Quite why this collection has "Uncensored" in the title is debatable -- possibly because a few of the songs are salacious. Otherwise, this material, recorded between 1967 and 1988 as field recordings rather than in a studio, offers a very full panoply of Austrian folk music, with the exception of Vorarlberg. There's
the Original Heberstein Trio
, with clarinet, accordion, and hammered dulcimer, who add plenty of yodeling to their songs, and
Fefi Eibisberger
, whose singing is that of the female cow herders, a very old singing style. Naturally, there's a little oompah music from
the Familie Buchbauer
, who mix accordion and tuba, and plenty of polkas as well as, surprisingly, the harp. It wouldn't be Austria without more yodeling, and
Anna Gratz
supplies that in remarkable style. There are also some unusual instruments, such as
Karl Scherrer
's xylophone of hollowed bricks and his glockenspiel constructed from grenade shells, along with plenty of zither and accordion work. It's not a collection for everyone, but the
Arhoolie
label never releases anything that's not interesting, and these field recordings do give a real sense of the heart of Austrian folk music. ~ Chris Nickson