1 comments about The Ultimate Folk Collection.

1. Calling itself "The Ultimate Folk Collection," one must determine whether this 3-CD set released in 1999 from the United Kingdom includes the fundamentally significant folk music repertoire. Certainly Donovan's 1965 hit, "Catch the Wind" belongs in such a collection. As does Ralph McTell's best known song, "Streets of London." Pentangle, a British folk group that included Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, incorporated jazz into their folk stylings, and some still wonder if they ever lived up to their expectations. Jansch and Renbourne as soloists are also featured on a few cuts on this collection. I`m happy to see the inclusion of The Johnstons, an Irish folk group of the late 60s/early 70s which included Paul Brady, Mick Moloney, Adrienne and Lucki Johnston. They popularized a number of great songs, including Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" which is included here. Stefan Grosman, the virtuoso guitarist from Brooklyn, was a revivalist of sorts. "Candyman" is a favorite song which I think was originally from Blind Blake. Gerry Rafferty is a Scottish singer/songwriter and folk rock guitarist who worked with Billy Connolly in The Humblebums. I haven't heard The Young Tradition in years. They were a U.K. folk group in the sixties with Peter Bellamy, Heather Wood, Royston Wood. They took their name from a club (The Grand Tradition) and they incorporated elements of Balkan and American sacred harp singing into their sound.
   
   Folk aficionados are bound to make some new discoveries among the over 3 hours of music here. You don't need to be an expert on the UK's folk scene in the 60s/70s to enjoy these selections. While some big names are included, there are others who didn't achieve the same notoriety yet they provided very good folk music: Gryphon, Dransfield, Gordon Giltrap, Finbar, The McCalmans, Hamlish Imlach, Dransfield, Decameron, Mr. Fox, Richard Digance, The Spinners, Walt Nicol, Isla Cameron, Black Country Three, Carolanne Pegg, Matt McGinn, Alex Campbell, Archie Fisher, and Storyteller. From that perspective, this collection introduced me to a number of groups that I had heard much from ... or, in some cases, never heard.
   
   It's unfortunate that this collection was produced without any liner notes. What is this collection's intent? Vision? How did they pick which songs and artists to feature? Sure would've been nice to add a few sentences about each of the artists. Sorry I don't have the time to research them all so take this collection for what it is... a budget-priced value of 60s folk music primarily from the U.K. Pick one up now so you're ready for the next folk revival when it hits soon. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

5 comments about Arhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Collection: The Journey Of Chris Strachwitz 1960-2000.

1. When I put the first Disc A on the player I was not impressed. I quickly skipped to Discs D & E. These I loved, especially having enjoyed a free open-air concert in Davis, CA by the Beausoleil in July '07. A whole new chapter in my music enjoyment opened up. I went back to Discs A & B and found to my surprise that I began to like them even more as I visualized in my mind the artistes actually playing and singing. Now I know where the CCR got their hits from. It is from these humble and often unsung champions of the American roots music. You ain't listened to nothing yet, till you go through this set of music one number at a time. Listen, appreciate, digest, and breath out a sigh of relief that it was recorded and brought out in the digital format for us enjoy and learn! This set should form part of any serious collector of not only American roots music but any music for it nourishes the soul of all who listen...



2. If you're a fan of living/breathing folk music, not whitebread I-gave-my-love-a-cherry acoustic music,but vibrant music from backwoods, churches and back alley sub-cultures obscured and ignored by the modern world, then this collection is for you.
   
   In the early 80's I became a big fan of Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco. Collecting his records was the first time I encountered the Arhoolie label. I began to see that other artists I enjoyed were also on the label Beasoleil, Fred McDowell, Mance Lipscomb and others. It got to where I'd buy records just because of that red and black label. Even if I'd never heard of the artist I could always bank on the record being interesting and that is all because of Chris Strachwitz. He's the owner but he's also the guy out there beating the bushes to find this stuff and most of the music collected here he recorded himself in the field.
   
   Arhoolie has managed to remain an independent record label which is saying something in this day and age and that independence keeps it vital. There is a recording in this collection by a street artist name Bongo Joe, whose music is essentially Joe improvising lyrics while beating out a rythm on a metal 50 gal. oil drum. Everytime I hear this track I smile because it's so wild and also because I know this guy would be out in the street doing this whether someone recorded him or not. Thank god someone did and they did it because they saw the intrinsic value in this mans art, not the chance to make a million dollars.
   
