What Was the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The anthology was compiled by noted musicologist and folklorist Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records.

The Anthology of American Folk Music

In 1952, Harry Smith released an anthology of American folk music called The Anthology of American Folk Music. The album was a collection of 84 songs that Smith had compiled from his personal collection of 78rpm records. The Anthology became one of the most influential folk music albums of all time.

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, subtitled “84 classic performances recorded between 1927 and 1932”. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 RPM records. The record consists mostly of works by regional writers and performers collected from across the United States.

Who compiled the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and originally released as a box set of 78 rpm records. The recordings were then remastered and reissued as a set of CDs in 1997, followed by a vinyl box set reissue in 2005.

Smith, an eccentric artist and mystic, compiled the collection from his personal record collection, which consisted of hundreds of 78 rpm records he had amassed over the years. The Anthology draws from a variety of musical genres, including blues, country, gospel, and old-timey music. It is considered an important document of American folk music and has been hugely influential on subsequent musicians, including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

What is the significance of 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 music recordings that were originally issued from 1927 to 1932.
In 1998, the Anthology was reissued on compact disc by Smithsonian Folkways (SFW CD 40170) with a comprehensive eight-page booklet. The original liner notes written by famed musicologist and folklorist Harry Smith were not included in the CD reissue, but were published in 2002 as the essay “Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music as a Spiritual Testament” in God Didn’t Make Them Like They Used to Be: Retro and Remedial Culture in the United States (Duke University Press).

The Anthology proved hugely influential on subsequent performers and was hailed as one of the most influential releases of the 20th century by critics such as Greil Marcus. It is considered one of the cornerstone collections of American traditional music.

The Songs on the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music was released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The Anthology compiled ninety-six songs across eight discs, spanning a wide range of American folk music from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Anthology has been highly influential, both on the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and on the development of the Americana genre.

What are the songs on 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 recordings that were originally issued between 1927 and 1932. Sidney Robertson Cowell, Henry Cowell, John Lomax, Alan Lomax, Charles Seeger, Pete Seeger, and Margaret Valiant were responsible for the compilation’s conception and selection of tracks.

The anthology’s liner notes served as an important document of the huge stylistic diversity within American folk music at the time. Liner notes also offer listeners rare insights into how songs were performed and what they meant to those who sang them. The following is a list of the songs contained on the Anthology of American Folk Music:

1.” Jelly Roll Blues” – Jelly Roll Morton
2.” Franky and Johnny” – Mississippi John Hurt
3.” Stack O’Lee Blues” – Mississippi Fred McDowell
4.” Keep On Truckin'” – blind Lemon Jefferson
5.” Cocaine Blues” – Luke Jordan
6.” House of the Rising Sun” – Trad. (Cover by Lead Belly)
7.” T For Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)”- Jimmie Rodgers
8.”In The Pines” – Trad. (Cover by Lead Belly)
9.” I Want To Live So God Can Use Me” – Rev. Gary Davis
10.” Praying Mantis” – John Fahey

What is the order of the songs on the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, edited by Harry Smith. The album is a record of American folk music of the late 19th and early 20th century. The anthology consists of 84 songs recorded between 1927 and 1932.

The songs are grouped into three categories: “Ballads”, “Social Music”, and “Songs”. The first category, “Ballads”, consists of traditional British ballads that were brought to the United States by British immigrants. The second category, “Social Music”, consists of songs that were written about social issues such as poverty, racism, and war. The third category, “Songs”, consists of love songs, work songs, and dance tunes.

What is the significance of the order of the songs on the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, edited by Harry Smith. The Anthology collated ninety-eight commercially released recordings made between 1927 and 1932 that were originally issued on seventy-eight rpm phonograph records. These were all taken from the original acetates or metal parts, and hence would have been monaural recordings.

The songs on the Anthology were originally issued on 78rpm records, which were played at a speed of around eighty-three to ninety rotations per minute. In 1952, when the Anthology was released, most long-playing records played at a speed of around thirty-three to forty-five rotations per minute. This meant that the songs on theAnthology sounded significantly faster when played on a long-playing record player.

The order of the songs on the Anthology is significant in that it reflects Harry Smith’s personal preferences and influences. For example, the first song on the Anthology is “The Word Game Song” by Frank Hutchison, which was likely chosen because it was one of Smith’s favorite songs. Additionally, many of the songs on the Anthology are grouped together based on theme or style, which further reflects Smith’s personal preferences and taste.

The Legacy of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music was a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and consisted of eighty-four songs recorded between 1927 and 1932. The songs were grouped into three categories: ballads, social music, and religious music. The anthology was released at a time when folk music was not popular and was met with critical acclaim.

How has the Anthology of American Folk Music influenced American music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album collection released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The brainchild of record store owner and musicologist Harry Smith, the anthology sought to document the music of everyday Americans: field hollers, work songs, ballads, folk lyrics and religious music from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.

A commercial and critical success, the anthology has had a profound and lasting impact on American music. Musicians as disparate as Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia and Patti Smith have all cited the anthology as an important influence, and it has been credited with helping to revive interest in traditional American folk music. In 1997, the Smithsonian Institution inducted the Anthology into the National Recording Registry, deeming it “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

What are some of the famous musicians who have been influenced by the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, edited by Harry Smith. It is one of the most influential releases in the history of folk music, and helped spark several revivals, including the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. The Anthology was initially issued as a set of three double LPs, which were then reissued as a six-CD box set in 1997.

Some of the most famous musicians who have been influenced by the Anthology of American Folk Music include Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Harry Belafonte. These artists all helped to popularize folk music in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. The Anthology of American Folk Music played an important role in their development as musicians, and in turn, these artists helped to ensure that the Anthology’s legacy would live on for many years to come.

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

The Anthology of American Folk Music is one of the most influential recordings ever made. Released in 1952, it brought to light a wealth of previously unknown music from the early 20th century. The collection was compiled by musicologist Harry Smith and included 84 songs, many of which went on to become classics.

Today, the Anthology is widely credited with spearheading the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. It has also been hugely influential in the development of rock and roll, helping to inspire artists such as Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead and The Beatles. In 1998, the Anthology was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.