Shirley’s voice is natural, artless and wholly inhabits songs about “ladies fair and tender, the ballad-heroines with lily hands, riding through the night, sighing for love, wandering through meadows distracted, saving or losing their virtue, getting pregnant, eloping with gypsies, dying of remorse, twined in the True-Lovers Knot” [ sleeve notes – S.C.].
By the time of this recording, Shirley had already paired with Davy Graham to redefine the nature of folk accompaniment, and would go on to produce arguably the finest folk-rock album of the era with the Albion Country Band.
Her 2006 guest vocal on Current 93’s Black Ships Ate the Sky is breath-taking.
Buy these: Folk Roots, New Routes; Anthems in Eden; Love, Death & the Lady; No Roses
Oddi wrth y brawd
Cariad
4 comments:
Shirley Collins 2006 guest vocal? Intruiging. Wonder if Will Hodgkinson has heard it. His 'Song Man' book has it that her voice is wrecked and that she hasn't sung in decades. I understand that Shirley has also written a book about time spent assisting her then beau Alan Lomax. Been meaning to check it out for a while but ..... you know how it is
Oh, it is utterly ruined. This is what takes the breath away and moves. Didn't know about her book, will definitely follow that up.
Personally, I'm looking forward to Rob Young's account 60s-70s wyrd folk, due to hit amazon this summer.
Diolch am eich comment.
Sometimes a ruined voice conveys emotions deeper than a pure young voice can - Billie Holiday, Marianne Faithfull, late Johnny Cash.
couldn't agree more.
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