   The booklet that accompanies the collection is full of wonderful photos, history and stories. Mr. Strachwitz shares his field recording technique of having one microphone in the center with the artists gathered around it which lends these recordings a comfortable charm. I could not agree more with the reviewer who said this collection is a nice companion to the Anthology of American Folk Music, it provides a nice bookend for that hallowed collection. I started out by saying this is living/breathing folk music. I did not mean to infer that these artists are still alive (though some are), rather that the sub-cultures that spawned these artists are still out there. We should all take comfort in that.



3. This is a truly wondrful set that works on every level.

   Beautifully presented with a very informative book and five high quality CD's.

   The sound quality is superb as are all the production values.

   The mixture of world music, old-time music and American regional sounds, as repesented in the output of Arhoolie Records, works extremely well here.

   I found my self playing all 5 CD's one after the other without strain and enjoying them all.

   Once having heard many of the artists for te first time the search wil then commence for solo albums if they exist, and they probably do in most cases.

   If this were a "Bear Family" set there would certainly be another $... on the askng price.

   If you are already a fan of this type of musci or are looking to explore it furter this really is THE set to buy as a starting point.

   All the tracks are strong and there is no "padding" at all.

   Combine this with a quite outstanding book giving full details on the artists and the history of Arhoolie and this is a set that will be cherished for years to come and played with great regularity.

   Highly recommended.




4. I wasn't sure how I was going to like this box set when I bought it because I had never heard of most of the artists. When I first obtained it, I listened through once then put it on the shelf. On a recent road trip, I decided to put all 5 CDs in my CD changer to listen to in sequence and lemme tell you, am I ever glad to have done so.
   The Journey of Chris Strachwitz is a musical journey through parts of America most of us never see or hear. There is Cajun, Zydeco, country, Tejano, blues, gospel and more. There is not the polished, overproduced kind of music one often hears on the radio, but rather the raw authenticity of music being played straight from the heart. Most of these musicians have made very little money in the business and are forced to do other work in order to make ends meet. Its a shame because just the small sampling here shows me that most of these artists have more talent than an army of top-40 schlocksters like Backstreet Boys and Madonna.
   I am not equally enthusiastic about every song, but I was introduced to many performers from whom I want to hear more. Its hard to choose favorites, but I was impressed with Mance Lipscomb, the Reverend Louis Overstreet, Lydia Mendoza, Valerio Longoria, Omar Sharriff, Chatuye, The Campbell Brothers, and Aubrey Ghent in addition to more familiar performers like Clifton Chenier, Charlie Musselwhite, and any of the Jimenez clan. The worst song on the album is more pleasurable listening than most of the vapid pap served up on commercial radio.
   With the CDs comes an informative booklet, filled with photos and stories of the performers and the sometimes serendipitous ways that Strachwitz hooked up with them.
   If your musical taste runs the gamut, you should like this fairly priced box set. Chris Strachwitz did American music a tremendous turn when he set out to capture the sound of the folk before it was lost to us forever. I give this treasury of obscurities my heartiest recommendation. You won't be sorry you bought this!



5. This is a really strong collection of hard to find artists that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of American music and culture. The blues is incredible. The cajun and zydeco numbers are unbeatable. Same is true of bluegrass, texmex, gospel. Where did rock get its start? Forget the name artists who've received all the accolades, these are the artists that influenced the names. The real deal - presented in its raw format as much as possible. Despite 5 CDs of material, weak tracks are hard to find.

1 comments about Remembrance.

1. This is South American folk music at it's best. Nor sure how it got in the death metal listings. Lots of beautiful melodic tracks and well worth checking out.

5 comments about From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music.

1. In all fairness to all the Country & Western female artists from every ethnic and racial background globally...this project is a far cry from being just a novelty of the past, present and/or into the future. You'll find the true spirit of Country music captured on this 3 CD Box Set of several American Black female artists displayed here on this wonderfully packaged historical project: "From Where I Stand: The Black Experience In Country Music." Nominated in February 1998 for a U.S.A. "Grammy" (Album Package and Notes), produced by the Country Music Foundation and Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
   
