The Library Of Congress Archive Of Folk Culture: Anglo-American Ballads, Volume One [Original recording remastered]

The Library Of Congress Archive Of Folk Culture: Anglo-American Ballads, Volume One [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With no shortage of murderous lovers, women of sin, and Eden-like downfalls, these are dark dirges masquerading as ditties. First in the Archive of Folk Culture series issued by the Library of Congress in 1942, Anglo-American Ballads publicly premiered field recordings under the direction of Alan Lomax. Gathered primarily in the rural South in the '30s and early '40s, these recordings (like FDR's WPA initiates) documented everyday life. In their current incarnation, the objective has not changed; the recordings are captured with their intentional departure from commercialism intact. While the accompanying booklet details the history within the history, the songs betray the influences of Elizabethan England and all the British Isles, as well as the Appalachian-dwelling Scotch-Irish from whence much distinctly American music comes. Not easy listening, the ballads vary from the melodious warmth of E.C. Ball's "Pretty Polly" to the reedy scratch of Mrs. Texas Gladden. --Paige La Grone

Entertainment Weekly
The performances, mostly by nonprofessionals (except for Woody Guthrie on "Gypsy Davy"), are riveting.

Tracks:

The House Carpenter - Mrs. Texas Gladden
The Farmer's Curst Wife - Horton Barker
The Gypsy Davy - Woody Guthrie
Barbara Allen - Rebecca Tarwater
Pretty Polly - E. C. Ball
The Rich Old Farmer - Mrs. Pearl Borusky
The Devil's Nine Questions - Mrs. Texas Gladden
Old Kimball - Mrs. Texas Gladden
One Morning In May - Mrs. Texas Gladden
The Little Brown Bulls - Emery DeNoyer
The Sioux Indians - Alex Moore
The Lady Of Carlisle - Basil May
Pretty Polly (Ballad) - Pete Steele

Amazon.com

With no shortage of murderous lovers, women of sin, and Eden-like downfalls, these are dark dirges masquerading as ditties. First in the Archive of Folk Culture series issued by the Library of Congress in 1942, Anglo-American Ballads publicly premiered field recordings under the direction of Alan Lomax. Gathered primarily in the rural South in the '30s and early '40s, these recordings (like FDR's WPA initiates) documented everyday life. In their current incarnation, the objective has not changed; the recordings are captured with their intentional departure from commercialism intact. While the accompanying booklet details the history within the history, the songs betray the influences of Elizabethan England and all the British Isles, as well as the Appalachian-dwelling Scotch-Irish from whence much distinctly American music comes. Not easy listening, the ballads vary from the melodious warmth of E.C. Ball's "Pretty Polly" to the reedy scratch of Mrs. Texas Gladden. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

A Treat!.......2001-06-14

The only thing that would have made this a better recording would have been additional comments from the recorded individuals as to where they learned the songs, what year it was, and how they learned the songs. I grew up hearing similar versions of many of these songs. It was truly a treat to have copies of the recordings made by Mr. Lomax in the field. I can now listen to these while I read through his books.

A Treat!.......2001-06-14

Music Review: