Description:
In 1957, at the dawn of the urban folk revival, Moses Asch's Folkways label issued the first of Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads series. Marketing these albums to schools and libraries, Folkways served to document a range of great American folk songs that had remained popular with children since the previous century. Now Smithsonian Folkways has reissued American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1--five volumes were released between 1957 and 1962--in an expanded edition that adds extra tracks taken from some of Seeger's other LPs from the same era. Although this is not explicitly a children's album (the sordid murder depic
In 1957, at the dawn of the urban folk revival, Moses Asch's Folkways label issued the first of Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads series. Marketing these albums to schools and libraries, Folkways served to document a range of great American folk songs that had remained popular with children since the previous century. Now Smithsonian Folkways has reissued American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1--five volumes were released between 1957 and 1962--in an expanded edition that adds extra tracks taken from some of Seeger's other LPs from the same era. Although this is not explicitly a children's album (the sordid murder depicted in "Frankie and Johnny" is hardly kid-friendly), Seeger's performances have a jaunty sing-along quality that still appeals to younger listeners. Seeger's intent was to introduce these classic songs to a new audience, but his use of banjo as a backing instrument proved almost as influential. His idiosyncratic picking unexpectedly launched a fad among up-and-coming folk groups like the Kingston Trio, and just about every band from the period added a Vega Pete Seeger model banjo to its lineup. Though many of the songs on American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 will be very familiar, Seeger's unabashed joy in singing them is infectious and will have even the most curmudgeonly listener itching to sing along with him. --Michael Simmons
Album Description
Recorded during the heart of the great "folk song revival" of the 1950s and 1960s, Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads was and is a classic series of albums. Ballads contains definitive bits of Americana that have been a part of our lives for more than a half century, including songs like "This Land is Your Land," "America the Beautiful," "John Henry," and "Shenandoah." This CD is the first in a series of Ballad reissues, and essential for any fan of American folk music to own. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon.
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Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
Release date: 25 June 2002
Number of discs: 1
EAN: 0093074015025 UPC: 093074015025
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