Folk Ballads

On this CD:

1. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 I Won't Die Easy
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

2. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 As I Walked Through The Town
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

3. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 Four Scythes
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

4. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 Down There In The Meadows
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

5. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 Far And Wide
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

6. Folk Songs (6) Sung by Eva Gabel, for voice & piano, JW 5/9 There You Are, Annie
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

7. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 Hey, There Was A Maid She Mowed The Grass
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

8. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 Hey, Winter's Coming, Frost Is Coming
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

9. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 Manor Mead's All Green
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

10. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 Down The Valley There Rides A Carrier
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

11. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 Our Johnny Handsome And Blithe
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

12. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 When I'm Enrolled To Be A Soldier
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

13. Folk Nocturnes (Lidová Nokturna) (7), for soprano, alto, & piano, JW 4/32 High Up You Flew, Sweet Swallow
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

14. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 Hey, A Good Guy I Won't Be
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

15. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 Hey, Did I Sit There
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

16. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 Hey Whatever People Say
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

17. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 Under The Green Maple Tree
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

18. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 There, There He Goes
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

19. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 There Was A Widow All Lonely
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

20. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 In The Mountains, In The Valleys
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

21. Songs (8) of Detva, brigand ballads for voice & piano, JW 5/11 Fair Young Maid
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

22. Folk Songs (5) for tenor, male chorus, & piano or harmonium, JW 4/37 These Maidens Went To Pick Wild Berries
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

23. Folk Songs (5) for tenor, male chorus, & piano or harmonium, JW 4/37 In The Wide Field Of Velka
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

24. Folk Songs (5) for tenor, male chorus, & piano or harmonium, JW 4/37 Why Don't You Blossom, Guelderrose?
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

25. Folk Songs (5) for tenor, male chorus, & piano or harmonium, JW 4/37 Travelling Fiddlers
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

26. Folk Songs (5) for tenor, male chorus, & piano or harmonium, JW 4/37 And There Was A Spine
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

27. Ballads (4), Moravian folk songs for voice & piano, JW 5/7 I Have A Family
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

28. Ballads (4), Moravian folk songs for voice & piano, JW 5/7 There Was A Prisoner
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

29. Ballads (4), Moravian folk songs for voice & piano, JW 5/7 Alderman's Dolly
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

30. Ballads (4), Moravian folk songs for voice & piano, JW 5/7 Down In The Valley
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Ivan Kusnjer, Marian Lapsansky, Dagmar Peckova

Tracks:

Cape Cod Girls - Baby Gramps
Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson
My Son John - John C. Reilly
Fire Down Below - Nick Cave
Turkish Revelry - Loudon Wainwright III
Bully In The Alley - The Old Prunes
The Cruel Ship's Captain - Bryan Ferry
Dead Horse - Robin Holcomb
Spansih Ladies - Bill Frisell
High Barbary - Joseph Arthur
Haul Away Joe - Mark Anthony Thompson
Dan Dan - David Thomas
Blood Red Roses - Sting
Sally Brown - Teddy Thompson
Lowlands Away - Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
Baltimore Whores - Gavin Friday
Rolling Sea - Eliza McCarthy
Haul On The Bowline - Bob Neuwirth
Dying Sailor to His Shipmates - Bono
Bonnie Portmore - Lucinda Williams
The Mermaid - Martin Carthy & the UK Group
Shenandoah - Richard Greene & Jack Shit
The Cry Of Man - Mary Margaret O'Hara

Tracks:

Boney - Jack Shit
Good Ship Venus - Loudon Wainwright III
Long Time Ago -White Magic
Pinery Boy - Nick Cave
Lowlands Low - Bryan Ferry w/Antony
One Spring Morning - Akron/Family
Hog Eye Man - Martin Carthy & Family
The Fiddler/A Drop Of Nelson's Blood - Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold - Andrea Corr
Fathom The Bowl - John C. Reilly
Drunken Sailor - Dave Thomas
Farewell Nancy - Ed Harcourt
Hanging Johnny - Stan Ridgway
Old Man of The Sea - Baby Gramps
Greenland Whale Fisheries - Van Dyke Parks
Shallow Brown - Sting
The Grey Funnel Line - Jolie Holland
A Drop of Nelson's Blood - Jarvis Cocker
Leave Her Johnny - Lou Reed
Little Boy Billy - Ralph Steadman

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski hatched the idea for Rogue's Gallery while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--that idea being to cast genteel rock superstars like Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting to reinterpret gritty seafaring standards for an exhaustive 43-track double-disc set produced by Hal Wilner. Throw in a bunch of credible folk stars (Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson), their offspring (Rufus, Teddy) and a string of other curious characters (Jarvis Cocker, Antony) and what results is one of the strangest compilations in recent memory, if not exactly the most historically authentic or, well, digestible. Nick Cave embraces the role just a little too hard on "Fire Down Below," while Ferry can't help but sound like he's singing for the cast of "The Love Boat," but cut through the chaff and there is some real bootie here: Bono's "Dying Sailor to His Shipmates," Jolie Holland's "The Grey Funnel Line" and "Boney" by a mysterious tramp called Jack Sh**, which must be some kind of anagram for Johnny Depp. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

While working on the two "Pirates Of The Carribean" films, Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas. Enter legendary producer Hal Wilner, who brings his knack for matching maverick musicians with extraordinary material. Artists on this double disc set include Bono, Sting, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and many more. "Rogue's Gallery" offers a look at the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun--but not great.......2007-07-03

What a concept--a pirate song co-produced by Verbinski and Depp inspired by the "Pirates of the Carribean" series. It should be great and in places, it is. The big question I came away with is--who is Jack Sh**? That one definitely has me guessing.

I won't belabor the song content or the production value. I think the most notable reviews have got that down pat, although I'm not marking down as far as they have because I'm giving points for originality being a fan of Spike Jones and some other truly demented people.

One thing to note: this is not a CD you'd buy if you were looking for something to amuse your kids. Some of the content is very bawdy and Mom and Dad would have some serious 'splaining to do to the little pirates. There's both some language and some situations that are more twisted than a Hangman's knot.

