The Anthology of American Folk Music LP

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), edited by Harry Smith.

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalogue FP 251, FP 502, and FP 504), assembled by Harry Smith. It is considered one of the most influential releases in the history of folk music, sparking a revival of interest in the genre. The Anthology popularized many now-standard songs that had previously been known only to traditional musicians, and was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2007.

The six albums in the Anthology were originally issued as 78 rpm records in three double-sided discs, with 23 songs on each disc. Each album included a booklet with song lyrics and background notes compiled by Smith.

The opening track on each album is “The Big Station”; all six tracks are taken from an unidentified live radio broadcast featuring various performances by country music artists recorded between 1927 and 1932.

The Anthology has been reissued several times since its 1952 debut, most notably in 1997 as a three-CD set by Smithsonian Folkways (catalogue SFW CD 40139) and in 2010 as a nine-LP set by Mississippi Records (catalogue MRP 084).

The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records

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), assembled by historian Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The collection documents American folk music and includes songs by Bill Monroe, Woody Guthrie, the Carter Family, Lead Belly, Hank Williams, and the Holy Modal Rounders. It was released in 1952 as a 3-volume set and quickly sold out. A second and expanded 6-volume edition was issued in 1997.

TheAnthology has been influential both on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and on subsequent generations of folk musicians. It is widely regarded as one of the most significant releases in the history of recorded sound.

The Anthology is one of the most influential releases in the history of American folk music

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, assembled by visionary filmmaker, musicologist, and collector Harry Smith. The Anthology was one of the most influential releases in the history of American folk music and helped to spark the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. The ninety-six tracks on the Anthology represent a cross-section of traditional American music from the years 1922-1932, with a focus on rural music from the Southeast.

The collection includes songs from a variety of genres, including blues, gospel, old timey music, Cajun music, and Native American music. Many of the songs on the Anthology were recorded by musicians who were not professional recording artists, and who may have never even been heard outside of their home region. The recordings included on the Anthology capture an important slice of American musical history and are essential listening for any fan of American folk music.

The Anthology has been reissued several times, most notably in 1997 by Smithsonian Folkways

In 1952, Harry Smith compiled and released the Anthology of American Folk Music on Folkways Records. The triple LP set compiled 84 songs recorded from 1927 to 1932 by various artists, mostly from the southeastern United States. These 84 songs were divided into seven two-LP discs, with each disc spanning a different genre or musical style. Volume one consisted of ballads, volume two consisted of social music, volume three consisted of religious and spiritual music, volume four consisted of blues and jazz, volume five consisted of Cajun and Creole music, volume six consisted of country music, and finally volume seven was dedicated to old-timey music.

The Anthology was released at a time when the American folk music revival was just beginning to gain steam. The recordings included on the Anthology were mostly obscure and largely forgotten at the time of its release. However, the set quickly became a favorite among folk enthusiasts and scholars, helping to spark a renewed interest in early American folk music.

The Anthology has been reissued several times, most notably in 1997 by Smithsonian Folkways. This reissue included a fourth disc containing additional recordings not included on the original release. The Smithsonian Folkways reissue also featured extensive liner notes written by folklorist Greil Marcus.

The Anthology has been credited with sparking the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s

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 music recordings that were originally issued betweem 1927 and 1932. Experimental filmmaker Harry Smith compiled the music from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The compilation is famous for drawing on unheard-of performers and recordings that were ignored by the mainstream record industry of the time.

The Anthology was assembled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. He chose the material for its beauty, strangeness, and source, with an intention to rescue them from obscurity. In selecting songs, Smith focused on those with interesting melodies regardless of their origin in blues, hillbilly music or Indian music. He did not attempt to document social history or match each song to a specific artist or performer.

Because Folkways owner Moses Asch thought it would be too difficult to market an album consisting solely of old 78s, he suggested that Smith add some new recordings to the mix. These included two songs by then-unknown Lead Belly as well as commercial releases by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger (both backed by members of the Almanac Singers). Commercial releases were included because they were “easy to find” and “would help sell the set”. The result was an eccentric mix of popular songs, work songs, field hollers, religious music and ballads that captured the varied sounds of American folk music at the time.