The Alan Lomax Collection: Songs of Seduction - Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales

Album Review

Songs of Seduction is a wonderful compilation of historic and humorously ribald tones from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. Most of the songs are solo, a cappella renditions of centuries-old sexually charged tales — some cleverly wrapped in metaphor, and some completely forthright. Alan Lomax and others traveled to document these chapters in oral tradition between 1951 and 1956. Many of the recordings took place at local pubs, and on these tunes, the crowd joins in on the chorus. Multiple versions of a few songs — including "the Jolly Tinker" and "the Cuckoo's Nest" — are heard back to back; first sung, then as an instrumental reel played on fiddle, uilleann pipes, or tin whistle. With 33 tracks and informative liner notes, Songs of Seduction is a priceless addition to the collections of roots music fans.