28. The Power of the True Love Knot - Shirley Collins [1967]

Quietly adventurous '67 recording by sisters Shirley and Dolly. Traditional love ballads with early music patina courtesie of Dolly’s restrained arrangements and flutey toned miniature wooden pipe-organ. Pristine Joe Boyd production and array of supporting off-kilter instruments ascendantal Wlliamson and Heron (a favour Dolly repays on Incredible String Band's God Dog).



So to Shirley’s voice: natural, artless and wholly inhabiting 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. Check guest vocal on Current 93’s 2006 Black Ships Ate the Sky: as harrowing as it is breath-taking.

Oddi wrth y brawd


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