The Silkie
Fontana MGF 27548
1965
Another souvenir from my trip to Boulder. It has more ringwear than I normally deem acceptable, but the vinyl was pristine, it was cheap and I really wanted to hear it so I went ahead and bought it. I was not disappointed. Folk-pop is a guilty pleasure for me. I know it is phony and commercial but I still enjoy it. I'm a fan of the Seekers and this sounds quite a bit like them. The main reason I bought this album was because three of the Beatles worked on the title track - only Ringo was missing, George provided the percussion. It does not differ significantly from the Beatles version aside from the multi-part harmonies added on this record. I really like Sylvia Tatler's voice, she sounds like the young Marianne Faithfull only more muted. Her vocal on "[Bob] Dylan's Dream" really sends me. This album is loaded with Dylan covers - eight of them in fact and they include most of his most famous early compositions. I would like this record better if they had chosen more obscure covers, by 1965 who really wanted to hear another version of "Blowin' in the Wind"? The Silkie add little to the Dylan originals aside from the groups' pretty vocals and more elaborate vocal arrangements. If you like Peter, Paul and Mary's Dylan covers you will probably like these too. "Close The Door Gently" is one of my favorite songs on the record, but it has no songwriting credit. I find it hard to believe that it is a traditional song. Whoever wrote it, it is one of the better break-up songs I've ever heard. The group provides two original songs to the album which are essentially generic folk songs. Even though they are derivative, they are pleasant to listen to and at least I haven't heard them a hundred times like the Dylan covers. Recommended for people who like Bob Dylan's songs but hate his voice.
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