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......2007-06-09

Some of the songs are quite good(mellow)others a little odd. Its what I expected, but not what you would expect.

Disappointment would be an understatement.......2007-06-04

It is not unusual to find sea shanties performed by not the greatest musicians or singers in the world. It is not unusual to find shanties sung by people who have difficulty keeping perfect pitch, or tempo. But at least they understand what the music is about, and sing it with heart and enthusiasm and a love for the genre.

Hal Wilner should stick to whatever genre it is that made him know enough to be approached by labels, because he clearly has no understanding, and less enthusiasm for *this* genre.

If you love lively music from the maritime era, you can only be bitterly disappointed by this collection. Out of 43 tracks, I found 15 that were salvageable. Sort of.

I've already tossed this onto the pile to go to the resale shop. It wasn't worthy the cost of shipping.

Zzz..........2007-04-04

I have to admit that I have no idea what kinds of music the pirates sang aboard their ships. I know it probably wasn't "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," but I expected something different than this. I think my expectations have been colored by groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers, and the Real McKenzies. I have an annual Pirate Party and I was hoping to find some good music here to get people in the mood for a treasure hunt or pirate liar's dice, but instead, the music on this CD is something I'd put on if the party went on too long and I wanted to encourage people to leave. Some of it is actually awful and the rest is too slow and plodding to inject much energy into any situation.

I appreciate what was attempted here (contemporary artists paying homage to sea chanteys in the spirit of our romanticized version of the pirate era) but it just doesn't really work. The effect is similar to what would be achieved if the London Philharmonic Orchestra attempted to play rap "music" with Luciano Pavarotti rhymin' while flashing gang signs.

another set of hopes are smashed.......2007-03-29

the selection of titles attracted me. The quality of the arrangements, the voices, and the music---are all quite bad.

It is VERY sad that these same titles, could not have been produced for quality. They sound like a nightmare.

Average customer rating:

my favorite woody guthrie disc.
Dust Bowl topics
Woody Guthrie, Dust Bowl Ballads
Hard times great man greatsongs
dust bowl ballads

Dust Bowl Ballads
Woody Guthrie
Manufacturer: Buddha
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1
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The Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie
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Best of Lead Belly

ASIN: B00004TY8S
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Tracks:

The Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster)
Talking Dust Bowl Blues
Pretty Boy Floyd
Dusty Old Dust (So Long It's Been Good To Know Yuh)
Dust Bowl Blues
Blowin' Down The Road (I Ain't Gonna To Be Treated This Way)
Tom Joad (Part 1)
Tom Joad (Part 2)
Do Re Mi
Dust Bowl Refugee
I Ain't Got No Home
Vigilante Man
Dust Can't Kill Me
Dust Pneumonia Blues
Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues (alternate take)

Amazon.com essential recording

"If you'll gather 'round me children, a story I will tell," sings Woody Guthrie in "Pretty Boy Floyd." Children of all ages have never stopped gathering 'round Woody Guthrie since he recorded these songs in the spring of 1940, and that most-famous line tells us a lot about his approach: his songs are for all people, simple and direct enough to be understood by young ones, irresistibly catchy, yet devilishly clever and cutting. His ability to boil down complex emotions and issues to their very core has rarely been matched. "So long it's been good to know yuh," he sings in "Dusty Old Dust," and its childlike sing-along quality only serves to reinforce his very serious points. Across these 14 songs, Guthrie recounts and relives his experience as an Okie forced from his home by the Depression and drought of the 1930s, chronicling the arduous journey in brilliant, sometimes hilarious, sometimes horrifying detail. The characters that inhabit his stories are sincere, sympathetic, and brutally alive. Originally released in 1940 on two albums, and again in 1964 for the benefit of salivating folk revivalists, Dust Bowl Ballads returns once again in 2000 freshly remastered, full of new photos and boasting one alternate take. If there is one album of modern American folk music that deserves to be reissued for the benefit of each generation, it is this collection. In terms of the singer-songwriter concept, it is truly the river's source; in historical terms, it's to the New Deal what the Declaration of Independence is to the American Revolution. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

my favorite woody guthrie disc........2007-04-13

this is my favorite woody guthrie disc. the entire asch recordings series is wonderful, as well, but this cycle of short stories told through the medium of the folk song, about the Oakie migration during the great depression, is simply a riveting work of americana music. "tom joad - part 1 & 2," is my all-time favorite guthrie performance. its rhythmic drive, intensity, devotion to detail, and grand narrative structure make it one of the finest achievements in all of american folk music. this whole album is a stark and glorious achievement. mr guthrie's voice was singular, a voice with personality, full of feeling for the downtrodden, for the victims of unrestrained capitalism. no music collection should be without a healthy dose of woody guthrie. if yours has a hole in it where mr guthrie should be, this album makes for a perfect introduction to his work.

Dust Bowl topics.......2007-04-01

I am a sixth grade teacher who is doing a novel with my class that is set during the Dust Bowl. So many of the songs deal with topics in this book and I have been amazed how responsive my students are to this music. It is requested everyday during work time.

Woody Guthrie, Dust Bowl Ballads.......2007-01-24

This is one fantastic album, assuming you like folk music. It's now one of my favorites

Hard times great man greatsongs.......2007-01-18

Woody Guthrie Dustbowl ballads is a historic folk classic. Woodys playing is good on gutiar and harmonica his voice is steady the songs are real good for the time. Woddy tells the story of the dustbowl with a keen sense of humor mostly. Pretty boy floyd Blowin down the road vigalanteman and the TomJoad songs show some anger. but Dirty old dust Dustpneumonia blues and Talkin dustbowl blues are funny. I aint got no home is my favorite. The booklet really is interesting Woody tells his story. im glad i got this.Great way to get to know Woody Guthrie.

dust bowl ballads.......2007-01-13

if you like folk music this is for you. tribute to a very talented man

The Girl from Ipanema: The Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook

Average customer rating:

