"Banned in Sparta" meets "The Odyssey"

#ForFansOf The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan and Matt Damon’s epic triumph The Odyssey resurrects the ancient world that turbocharged Western civilization — democracy, theater, philosophy, architecture, art.

If that era had a soundtrack, it would sound uncannily like Robin Batteau’s magical, mystical Banned in Sparta: eleven songs mosaic‑ed from the shards of pottery and scraps of parchment left behind by Greece’s great lyric poets. These were the original singer‑songwriters — Archilochus, Sappho, Alcaeus — performing with lyres the way Dylan or Taylor Swift perform with guitars today.

Bat­teau built these songs like a paleontologist assembling a T. Rex, filling gaps in the ancient fragments with “musical bones” of his own devising. And to bring them fully to life, he chose voices from our own Golden Age of singer‑songwriting: Eric Andersen, Carolyn Hester (who hosted Dylan’s first recorded appearance), Livingston Taylor, Kate Taylor, Tom Paxton, rocker Robin Lane, plus Tony‑winning actor James Naughton and his children Greg and Keira, Batteau himself, and newcomer Matt Nakoa. 

• Bonnie Raitt: dubbed him “The Love God”

Press Highlights on "Banned in Sparta"

• Goldmine: “Contemporary sounding… readily accessible, any scholarly insinuation aside.”
• House of Prog: “So enjoyable and a whole load of fun… well worth investigating.”
• Classic Rock History: “A lifetime of weaving together tradition and invention.”
• Let It Rock: “Robin’s comeback… was totally worth it.”

  

 Cross (of Gold)  Eric Andersen Breathy, resonant male vocal with bright guitar. A deep, introspective piece in which he asks himself,  "I still adore her? Is love like this a torture. Why is this crucifixion on a cross of gold?" “I love you / hate you / love you.”

Archilochus Re‑Deemed James Naughton  Bold male vocals over soft‑rock instrumentation. A soldier’s declaration of loyalty to the god of war — poetic, grounded, and free of self‑pity. The song states they want caring people in the trenches with them, not belligerent warm mongers, making it ideal for scenes about courage, grit, or moral conflict.  “I am a servant of the Lord God of War.”

In Her Loving Arms Carolyn Hester  Mid‑tempo contemporary folk with Carolyn Hester’s iconic, airy vocal dancing around Batteau’s strings. A portrait of a dangerous, irresistible woman — the kind men return to again and again. The song’s intimate feeling makes it perfect for scenes balancing warmth with risk.“In her loving arms, love the thunder and danger.”

Thracian Filly Tom Paxton Uptempo, Appalachian‑tinctured folk with Tom Paxton’s unmistakable voice. A playful comparison between a woman and a spirited horse, full of movement and charm. Fun and timeless appeal. A lively, percussive refrain celebrating her dance. Namedropping Olympus, Dionysus, and Dorian. His imagination on what he’d love to experience with the “Thracian Filly.”  Shake your hair, shake your hair, shake your hair, you Thracian Filly

 The Most Beautiful Thing in the World  Keira Naughton Soft female vocal with acoustic guitar. A meditation on beauty and what we leave behind. “Is the most beautiful thing in the world only the thing you leave behind?”

 

Robin Batteau's “Banned In Sparta”

Collaborative Album with Classical Greek Poets and Modern Folk Singers

On July 11, Robin Batteau is releasing “Banned in Sparta,” a new collaborative album of songs based on poems by Classical Greek poets, and recorded by friends Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, Carolyn Hester, Livingston and Kate Taylor, Matt Nakoa, Robin Lane, 2-time Tony winning actor James Naughton and his gifted children Keira and Greg. Robin was inspired by an Ancient Greek History class he took when he returned to Harvard during the Pandemic to finish a degree he started in the 1960s. Robin earned the World Record of taking a 50-year break (between 1970 to 2021) to return to Harvard and finish his degree in 2022.   

“Banned In Sparta” focuses almost entirely on poets from Ancient Greece between 700 and 400 BC.  One poet, Gaius Valerius Catullus (84 – 54 BC), as smitten with the ghost of Sappho as Robin or Alcaeus, is from Rome during Julius Caesar’s reign, for whom Eric Andersen performs “Cross (of Gold),” an ode to interlaced and conflicted feelings, “Odi et Amo"— I hate and I love.

The title “Banned in Sparta” finds its name from Archilochus, the Bob Dylan of the 7^th century B.C., a warrior-poet so irreverent he was “Banned in Sparta.”  James Naughton sings the song “Archilochus Re-Deemed (I Am a Servant of the Lord God of War).” Kate Taylor performs “Telesilla’s On the Wall,” from the female poet Telesilla, who led her fellow women warriors to victory against those same renowned Spartans. 

