Reviews (1)

BUY IT!
It is amazing how many different types of folks of different ages enjoy this cd.I found it by searching for old songs...using keywords like "cumberland mountain bear chase", "polly von", "pretty polly" and "muleskinner blues".I was hoping to find an old Erik Darling album and ran across this gem in the process.The lyrics on these old songs are intriguing on many different levels."Glory" catches your interest right off with "I'm gonna tell God how you treat me!"."Poor Lazarus" is a description of a WANTED POSTER. "900 Miles" is flat out old time pickin' that connects to something deep inside you. Leadbelly's "Don't Lie Buddy" has some guy in the background goin' "HUH!" with every outrageous boast. "Lost John" is one of our favorites...all whoops and hollers and harmonica.Every time I hear "Railroad Whistle" I find more things to love about it....it really captures the jingles and jangles and rythmn of an old train....it also captures the weariness and longing of a traveler needing to "be" home."Bile Dem Cabbage Down" needs no further description... the title says it all.Pete Seeger is at his best with this version of "Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase"...clean and wholsome.Like so many of these songs you can't help singing out with "Sowing on the Mountain".I must admit there are a number of the songs on this cd that I skip over because the lyrics are boringly repetitive.But there are too many "great" songs/music on this cd to pass it by.BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! You won't regret it.
I am going to try out the volumes 5 thru 6 cd. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Among the very best!
This CD is a compilation from the three Woodstock Mountain Revue Lp's that came out in the late 60's and early 70's. The Revue were "folk" musicians who lived in and around Woodstock, NY including Happy and Artie Traum, John Herald, Eric Anderson, John Sebastian, Paul Butterfield, Pat Alger, and many others. The original lp's spent so much time on our turntable that we would spontaneously start singing the next song as each song ended. We knew every word of every song. This is elemental Americana of near quality to the music that Dylan and the Band were making in a nearby basement a couple of years earlier. The material which includes wonderful originals as well as covers of Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and Jimmy Rodgers (among others)is uniformly excellent. These folks obviously enjoy playing together. The music has a joyous spontaneity and yet is oddly polished. Great stuff, that deserves a much larger audience. Buy it; you won't regret it.

Good Music
These songs in this CD are very confortable. If you want to get relax, it would be better for you to listen to (or hear) them. I think this CD is the supreme for folk-music. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Polka musicians don't take their music too seriously, so why should anyone else? Actually, given its rich lineage and loyal following, someone has to give it thoughtful consideration. After all, Wisconsin, the axis of oompah in America, still hosts a couple of dozen annual polka festivals and supports two full-time radio stations devoted to the sounds of the Norskedalen Trio, the Oulu Hotshots, and other 2/4-tempo practitioners. Seven bands, each representing different strains of Midwestern polka, are featured in this handsome package. The ensembles provide select samples of waltzes, schottisches, and polkas that draw on Northern and Eastern European influences. Astute, extensive liner notes round out the presentation. Deep Polka is an excellent collection for aficionados and newcomers alike. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dance Music From the Midwest
Having listened to some of the Selections I rated it at 4 stars primarily because of Karl. I liked the other artists but having him on the album almost always guaranteed it being bought.

Uneven
As with many "various artists" CDs, this one is a mixed bag. Seven different artists perform a total of 26 tracks. The performances by The Steve Meisner Band and by Karl and the Country Dutchmen (such as Karl's Bad Schottische -- get it?) are superb, and those by Vatra and by the Clete Bellin Orchestra are acceptable. The others either have a whiney sound or are lacking in the bass department. In the polka field, it is better to stick with single-artist CDs by the better performers. Recordings by Frankie Yankovic, Joey Miskulin, Eddie Blazonczyk, Walter Ostanek, Fred Ziwich, and Jimmy Sturr will provide a much better foundation for your polka collection than this CD.

Serious fun
Did you enjoy sweatin' to the polkas at the 1998 Smithsonian Folklife Festival? The groups on Deep Polka were there, representing different polka styles flourishing today in Wisconsin.