Among the best
Bossa Nova
Jobim "Mixing it Up"
Love it!
Absolutely amazing

The Girl from Ipanema: The Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wave
Getz/Gilberto
Antonio Carlos Jobim's Finest Hour
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Bossa Nova Brasil

ASIN: B000001EBX
Release Date: 1995-05-23

Tracks:

Garota De Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) - Stan Getz And Joao Gilberto
Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) - Sarah Vaughan
Felicidade - Billy Eckstine
O Morro Nao Tem Vez (Favela) - Stan Getz And Luiz Bonfa
Agua De Beber - Astrud Gilberto
So Danco Samba (Jazz Samba) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Insensatez (How Insensitive) - Wes Montgomery
Once I Loved - Shirley Horn
Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba) - Stan Getz And Charlie Byrd
Meditacao (Meditation) - Joao Gilberto
Desafinado (Slighty Out Of Tune) - Ella Fitzgerald
Dindi - Astrud Gilberto
Wave - Oscar Peterson
Aguas De Marco (Waters Of March) - Antonio Carlos Jobim And Elis Regina
Chega De Saudade (No More Blues) - Dizzy Gillespie

Amazon.com

This 1995 tribute to the late Brazilian bossa nova master draws from the cream of the Verve/Polygram jazz catalog. Saxophonist Stan Getz, who introduced the sublimely sensual bossa nova to North American audiences in the early '60s, is joined by vocalist João Gilberto on the well-known title track and by guitarist Luiz Bonfa on the exquisite "O Morro Nao Tem Vez." Sarah Vaughan ("Corcovado"), Billy Eckstine ("Felicidade"), Wes Montgomery ("How Insensitive"), and Oscar Peterson ("Wave") also turn in classic performances from the '60s. Jobim himself offers guitar and piano accompaniment on several tracks and duets with Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina on "Aguas de Marco." Although subsequent generations of lame lounge singers have robbed bossa nova of its original mystique, in its pure form, this music is unsurpassed in conveying an intimately romantic mood with carefree sophistication. --Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

Among the best.......2007-05-20

This CD is just another example of great Bossa Nova straight from brazil. Just like the other ones, it has some beautiful tunes; danceable, easy to the ears, romantic and very sensual. Would highly recommend it.

Bossa Nova.......2007-03-29

I like Bossa Nova, beautiful music, and I like all the cd's I have purchased

Jobim "Mixing it Up".......2007-01-11

Excellent!! A great combination of different extremely talented world artists doing a diffent take on Jobim's music. If you love Jobim and want to "mix it up" this is a great selection.

Love it!.......2007-01-09

Love this! It's part bossa nova, kind of jazzy. Takes me to a beach with white sands and clear blue water, exactly where I want to be at this time of the year.

Absolutely amazing.......2006-09-06

I've had this cd for about 10 years now, and I've loved every minute of it again and again. Every song has its own beauty, in a very diverse way. The performance in "Chega de Saudade" is particularly riveting, each instrument delivering an absolutely perfect solo.

Also, not to be vulgar, but having sex to this album? A+++ would do again.

Average customer rating:

splendid!
The essence of a hidden protest song
Richard Thompson's "Pink Moon?"
RT Scores Again
One of Thompson's very best

Front Parlour Ballads
Richard Thompson
Manufacturer: Cooking Vinyl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00069I7B4
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Let it Blow
For Who's Sake?
Miss Patsy
Old Thames Side
How Does Your Garden Grow
My Soul, My Soul
Cressida
Row, Boys, Row
Mutton Street
Precious One
A Solitary Life
Should I Betray?
When We Were Boys At School

Amazon.com

This selection of largely acoustic, predominately solo performances finds Richard Thompson trading the guitar pyrotechnics of his electric albums for greater intimacy, vocal subtlety, and emphasis on his storytelling lyrics. Though this is Thompson's first acoustic release of all-original material, "Row, Boys, Row" and "The Boys of Mutton Street" could pass as traditional British folk balladry, while the droll humor and stately musical grace of "Miss Patsy" recall some of Thompson's early work with Fairport Convention. The songwriting is as ambitious as the arrangements are minimal, from the bitter misanthropy of the character study in "A Solitary Life" to the bittersweet yearning of "Cressida" to the hypnotic insistence of "My Soul, My Soul." In "Let It Blow," Thompson applies his sharp wit to the tale of a serial husband with a penchant for quickie marriages, as the weddings signal the end of the romance. Even when he turns down the volume, he never tones down the creative intensity. --Don McLeese

Recommended Richard Thompson Discography

Fairport Convention, Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention, Liege & Lief
Fairport Convention, Full House

Richard & Linda Thompson, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Richard & Linda Thompson, Shoot Out the Lights
Hand of Kindness

From Amazon.co.uk

Front Parlour Ballads is almost entirely acoustic, with all instruments but percussion played by Richard Thompson himself. Despite the basic approach, however, this is not a sparse album. His guitar playing is as complex as ever, and the songs stand comparison with any of his best. The opening track, "Let It Blow," is a funny account of a relationship conducted in the grubby glare of the tabloids, and "For Whose Sake?" and "Miss Patsy" are sterling illustrations of Thompson's ability to frame modern sentiments and stories within time-served folk idioms. "Boys of Mutton Street" starts with a riff which is surely intentionally an echo of Thompson's previously best-known acoustic song, "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," and "Solitary Life" sounds like it might be Thompson's take on Radiohead's "Fitter Happier." There has been bizarrely little recognition of the possibility, but after the resounding classics Mock Tudor and The Old Kit Bag, Front Parlour Ballads suggests that Thompson may well be in the prime of his long and extraordinary career. --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews:

splendid! .......2006-01-03

I live with a Fairport/Richard junkie, and I've had 6 years luxurious exposure to this music now. I love it, but I'm no expert. That said... Miss Patsy and a couple other elements of this album bring Steve Tilston to mind-- not just the spare guitar sound, but the bluesiness. When We Were Boys At School is classic Richard, boiling a bit of life down to the really sad reduction; the depressing reality, expressed so beautifully. This album is growing more captivating with each play, and is already one of my favorites. Acoustic Richard is the best.

