The Unthanks - Archive treasures | FESTIVALPHOTO
The Unthanks - Archive treasures
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, The Untahnks are releasing The Unthanks Memory Box - a limited edition 10th anniversary box of Unthanks treasure, including this CD, a live DVD, 3 books, a 7” single, prints, postcard and photos, all hand-finished and signed by the band. "Archive Treasures" is the only part of the box set that is available to buy separately, so if you missed out on the limited box set then this is an essential purchase for fans of The Unthanks.
I'm always slightly wary of releases like this - song's from the archives. The reason is that these sort of releases vary so much - from excellent albums with quality material to sub-standard releases packed with stuff that wasnt good enough to release. Happily The Unthanks have put together an very good release.
the album features never-before-heard Winterset recordings, live recordings of the 10 piece Unthanks from Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre, radio session tracks, childhood folk-club snapshots, a new Christmas single, a very different work-in-progress version of Queen of Hearts, 3 years before it appeared as a single on Last, plus tracks which have previously only been available on compilation albums featuring other acts, such as crowd favourite Tar Barrel in Dale, The Beatles’s Sexy Sadie, Peter Bellamy’s Oak, Ash and Thorn and from Adrian McNally’s Harbour of Songs album, a collaboration with fellow Barnsleyite, poet Ian McMillan.
The most important part is that almost everything here is well worth listening to, whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual fan. I've listened to the album all the way through quite a few times now, and only found myself skipping the final track and thoroughly enjoying the rest of the album.
The opening track is "2000 miles", a cover of the song by The Pretenders, and they've done a great job with it - watch the promo video below to hear it for yourselves.
"Queen of hearts" is a different version to the one fans will be familiar with, and it's always interesting to see how much a song can change during the writing and recording process.
A cover of the Beatles song "Sexy Sadie" is another treat for fans - recorded for a magazine, this is a great cover.
It's a great release - a nice mix of songs with most from the last six or seven years. It's definitely well worth a listen, whether you're a casual listener of The Unthanks or a die-hard fan, it's a release that should keep both groups happy.
Track listing:
1. 2000 miles (Christmas single 2015)
2. On a monday morning (Live from TFF Rudolstadt, Germany 2009)
3. I wish, I wish (Live from Melbourne, Australia 2008)
4. Blue blezzin blind drunk (Live from Hollywell music room 2008)
5. Close the coalhouse door (Live from The Tyne theatre, Newcastle 2011)
6. Alifib/Alifie (Live from Brighton dome 2012)
7. The Gallowgate lad (Live from The Tyne theatre, Newcastle 2011)
8. Felton lonnin (BBC Radio 1 Rob Da Bank session)
9. Tar barrel in dale (BBC radio 2 Radcliffe and Maconie session)
10. Queen of hearts (Alt demo 2009)
11. Sexy Sadie (Recording for Mojo magazine's White album)
12. A dream of a tree in a Spanish graveyard (featuring Ian McMillan from Harbour of songs 2009)
13. Oak, ash and thorn (Recorded for the Peter Bellamy Oak, ash and thorn project)
14. The Unthank family band (Recorded at Hartlepool folk club 2000)
