Consumer Guide Album

The Deighton Family: Mama Was Right [Philo, 1990]
Basically this is an English folk band doing lots of "trad. arr."--"Soldiers Joy," "Bonaparte's Retreat," "Farther Along," "Freight Train." But though the instrumentation is pretty conventional right down to the electric guitar, the sound is unique, probably because Mama Josie brings a little bit of South Molucca (in Indonesia, where she grew up) to her guitar (and bodhran), and the kids learned at both parents' knees. Papa Dave arrs., gives history lessons, defines folk to include "When You're Smiling," "Taxman," and "Wonderful Tonight," and sings like a busker who's found his place in the world. A-