s songs that have been recorded.

— Ken Roseman