A collection of songs from widely differing periods and places, all sung (with vocal backup from an unnamed group) by the inimitable
A.L. Lloyd, who also annotated the pieces. Some of the pieces are presented in variant versions here -- "The Foggy Dew," for example, has none of the usual sentimentality, while this version of "Maggie Mae" is as prosaic as any you will find -- and others are performed in as bawdy a manner as could be managed in 1961. This is a splendid collection that is well worth seeking out.
Lloyd's contributions to the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s are beyond value. Aspiring traditionalists would be well served in making a point of collecting the Topic CD releases.