This is not "champagne" music! It is rollicking stuff that will kick-start a party or see you through rush hour. You will be grateful for the lyrics, provided for some of the selections, because sooner or later you will feel compelled to belt them out yourself. A great polka sampler from the Smithsonian Institution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Greater Starter Compilation
If you are new to Old Time Music and want a good start this is a great CD. It contains music by some of the best bands playing in the current rennaisance of Old Time Music. If you are a long-time fan it is also a good choice to add to your collection. The musicianship is excellent, but the bands do not stray from a traditional sound. It was compiled by a group of radio programmers who specialize in the genre and they have picked the best of both toe-tapping instrumentals and singable traditional songs. Its companion, Old Time Music on the Air V. II is also an excellent buy. You can't miss with either one! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the amazing and sublime Vera Ward Hall
this is probably the finest in the Deep River of Song series because it features so much of Vera Hall's singing. she is a truly wondeful, amazing, sublimely talented singer. as beloved as she is she herself has not had a cd released in her name, this cd being the easiest way to get a large amount of her songs. many of these songs are lullabies and secular songs.
another reviewer mentioned the Smithsonian Folkways cd Negro Folk Music Of Alabama - volume 5 - spirituals. which is 16 songs by Dock Reed [Vera's cousin] + Vera Ward Hall. the songs are all religious in nature and might be more aptly described as Dock Reed songs with 2nd vocals by Vera Hall. her singing is not exactly in the forefront of tehse recordings except on the few songs she sings solo. this cd is not in commercial release so to get it you must go to the Smithsonian Folkways website, click on the "a world of sound" catalogue, then enter Vera Ward Hall in the 'artists search' box. the Smithsonian has a library of some 3,000 recordings [the 'world of sound'] and will burn you a custom cd or cassette of anything in this vast catalogue.
there are also other Vera hall songs scattered among Rounder's cds-
-Afro-American Spirituals, Work Songs + Ballads
contains 3 songs of hers, 1 trouble so hard 2 choose your
seat and set down 3 handwriting on the wall. 'trouble so
hard' is the song Moby sampled on his song 'natural blues'
on his album 'play', if you've only heard the short sample
in that song you'll be amazed by the full song
-Alan Lomax's Southern Journey volume1. contains 1 song by
her "mama's gonna buy"
-various artists 'Every Tone A Testimony' features Vera +
Dock Reed's 'free at last'. this is an album of singers,
poets, and political figures that focuses on the African
American experience, specifically the struggle for equality
i'm sure ther are a few others that i'm forgetting about. until somone puts out a truly comprehensive cd of Vera's work this will have to suffice. the main problem is that Folkways has half of her recordings and Roundr the other half. hopefully someday they'll cooperate/collaborate and put something like that out.

there are more recordings of Vera Hall Ward
Yes, Vera Hall Ward is a great singer, but these recordings made by John & Ruby Lomax 1937-1940, should have been cleaned-up more (pops were eliminated but not crackle & other constant backgroung noise). There are much cleaner recordings of her (perhaps in a later decade) on:

> "Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings" and
> "Negro Religious Songs and Services".

> Smithsonian has re-released duets with her cousin, Dock Reed that was recorded by Harold Courlander on a 1950 fieldtrip:

[URL]
- Negro Folk Music of Alabama, Vol. 5: Spirituals (1950) Includes all of F-2038 plus additional music. [prices]

> There are more duets available from:
[URL]

> You can download recordings from the Lomax 1939 fieldtrip at:
[URL]

It is interesting to hear Vera Hall Ward sing secular songs, - inspite of her strongly religious background. I also like the music of the Georgia Sea Islands, St. John's Island, prison worksongs, and the Bahamas (Real Bahamas, Vol. 1-2), which indicate how powerful the older music was.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Wait a second--Vera Hall sounds good even without a background synthesizer played by Moby. BELIEVE IT OR NOT! ... Read more

Album Description

The follow-up to the hugely successful Ruach 5761: New Jewish Tunes is here! This compilation is the state-of-the-art of contemporary Jewish music and features some songs exclusive to this collection only, including the American-Jewish anthem "Children Of Freedom" by Beth Schafer and friends.

Discover the Contemporary Jewish folk-rock Music of Yom Hadash, e18hteen with Dan Nichols, Rick Recht, Noam Katz, Mah Tovu and many more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is the foundation
British music mixed with African drum beats in Virginia. This is the British side saved. Only fifty years ago in Saltville, Virginia the British Ballad was being sung like it had been for several hundred years. Texas Gladden was the keeper of the flame. She is gone and so is the music. There is probably no body left that can sing these songs with this much honesty and authenticity. Allen Lomax should get the Nobel Peace Prize for saving all this music ... Read more

Amazon.com

There Is No Eye: Music for Photographs--Recordings of MusiciansPhotographed by John Cohen is a great mix CD of raw, ragged, and rightAmerican folk music. Though that's little surprise as, since the late 1950s,John Cohen has patched together an alchemical body of work as a filmmaker,photographer, self-taught ethnographer, music writer, art professor, andmusician. The CD accompanies abook of Cohen's beautiful, black-and-white documentary photos. Cohen reallyknows his folk music; his 1968 interview with Harry Smith for the SingOut! fanzine remains the Rosetta stone for the all-important Anthology of American FolkMusic, and as one-third of the New Lost City Ramblers he helped bring the visceralpleasures of true traditional Americana to a larger audience during the folkrevival. This collection is wide-ranging and largely unerring. From Beat jazz togospel, Appalachian a cappella singing to a Peruvian string band--it's all here,with no slick O Brother arrangements or anything else to get in the wayof the music as it would have been heard on front porches, small clubs, andbackyards. About a third of the tracks are previously unreleased; Dylanologistswill need this CD for a swell unreleased track by the young Bobby, a version of"Roll on John" from a 1961 WBAI radio broadcast. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Folkways Sampler in Fancy Packaging
This CD is very seductive--the cover looks like a 50s folkways release, the design is sharp; the title is hip and intriguing (music for photographs?), and it's all lower case a la e.e. cummings; Woodie Guthrie looks like a bad mutha in the cover photograph.

