Anthology of American Folk Music: Volume 1 Disc 1 Ballads

A look at the first disc of ballads from the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-album set released in 1952 by folklorist Harry Smith.

The Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued between 1927 and 1932. The music was collected by folklorist Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The Anthology proved enormously influential on the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

What is the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalogue FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country songs recorded between 1927 and 1932. Experimental filmmaker Harry Smith compiled the music from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The song selections reflect the maritime, migrant and storytelling traditions that helped shape the American experience. The Anthology was groundbreaking in its presentation of traditional music as art, in its inclusion of female as well as male performers, in its regard for African Americans as central to the nation’s musical heritage, and for positioning folk music as America’s classical music.

Who compiled the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The original Anthology of American Folk Music was compiled by Harry Smith and released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The six-album set was intended to be a document of the phonograph recordings that helped define American folk music in the first half of the 20th century.

What is the significance of the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation release of American folk music, originally issued in 1952 by Folkways Records. The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The collection consists of eighty-four tracks recorded between 1927 and 1932 by seventy-seven different artists. It includes material from all over the United States, including folk music from Appalachian mountain communities, blues from the Mississippi Delta, work songs and field hollers from the South, and cowboy songs from the West.

The collection was originally issued as three double LP sets, with each set containing two discs. The first set (Volume 1) was subtitled “Ballads”, the second set (Volume 2) was subtitled “Social Music”, and the third set (Volume 3) was subtitled “Songs”. In 1996, Smithsonian Folkways released a CD version of the original six-album set, which included a fourth disc containing thirteen tracks that were not included on the original LP release. This fourth disc contains some of the more unusual tracks from the collection, including a field recording of a Louisiana prison chain gang, a song about cannibalism from Oklahoma, and severalNative American songs.

The Anthology of American Folk Music has been highly influential on subsequent generations of music makers. Numerous artists have drawn inspiration from the collection, including Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Jerry Garcia, John Fahey, Phil Ochs, Neil Young, and Beck. In 1997, the Library of Congress selected the Anthology for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.

The Music on Anthology of American Folk Music: Volume 1 Disc 1

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. Compiled by Harry Smith, the anthology was released as a collection of 78 rpm records. The album contains a variety of folk music from the United States, including ballads, labor songs, and religious music.

“Barbara Allen”

“Barbara Allen” is a traditional ballad originating in England and Scotland, which migrated to the United States. The ballad tells the story of a young man who dies of unrequited love for Barbara Allen, and his ghost haunting her on his burial day. The song was first published in 1765, and has since been recorded by many artists.

The song is about two lovers, Barbara Allen and Sweet William. William dies of a broken heart after Barbara spurns his advances, and his ghost haunt’s Barbara on the day of his burial. The song ends with Barbara dying of a broken heart as well, and the two lovers being together in death.

The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and The Byrds.

“The Wagoner’s Lad”

“The Wagoner’s Lad” is a folk song from the United States. The song is also known as “The Wagoner’s Lad, “The Youngest Daughter”, “The Sweetest Flower That Blows”, and “Sir Patrick Spens”.

The song was collected by folklorist H.M. Belden in 1917 from a Mr. J.A. Pierpont of Somerville, Massachusetts. Belden noted that the song was sung to him by Pierpont in the key of G major. Other versions of the song were collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles from Mrs. Prichard and Mrs. Penberthy in 1917 in Somerset, England, and by Kate Berwanger from Missouri miner John Tuckwell in 1929.

The first commercial recording of the song was made by Folkways Records in 1956 as part of the album Folk Songs of Love and War, sung by Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson.

“The Coo-Coo Bird”

The Coo-Coo Bird” is a traditional folk song which first became popular in the early twentieth century. It is believed to have originated in the Appalachian Mountains, and was later adapted by Southern musicians such as Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson. The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, most notably Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris.

“House Carpenter”

“House Carpenter” is a traditional folk ballad that dates back to the 18th century. The song tells the story of a young woman who is courted by a wealthy man, but chooses to marry a humble carpenter instead. The carpenter dies young, leaving the woman to raise their children alone.

The ballad has been recorded by many artists, including Nina Simone, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. “House Carpenter” is one of the most popular songs in the Anthology of American Folk Music, and has been covered by numerous artists over the years.

“Pretty Polly”

“Pretty Polly” is a folk song that has been recorded by many artists. The song is about a young woman who is betrayed and killed by her lover. The song has been traced back to the early 19th century, and it is believed to have originated in the British Isles. The song was first published in America in 1824, and it became popular in the United States during the Civil War.

The Legacy of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music, compiled by Harry Smith and originally released in 1952, is one of the most influential releases in the history of American music. The collection of 84 songs, culled from commercial 78 RPM discs recorded between 1927 and 1932, captured the sounds of a disappearing America, and did much to preserve the folk and blues traditions that were the roots of what would become rock and roll. The Anthology has been reissued several times, most notably in 1997 by Smithsonian Folkways, and its influence can be heard in the work of countless artists, from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead.

The influence of the Anthology of American Folk Music on the American folk music revival

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a group of folk music enthusiasts led by Harry Smith compiled an exhaustive collection of folk recordings from the 1920s and 1930s. This collection, known as the Anthology of American Folk Music, would go on to have a profound and lasting impact on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Anthology of American Folk Music was influential in shaping the sensibilities of the young musicians who would revive folk music in the 1950s and 1960s. The collection emphasized traditional songs and recordings, rather than the commercialized popular music of the day. This focus on tradition would inform the sound of early folk revivalists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

In addition, the Anthology helped to spark a renewed interest in older forms of American folk music, such as Appalachian ballads and blues. The popularity of these older styles would lead to a wave of new recordings in the folk revival era, as well as a renewed appreciation for traditional musicians who were still active at that time.

The influence of the Anthology of American Folk Music on popular music

The Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith and originally released by Folkways Records in 1952, is one of the most influential releases in the history of American music. The three-volume set, which compiled eighty-four songs recorded between 1927 and 1932, was a revelation for many listeners, who were exposed for the first time to the work of such artists as Lead Belly, the Carter Family, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Dock Boggs.

The Anthology had a profound impact on the development of popular music in the United States. Bob Dylan, who was heavily influenced by the set, has said that it “changed my life.” Other artists who were influenced by the Anthology include Pete Seeger, Jerry Garcia, Ralph Stanley, John Fahey, Grateful Dead, and Neil Young.

In 2003, the Smithsonian Institution released a six-disc box set devoted to the Anthology of American Folk Music. This release included a comprehensive booklet with essays by music scholars and historians.