JON BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS – Parlour Ballads (Hudson HUD052CD)

Parlour BalladsI don’t know about you but for me the phrase “parlour ballads” conjures up a vision of a wobbly soprano and a rather iffy upright piano. Jon Boden may agree but he sets out to subvert that idea although there is an upright piano right there on the cover. Jon plays piano, guitar and fiddle but the real subversion is carried out by the Remnant Kings: Rob Harbron, Sally Hawkins, M G Boulter, Sam Sweeney and Ben Nicholls. As well as conventional “folk” instruments we have oboe and cor anglais giving a sort of orchestral feel.

He starts with ‘On One April Morning’, more usually heard unaccompanied or in harmony followed by a mighty rendition of ‘Bonny Bunch Of Roses’, both with the same instrumental line-up featuring oboe and pedal steel. Jon is in powerful voice, sometimes mixed just above the accompaniment – producer Andy Bell judges the balance to perfection.

Having settled the folkies down Jon turns to what might be considered real parlour ballads. The first is ‘Clock O’ Clay’, John Clare’s words set to music by Jon; then comes the pretty ‘Merry Mountain Child’ from the Holme Valley and finally ‘Mortal Cares’ put together by Jon for a play in the dim and distant past and possibly written by him if the truth be told. If you’re familiar with Jon’s songwriting it will feel familiar.

Now the record takes another turn with ‘Oggie Man’. We’re all familiar with Cyril Tawney’s generally understated style but Jon dresses it up – not too overpoweringly but with extra drama. ‘Old Brown’s Daughter’ is a music-hall song picked up by Walter Pardon who taught it to Peter Bellamy. Bellamy applied his humorous vocal tics to his version but Jon takes it all very seriously with piano, concertina and pedal steel. I have to say that I rather prefer Peter’s version but I’ve known it for much longer.

Harbron switches to banjo for ‘Prentice Boy’, a gruesome tale which hardly seems appropriate for the parlour. The reason for the murder is not explicit and it seems like a rather extreme reaction to her parent’s disapproval. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Danny Deever’ could have just about qualified for the parlour, although it’s a grim tale, except that Peter Bellamy’s use of ‘Derwentwater’s Farewell’ didn’t come until much later. It’s one of my favourite adaptations of Kipling’s poetry.

‘Rose Of Allendale’ is a real parlour song and I was hoping that Jon would wrench it free from the terrible dirge that it has become in recent years. Sadly not and the singers around the piano back in those days seemed to drag the chorus out as slowly as possible just as they do now. In this context, of course, it’s perfect. Charles Dibdin is most famous for ‘Tom Bowling’ but he also wrote numerous humorous operas, one of which provides the closing song, ‘London Waterman’. Jon gives it a serious, almost sentimental, feel very much in keeping with the text and provides us with a happy ending.

I had feared that Parlour Ballads might be a bit gimmicky but it is anything but. Jon has carefully selected songs that mostly fit the description and arranged them cleverly with, as always, a fine group of musicians in support. Perhaps it lacks humour but the Victorians weren’t known for being amused, were they?

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: https://jonboden.com/

‘Prentice Boy – live (not a new recording):

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