The essence of a hidden protest song.......2005-12-09

This is the first RT solo album I've heard. A friend had been recommending him to me for a while. Probably because of his fine guitar playing and his tendency to arrange his lyrics to the note, i.e. break the rhythm and simply parallel a vocal line with the guitar.
This happens in "Row, Boys Row" (should have read the small print) But what makes this song so striking to me is it's veiled message of protest. This falls in line right where I am striving for, simple acoustic songs protesting the Iraq War and the lies and perpetrations of the current administration. But to disguise the message in the guise of a sailor's song is a sign of songwriting genius. In the choruses alone, he speaks of the plight of the homeless and refugees of Katrina, the soldiers in Iraq who are sitting ducks "in a shark-filled sea" the obiesance of the minions forced to fall in line with W. Alas, the ship must push on for fear of the captain's lash.

Richard Thompson's "Pink Moon?".......2005-10-24

Listening to this CD (something I, sadly, don't foresee myself doing much in the future), I was struck by its resemblance to Nick Drake's brilliant "Pink Moon." But the resemblance proved to be superficial. When Joe Boyd received the tapes of PM, he remarked that he thought they were just demos, but soon realized he was listening to the finished product.

No such luck here. This CD seems incomplete. While the musicianship is first-rate as always, the songs themselves are unfinished, and the vocal work is downright sloppy in spots. The melodies, such as they are, are too high-pitched for Richard to reach, and reach he does, almost always unsuccessfully.

The CD almost sounds like a recording made simply to fulfill contractual obligations. I have seen Richard in concert every time he has come to town in the last fifteen years. If his current tour will be including a lot of songs from this collection, I may have to pass up the opportunity this time and wait until only a few of these are sprinkled into future concerts.

RT Scores Again.......2005-10-07

By my count, this is Richard Thompson's twentieth studio release as a solo artist (or duo with former wife Linda), and like all of his other albums it is uniformly excellent. There is certainly a laid back feel to this release, but the 13 tracks contain Thompson's usual flair for poignant lyrics and impressive if understated guitar playing.

The album begins with the rollicking "Let It Blow." [Favorite line: "A life of volcanic activity/Left him nothing to spout but hot air."] Other uptempo numbers include "The Boys of Mutton Street," which recalls "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" with its folky acoustic fingerpicking; and the melanchalia of "A Solitary Life." [Favorite line: "You work on your pallor, complexion like paste/Like the grey defeat on an inmate's face."] Thompson also adds some mandolin flourishes to the jaunty "Miss Patsy."

The rest of the album falls loosely under the heading of brooding ballads with tracks like the haunting "My Soul, My Soul" and the remorseful "For Whose Sake?"

All told, this is a thoroughly satisfying album from arguably the greatest singer-songwriter-guitarist of our time. Why Richard Thompson has spent the better part of forty years without mainstream success simply shows the ignorance of the music-buying public. For those of us who enjoy finely crafted music, let's be grateful that he continues to follow his muse. [Running Time - 46:55] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

One of Thompson's very best.......2005-10-03

First of all, I'd like to say that the reviewer who compared the tracks on this CD to "outtakes from the Nude disc of You? Me? Us?" spoke quite disingenuously. The only comparison that can truly be made is that the tracks on both discs are acoustic; there, the comparisons part company. You? Me? Us? was produced by Mitchell Froom, who had a tendency to overproduce RT's music, which benefits from the stripped-down treatment Thompson himself gives it here. Froom would have been out of his element with Front Parlour Ballads.

Are these the absolute best of RT's career, these songs? That's for the listener to judge; personally, after just a few listens, I quite like them. "Let it Blow" is the wickedly funny tale of a serial husband who blows his own cover ("As she lay on the sand/He said "Isn't it grand?/I bring all of my wives to this spot!"), "Should I Betray?" has the protagonist pondering whether to tell a philandering friend's wife about his friend's reprehensible behaviour, "The Boys of Mutton Street" is about a young street gang of a bygone era (before drugs and guns), and "Miss Patsy" could easily pass for a traditional Appalachian folk song. Another reviewer speaks of the focus being on RT's songs, not his always-excellent playing, but you certainly can't miss his guitar work; technically brilliant without being flashy, melodic and even emotional without being overwrought, Thompson is my candidate for the best guitarist on the planet.

And here, Thompson also proves himself an able producer. There's not a wasted note or outright throwaway track on this CD; indeed, only bassist extraordinaire Danny Thompson (no relation) is truly conspicuous in his absence. Fortunately, he'll be with RT on RT's U.S. tour this fall; I myself have plans to see them in Albany, NY, on 21 Oct. Don't miss this album, or that tour.

Average customer rating:

5 Stars Is Not Enough
The Borders of Heaven
Dances with Wolves
Beautiful Renditions of Traditional American Songs
Connie's renditions set a standard which is hard to match.

The Border of Heaven
Connie Dover
Manufacturer: Taylor Park
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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If Ever I Return
Wishing Well
Somebody
Daughter Of Lir
Heart Of The Celts: Songs Of Love

ASIN: B00004SUM0
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Tracks:

The Blessing
Sweet Betsy From Pike
I Am Going To The West
The Streets Of Laredo (The Sailor Cut Down In His Prime)
Lord Franklin
An Spailpin Fanach
Last Night By The River
The Water Is Wide
Wondrous Love
Winter's Night
My Dearest Dear
Brother Green

Customer Reviews:

5 Stars Is Not Enough.......2005-11-15

I have exposed a number of people to Connie Dover, young and old, and have yet to find anyone who doesn't immediately fall in love with her. Let's put it in a nutshell: If you listen to Connie and don't become instantly hooked, by all means have your head examined!
However if I have already conviced you and you want to know which of her titles to purchase, sorry, I can't recommend just one. Stick a crowbar in your wallet and get all 4! It will be the best $60+/- you've ever spent. Now stop reading these reviews and place your order!