   In retrospect, considering the musical talents of these "sisters'" (no-pun to the Pointer Sisters) within the rim of the Country music scene during the late 1950's and thru-out the 1980's, they were serious contenders. For instance, on disc two, ('The Soul Country Years') emphasized R&B stars making the cross-over like Esther Phillip's smash triple Top 10 hit in the C&W, Pop and R&B charts simultaneously "Release Me" (track #9), The Supremes "It Makes No Difference Now" (track #12), The Staple Singers "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" (track #14), Etta James "Almost Persuaded" (track #14), Dorothy Moore "Misty Blue" (track #20). Yet, some of the most noteworthy stand out performances can be heard on disc number 3 ('Forward With Pride') of which includes: Linda Martell, the first Black female to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, and her top hit tune "Color Him Father" (track #5). The late La Melle Prince's (Decca Recording Artist 1969) "The Man That Made A Woman Out Of Me" (track #7); produced by the late Country Music Famed Owen William Bradley and recorded at his historical recording studio "Bradley's Barn" in Nashville, Tennessee; with the legendary world renowned male quartet singing back up vocals, The Jordanaires [Bradley, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974, Nashville, Tennessee; more importantly, he is credited as one of the creators of the "Nashville Sound" of the sixties and early seventies]. Hence, La Melle Prince, is considered one of the most intriguing, distinct and unknown artist on this collection [*note, her memoirs and a pending screenplay by her nephew A. David Burleigh (Record Producre/ Artist/ Singer-Songwritre) is forthcoming...]. Also, a must mention, are the world famous Pointer Sisters and there 1974 Country Music Grammy winner hit song from their LP Fairytale entitled "Fairytale" (track #12); as well as, Ruby Falls endearing up-tempo song, "Show Me Where" (track #13). Overall, these moving and inspirational stories of songs from the 'The Stringband Era' to the 'The Soul Country Years' and on 'Forward With Pride' present a new and old landscape of performances that any music lover can appreciate... So my recommendation to you reading this review would be to (don't stand there...) find a copy and buy it...destine to become a collectors jem in value and in spirit!
   
   *Note (some background info.): now with all that 'above' being said, on a personal note my interesting role and involvement in this project began some years ahead of the release date of this CD (February 1998). In 1995, my contribution of La Melle Prince's memorabilia, notes and background information was presented and personally delivered by me to the Country Music Foundation (CMF) in Nashville, Tennessee. However, it wasn't until the late summer of 1997 that I "got wind" of a pending historical Black American Country music project through some industry friends of mine, that a 3 CD Box Set was going to be released some time in the fall of 1997 by CMF and Warner Bros. Records, Inc. So I immediately made a few calls to some key personnel at CMF and got the confirmation. Indeed the CD was a reality and "green-lit" to go on the market. At that time, I had not given them a copy of Prince's (October 1969) Decca 45" single vinyl recording yet (A-side, "The Man That Made A Woman Out Of Me" and B-side, "All Alone In This World Without You"). In short, I flew back to Nashville and drop a copy of the single off to the CMF...some weeks later got a call from them stating that in a written agreement between CMF & Warner Bros. Records, Inc. that Prince's contribution was of vital importance and needed to be placed on the project before release; therefore, pushing the release date of this CD project up to February 1998. Hence, the costly efforts of placing Prince's song (A-side, "The Man That Made A Woman Out Of Me") on this CD after the project was in "The Can" had become a reality, of which you now can enjoy! [Moreover, it seems "fate" would have its way again, her placement on this CD could very well be blamed on sur' luck... However, Prince would always say that her lucky number was always #7; i.e., the CD's initial release date year (1997) and her song placement was on track #7 [Disc #3]... By the looks of it, I guess 'on the record' she was right... (La Melle Prince, born January 7, 1927 Kennett, Missouri - presumed death 1991 Los Angeles, California)].
   
   Finally, due in part to the scheduling and break down of communication links between CMF, Warner Bros. Records, Inc. and myself, I was (uncredited) in the "thanks to" notes info.; however, on a happier side of things, I was very grateful to be able to have the opportunity to honor my aunt's musical achievements here on this CD Box Set project-- a gift to the world. Thus, later Warner Bros. Records, Inc. and the Country Music Foundation literally promised me an official credit in the future second "run-thru" (10,000 copies) of their next re-print editions...of which I give big thanks!
   
   ###
   
   *Footnote (a sidebar interest), for all The Jordanaires fans including myself, I personally had the great honor of meeting with 3 of the 4 post-original living members on July 1998 at the Gold Coast Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The gentlemen or as I like to say the original 'boys-to-men' included: Mr. Ray "BassMan" Walker and Gordon "LiteFoot" Stoker and Neal Matthews (1953-2000). An interesting coincidence happened during my conversation with Gordon, we discovered that his son Alan Stoker was the chief engineer and disc transfer person for the project "From Where I Stand: The Black Experience In Country Music," and Gordon was totally unaware that this project was conceived or even that his son worked on it. So he asked to use my cell phone and called his son right there and said, "Hey Alan, what is this project, the Black Experience of Country Music? You forgot to tell me about this gem..." The look of excitement on Gordon's face that moment was something to behold and cherished forever in my mind-- small world huh?
   
