Best of the Vanguard Years

by The Weavers

Overview

The Weavers' stint at Vanguard, it should be noted, took place after they had their big pop hits in the early 1950s. That might be construed as either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on your perspective. These are not the biggest-selling original versions of the staples of their repertoire, but they also feature only the group and their acoustic instruments, without the added orchestration that some felt diluted their early studio recordings. In any case, this has 24 songs drawn from live and studio performances in 1955 and 1963, almost all of them including Pete Seeger in the lineup (there are also two previously unreleased tracks from the 1960 Newport Folk Festival). Listening to these, one is struck by the sheer number of folk standards that the Weavers were instrumental in popularizing: "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Tzena Tzena," "Goodnight Irene," "Wimoweh," "On Top of Old Smoky," "Guantanamera," "Rock Island Line," "The House of the Rising Sun," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "If I Had a Hammer," and "Midnight Special." It's also undeniable that their interpretations can smack of tame quaintness so far removed, time-wise, from their original setting. It's a serviceable overview of their post-blacklist output, though fans might prefer the less patchwork flow of the original albums, especially the ones recorded just after the group reformed in 1955. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	01/23/2001
Label:	Vanguard
UPC:	0015707958028
Rank:	2719

Tracks

1. When the Saints Go Marching In
2. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
3. Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
4. Wimoweh
5. On Top of Old Smokey
6. Sixteen Tons
7. Guantanamera
8. Wreck of the "John B"
9. Rock Island Line
10. Erie Canal
11. This Land Is Your Land
12. House of the Rising Sun
13. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
14. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
15. If I Had a Hammer
16. Darling Corey
17. Kumbaya
18. Hush Little Baby
19. Midnight Special
20. Go Tell It on the Mountain
21. Marching to Pretoria
22. Virgin Mary
23. So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh)
24. Goodnight Irene

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Weavers   Primary Artist
Erik Darling   Guest Artist
Lee Hays   Bass,Baritone (Vocal)
Pete Seeger   Banjo,Tenor (Vocal)
Ronnie Gilbert   Alto (Vocals)
Fred Hellerman   Guitar,Baritone (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Tom Vickers   Compilation Producer,Producer
Jay Gorney   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
Lee Hays   Composer
Julius Grossman   Composer
Solomon Linda   Composer
Drew Cartwright   Package Design
Issachar Miron   Composer
Jose Marti   Composer
Julian Orbon   Composer
John W. Work II   Composer
Paul Campbell   Composer,Composer
Traditional   Composer
Jack Atlas   Composer
Lead Belly   Composer
Erik Darling   Composer
John A. Lomax   Composer
Merle Travis   Composer
Pete Seeger   Composer
Joseito Fernandez   Composer
Josef Marais   Composer
Huddie Ledbetter   Composer
Captain Jeff Zaraya   Engineer
Ronnie Gilbert   Composer
Ed Ward   Liner Notes
Mitchell Parish   Composer
Woody Guthrie   Composer
Alan Lomax   Composer
Georgia Turner   Composer
Carl Sandburg   Composer
Fred Hellerman   Composer