The Borders of Heaven.......2005-08-12

Connie Dover's latest, "The Borders of Heaven", is an apt this for this CD. Her vocals are crisp and clear as ever.
The accompanying musicians are the cream of the crop. They include Phil Cunningham and John Hartford. It's another production triumph for Phil Cunningham. All in all a beautiful set of tunes.
I have all of Connie's recordings and I believe that this is the best to date.

Dances with Wolves.......2004-11-30

This is a great CD, I love Connie Dover, and anything she sings is always beautiful. I am writing this particular review for any of those folks who are looking for the name of the song (or the song itself) that Kevin Costner sings in the wonderful movie Dances with Wolves. Connie actually sings this old folk song here, it is track #10, "Winter's Night". Why it is called that is beyond me, but there ya go. Song titles....go figure. Connie sings many wonderful old folk songs on this CD, but she makes them her own, and that is her talent. This is a great CD. Period.

Beautiful Renditions of Traditional American Songs.......2004-06-26

It's hard not to fall in love with Connie Dover, who looks and sings like an angel. She has cited Steeleye Span and its lead singer, Maddy Pryor, as an early influence. That makes sense, because she is perhaps the purest soprano folk singer I have heard since Maddy Pryor. Before I acquired this CD, my only exposure to Ms. Dover was several songs here and there on various Celtic music collections, but on each and every one, her voice always stopped me in my tracks. So when I saw this collection of early American folk tunes (and the songs that inspired them), I thought it was a bit of a departure for her. But these arrangements strikingly emphasize the Scots-Irish influence on American folk music. Even old chestnuts like "Sweet Betsy from Pike" and "Streets of Laredo" can be heard in a new light. Ms. Dover gets expert assistance, too, from familiar names like Phil Cunningham (who also produced), Jerry Douglas and John Hartford. This is an impressive effort from one of the most beautiful voices in traditional music.

Connie's renditions set a standard which is hard to match........2002-05-25

'The Border of Heaven' is aptly named, for many of the songs on this - Connie Dover's fourth solo CD - have a dreamy, angelic feel to them. Of course there are more upbeat numbers too, but then that is typical of this singer's records - a bold but effective mix of gentle Celtic ballads, 18th and 19th century American folk songs, a spiritual piece or two, and a smattering of Connie Dover's own compositions, which on this CD include the intriguingly original 'Last Night by the River', complete with the sound of an eagle wing-bone whistle!

As is usual with this artist, all the songs are very very good. Several of the tracks may be familiar to lovers of traditional music, but Connie Dover's versions invariably set a standard which is hard to match. Her rendition of the sad but true story of 'LORD FRANKLIN' and his ill-fated crew of adventurers is simply the best I have heard. 'THE WATER IS WIDE' is also performed beautifully. And as for 'THE SAILOR CUT DOWN IN HIS PRIME', I think Connie's version of this familiar melody is perfection itself, although the style in which guest artist Skip Gorman sings the companion piece 'The Streets of Laredo', is not to my own personal taste. The up-tempo songs include the jolly 'SWEET BETSY FROM PIKE' and 'WINTERS NIGHT', whilst 'I AM GOING TO THE WEST' is another of Connie Dover's own compositions - and yet it sounds just as 'traditional', and every bit as good, as the old, tried and tested standards. The spiritual song on this CD is the hymn 'WONDROUS LOVE' - wondrous indeed! The CD closes with two more lovely tracks, the achingly sentimental 'MY DEAREST DEAR', and finally 'BROTHER GREEN', a melody, not so much from the border, as from the very heart, of Heaven.

The standard of this artist has been well maintained in this, her most recent CD to date - happily Connie Dover is seemingly still singing, and writing, the most charming of songs. Less happily, Connie Dover CDs seem to come out rather sparsely, at three year intervals - so here's hoping we don't have to wait yet another three years for the next one. It pains me to say this as a Brit living in the land where so much of Connie's inspiration comes from, but there's nobody better in the world at singing this kind of material than this American. Certainly nobody I know of in my country. And there's still a huge wealth of beautiful material out there just awaiting her attention; so come on Connie - get recording again! In the meantime, just enjoy this, her latest contribution to the world of tradional folk. She is, as I say, the best in the business.

Sailors' Songs & Sea Shanties
Average customer rating:

it did have potential

Salt Water on a CD

dig a hole.

Sailors' Songs & Sea Shanties
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Highpoint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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Shanties & Songs of the Sea

Blow the Man Down

Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys

Roast Beef of Old England (Traditional Sailor Songs)

ASIN: B00026W85M
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

Blood Red Roses - A L Lloyd
The Dreadnought - Ewan MacColl
The Cruel Ship's Captain - A L Lloyd
Row Bullies Row - Ewan MacColl
Santy Anna - A L Lloyd
Lowlands Away - Stan Kelly
Boston Harbour - The Watersons
Do Me Ama - A L Lloyd
Handsome Cabin Boy - Ewan MacColl
Poor Old House - Ian Campbell
The Sailboat 'Malarkey' - A L Lloyd
Away Haul Away - Stan Kelly
The Coast Of Peru - A L Lloyd
The Gauger - Ewan MacColl
Andrew Rose - Stan Kelly
A Hundred Years Ago - A L Lloyd
The Gallant Frigate Amphitrite - Peter Bellamy
Reuben Ranzo - A L Lloyd
The Flying Cloud - Ewan MacColl
Lord Franklin - A L Lloyd
Paddy Doyle - Ewan MacColl
Sally Racket - A L Lloyd
The Ship In Distress - Ewan MacColl
Haul On The Bowline - A L Lloyd
Stormalong - Ewan MacColl
Bring Em' Down - Roy Harris

Customer Reviews:

it did have potential.......2007-03-29

This album failed to meet my expectations. The titles are why I bought it.

Unfortunately, the arrangements are horrible; the voices are REALLY bad.

It left a sour taste in my soul.