   Furthermore, most notably, Elvis Presley used The Jordanaires on nearly every one of his recording sessions for nearly 14 years. At a time when no backing musicians, producers, or engineers received name recognition on any records, Elvis insisted that he have the "Jordanaires" on the "labels" of his records. The reflected glory was enough to earn the Jordanaires "Group of the Year" awards well into the Beatles era.
   
   The Jordanaires were familiar with Elvis by 1956, partially because, Hank Snow had told the Grand Ole Opry artists that there was a young man "...tearing up the stage..." on some of the Country shows and that "...no one would follow him..." and, that, "...when he left the stage, the audience went with him..." Elvis was, certainly, familiar with the Jordanaires. Of all the music Elvis knew and loved, it was the gospel quartets that touched him most deeply. The Jordanaires were among Elvis' favorites, because, he heard them every Saturday night on the Grand Ole Opry. Formed in 1948 in Springfield, Missouri, the Jordanaires arrived in Nashville in 1949, immediately securing a spot on the Opry. Their music was spirited and black-influenced, very much in keeping with Elvis' tastes. "We were the first white quartet to sing spirituals..." Gordon Stoker asserted. It was music that moves, that you can snap your fingers to." Elvis could relate.
   
   The group, Bill and Monty Matthews (brothers, and, no relation to Neal), Bob Hubbard, and, Culley Holt who all hailed from Springfield, MO., soon changed. In 1950, Gordon Stoker replaced the lead tenor, in '52 Hoyt Hawkins replaced the baritone, in '53 Neal Matthews became the second tenor, and, bass singer Culley Holt, left in December '54 to be replaced by Hugh Jarrett. It was this line-up consisting of Stoker, Hawkins, Matthews and Jarrett, which made up the group that backed Elvis on most of his sessions in the mid '50s. They also appeared in his movies and on some of his landmark television appearances as well. Hugh Jarrett, left in 1958 and was replaced by bass singer, Ray Walker, this line-up remained for the next 24 years. Hoyt Hawkins died in 1982, and was replaced by Duane West, who had filled the baritone part, intermittently, since Hoyt had first fallen ill in the '70s. Duane became ill in 1999 and Louis Nunley stepped in. Neal passed away in April of 2000, and, Curtis Young has stepped in. Currently, the Jordanaires consist of Gordon Stoker, Ray Walker, Louis Nunley, and, Curtis Young. [some excerpts taken from the Jordanaires website].
   
   --A. David Burleigh (aka: "Big Dave") an 'AmeriCanadian' Record Producre/ Artist/ Singer-Songwritre.



2. With the exception of Charley Pride, it has always seemed as if black singers and country music were mutually exclusive entities. This three disc, sixty-track box set goes a long way toward dispelling that myth, and in turn revealing that African Americans have in fact played a large part in the development of country music.

   Disc one, The Stringband Era, covers recordings from 1927 through 1946 and leads off with a pair of numbers ("Pan American Blues" and "Muscle Shoals Blues") by harmonica ace DeFord Bailey (who, incidentally, was a founding member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1926 and a participant in the first recording session in Nashville in 1928). After several stellar banjo and fiddle-featured acts like the Mississippi Shieks, we move on to some early `40s recordings by blues legend Leadbelly ("Midnight Special," "Rock Island Line"). His tracks in particular show how much the roots of blues and country overlapped. As annotator Bill Ivey attests in the set's extensive booklet, the division which took place between these southern-based genres during the `20s appears to be based more on the record companies' decision to market product to whites and blacks separately, and less on disparate musical approaches.

   The link between blues and country is further emphasized on disc two, The Soul Country Years. It offers rhythm and blues stars from the early `50s through the mid `70s performing well known country standards. Some of these recordings, like Joe Simon's "The Chokin' Kind" (initially recorded by Waylon Jennings) and Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue" (originated by
   Wilma Burgess) impressively became major hits on the pop and soul charts while still maintaining their country arrangements. Other tunes found here, like Etta James' sensual rendition of David Houston's "Almost Persuaded" and Al Green's intimate take on the Ray Price hit "For The Good Times," were never intended to be anything more than change-of-pace album tracks. But while conceived initially as filler, these tracks ultimately showcase - quite convincingly - the artists' diversity. The only exception to the plethora of gems on this disc is the Supremes' awkward take on Floyd Tillman's "It Makes No Difference Now."

   The third and final disc, Forward With Pride, takes a look at blacks in country music since the emergence of superstar Charley Pride in the mid-'60s. It leads off with four Pride singles (the most devoted to any artist on this collection), including his rare first release "The Snakes Crawl At Night" and his signature tune "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'." Three artists follow who each made the country charts fifteen times during the `70s and `80s: Stoney "She's My Rock" Edwards, O.B. "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" McClinton, and Big Al "Touch Me (I'll Be Your Fool Once More)" Dowling. All three are represented here by their biggest hits, and while none attained superstar status like Pride, each soundly made his presence felt in country music. Black females also made a dent on the country charts during the `70s and `80s - most notably Linda Martell, whose top 20 hit "Color Him Father" can be found on this disc.

   Disc three also includes some material by established pop and r & b artists who made successful one-time forays onto the country charts, such as the Pointer Sisters' "Fairytale," Fats Domino's "Whiskey Heaven," and Aaron Neville's "The Grand Tour." In addition, Cleve Francis' hit "Love Light" is here (among others) to conclude this set and remind us that blacks
   have continued to make a few ripples in country music in the `90s. Hopefully, From Where I Stand is only the beginning (and not a retrospective) of black musicians' involvement in country music, with its rich contents inspiring others to partake in the future.




3. This is an excellent collection and quite admirably challenges the notion that country music is a white-dominated genre. The compilers of this set make a strong case that many of our definitions are artificial and are based much more on social norms than real musical differences.

   The set is divided neatly into three CDs. The first, entitled 'The Stringband Era' includes black artists who were making country music in the early years. It includes several instrumental numbers, including three from the one of the early, but partly forgotten Grand Ole Opry stars, Deford Bailey. The Mississippi Sheiks, Memphis Sheiks and Leadbelly also make important contributions.

   The second CD is titled 'The Soul Country Years'. These are mostly covers of country songs performed by R & B and Soul artists. You may have heard much of the material here before, but not quite like this. The songs are country, the production is R & B/Soul for the most part. You begin to see the real musical divergence in this CD as well as the similarities the two types of music retain. One surprising thing is that they only included one Ray Charles tune-his now well-known version of Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On". Given the fact that Charles has his own entire box set of country recordings (bigger than this one), this is a bit unfortunate.

   The final disc is named 'Forward with Pride' and begins, appropriately, with four contributions by country's most (commercially) successful black artist, Charley Pride. The tracks of Pride's they chose are excellent ones; some of his most popular. The Stoney Edwards tracks showcase his talent as well--he deserved more success than he got from the industry. Other interesting contributions include the one from Fats Domino, the title track from Dobie Gray and Aaron Neville's version of the Grand Tour. Given Cleve Francis' input into the creation of this collection, it's a bit surprising that they only include one of his tunes.

   This set is a bit more expensive than some box sets, but is probably worth it. You may end up using it as a starting point. Many of the artists sampled here are certainly worthy of a more complete look.




4. Before purchasing this box set, I could probably count on one hand the number of country music records in my personal collection. I knew about Charley Pride and the forays made into country music made by the likes of Ray Charles and the Pointer Sisters, but this collection really expanded my mind. What is particularly nice about this box set is that it shows you the similarities that country music has with the blues and Black music in general. The first CD (entitled "The Stringband Era") starts off with the incredible harmonica playing of DeFord Bailey. When he plays "Pan American Blues," you really get the sense that a train is coming. Highlights of this CD are the two Leadbelly recordings and "G Rag" by the Georgia Yellow Hammers (with Andrew Baxter). Also of note is the Memphis Sheiks recording of the Jimmie Rodgers composition, "In the Jailhouse Now." In that recording, note how the lyrics are modified slightly from the original version. "The Country Soul Years," the second CD in the box set, shows how the two genres overlapped during the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. R&B fans will feel quite at home with this disc (the producers of the box set would do an incredible service to release this one also as a separate CD). It features several familiar covers of country songs by R&B artists. The excellent liner notes were particularly helpful for this CD. For example, prior to purchasing this collection, I didn't know that "Misty Blue" was actually a country hit for both Wilma Burgess and Eddy Arnold, long before Dorothy Moore had a big Pop and R&B hit with the song in mid-1970's. The third CD (entitled "Forward with Pride"), features four songs by Charley Pride. This CD features country covers of "Color Him Father" by Linda Martell (an earlier hit for the Winstons) and "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" by O.B. McClinton (an earlier hit for Wilson Pickett). Other standouts are the three Stoney Edwards tracks (including his pre-George Jones version of "She's My Rock") and Professor Longhair's version of the Hank williams song, "Jambalaya." Also of note is the powerful Ted Hawkins version of the Webb Pierce song, "There Stands the Glass." If you don't think you like country music, this collection might change your mind. It certainly encouraged me to expand my country music library. At the very least, it'll broaden your view of the genre. Additionally, fans of the blues (or any lyric-based musical form, including reggae), will find much to savor in this collection. Not just in the recordings, but in the copious liner notes which include interviews with artists and anecdotes. Included is an amusing quote by jazz legend Charlie Parker, a big country music fan. When asked by a brave jazz man, "How can you stand that stuff?" Parker replied, "The stories, man. Listen to the stories!" And there are plenty of them in this collection.



