Shirley Collins

False True Lovers isn't Collins' most beloved record -- that's either Folk Roots, New Routes or Anthems in Eden -- but its historical impact cannot be overestimated. Every major female singer of the British folk revival and folk-rock movement (including Sandy Denny, Jacqui McShee, Maddy Prior and June Tabor) spent hours paying careful attention to Collins' sweetly melancholic voice. Here she offers her most direct link to the past, covering a mix of English, Irish and Appalachian folk tunes.