Salt Water on a CD.......2006-10-03

This is a collection for the true fan of the sea shanty (or chantey). The compilation is done acapella and feels as if you are on board a sailing ship in the 19th century. Eleven are sung by A. L. Lloyd, one of the foremost collectors of these songs andeight are by the late Ewan MacColl, a British folk icon.
If you want to hear and learn sea songs as they were most likely done by sailors pumping and hauling, this is a fine resource/

dig a hole........2006-09-11

This is bad on nearly every level. Most of the songs are are without accompanyment so the fact that they are off key is quite apparent. I am sure there are good recordings of these songs however this is not one of them.

Average customer rating:

Grown-Up Fairy Tale
wonderful music and recording
Even the cowboy liked it
A Delta Delight.....The Journey Continues
Her best since Blue Light Till Dawn

Belly of the Sun
Cassandra Wilson
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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New Moon Daughter
Blue Light Til Dawn
Traveling Miles
Glamoured
Thunderbird

ASIN: B000062U6N
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

The Weight
Justice
Darkness on the Delta
Waters of March
You Gotta Move
Only a Dream in Rio
Just Another Parade
Wichita Lineman
Shelter From the Storm
Drunk as Cooter Brown
Show Me a Love
Road So Clear
Hot Tamales

Amazon.com

By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, Belly of the Sun ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, Belly of the Sun also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. --Lloyd Sachs

Album Description

Belly of The Sun, her fourth release for Blue Note Records, is the classic Cassandra Wilson journey, where borders and boundaries are sometimes pushed, sometimes expanded, sometimes eliminated but always discounted as limitations. Embracing Blues, African, Jazz, R&B, Brazilian and pop sensibilities, Belly of the Sun, is an invitation into the many sounds that have filtered through the musical landscape of the South. Featuring both original material and startling interpretations of material by other songwriters such as The Band, Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson, Belly of The Sun is full of the power of Cassandra's Mississippi roots and the roots of American music.

Customer Reviews:

Grown-Up Fairy Tale.......2005-05-08

"Belly of the Sun" is an excellent set from this powerful vocalist. Cassandra's smoky alto has a rich luster that brings great expressiveness to the material she writes & selects. Of the tracks by other songwriters, three stand out for me. The opener "The Weight" that was the signature song for The Band & memorably covered by Joan Baez is remade into a delightful rolling classic with the percussion of Cyro Baptista & Jeffrey Haynes giving little tabla sounds that makes the whole track sparkle. Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" that first came out in 1975 on his classic "Blood on the Tracks" album is a delightful song with memorable melody and unique lyrics. Wilson nails the nuances and explores new possibilities with her powerful vocals. "Waters of March" by Antonio Carlos Jobim is also a stunning delight with Cassandra swaying with the lovely Brazilian samba melody with the lovely carefree lyric reflected perfectly in the melody with Cyro Baptista's lighthearted percussive touches. Of Wilson's original songs, I particularly enjoy "Show Me A Love" with its pulsing rhythm & Cassandra's voice caressing the melody, "Far away from all the glitter & the gloom, who are we inside the four walls of this tiny room, is it love we have or just a grown-up fairy tale?" "Drunk As Cooter Brown" is also a lot of fun. "Belly of the Sun" is an excellent set by this sultry singer. Enjoy!

wonderful music and recording.......2005-02-09

Wonderful music and a beautiful, transparent, open recording. As good or better than Blue Light Till Dawn.

Even the cowboy liked it.......2003-01-23

I bought this album along with Norah Jones, and definately prefer Cassandra. I was unfamiliar with her work, but heard her on a Sunday morning TV program and was interested in hearing more. I played it one day while working and my husband came in and was so taken by her beautiful renditions of familiar songs that he asked if he could take it to his carpentry workshop. I was amazed. He is pretty much in to a very different type of music. So, now we share it. Worth buying and worth listening to.

A Delta Delight.....The Journey Continues.......2003-01-14

From the promise of her excellent contributions on Terence Blanchard's*Let's Get Lost*,the scene was set...what could we expect from Ms Wilson.She had already *Travelled Miles*,where could she go from there...a long and rewarding way,is the answer!
Regardless of what genre this CD falls under,and lets be realistic,Ms Wilson slices through a number of them in expressing herself musically here,this is a standout collection in 2002..or any other year for that matter.She can't be pigeoned -holed,she just entertains and continues to grow as a top notch vocalist.

Conceived in the tradition of the Mississippi blues and supplemented with jazz and R&B influences,then executed in the heat of August in a disused railway station and boxcar,punctuated with that percussive beat and maverick style,relying on that midnight and beyond voice..and given wings by a choice of self penned or covered classics of all styles....Ms Wilson has excelled in producing her most accessible collection to date.
Noted for her experimental and sparse percussive sounds,she has crafted,lovingly, with the help of friends,interpretations of classic songs from classic songwriters,that benefit from some deft production that has made a truely memorable CD.the result is personal and infectious!!
The songs chosen,Dylan,Robertson,Webb,Taylor, were not easy,but an artist of her growing maturity delivered,with warts and all,that turned this catalogue into something memorable.*The Weight*,a classic Robertson song interpreted in the Wilson style..which cannot be catagorized save to say that it is unique and bluesy.Personal favourites,such as Mississippi Fred McDowell's *You Got To Move*,from the delta roots,have you joyfully clapping your hands and singing like its Sunday morning at church..a faithful and substantial rendition.Dylan never sounded like this,as *Shelter From The Storm*,a classic fragment song from the monumental*Blood On The Tracks*,is brought to life and a narrative is brought to life, as delivered by Ms Wilson..a personal favourite of mine,worth the purchase price alone.

