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The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons, the fifth album by English folk group The Unthanks, was released on 28 November 2011. Its extended title is: Diversions, Vol. 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons - Live from the Union Chapel, London. Recorded at the Union Chapel, Islington, London, on 8 and 9 December 2010, it is The Unthanks' only live album to date.

Reception

In a four-starred review, The Guardian called the album "A triumphant excursion".^[1] David Fricke at Rolling Stone magazine said there was "a silvery deceptive spine running through the sisters' Earth-angel voices".^[2]Reviewing the album for BBC Music, Martin Aston was struck by "hearing You Are My Sister sung to each other by sisters in blood as well as spirit, the arrangement and tone touching rather than cloying".^[3]

Writing in The Independent on 27 November 2011, Nick Coleman said that "The Hegarty songs respond slightly better to the treatment than do Wyatt's, with the exception of 'Sea Song'."^[4] MusicOmH said: "In a largely flawless set, the Antony & The Johnsons songs in particular are luminously beautiful, perfectly suited to the sisters’ passionate, breathy vocals and McNally’s elegant arrangements" but felt that The Unthanks are "at their best when providing a mixed palette of the centuries-old music of their native county and their own unique takes on the work of some of today’s most interesting performers. Just focusing on the latter, they’re marginally less interesting."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Bird Guhl"
2.	"Man is the Baby"
3.	"You Are My Sister"
4.	"For Today I Am a Boy"
5.	"Paddy's Gone"
6.	"Spiralling"
7.	"Stay Tuned"
8.	"Dondestan"
9.	"Lullaby for Hamza"
10.	"Lisp Service"
11.	"Free Will and Testament"
12.	"Out of the Blue"
13.	"Cuckoo Madame"
14.	"Sea Song"
15.	"Forest (excerpt)"

Personnel

The Unthanks

Rachel Unthank – voice, feet, dulcitone
Becky Unthank – voice, feet
Adrian McNally – piano on Robert Wyatt set, drums on Antony set, harmonium, voice
Chris Price – drums on Robert Wyatt set, electric bass on Antony set, voice
Niopha Keegan – violin, accordion, voice

Additional musicians

Ros Stephen – violin, voice
Becca Spencer – viola, voice
Jo Silverston – cello, voice
Lizzie Jones – trumpet, voice
Dean Rivera – double bass
Jonny Kearney – piano on Antony set

Arrangements

Strings on Antony set transcribed by Niopha Keegan
Strings on "Lisp Service" by Jo Silverston
Strings on "Out of the Blue" by Becca Spencer and Lizzie Jones
Strings on "Stay Tuned" by Niopha Keegan

References

^ Neil Spencer (20 November 2011). "The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)"...the Unthanks' intertwining voices – cadent, mournful, tender – never falter and the between-songs banter ("There will be clog dancing!") grounds an ethereal atmosphere."
^ David Fricke (1 March 2012). "The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony and the Johnsons". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Martin Aston (24 November 2011). "The sisters' voices, with Hegarty and Wyatt's songs: a perfect match". BBC Music. Retrieved 21 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Nick Coleman (27 November 2011). "Album: The Unthanks, Diversion Vol 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons (Rabblerouser)". The Independent. Retrieved 30 November 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Chris White (28 November 2011). "The Unthanks - The Songs Of Robert Wyatt And Anthony & The Johnsons". musicOMH. Retrieved 30 November 2011.

[1] Neil Spencer (20 November 2011). "The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)"...the Unthanks' intertwining voices – cadent, mournful, tender – never falter and the between-songs banter ("There will be clog dancing!") grounds an ethereal atmosphere."

[2] David Fricke (1 March 2012). "The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony and the Johnsons". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[3] Martin Aston (24 November 2011). "The sisters' voices, with Hegarty and Wyatt's songs: a perfect match". BBC Music. Retrieved 21 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[4] Nick Coleman (27 November 2011). "Album: The Unthanks, Diversion Vol 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons (Rabblerouser)". The Independent. Retrieved 30 November 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[5] Chris White (28 November 2011). "The Unthanks - The Songs Of Robert Wyatt And Anthony & The Johnsons". musicOMH. Retrieved 30 November 2011.

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@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ==Reception==
 In a four-starred review, ''[[The Guardian]]'' called the album "A triumphant excursion".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/20/unthanks-robert-wyatt-antony-johnsons?INTCMP=SRCH|title=The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons – review|author=Neil Spencer |publisher= ''[[The Guardian]]''|date=20 November 2011|accessdate= 30 November 2011}}"...the Unthanks' intertwining voices – cadent, mournful, tender – never falter and the between-songs banter ("There will be clog dancing!") grounds an ethereal atmosphere."</ref> [[David Fricke]] at ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine said there was "a silvery deceptive spine running through the sisters' Earth-angel voices".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-songs-of-robert-wyatt-and-antony-and-the-johnsons-20120301|title=The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony and the Johnsons|
+author=[[David Fricke]]|publisher = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''|date= 1 March 2012|accessdate= 21 May 2012}}</ref>Reviewing the album for [[BBC Music]], Martin Aston was struck by "hearing You Are My Sister sung to each other by sisters in blood as well as spirit, the arrangement and tone touching rather than cloying".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/h43q|title=The sisters’ voices, with Hegarty and Wyatt’s songs: a perfect match|author=Martin Aston|publisher = ''[[BBC Music]]''|date= 24 November 2011|accessdate= 21 May 2012}}</ref>
-author=[[David Fricke]]|publisher = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''|date= 1 March 2012|accessdate= 21 May 2012}}</ref>
 Writing in ''[[The Independent]]'' on 27 November 2011, Nick Coleman said that "The Hegarty songs respond slightly better to the treatment than do Wyatt's, with the exception of 'Sea Song'."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-unthanks-diversion-vol-1-the-songs-of-robert-wyatt-and-antony--the-johnsons-rabblerouser-6268371.html|title=Album: The Unthanks, Diversion Vol 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons (Rabblerouser)|author=Nick Coleman |publisher= ''[[The Independent]]''|date=27 November 2011|accessdate= 30 November 2011}}</ref> MusicOmH said: "In a largely flawless set, the Antony & The Johnsons songs in particular are luminously beautiful, perfectly suited to the sisters’ passionate, breathy vocals and McNally’s elegant arrangements" but felt that The Unthanks are "at their best when providing a mixed palette of the centuries-old music of their native county and their own unique takes on the work of some of today’s most interesting performers. Just focusing on the latter, they’re marginally less interesting."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/unthanks-2_1111.htm|title=