Cruel Sister (Rachel Unthank and the Winterset album)

Cruel Sister
Studio album by Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Released 11 May 2005 (UK)
Genre Folk
Length 54:30
Label Rabble Rouser – RR005 (UK);[1] Cortex – CTX392CD (Australia)[2]
Producer Adrian McNally
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset chronology
Cruel Sister (2007) The Bairns (2007)

Cruel Sister, the first album by English folk group Rachel Unthank and the Winterset (later to become The Unthanks) was released on 11 May 2005[3] and launched at Holmfirth Festival of Folk.[4] Described by BBC Music as "an outstanding debut",[5] it received support from a number of DJs on BBC Radio 2 and was subsequently awarded Folk Album of the Year by MOJO.[6]

Songs

Most of the tracks on the album are traditional folk songs.

"Cruel Sister", the song which provides the title for the album, is a traditional murder ballad (known in some versions as "The Twa Sisters"). It tells the story of the violent rivalry between two sisters for the love of a knight. One of the sisters murders her sibling, whose bones and hair are turned into a harp by a passing musician.[7] The ballad was collected by Francis J. Child (Child 10) and is also listed in the Roud Folk Song Index.[8]

"John Dead" is a sea shanty from the Windward Islands.[9]

The album also includes an acclaimed cover version, sung by Becky Unthank, of Nick Drake's song "River Man".[10]

Track listing

  1. "On a Monday Morning" (Cyril Tawney, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank/Belinda O'Hooley), 3:13
  2. "January Man" (Dave Goulder, arranged by Rachel Unthank), 3:31
  3. "Fair Rosamund" (Roud 3729) (Traditional, arranged by Rachel Unthank/Belinda O'Hooley), 2:57
  4. "Cruel Sister" (Roud 8) (Traditional, arranged by Rachel Unthank), 8:41
  5. "Rap Her to Bank" (Roud 1786) (Traditional, arranged by Becky Unthank), 1:34
  6. "Raven Girl" (Unknown/Ester Watson), 2:08
  7. "Twenty Long Weeks" (Alex Glasgow, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank/Belinda O'Hooley), 3:20
  8. "The Fair Flower of Northumberland" (Roud 25, Child 9) (Traditional, arranged by Rachel Unthank), 4:51
  9. "The Greatham Calling on Song" (Roud 610) (Traditional, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank), 5:58
  10. "Riverman" (Nick Drake, published by Island, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank), 5:01
  11. "Bonny at Morn" (Roud 3064) (Traditional, arranged by Rachel Unthank), 4:14
  12. "John Dead" (Traditional, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank), 3:47
  13. "Troubled Waters" (Matt McGinn, arranged by Rachel and Becky Unthank), 5:06

Running time: 54:30

Personnel

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Additional musicians

Production

The album was produced and recorded by Adrian McNally and mixed and mastered at Panda Studios. The sound engineer was Oliver Knight.[3]

Album cover

The album cover, which was illustrated by Becky Unthank, was designed by Steven Wainwright and incorporated photographs by Stephen Redfearn and Adrian McNally.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – Cruel Sister (UK)". Discogs. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – Cruel Sister (Australia)". Discogs. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Zierke, Reinhard. "Rachel Unthank & The Winterset: Cruel Sister". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Coffey, Russ (10 March 2011). "Interview: The Unthanks". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Ledgard, Mel (2008). "Rachel Unthank & The Winterset The Bairns Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  6. ↑ White, Julian. "Mojo Recording Of The Year 2005". www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  7. ↑ Culshaw, Peter (17 April 2008). "Rachel Unthank: swapping clogs for high heels". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Roud Folksong Index". English Folk Dance and Song Society (for the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library). Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Ian (16 December 2015). "The Unthanks – The Scala, London". Live reviews. Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  10. ↑ Cumming, Tim (24 January 2008). "The dark side of family folk music". The Independent. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

External links

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