Anthologoy of American Folk Music

[chordbanger]

I just got the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music, and have been listening to it. The only problem with it, is I have dishes to do, and my house needs cleaning, and all I want to do is play along with these CDs. Sorry about the mispelled word..tried to fix Anthology, and couldn't.
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[Spruce]

That collection is a must have to get a better grip on the modern development of folk and rock 'n roll music...

Desert Island discs, for sure.....

[Jason Kessler]

It's the Rosetta Stone of American music.

[Rick Schmidlin]

I have loved this collection for years. When it was released on L.P. is 50's it was the insperation of Peter,Paul and Mary, Dave Von Ronk,Joan Baez and Bob Dyan and many others.

Chordbanger,

PS What part of NE PA are you in? I used to live in Lakeville on Lake Wallenpaupack.

[allenhopkins]

Have it in LP and CD, also the CD of the "unissued 4th volume," and the "Harry Smith Project," which is interpretations of the AOAMF songs by current musicians.

Absolutely essential if you want to understand American traditional music and the "folk revival." The liner notes to the CD version, with their info on the wildly eccentric Mr. Smith, are great as well.

[Daniel Nestlerode]

My wife, who hates "hillbilly music" --and banjos most especially-- loves Uncle Dave Macon's "Way Down the Old Plank Road." He rocks!

Daniel

[chordbanger]

I have loved this collection for years. When it was released on L.P. is 50's it was the insperation of Peter,Paul and Mary, Dave Von Ronk,Joan Baez and Bob Dyan and many others.

Chordbanger,

PS What part of NE PA are you in? I used to live in Lakeville on Lake Wallenpaupack.
Really? I live around 20 miles north of Scranton. 'Paupak is a dangerous lake..it scares me! People drown there often. My priest and his father died in a snowmobile accident on that lake. Their snowmobile went through the ice.

I love the collection of folk music. I am so happy to have it, and I try to play along with the CDs.

[mandozilla]

chordbanger said:

"I have dishes to do, and my house needs cleaning, and all I want to do is play along with these CDs."


I wonder if Monroe's 'True Life Blues' is included in that collection? :grin:

"There's dishes to wash and a house to clean,
There's washing to do oh it seems so mean.
There's a million words I can't explain,
To heck with the housework, pick along with the Anthology"...wait, that ain't right!? Ha Ha Ha :))

:mandosmiley:

[Rick Schmidlin]

[QUOTE=chordbanger;633060]Really? I live around 20 miles north of Scranton. 'Paupak is a dangerous lake..it scares me! People drown there often. My priest and his father died in a snowmobile accident on that lake. Their snowmobile went through the ice.

Which town do you live in and what year was the accident I think I remember being told about it. As a child I never trusted the lake in the winter for snowmobiles. Also on the weekends it has become a zoo.

As for the Harry Smith set, it is way cool:cool:

[Capt. E]

A great and seminal collection by a significant musicologist. Very important influence to so much music in america and beyond. My only complaint is that the choices were slanted towards Harry Smith's personal preferences. There were several roots music forms being recorded in the 20's and 30's that Smith failed to include: the cajun/creole music of SW Louisiana is one particular example. Not sure Harry Smith liked accordions. It is possible he never really heard cajun/creole music as it was somewhat obscure until emerging on the national scene at the Newport Folk Festival in the 1960's. Still, doesn't take a thing away from him. A collection every fan of roots music should have.

[CharlieKnuth]

The selections were definitely slanted by Harry Smith's eccentric tastes and what an eccentric he was. It took a number of years for this to come out on CD because when it was first released, Harry didn't bother with anything like permission from the artists to have this album released. (Neither did Moe Asch). When this came out there was a wonderful day-long symposium on this collection at the Smithsonian and the importance of it to the music world, along with some discussion about Harry Smith. Many names in the folk musicological world were there. I wonder if anything was ever published from those proceedings. Great set of music.

[allenhopkins]

There were several roots music forms being recorded in the 20's and 30's that Smith failed to include: the cajun/creole music of SW Louisiana is one particular example. Not sure Harry Smith liked accordions. It is possible he never really heard cajun/creole music as it was somewhat obscure until emerging on the national scene at the Newport Folk Festival in the 1960's.

Actually, on the second volume, Social Music, Smith included the following:
La Danseuse, Delma Lachney & Blind Uncle Gaspard
Saut Crapaud, Columbus Fruge
Acadian One-Step, Joseph Falcon (both these feature accordion prominently)
Home Sweet Home, Breaux Freres (more accordion)

On the third volume, Songs, he included:
Le Vieux Soulard et Sa Femme, Cleoma Breaux & Joseph Falcon
C'est Si Triste Sans Lui, Cleoma & Ophy Breaux & Joseph Falcon

For someone with accordionophobia, Smith sure included a lot of Falcon's playing!

Also, regarding Charlie K's comment on including proceedings of the symposium in the liner notes: the notes to the CD re-release are amazing, with articles by Greil Marcus, John Pankake, Luis Kemnitzer, an interview with Moe Asch, Neil Rosenberg, and short "observations" by everyone from John Fahey to Peter Stampfel, Dave Van Ronk, and Allen Ginsberg. There are also great discographical "supplemental notes" on all the selections. (One of the wonders of the original anthology was Smith's weird style in writing liner notes.) I believe that the CD notes won a well-deserved Grammy.

[Rick Schmidlin]

I believe that the CD notes won a well-deserved Grammy.[/QUOTE]


Yes it did.