Steve Tilston – Such & Such: Album Review

By John Barlass on 28th November 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Hot on the heels of the announcement that singer-songwriter Steve Tilston is (maybe) about to retire comes what could be the start of an extensive programme of reappraisal. And this reissue of Steve’s 2003 album, Such & Such, reminds us of the scale of his talent.

Release Date: 10th October 2025

Label: Singsong Music

Formats: Digital

A FINE BODY OF WORK

Rumours have abounded throughout this year that Steve Tilston’s acclaimed 2025 album, Final Call, is to be his last collection of original material. Only time will tell whether that fatalistic statement turns out to be true but, whether it does, or whether it doesn’t, there is no question whatsoever that Steve has built an enduring legacy that will provide material and inspiration for generations of singers and songwriters to come.

19 albums, songs that have been covered by the likes of – amongst many others – Peter Bellamy, Bob Fox, Dolores Keane and, of course, Fairport Convention. Partnerships with Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. That’s one heck of a CV! And, now, it seems that the reappraisal of that extensive body of work has started, with this reissue of Steve’s 2003 album, Such & Such; an album that’s considered by many of his followers to be right up there, amongst his best.

STELLAR GUESTS

Featuring a stellar list of guest musicians – annA rydeR, BBC Presenter Keith Warmington, Roy Dodds (ex-Fairground Attraction), fiddler Richard Curran, legendary saxophonist Andy Shepherd and Fairport multi-instrumentalist Maartin Allcock – Such & Such is an engaging and diverse album that showcases Steve’s songwriting, singing and distinctive guitar style to very best effect.

The album features twelve Steve Tilston original songs, plus – a rare departure, this – a stunning interpretation of a traditional folk song. Such & Such is an album with a lot of content.

AS RELEVANT NOW AS IT WAS THEN…

The focus of Such & Such is aimed squarely at Steve’s voice and guitar, with the supporting musicians playing an often discrete, always well-balanced, complementary role and that’s particularly the case with opening track, Rare Thing. Steve’s lyrics celebrate the value of life, especially when the pleasures to be enjoyed are shared and his message – an offer of hope and an anchor to a happy, solid reality – is as relevant now as it was back in 2003.

There’s a traditional feel to the gentle, bright Some Kind of Sonnet, particularly during the “Come, come, come away with me” chorus and Steve’s voice lends an uplifting quality to the song. But it’s Steve’s guitar and Andy’s sax that take centre stage for Totterdown, the album’s sole instrumental offering. It’s pleasant, summery and jazzy and it builds slowly and satisfyingly.

REWARDS DEEP LISTENING

Several of the songs on Such & Such reward deep, repeated listens and, perhaps, Anthony Believes is the best example of that characteristic. Richard Curran’s fiddle and Maart’s fretless bass add atmosphere and depth to Steve’s contemplative lyrics that constantly reiterate Anthony’s belief in a second coming, despite the setbacks he suffers and the grief that surrounds him.

The mood lightens for the upbeat I Need a Cup of Coffee. Steve plays a tasteful, shuffling guitar line and the broody organ licks add to the bluesy feel of the song. Steve’s vocals are light-hearted and the howling harmonica solo is excellent. There’s no deep-lying lyrical message here – just a lot of fun.

STORYTELLING CAPABILITY

Steve Tilston is known for his storytelling capabilities and Such & Such is laced with examples of that skill. Waterhole (Anasazi) tells the story of the challenges faced by the Pueblo and Hopi peoples of south-western USA. It’s a dramatic tale and Andy’s soaring sax seems to embody the searing heat of the sun that dominates the song’s desert setting.

The structure and lyrical content of Mirror Dance bring Joni Mitchell to mind. There’s a full band sound, with Richard’s fiddle and Maart’s bass featuring prominently, as Steve’s lyrics urge us to shed any false images we may try to project, consider the impact they may have and, above all, try to be who we really are.

MORE SOHO THAN RIO…

As its title suggests, West End Samba is an easy-going, authentic samba, with Steve’s light, tight guitar peppered with flourishes of cool-as-ice sax from Andy. The lyrics, though, with references to balti stalls, taxis, thespians and buskers are definitely more Soho than Rio…

But, it’s back to storytelling for the intriguing The Sniper’s Tale. Steve’s lyrics get right inside the mind of a solitary, watchful gunman as he stakes his target. The gunman justifies his murderous ways with thoughts like: “…when they choose to wear that uniform, they cease to be some mother’s son.” Yet Steve also exposes the killer’s human side, as he describes his desire to pick the wild mushrooms that are growing in his hiding place – so that he’ll have something to fry with his bacon when he gets home.

DREAMY IMAGININGS

A repetitive guitar theme and loping slides from Maart’s bass provide the backing to Steve’s thoughts, as he imagines the Roman legions that built and travelled along the road upon which he finds himself standing. Steve’s dreamy imaginings can’t even be punctured by the vapour trails in the sky and the thermos flask in his pocket, in another engaging song.

The contemplative There Is A Song is exactly the type of song that I can imagine Ralph McTell coming up with, and there’s a similar McTell feel to Sweet Such & Such, the album’s quasi-title track. It’s a pleasant ragtime-like number that features Steve alone with his voice and guitar. And he demonstrates to us all how good he is on the latter.

A RARE VENTURE

Such & Such is brought to its close by Steve’s interpretation of the traditional folk song, The Constant Lover, and it’s a truly wonderful version of a well-known song. Steve’s guitar parts are excellent and his vocal delivery is, arguably, his best on the album. annA rydeR contributes vocal harmonies, and they’re stunning and, to top things off, her trumpet parts add a royal air to the whole proceedings. The song is a rare Steve Tilston venture into traditional folk and, on this evidence, it seems a shame that he didn’t try to visit the genre more often.

Such & Such is an excellent album. Can we expect to be revisiting more of Steve Tilston’s back catalogue in the near future, I wonder? Time will tell…

Watch the official video to Rare Thing – the album’s opening track – below: