Legend [Original recording remastered]

That said, on the down side, it sounds dated in that way that Eighties studio production techniques did more so than say, those of the Seventies or even earlier. There's an over-reliance on milky washes of synth sound to convey a mystical, lost time when there are perfectly good medieval instruments that could have done the job more effectively - and the crisp, dry production so beloved of the time shows them up to great disadvantage.

However, Clannad were/are never about faithful reproduction of old folk/medieval/irish music. What you do get on this disc are beautiful, catchy tunes that managed to wrap themselves around the TV images to evoke a fanciful vision of Dark Age/Medieval England, with enough Eighties touches to keep a oft-told tale fresh and contemporary. And, like the series, the music has, on balance, held up well. Clannad were also canny enough to write self-contained, full-length pop songs, rather than musical cues and 'stings' for the TV series. This makes what is ostensibly a soundtrack album sound like a properly-rounded album of tunes rather than a series of disjointed, onomatapoeic cues inextricably linked to visual accompaniment. The music exists outside of the show perfectly well.

What really bothers me about this remastered reissue is that it's something of a lost opportunity, as it would have been nice if the rest of the music Clannad wrote for the TV series had been included (a good third or so of it has never been available) to extend the rather meagre running time... and the remix appended to this re-release, while nice enough if you like trancy dance music, adds nothing to the album and may well jar with the listening tastes of a large percentage of the kind of people who buy albums like these (you, perhaps?).

But - the reissue is cheap and the music is still excellent - it's only that I know there's plenty left in the can that costs this CD a star!

"Legend" is the soundtrack to an old television series called "Robin of Sherwood", and it led to a BAFTA for the group. The show, which ran for three seasons, was based on the legends of Robin Hood and was first broadcast in 1984. (The album was forst released that same year). Michael Praed played Robin for the first two seasons, before moving to America to take a role in "Dynasty". (He also appeared on the slbum's original cover). Jason Connery, son of a well-known 007, took over the role for the third season. A fresh-faced Ray Winstone appeared as Will Scarlet, though it was Judi "Maid Marion" Trott that had me tuning in every week....

"Legend" is less traditional than much of Clannad's previous work - there's a greater use of 'modern' instruments and there are definite moves towards a more 'new age' sound. Although there isn't a great deal of singing on the album, this was the band's first release not to feature any vocals in Irish. Including a remix of "Together We", there are eleven tracks on the album. Most of them are around three minutes long - the exceptions being the remix of "Together We" and "Scarlet Inside" (both just over five minutes long) and "Battles" (which just makes it past the minute mark). Despite being so short, "Battles" is - for me - one of the better songs on the album - although the guitar features, the songs' focus is really on the percussion.

Aptly enough, given that Maid Marion was (ahem) my favourite character in the show, "Lady Marion" is my favourite track on the album. It's the closest in sound to a trad tune, a beautiful track featuring the harp and register. Two of the other tracks dedicated to individual characters also deserve special mentions. "Herne" is a great track, very gentle and relaxing. "Robin (The Hooded Man)", which served as the show's theme tune, is a little more acoustic and upbeat. Meanwhile, "Ancient Forest" and "Strange Land" both feature very enjoyable vocal performances.

The 'Cantoma Mix' of "Together We" stands apart from the rest of the album - it's entirely different to the original version of the song and it feels a little strange hearing something like this on a Clannad album. It is, however, very pleasant and relaxing (it's a gentle dance-type remix) and - of the song's two versions - this is the one I actually prefer.

I loved the album when it was first released and - although nostalgia may play a little part - I've been listening to it pretty often since I picked up this re-mastered version. Recommended.