THE WATERSONS/A YORKSHIRE GARLAND 12T167 (-66) UK MONO

British folk group consisting of siblings Norma, Mike and Elaine Waterson plus their cousin John Harrison. Started out as a skiffle band 1960, then moving over to traditional folk some years later. This was their third and last album before break-up 1968. The group have reformed many times since with different settings, but here it's still the original outfit. What I hear is fourteen traditional Yorkshire tunes sung a-capella, all tonal variation deriving from how their voices are woven together. Totally peeled-off back to absolute basics. I've always been more for UK folk with drum/bass backing as it'd turn out later with band like Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span, but can't help being drawn in and fascinated by this. As the vocals stand by themselves without any instrumental safety-net it gets naked and thus very honest. You can hear the persons involved right on instead of as parts of a multi-content musical product. I especially like the powerful female voices when they appear undressed. Guess I should write more about the songs, but have no special knowledge or insight for that, so I'm content just tagging it as very good female vocal. I'm a simple man and hearing strong and (dare I say?) sexy female vocals is good enough for me. This was UK only, also reissued on vinyl by Topic with same number on "green man" label with white sleeve. Most of the cuts can also be found on the Topic 1994 CD "Early Days" (TSCD 472). First had label as shown here and thin laminated cover. (QÖP*) (FÄV*) (BRYF*)