“The Greek Lyric poets performed live, and were the stars of their day,” says Robin. “They were singer/songwriters, they played the lyre (hence "Lyric") and danced around the stage like Tom Paxton and Taylor Swift.”

Robin, who studied Ancient Greece and Integrative Biology at Harvard, found that most of what was left of the poems were fragments and myth, “So I mosaic-ed songs to reflect their expressions and intentions— who they were, and are to me.”         

A range of female poets contributed to the lyrical history of Greece including Corrina, whose “In Her Loving Arms” is sung by Carolyn Hester, and Praxilla’s “The Most Beautiful Thing in the World,” a hymn to Adonis, sung by Keira Naughton.  Sappho’s writing inspires “Terra Cotta Heart,” sung by Robin Lane.  Livingston Taylor sings “My Sappho, Sweetly Smiling” from the smitten neighbor and rival Alcaeus. 

The fun and frolicking “Shake your Hair (You Thracian Filly),” sung by Tom Paxton. Pianist and folk singer Matt Nakoa offers a Bruce Hornsby-like treatment for Simonides of Ceos’s “Theatre of Memory (Man of Gold).”    

Sharing Grammy, Emmy, Clio, and Gold Record Awards and an Oscar nomination, Robin’s recorded over a dozen albums with Pierce Arrow, David Buskin (Buskin & Batteau), and many others.  His jingles feature in long-running, award-sweeping advertising campaigns from "I'm Lovin' It" for McDonalds to “Can’t Beat It” for Coca-Cola to "The Heartbeat of America" for Chevrolet. He’s played his 1898 Scarampella violin with everyone from Yo-Yo Ma to Benny Goodman to Bruce Springsteen and has had his melodies sung by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Judy Collins, Paul Newman, and more. His songs have supported charities and causes, including World Hunger Year, Ocean Alliance, Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, and Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for kids. The Boston Globe defines his music with David Buskin as "Acoustic Heaven."

“Banned In Sparta” songs

“Stolen in Love”  (Gorgias)  Greg Naughton (vocals: lead, harmony, background, descants),  Mark Dann (bass, synths), Robin Batteau— (acoustic guitar (custom 7-string Sigma), Greek Chorus oohs and aahs, fingerpop and heartbeat percussion). 

“In Her Loving Arms” (Corinna)   Carolyn Hester  (lead vocals), Jennifer “Genevieve” Vitanzo (harmony vocals), Jerry Marotta (drums), Mark Dann (bass, electric 12-string guitar, synths) Robin Batteau (violin (1898 Scarampella, muted), Sigma guitar).     

“Archilochus Re-Deemed (I Am a Servant of the Lord God of War)”  (Archilochus) James Naughton (lead vocal), Jerry (drums), Neale Eckstein (acoustic guitar), Robin (harmony vocals, handclaps, drums, Sigma guitar, violins).

“Telesilla’s on the Wall”  (Telesilla) Kate Taylor (lead vocal),  Mark Dann (bass, synths),  Jerry Marrotta (drums), Robin Batteau (violin, acoustic guitar (1948 Martin 0-17, nylon-strung), background vocals, descant).

“My Sappho, Sweetly Smiling”  (Alcaeus)  Livingston Taylor (lead vocal, acoustic guitar), Mark Dann (bass, synths), Jerry Marrotta (drums), Robin Batteau (violin, Martin guitar, synths, background vocals, descant).

“Terra Cotta Heart” (Sappho)   Robin Lane (lead vocal), Mark Dann (bass, electric 12, synths), Jerry Marrotta (drums), Robin Batteau (Martin guitar, drums, percussion).

“Shake Your Hair (You Thracian Filly)” (Anacreon)   Tom Paxton (lead vocal), Eric Schwartz (piano, organ), Mark Dann (bass, synths), Neale Eckstein (acoustic guitar, drums),Robin Batteau (Sigma, drums).

“Man of Gold (Theater of Memory)” (Simonides) Matt Nakoa (lead vocal, piano, synths, bass, drums, electric guitar).

“How Can You Love Me”  (Stesichorus)   Robin Batteau (lead vocal, harmony vocals, Martin, violins, synths, drums, percussion), Yani Batteau (harmony vocal, banjo), Neale Eckstein (drums, percussion).

“The Most Beautiful Thing in the World” (Praxilla)  Keira Naughton (lead vocal), Robin Batteau (Martin Guitar).

“Cross” (Catullus)   Eric Andersen  (lead vocal),  Abby Newton (cello-1897 Scarampella), Mark Dann (bass, synths), Robin Batteau (Martin guitar), violin, percussion (inspired by Marshal Rosenberg)