Anthology of American Folk Music Volume 1: Ballads (CD)
Contents
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), of ninety-eight American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued from 1927 to 1932.
CD Review
The Anthology of American Folk Music is a compilation album of American folk music released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The album consists of eighty-four songs on six discs, recorded in various locations in the United States between 1927 and 1932. The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and originally released as a set of three double-LP albums. It is one of the most influential albums in the history of folk music.
Release date
The album was originally released as a set of six 78rpm discs in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalogue FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), consisting of eighteen folk songs compiled and edited by American musicologist Harry Smith. The ballads were derived from commercial recordings produced in the 1920s and 1930s by various companies such as Victor, Columbia, Paramount, Okeh, and Vocalion.
Record label
The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The brainchild of Harry Smith, the anthology assembles eighty-four folk, blues, and country songs recorded between 1927 and 1932. The songs were originally issued on 78 rpm records and collected by Smith from his personal collection. Many of the recordings are from rural Southern artists who were poor and largely unknown at the time.
The Anthology was compiled to highlight the major formative influences on American music, including British ballads, work songs, field hollers, spirituals, blues, and country music. The album was hugely influential in shaping the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and is preserved in the National Recording Registry.
Genre
Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, subtitled “Original Recordings from the 27-Year Period 1906-1935.” Edited by Harry Smith, it was released in vinyl LP format. The Anthology was compiled from 82 commercial recordings which were originally issued on 78 RPM platters.
Track listing
1. “Barbara Allen” – 3:00
2. “House Carpenter” – 3:10
3. “Henry Lee” – 2:55
4. “Pretty Polly” – 2:58
5. “John Hardy” – 3:08
6. “The Erie Canal” – 3:00
7. “The Devil’s Nine Questions” – 2:57
8. “In the Pines” – 3:13
9. “Rye Whiskey” – 2:48
10. “Stackalee” – 3:07
11. “The Coo-Coo Bird” – 2:59
Album Review
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. This album, Volume 1: Ballads, is the first of the set and contains thirty songs.
Critical reception
The reissue of this set has been very well received by critics. Allmusic’s Mickey Hart called it “one of the most important documents of 20th century American music” and “essential for anyone with even a passing interest in folk, blues, or country.” In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said that it “reclaims the past as American history rather than American memory”, and he placed it at number seven on his year-end list of the best albums of 1997. Writing for Trouser Press, Ira Robbins said that the set “justifies its existence—and earns its place in any home with an appreciation for American vernacular music—on sonic grounds alone.”
Commercial performance
The album was a commercial success, charting at number 46 on the Billboard 200 in the US and number 22 in the UK. Cracked received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its “catchy” melodies and “clever” lyrics.
Track listing
1. “The World Turned Upside Down” – 2:37
2. “Lord Thomas and Fair Annet” – 3:03
3. “Running Down to Cuba” – 3:00
4. “Barbara Allen” – 4:04
5. “Cindy” – 3:06
6. “Quartermaster’s Stores” – 1:53
7. ” Stackalee” – 3:02
8. want their Fair share of the Land The Rich Man and the Beggar Man” – :59 9. “East Virginia Blues” – 2:59 10.”Caller Eli/The False Hearted Lover/Darlin’ Corey (Child 97)” – 7:28 11.”In the Pines/Birmingham Jail (Performed by George Watrous and his Columbia Quartette)” – 4:”51 12.”I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground” – 3:”08 13.”Single Girl, Married Girl – 2:”58
Personnel
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), of eighty-four American folk, blues and country songs recorded between 1927 and 1932. The compilation was assembled by Harold Courlander, Harry Smith, John and Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger, Moses Asch and Folkways Records founder Moses Asch. The album is famous for its role in sparking the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. The Anthology was designated a National Recording Registry set of recordings by the Library of Congress in 2005.
Musicians
Bruce Langhorne – guitar, tambourine, finger cymbals
Bob Dylan – guitar, harmonica, piano
Richie Havens – guitar
JACKSON Browne – guitar
robot Heartbeat Percussion
SeatedPlayers: Lead Vocals:
John Herald – guitar, mandolin
Peter Rowan – mandolin, fiddle
Roger Sprung – banjo
Pete Seeger- banjo
Distant Voices and noises:
MosesAsch- field recordings
Bernard required- engineering
Technical personnel
* Anthology of American Folk Music Volume 1: Ballads (CD) – Remastered
* Released: 1997
* Recorded: 1926–1934
* Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Technical personnel
* Thomas Edison – recording engineer
* Harry Oster – field recording engineer
* Henry Cowell – field recording engineer
* Nathan Salsburg – mastering, annotation, research, editing
Packaging
* Burt Goldblatt – design and art direction
* Jay Rabinowitz – scanning and editing of original artwork and photographs
Chart positions
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 musician and film-maker Harry Smith. It is famous for being one of the most influential releases in the history of folk music, inspiring many leading folk revivalists of the 1950s and 1960s. The anthology’s liner notes label it as “A Group Of American Folk Music Album 1”, with the subtitle “Ballads”.
All of the songs on the album were previously released on 78 rpm records between 1927 and 1932. Most were commercial recordings by professional musicians,Smith compiled the set from his own collection of blues, country, gospel, Cajun, Hawaiian, and old-time music records. The Anthology was issued without accompanying documentation or liner notes; instead, Smith wrote extensive commentary on each song for booklet that accompanied the release.
The Anthology was reissued in 1997 as a three-CD box set with additional material and new liner notes. position|peak date|weeks at peak
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US Billboard Top Pop Albums|1952-11-29|1
References
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 album is a collection of eighty-four American folk, blues and country recordings that were originally issued between 1927 and 1932.
