The Anthology of American Folk Music Vol. 1

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 on 78 rpm format phonograph records in the 1927–1932 period. The Anthology was compiled by musicologist and folklorist Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The entire set was released on compact disc in 1997.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – An Introduction

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalog FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued on 78 rpm discs in the 1927–1932 period.

The anthology was assembled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. It encompassed songs by renowned artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, The Carter Family, Charley Patton, and Dock Boggs, among many others. With the release of the anthology, these artists were similarly introduced to a new generation of listeners and had a profound impact on the developing world of folk music.

The Anthology has been influential both historically and aesthetically. It is credited with sparking the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s and served as an inspiration for Dylan’s landmark LP The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. In 1998, the Library of Congress honored the anthology with the National Recording Registry’s highest honor, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Songs

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Songs is a six-disc compilation of eighty-four American folk and Blues recordings that were originally issued on 78 rpm format in the 1920s and 1930s. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith andreleased on August 1952 by Folkways Records.

The Anthology is one of the most influential releases of folk music ever made, helping to revive interest in American folk music in the 1950s and 1960s. It also played a significant role in the establishment of folk music as a legitimate genre of American popular music.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Artists

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 from 1927 to 1932. Experimental filmmaker Harry Smith compiled the music from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The album is famous due to its role as a touchstone for the American folk music revival in the 1950s and 1960s. The Anthology was released in three volume sets, with each album containing two eleven-inch discs. Most of the recordings were drawn from the collections of Miranda Ruth Russell’s HCat former husband Charles (Chuck) reduction Ellwood notes “Ramblers”) Davis; Carl Pedersen; Bess Lomax Hawes; W.C.”Red” Morrow (an Chicago record collector specializing in gospel music); and others.

Volume 1 comprises ballads and religious songs. Many of the artists featured Volume One were from the Southern mountains, including Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky; others were from as far afield as Texas, Missouri and Arkansas. Notable artists include Bascom Lamar Lunsford (“Mountain Dew”), Dock Boggs (“Country Blues”), Fiddlin’ John Carson (“The Old Hen Cackled”), Clarence Ashley (“The Coo-Coo Bird”) and The Carter Family (“Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow”).

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Legacy

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. Experimental filmmaker Harold Courlander once described it as the “Bible of the folk revival.”

Folkways owner Moses Asch compiled the set from his personal collection of 78 rpm records, which he had amassed over the years while working as a music industry executive and talent scout. The Anthology was assembled piecemeal over several years, with folklorist Harry Smith selecting the songs while Asch oversaw production. It was released in three volumes (each containing two albums) between 1952 and 1957.

The Anthology was reissued by Smithsonian Folkways in 1997 as a boxed set containing six CDs and four cassettes, with an accompanying book featuring liner notes by musicologist Gregg Gonsalves. The set was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album in 1998.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Influence

Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, edited by Harry Smith. The Anthology documented an era of American folk music from the late 1920s to the early 1950s, when recordings were first made of this music in the commercial market. The release of the Anthology is often credited with having initiated the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. He grouped the songs thematically into three two-album volumes: “Ballads”, “Social Music”, and “Songs”. Clifton Shuler provided liner notes for each volume, which were reproduced in the Folkways releases. In his notes, Smith described each song and its source, gave some background on the performers, and occasionally included his own commentary.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Importance

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a record collection assembled by Harry Smith. It was originally released on 78 rpm format in 1952 by Folkways Records. The 126 songs on the 3 discs in the collection were chosen and compiled by Smith from his personal collection of folk, blues and country music records, which he had amassed since the late 1930s.

The Anthology has been highly influential in the development of both the American folk music revival movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The set is considered one of the most important collections of American folk music ever assembled, and has been award a National Recording Registry designation by the Library of Congress.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Significance

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Significance

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a significant album in the history of American music. The album, released in 1952, was compiled by Harry Smith and was meant to represent the various styles of folk music that were popular in the United States at the time.

The Anthology of American Folk Music is important because it helped to introduce American folk music to a wider audience and also because it helped to influence the development of other genres of music, such as rock and roll.

The album features a wide variety of folk music, including songs about love, work, religion, and death. The songs on the album are performed by some of the most important folk musicians of the time, such as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Hazel Dickens.

Despite its significance, theAnthology of American Folk Music is not without its critics. Some have argued that the album is too limited in its scope, only representing a narrow view of American folk music. Others have argued that the selection of songs on the album is somewhat arbitrary and does not represent the full range of styles that were popular at the time.

Nonetheless, theAnthology of American Folk Music remains an important album in the history of American music and continues to influence musicians today.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Meaning

In the sleeve notes to the original 1952 release of The Anthology of American Folk Music, Harry Smith wrote:

“The Anthology was assembled for, as the subtitle states, ‘the maturation of one’s musical taste’ and for ‘a continuance of English musical tradition.’ What it expresses is the conviction that our musical heritage has meaning and value and should be preserved as part of our continuing culture.”

As a work of musicology, The Anthology has been hugely influential – sparking both the folk revival of the 1950s and ‘60s and the field of ethnomusicology. But it also remains an engaging and entertaining listen, a document of a vanished America that speaks to us across the decades.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Implications

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a compilation album released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The six-album set was compiled by Harry Smith and originally released as a box set of 78 rpm records. The Anthology was one of the most influential releases in the history of folk music, helping to trigger the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Anthology is significant not only for its contribution to the American folk music revival, but also for its implications for our understanding of American culture and history. The album provides a rare glimpse into the musical traditions of early 20th-century America, offering insights into the social and cultural life of the time.

The songs on The Anthology come from a wide range of sources, including commercial recordings, field recordings, private collections, and home recordings. TheImplications variety of sources helps to give us a more complete picture of American folk music at the time.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Anthology is its focus on regional variations in folk music. The album includes songs from all over the country, including Appalachian mountain music, blues from the Mississippi Delta, Cajun music from Louisiana, and Eastern European immigrant songs. This focus on regionalism helps to give us a sense of the diversity of American culture at the time.

The Anthology also provides insights into changes taking place in American society at the time. For example, many of the songs on The Anthology deal with topics such as poverty, labor rights, and racial discrimination. These themes reflect the changing social landscape of America in the early 20th century.

Overall, The Anthology of American Folk Music is an important collection that provides valuable insights into early 20th-century America. The album’s focus on regionalism and social change makes it an essential part of our understanding of American culture and history.

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Ramifications

The Anthology of American Folk Music – The Ramifications
In the late 1940s, Harry Smith compiled a now legendary collection of folk music on record, The Anthology of American Folk Music. This compilation, released in 1952 by Folkways Records, was drawn exclusively from commercial 78 RPM recordings issued between 1927 and 1932 and included songs by such legends as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, Uncle Dave Macon, the Carter Family, and Dock Boggs.

While The Anthology has been reissued numerous times since its initial release, it was not until 2001 that a complete and accurate replica was finally issued. This replica set, released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, included all of the original recordings as well as alternate versions and unissued recordings drawn from the same era.

The Anthology of American Folk Music had a profound impact on the development of both the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The anthology’s influence can be heard in the work of such artists as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Jerry Garcia, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and many others.