Playful jazzy bluesy latin and bosa nova renditions that surely must please all who listen,set tracks such *Drunk As Cooter Brown*,*Hot Tamales*and Only A Dream In Rio*up as highlights.
Ms Wilson drifts from style to style,genre to genre,and yet the songs are tightly delivered.So much so that novices like Norah Jones,who have attempted to encompass *it all*, must blush with envy.Long time friend Rhonda Richmond (who pens *Road So Clear*,and,sings, plays piano and violin on this set)compliments her friend beautifully.The excellence from longtime association is very self-evident.
The inclusion of the India Arie duet,*Just Another Parade*,penned by Ms Wilson continues to highlight her abilities as the standout *Jazz,and yet not Jazz*performer status.
*Wichita Lineman*,although an honest interpretation,does not do the Webb classic justice,but continues to highlight the willingness of the artist to push the boundaries further.This is really a pedantic point,as the overall excellence of this CD cannot be escaped.
It would be amiss of any review not to acknowledge the engine room in any Wilson CD,the drums of Xavyon Jamison,the percusive brilliance of Cyro Bapista,Jeffery Haynes,and the guitar playing of anything stringed by Marvin Sewell.Mark Peterson and Kevin Breit,are all excellent and make that*Wilson sound*.Throw in Robert Johnston India Arie and Rhonda Richmond..and the mix is pure Delta gumbo.

In a year when the scene was swamped by jazz R&B rap and pop divas promising to be the *next big thing* and delivering more of the*same old thing*,in blows the unique and talented Ms Wilson like a Gulf breeze and just knocks them dead.Not jazz but music with feeling..adult and rewarding.5 stars because of the mixture of maverick delights,...will be continually played.So much talent on display,Buy it!!!

Her best since Blue Light Till Dawn.......2003-01-13

Cassandra Wilson is at her envelope-pushing best in this album. Interestingly eclectic with plenty of drums and rhythm, as well as some great new original songs: Just Another Parade and Drunk as Cooter Brown are both stunners. She has haunting arrangements of familiar tunes such as Wichita Lineman and Only a Dream in Rio, blues roots in Robert Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell songs, and political commentary in Justice. Her vocal pairings with Rhonda Richmond and India.Arie are perfectly complementary to her own sound. She's hit the top of her form with the album!

Average customer rating:

Like Jon Mayer? You'll LOVE JAK
Rock solid album
Really, really good but similar
one of the best. seriously.
THE BEST JAK YET !

The New Nostalgia

Manufacturer: 440 Records, LLC.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Applause of the Rain
Twenty Three Places
Brother, Bring the Sun
Blackbird On A Lonely Wire
Chasing Mississippi

ASIN: B0008FUP2U
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Bound
Dog Day
Middle of Nothing
Me and Myself
The Last Time
Something
Unbound
Goodnight (I'm So Sorry)
Yellow Rose
Into The Love
Diamonds
Seamless
Begin To Cry

Product Description

"The New Nostalgia" picks up where Christopher Jak's critically acclaimed debut, "Applause of the Rain," left off. With heart-of-the-matter lyrics and sweet melodies to match, this collection of songs offers pop, rock and lush ballads. Christopher's voice possesses the smoothness of today's pop artist while echoing the unpolished emotion of folk, country and bluesgrass vocal icons.

Customer Reviews:

Like Jon Mayer? You'll LOVE JAK.......2006-07-15

Wow. I have both of Jak's CDs. Each is awesome. Extremely well done - lyrics, music, tone...wow. I can't wait until a third album. I can't get enough. He's my new favorite singer-songwriter. You WILL NOT be disappointed with this purchase.

Rock solid album.......2006-04-09

I found Chris' album via surfing right here on Amazon and discovered an awesome find! You can visit his site for music samples. I like his voice a lot -- there's a little bit of gravel to it that makes it unique. All the songs on the album are really strong. Most of them have an upbeat sound that puts me in happy mood. A few of the slower ones remind me sleeping in on a rainy afternoon.

Yes, of course there will be comparisons to other singer songwriters like John Mayer. And yes, if you are a John Mayer fan, you'd probably enjoy Chris. That said, I think they are pretty different. Aside from the voices being different, I think Chris writes really "round" songs (I mean some of them contain piano, string instruments and have a holistic band sound) that's a different sound than Mayer. I enjoyed this album a lot and keep find something new as I keep listening. I think you'll enjoy it too.

Really, really good but similar.......2006-03-18

When I first listened to the songs on this CD at Jak's Official Website (yes, he lets you listen to the entire album), I thought it was good, but nothing special. But, then I found myself listening to it again and again. Finally I couldn't get enough of it, so I bought it. If you like music by Howie Day or Ryan Cabrera, then you will like this album. I especially like the lyrics to Yellow Rose.

But, I only give it 4 stars because it lacks just that little bit of originality of sound - that one thing that makes him stand out in the crowd of similar artists. But, that doesn't mean that is isn't a good album, because it really is a good one.

one of the best. seriously........2005-09-02

this guy is the real deal...a total triple-threat.
1) he's a talented songwriter. his lyrics are powerfully visual without relying on typical pop cliche or nausea-inducing sentimentality. his guitar work is fun, and the music is really pretty amazing.
2) the guy's got one of the more versatile tenor voices out there. kinda reedy, kinda sexy. a little duncan skeik, a little ari hest.
3) christopher jak has a rockin' face

this guy is gonna be huge. the disc is just awesome. catch an amazing talent and buy this album, it is seriously one of the best discs of the last five years. and if he's playing near you, check him out...he's incredible live.

THE BEST JAK YET !.......2005-08-22

Christopher Jak is that rare artist that puts everything on the table through his amazing singing and songwriting. This is his best album yet. I just wish he would release an unplugged version as well so we can appreciate all aspects of his unique gift.