5. This collection is full of gems. Don't click by it

5 comments about Who Knows Where the Time Goes.

1. `Who Knows Where the Time Goes' is a 3 CD collection of material from various phases of Sandy Denny's career, beginning with The Strawbs in the last third of the 1960s, followed by four albums with Fairport Convention with Richard Thompson, then her own group, Fotheringay and solo appearances. She died from an accidetal head injury in 1978 and is still fondly remembered, especially for her Fairport Convention work and the title song of this collection.
   
   One only has to look at Joni Mitchell's career to imagine what Sandy Denny could have done in the last 27 years. Instead, we have one great song, a few very good songs, and a body of very talented vocals comparable to Mitchell in power, if not quite up to Joan Baez in purity of sound.
   
   While this album is something of an historical collection, including several previously unreleased cuts, the music on its three CDs is organized more for pleasant listening than for tracking the artist's career chronologically. There is a nice mix of traditional songs, Sandy Denny compositions, and compositions by other modern songwriters such as Bob Dylan (`Knockin' On Heaven's Door') and Richard Thompson.
   
   The value of this album is based a lot on how many other albums you have with Sandy Denny performances. If you have all her Fairport Convention and Fotheringay recordings, you will get a lot of overlap. If you have none of these, or at least have none on CD, and Sandy Denny is what you like best about Fairport Convention, then this album is a pretty good buy. If you are unsure of how much you like Sandy Denny, then I strongly suggest you get Fairport Convention's `Unhalfbricking' first, as it has her best performance of her signature song, which is the title of this album.



2. First, one minor caveat (and the only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars rated). A few of her most popular songs here do not appear in their classic form, most notably the title track, in a live version, not Fairport's studio version. It's especially confusing if you are coming to this set from the rykodisc Best of collection, which has all tracks in studio versions, but seems to be a one-disc condensation of "Who Knows". I don't want to give this too much weight, however. The collection is full of rare and wonderful delights, and any Kate Rusby, Loreena Mckennitt, or even Natalie Merchant fan should check it out, Sandy Denny was the template for all anglo (and anglophile) folk rock women singers who followed. I'm not sure there was even such a category before her. And how many other women have sung with both The Who and Led Zeppelin?



3. While many will remember her as the soaring voice in Led Zep's "Battle of Evermore" (which was my unexpected introduction to her as well), Sandy Denny's best works were in her self-penned songs. This is the very best compilation of her work and at a very good price. A voice of truly timeless beauty...



4. Sandy remains in my mind, nearly as influential as Joni Mitchell. She wrote her own wonderfull material, as well as doing incredible interpretations of traditional folk songs of the British Isles. She could also rock with the best of them, though she rarely did. There are quite a few tracks here that I hadn't heard prior to listening to this. Some are somewhat muddy sounding live recordings and yes, there are a few tracks that seem conspicuously absent, but these are minor qualms. I have to agree that she possessed one of those rare voices that could send shivers up your spine. "Now And Then" is a prime example of the way another reviewer descibed her ability to adorn her vocal phrasing with such difficult ornaments, and yet make it sound as nartual as breathing itself. She had the abilty to convey sadness with an inner strength like nobody ever did before or has been able to do since.



5. Having listened once again to this instantly recognizable voice, feeling the shivers up and down the spine, it becomes obvious: Excellent female vocalists abound, singing excellent songs. But there was only one Sandy Denny. And the expression she formed, well documented in this compilation, sounds stronger, deeper and more relevant now than ever. All this talk about morbid death cults of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake misses the mark: They were, and are, irreplacable. Deeply missed - all the more privileged we are to have a documentation of what we lost in Sandy Denny, and the opportunity to let this voice tug at heart strings, over and over again.

