> That the songs from this selection, which have been recorded before, have been better sung than is the case here is undeniable.

Two generations later, this assertion is remarkable. Would anyone here concur with it?

The reviewer is clearly judging L & M by the standards of pop or classical music, which is how shanty performances used to be judged. It wasn't because the critics were especially insensitive; it was just an unquestioned assumption of the day, and not just among critics, that any singing worth listening to was defined by a polished, mellow delivery. That's what made it "music."