Average customer rating:

Favorite Ballads part 1
Seegers at his best
PETE FINDS HIS ROOTS AND OURS
Essential American music

American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1
Pete Seeger
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 2
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 3
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 4
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000067URK
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Tracks:

John Henry
Shenandoah
Blue Tailed Fly (Jimmie Crack Corn)
Black Girl
Skip To My Lou
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Clementine
Yankee Doodle
Home On The Range
John Brown's Body
Goodnight, Irene
Swing Low, Sweet chariot
Oh, Susanna
Wayfaring Stranger
Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
Down In The Valley
The Wabash Cannonball
On Top Of Old Smoky
Frankie And Johnny
I Ride An Old Paint
The Wreck Of The Old 97
Wagoner's Lad
Old Dan Tucker
I've Been Working
Cielito Lindo
So Long, It's Been Good to Know You (Dusty Old Dust)
America The Beautiful
This Land Is Your Land

Amazon.com

In 1957, at the dawn of the urban folk revival, Moses Asch's Folkways label issued the first of Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads series. Marketing these albums to schools and libraries, Folkways served to document a range of great American folk songs that had remained popular with children since the previous century. Now Smithsonian Folkways has reissued American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1--five volumes were released between 1957 and 1962--in an expanded edition that adds extra tracks taken from some of Seeger's other LPs from the same era. Although this is not explicitly a children's album (the sordid murder depicted in "Frankie and Johnny" is hardly kid-friendly), Seeger's performances have a jaunty sing-along quality that still appeals to younger listeners. Seeger's intent was to introduce these classic songs to a new audience, but his use of banjo as a backing instrument proved almost as influential. His idiosyncratic picking unexpectedly launched a fad among up-and-coming folk groups like the Kingston Trio, and just about every band from the period added a Vega Pete Seeger model banjo to its lineup. Though many of the songs on American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 will be very familiar, Seeger's unabashed joy in singing them is infectious and will have even the most curmudgeonly listener itching to sing along with him. --Michael Simmons

Album Description

Recorded during the heart of the great "folk song revival" of the 1950s and 1960s, Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads was and is a classic series of albums. Ballads contains definitive bits of Americana that have been a part of our lives for more than a half century, including songs like "This Land is Your Land," "America the Beautiful," "John Henry," and "Shenandoah." This CD is the first in a series of Ballad reissues, and essential for any fan of American folk music to own. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon.

Customer Reviews:

Favorite Ballads part 1.......2007-05-18

I originally bought this cd in order to see if I wanted to buy the entire set. After listening to it, I do. Seeger brings these favorites to life bringing in some unfamiliar lyrics that I am sure were closer to the original spirit of the songs than the ones that we all learned in grade school. The simple accompaniment adds to the attraction of the songs.

Seegers at his best.......2006-08-19

These are the melodies which represent an heritage of american way of life during the century of the war between states.

Many of the words of the ballads evidence genuine foklore.

The way Seegers sings is of a unique quality

PETE FINDS HIS ROOTS AND OURS.......2006-06-26

Since my youth I have had an ear for roots music, whether I was conscious of that fact or not. The original of that interest first centered on the blues, then early rock and roll and later, with the folk revival of the early 1960's, folk music. I have often wondered about the source of this interest. I am, and have always been a city boy, and an Eastern city boy at that. Nevertheless, over time I have come to appreciate many more forms of roots music than in my youth. The subject of the following review is an example.

I have done reviews of Pete Seeger's more political albums and need not address those issues here. These volumes of American classics with Pete and banjo are the songs you learned mysteriously in your youth, apparently by osmosis. As each song goes along you find yourself singing along to at least part of the song. These songs go deep into the popular culture and the roots of what makes those of us who were born here conscious of the musical influences that formed our lives. You may not like every song but the total effect will grab you.

Essential American music.......2002-09-29

Pete Seeger's five "American Favorite Ballads" LPs were the basic documents of American folk music for generations. No dusty museum pieces, though - they were lively, funny, inspirational, joyous. It is delightful to see them begin to appear now on CD, especially fleshed out, as this volume is, with appropriate additional tracks from his other out-of-print Folkways LPs (how about getting some of those out on CD?). Essential in every way.

Average customer rating:

pete finds his roots and ours
Essential folk/Americana album
Excellent resource to rediscover our musical heritage

American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 2
Pete Seeger
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 3
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 4
We Shall Overcome: Complete Carnegie Hall Concert
If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle

ASIN: B00009IB52
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Tracks:

Barbara Allen
Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn
Midnight Special
House Of The Rising Sun
Careless Love
Oh, What A Beautiful City
Poor Boy
Sally Ann
The Riddle Song
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
The Water Is Wide
The Fox
The Keeper And The Doe
Pretty Polly
Jesse James
Stagolee
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
Camptown Races
Blow The Man Down
Froggie Went A Courtin'
I Had A Rooster (Barnyard Song)
Putting On The Style
The Farmer's Curst Wife
Hard Travelin'
Alabama Round
Wimoweh
Dink's Song

Album Description

Ballads fuse the arts of music and storytelling. Through ballads, classic tales of human experience are enshrined in poetry and song. Pete Seeger, an American folk hero and icon of the great "folk revival" of the 1950s & 1960s, hand-selected some of his favorite American ballads to compile a series of classic American song-stories flowing from the bedrock of the American experience. Through these captivating songs, a tale is told of America "once upon a time." This CD is the second in a series of Ballad reissues, and an important recording for any fan of American folk music. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon.

Customer Reviews:

pete finds his roots and ours .......2006-06-26

Essential folk/Americana album.......2003-07-17

Excellent resource to rediscover our musical heritage.......2003-07-15

Folksinger, banjoplayer, songwriter Pete Seeger was born in New York in 1919, the son of musicologist Charles Louis Seeger and violin teacher Constance de Clyver. A political activist, he fought injustice. Seeger was a member of the Almanac Singers and The Weavers in the 40s. During the 50s and 60s, he recorded for Folkways Records. In fact, he was so prolific, there were 38 albums released for Folkways between 1950 and 1964. From 1957-62, Seeger's 5-record "American Favorite Ballads" series were a cornerstone of the collection. "American Favorite Ballads" has apparently been reissued in two volumes. The songs were, and still are, essential items for the folk music enthusiast. As Seeger always believed, we should be singing and enjoying these old songs. And he had a knack for involving his audiences, interacting with them in ways that stimulated their active participation. While not all of the songs on this Volume 2 CD are true ballads in the strict definition of the term, each tells a strong story. With extensive liner notes, and 27 songs totaling 73 minutes, there are many songs that we'll immediately recognize while others are a little more obscure. All are sung by Seeger, most accompanied only with banjo or 12-string guitar. This is an excellent resource for all Americans to rediscover their musical heritage and favorite story songs. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

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