1 comments about The Acoustic Folk Box.

1. These days there's a lot of interest in American folk music, both in the authentic stuff (Ralph Stanley, Dock Boggs, Charley Patton, et al.) and in the revival, itself undergoing something of a revival. All to the good, and may it continue. Meantime, it's wise to remember that much of our own folk music came from the British Isles and that the United Kingdom has had its own very interesting revival going on over the past half-century.

   As the title suggests, the Acoustic Folk Box doesn't cover quite all of it. By definition seminal plugged-in bands such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span aren't here, but that's okay. Their recordings are readily available, and besides, many of the musicians who played in those outfits (e.g., Sandy Denny, Dave Swarbrick, Maddy Prior) are here by themselves or in other groups. Anyway, that detail aside, you could hardly ask for a better introduction to the British revival. Even those who have followed it as closely as one can from this side of the water will find a whole lot that's unfamiliar here, for example the long-forgotten Julie Felix's fine reading of the antique "Geordie" or Pete Morton's anthemic original "Another Train." Good as they are, these aren't the best. Fact of the matter, the adjective "best" is hard to apply here, inasmuch as the competition is ridiculously intense. Not every piece is great, of course -- the political songs, of which there are happily a minimum, tend to be more didactic than musical -- but there is so much good stuff here that you could listen to it for years, finding something new on each hearing.

   I'm not even sure I can list all my favorites, or even if I've figured out yet what they are. I will say, though, that Robin and Barry Dransfield's "The Rout of the Blues" reminds me of how criminally underrecorded these North Country traditionalists were. Also missing in action, and missed sorely, are Nic Jones and Anne Briggs -- though surely the latter could be better represented than by the warhorse "She Moves Through the Fair." On the other hand, the version of Robin Williamson's "First Girl I Loved" is different from the one on the Incredible String Band's 5000 Spirits, and even more beautifully rendered. A few other highlights at random: the Etchingham Steam Band's "Hard Times of Old England"; Bill Caddick's "John O'Dreams"; the Young Tradition's "Lyke Wake Dirge"; Oak's "Scan's Polkas"; New Victory Band's "Harper's Frolick/Bonny Kate"; June Tabor's "Lay This Body Down." And more. And still more. In short: essential.

1 comments about Rebel Records: 35 Years Of The Best In Bluegrass.

1. If you love Bluegrass, you'll love this collection from Rebel Records. This 4 CD set covers early "Old Timey" favorites, hits from the Master's and demonstrates how the tradition has passed to the newer bands today. In addition to this wonderful audio history, the set also comes with an indepth written history, filled with articles, stories and pictures. A must for Bluegrass Lovers everywhere. Enjoy.

1 comments about Vanguard Collector's Edition.

1. The music you'll find on this 4CD box set consists of some quite diverse selections, sampling choices ranging from the late 50s up into the late 90s. While it is unlikely that listeners will embrace every single song selection on here, it is likely that they will find enough to make them happy. If you are a jazz fan, you are treated to such artists as Larry Coryell, Count Basie or Elvin Jones. If folk music happens to be your thing, you will enjoy the tracks featuring Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, or Ian and Sylvia. Prefer the blues? If so, you'll enjoy the contributions of Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite or Mississippi John Hurt (to name a few). Still not quite up your alley? Maybe you prefer bluegrass, in which case you'll enjoy The Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs or The Greenbriar Boys. You even get a little modern country thrown into the mix, featuring such artists as John Jennings, Michael Johnson and Peter Case.
   
   Overall you are bound to find something on these 4 discs that you'll enjoy, and you may happen to like it all. While there is no true core theme apart from these being Vanguard recordings, all of the selections do strangely compliment one another very well; much better than comparable compilations of various artists. The sound quality on these recordings is excellent, and the offerings are likely to lead listeners to artists they have yet to discover and enjoy. A nice compilation at an even nicer price, make sure you toss this into your shopping cart sometime and give it a listen.

5 comments about A Little Bitty Tear: The Nashville Years 1961-1965.

1. I am so happy with this set of five cds of Burl Ives. It was very expensive I thought at first, but worth every penny and more after hearing the songs etc. GET IT if you can afford it and if you enjoy his singing. The Very Best there is



2. As has been noted in other reviews, this is actually a review of the 5 CD box set released by Bear Family in Germany, not the MCA Specials single disc. This is a review of Little Bitty Tear(if you think you're on the wrong page, search Amazon for B0000282UX as the item number) and NOT A Little Bitty Tear. I am not sure why Amazon cannot distinguish between the 2, but please make sure you are looking at the box set and not the single CD release when considering this review.
   
