Aug 042010
 

Song of the Day posts one cool cover every morning. Catch up on past installments here.

If you can’t place why “Lord Randall” sounds familiar, here’s a hint: Bob Dylan. In 1962 the ambitious young folkie borrowed liberally from this traditional Scottish ballad for his own “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” Apparently viewing the original tale of a poisoned lover as not dramatic enough, he broadened the scope to nuclear holocaust. You know, minor change.

The Prodigals stick with the original, or whatever version of the original exists after centuries of oral transmission. This New York “jig-punk” band follows in the footsteps of the Pogues, but with a poppier sheen and better teeth. Produced by Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, their 2001 album Dreaming in Hell’s Kitchen marries guitar and accordion for a multicultural hoedown.

MP3: The Prodigals – Lord Randall (Trad. cover)
[audio: SOTD0810/LordRandall.mp3]


Check out more from the Prodigals at MySpace.


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