Getting past the design, and the john cohen photographs (which are wonderful), however, we realize that this is just another folkways sampler-- sort of a follow-up to the American Roots sampler. There are some great tracks here from the old stand-bys: an early Dylan, Guthrie, Gary Davis, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Muddy Waters, as well as a few surprises, such as a beutiful bluegrass piece from Alice Gerrard and Hazel dickenzs, and a really interesting afro-rootsy piece by rufus cohen and wade patterson. There are a few throw aways as well (leftovers from a less successful musicological expedition, I guess.)

Folkways has no trouble riding the latest roots music wave because it's had cred as an "authentic" roots music label all along. A little slicking up of the packaging serves this comp. well, and it doesn't even take an "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" sticker to give it appeal.

folk music... from the core of the american experience
..........twenty three songs that go straight to the core of the american music experience.... everything that we have heard on the radio since the beginning of recorded music... from fats domino to britney spears... can be traced straight to these wonderful songs..... many of them totally reminiscent of harry smith's anthology.. but somehow more accescible..19 year old.. dylan.... sounding so fresh.... but so in touch with the music he was trying to restructure for a brand new audience..
I'll be listening to these songs for a long time..especially when I want to remind myself of how magical music can be.. ... Read more

Album Description

Volume II is the second in the BEFORE THEIR TIME collection of songs and music that were written in memory of people who died young. Featuring 74 minutes of music by an international list of singer-songwriters who write about aspects of grief and loss from their own experience, BEFORE THEIR TIME Vol. II includes the title songs of Beth Nielsen Chapman's and Cindy Bullens' best-selling albums. Other well-known American artists include Jim Wilson, Jacqueline Schwab, Ellis Paul, Connie Dover and the late Eva Cassidy. International artists include Canadians Don Bray and Connie Kaldor, and British folk stars Jez Lowe and Kate Rusby. BEFORE THEIR TIME was produced with grants and gifts from foundations and individuals, and all sales of the album benefit bereavement support organizations, including the National Hospice Foundation and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. As in Volume I, extensive liner notes include song lyrics and notes on each selection - many by the artists themselves - plus essays about music's powerful role in the healing process, surviving sudden loss, SOS and Hospice bereavement support groups, and Web links to related sites. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Never A Big Folk Fan
I have to admit at the outset that, with the exception of The Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four, I was never a huge fan of the folk sound, and that my only purpose in purchasing this volume in the first place, in pursuit of my hobby of collecting hit singles, was to get a CD version of The Banana Boat Song by The Tarriers.

Like another reviewer I was not happy to hear the horrible sound quality on that offering, and have since myself picked up the Eric compilation which provides a much better-sounding track. I would also point out that track 1 is not rhe original Weavers hit version of Goodnight Irene done in 1950 with Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra but, rather, from a live performance at Carnegie Hall on Christmas Eve 1954.

Original renditions are, however, provided on tracks 2, 9, 11, 12, 13 [but poor sound], and 14. The rest are also original releases, although none of them ever made any national charts. A complete discography of the contents is provided, along with photographs of some of the artists ["Spyder" John Koerner, The Tarriers, Springfields, Au Go Go Singers, and Limeliters are NOT shown], and seven pages of admittedly very interesting liner notes written by noted author Bruce Pollock.

If Folk was your bag this is a 4-star collection with the only notable flaw being track 13.

good folk
This collection depends on ones perspective of folk. This cd mostly focuses on the large joyous sounds of groups such as New Christy Minstrels. A lot of people ridiculed this sound saying it wasn't true folk but I like it. This cd introduced me to groups I didn't even know existed like The Big Three, the group Mama Cass belonged to before the Mamas and the Papas. Also on this cd is the one hit wonder group Rooftop Singers' catchy "Walk Right In" and Even Dozen Jug Band's irritating but lovable "Take your Fingers Off It."
The only inclusion that is questionable is Gotta Travel On by Au Go Go Singers, as that group is only remembered now for Stephen Stills involvement. But still it fits well in the middle of the mix.

Contains seriously flawed version of Banana Boat Song
If you're interested in the Banana Boat Song by the Tarriers, pick up Eric's Hard To Find 45's On CD Volume 3. The version on the Rhino CD appears to have been digitally mastered from a damaged tape. It contains numerous crackles and pops. The version on the Eric CD is flawless.

The Rhino compilation otherwise is a pretty good. ... Read more