   What Bear Family has done is a proper restoration and remastering job via licensing the audio from MCA whom owns the original Decca recordings. If you hear a bit of missing audio or other anomaly it is due to the condition of the source material and Bear Family being unable to do anything to repair this. It seems they've spared no expense on this set and it shows.
   
   For those audiophiles who squirm when you read "remastered," fear not. Bear Family showed the proper respect and properly remastered this. There is no dynamic range compression; I would say these recordings are as close to the original analog recordings as can be possible for CD. It helps that Burl's music is mainly vocals based; who buys Burl Ives music for the guitar work?
   
   There are a total of 144 tracks in this set. There is no Christmas music included (there are plenty of Christmas CDs available with Burl however).
   
   There is an instance of a duplicate track, Gater Hollow, however it's not really a duplicate as there seems to have been 2 unique versions of the track recorded by Burl and both are included here for completeness' sake.
   
   There is some of Burl's "gospel" music included, mainly on Disc 2.
   
   
   The book that comes with this set is really well written and is Vinyl LP sized. You have a capsule history of Burl (I'm sure there is a lot more to tell but space is limited) and includes a complete listing of all the original recordings the tracks on these CDs originated from, including the recording date and the studio in which they were recorded.
   
   The set may be relatively expensive (it is an Import), however you can't find a better collection of Burl Ives anywhere else. You have a 4 year collection here (Nashville Years 1961-1965) and it does an amazing job of capturing the essence of Burl. If you never buy anything else from Burl, you still have a large portion of every "style" he ever had if you decide to purchase this top quality set.
   
   
   Burl Ives - R.I.P



3. Burl Ives! . . . even the sound of his name is like a melodie . . . evoking memories of folk songs and ballads and stories in song as told by the honeyed-tinged voice of this balladeer.
   
   The "Nashville" years to my mind became his "best years" . . . not only was Burl in the best delivery, but the songwriters of then "Nashville" were also the best ever . . . no one since has topped the excellence of the "country ballad and song" since.
   
   This collection is truly a treasure and one to be relished picking through again and again. Each track will bring you joy to experience each time you play it and listen to it . . and you will often and for years to come.
   
   Today's singers and songwriters of Nashville would do well to listen also . . and to learn from thre Master and the Masters who's art brought about these musica; tracks and gems. These songs will be around long after most of today's "flash in the pan" musical celebs are gone and forgotten. A talent like that of Burl Ives is and will remain an American treasure.
   
   Thank you Burl Ives for all of the music and smiles (and the "little bitty tears") that you have brought to our lives with your talent. You are missed these days . . . but yet you remain present in these recordings . . . and for this we can be eternally grateful! :)



4. I became familiar with a BurlIves song back in the '70's and although I am not a perticular fan of the man as a singer I am still rather partial to the song "A Little Bitty Tear Let Me Down". When I first heard it, I had just gone through a rocky ending of a bad relatinship, and the words just seemed to say a lot of the things I was too inarticulate to put into words. Maybe, if I could have said what he said in that in that song, I could have salvaged a relationship that still haunts me as a dismal failure. Burls' songs are obviously mant to appeal to a wide audience and I am sure that if you give all of them a fair chance you will be somewhat surprised (and maybe even delighted) aat the things you hear. Above all, please try to remember that Burl Ives was an actor, not a singer. But he was still able to put forth a lot of entertainment as a singer also. (AT LEAST TO SOME OF US)



5. The reviews posted for this album are a bit confusing, so I'll begin with this brief disclaimer: Little Bitty Tear is a single disc, with 10 tracks, on the MCA label. It is an AAD recording, totally dependent on original analog recordings as its source material. Perhaps some of the negative comments on sound quality are due to that.

   So far as the songs, Little Bitty Tear offers Burl Ives at his maudlin best. The top cuts are the title tune and Funny Way of Laughing, both soft country tear jerkers that stay oddly touching, despite their somewhat dated sound. The album also includes interesting renditions of Blue Tail Fly, Polly Wolly Doodle and Waltzing Matilda.

   Burl Ives' singular voice and peculiar delivery appeal to a very select group of fans. If you are one of those, you will find this album very satisfying. However, if you are only familiar with the featured hits, the rest of the album will likely not have much impact.

   Either way, this is a respectable little collection at a very good price. Well worth the investment.

No comments about Revels Celebration of Spring Summer & Fall.