Mandy and Mike Morton arrived on the U.K. folk-rock scene during its mid-70s commercial zenith. On the strength of two independent releases, their band, Spriguns of Tolgus, had found a bit of success around Cambridge and, at the urging of Steeleye Span founder Tim Hart, sought and successfully landed a record deal with Decca. The two LPs they made for the label -- 1976s Revel, Weird and Wild and 1977s Time Will Pass -- offered a full-bodied acoustic-electric sound not unlike Steeleyes, though without the complex group harmonies. What they did have was a strong, evocative singer in Mandy Morton, whose budding songwriting talent helped them move away from traditional material on 1978s standout Magic Lady. The albums title song was Mortons tribute to the late Sandy Denny, whose tragic death in April of that year cast a pall over the fading folk-rock movement. As a singer, Morton was capable of conjuring a similarly haunted Denny-esque mystique and applied it tastefully to her songs and arrangements. In addition to its engaging songs and production, Magic Lady signified a career shift for Morton, who subsequently found a second wind as a solo artist in Scandinavia. While new wave and punk had displaced folk-rock in the U.K., Denmark and Norway in particular were happy to reward an artist reaching her creative peak in this genre. Mortons first solo album, 1979s Sea of Storms, featured gorgeous songwriting and progressive arrangements, and is probably the most fully realized entry in her catalog. It was a moderate success and, following her split from then-husband Mike Morton, Mandy soldiered on to record one more album, 1983s charming Valley of Light, before leaving music behind to become a presenter for the BBC. This excellent career-spanning box set is notable not only for including all known Spriguns and solo releases, but for its poignant and detailed liner notes written by Morton herself. It is a thorough and compelling document of one of folk-rocks lesser-known talents. ~ Timothy Monger

Rovi