American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 3 [2004]

by Pete Seeger

Overview

The third in this series of Smithsonian Folkways' American Favorite Ballads is not a straight re-release of the original American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 3 LP from the '50s, but it is part of a newer five-disc series incorporating not only Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads albums, but also tracks from similar Seeger projects from that era like his American Ballads and Frontier Ballads albums. Regardless of where the source material came from, the resulting CD is a work of its own. Containing 27 of the story-songs that have become best known in coffeehouses and nurseries across the English-speaking world, the album presents the tracks in a stark, bare-bones manner with Seeger's warm, cradling voice in the forefront, usually accompanied by his banjo or guitar, but occasionally completely a cappella. Familiar tunes like "Gypsy Davy," "Boll Weevil," "The Titanic," and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" are all represented, as is a previously unreleased version of "El-A-Noy" and a hilarious rendition of "Arkansas Traveler" that plays more like a vaudeville act ("I say Farmer, can you tell me where this road goes to?"/"Well, it ain't moved since I been here"). As the American Favorite Ballads series continues, the listener's familiarity with the songs may diminish a bit, but the little gems that poke up through the topsoil are well worth unearthing. Seeger's passion for keeping the folk tradition alive never gets too academic, and his genuine love of passing these songs on to new generations is infectious. For the liner notes alone, this series is a must-own for parents, historians, and fans of folk music. ~ Zac Johnson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/27/2004
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074015223
Rank:	142372

Tracks

1. Gypsy Davy
2. Deep Blue Sea
3. New River Train
4. St. James Hospital
5. E-RI-E Canal
6. St. Louis Blues
7. Boll Weevil
8. The Girl I Left Behind
9. When I First Came to This Land
10. The Titanic
11. El-A-Noy
12. Lady of Carlysle
13. My Good Man
14. Golden Vanity
15. Ain't It a Shame
16. Swanee River
17. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
18. The Boys From County Mayo
19. No Irish Need Apply
20. Paddy Works On the Railroad
21. Arkansas Traveler
22. When I Was Single
23. Wond'rous Love
24. Ground Hog
25. Old Blue
26. She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
27. Erie Canal

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pete Seeger   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (12 String),Banjo

Technical Credits

Guy Logsdon   Compilation Producer,Liner Notes
Jeff Place   Compilation Producer,Liner Notes
Pete Reiniger   Mastering,Sound Supervision
Dan Sheehy   Production Supervisor
D.A. Sonneborn   Production Supervisor
John Poole   Composer
Public Domain   Composer
Oscar Brand   Translation
Jacob Love   Editorial Assistant
Mary Monseur   Production Coordination
W.C. Handy   Composer
David Gahr   Cover Photo
Traditional   Composer
Stephen Foster   Composer