If I Had a Song: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2

by If I Had A Song: Songs Of Pete

Overview

Few songwriters encapsulate the political awareness, ecological activism, anti-war sentiment, the embracing of traditional musical forms and yearning for global peace of the folk movement than Pete Seeger. His music has affected millions, and on If I Had a Song: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2 many of his disciples pay tribute to the songs Seeger has written or, at the very least, made popular. This release is actually the second in a trilogy of tribute albums from Appleseed Recordings that began with Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger and will continue with a third disc in 2002. On this release, artists like Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, Arlo Guthrie, Eric Andersen, Dar Williams, Toshi Reagon, John Wesley Harding, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Steve Earle, Moxy Fruevous, and Corey Harris pay homage to this legendary songwriter with mixed results. Some of the performances are truly inspired, such as Dar Williams and Toshi Reagon's impassioned "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread" and Eric Andersen's earthy "Snow, Snow." Steve Earle chooses a likely subject in "Walking Down Death Row," performing it with his usual gruff earnestness, and it's fun to hear an older Seeger and Arlo Guthrie harmonizing like they did twenty years ago on 1982's Precious Friend. Unfortunately, as was the case with the first tribute album, some of the tracks are a little weak, such as John McCutcheon and Corey Harris rap version of "Talking Union," and (surprisingly) Billy Bragg and Eliza Carthy's off the cuff version of "If I Had a Hammer." None of the songs are as great as the originals, but, Seeger himself states in the liner notes, "the world is full of cooks changing old recipes to fit new stomachs" and "lawyers changing old laws to fit new citizens," and since this is a textbook definition of the folk music process rolling onward, it is a success. ~ Zac Johnson

Product Details

Release Date:	10/09/2001
Label:	Appleseed Records
UPC:	0611587105523
Rank:	142595

Tracks

1. Guantanamera  - Joan Baez  - Jackson Browne  - Joseito Fernandez
2. If I Had a Hammer  - Billy Bragg  - Eliza Carthy  - Lee Hays  - Pete Seeger
3. Words, Words, Words  - Pete Seeger  - John Wesley Harding  -  Minus 5
4. Walking Down Death Row  - Steve Earle  - Pete Seeger
5. Oh, Had I a Golden Thread  - Toshi Reagon  - Pete Seeger  - Dar Williams
6. 66 Highway Blues  - Arlo Guthrie  - Woody Guthrie  - Pete Seeger
7. Talking Union  - Corey Harris  - Lee Hays  - Millard Lampell  - John McCutcheon  - Pete Seeger
8. Maple Syrup Time  - Pete Seeger  -  Moxy Fruvous
9. Snow, Snow  - Eric Andersen  - Pete Seeger
10. Little Boxes  - Anna McGarrigle  - Kate McGarrigle  - Malvina Reynolds  -  McGarrigle
11. Last Train to Nuremberg  - Pete Seeger  -  Joel Rafael Band
12. You'll Sing to Me Too  - Salvador Cardenal  -  Guardabarranco  - Pete Seeger
13. This Old Car  - Arlo Guthrie  - Pete Seeger
14. Old Devil Time  - Kim Harris  - Reggie Harris  -  Magpie  - Pete Seeger  -  Mapgpie
15. The Emperor Is Naked Today-O  - Dave Carter  - Tracy Grammer  - Pete Seeger
16. Well May the World Go  - Joan Baez  - Jackson Browne  - Pete Seeger  - Larry Long

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pete Seeger   Primary Artist,Banjo,Vocals
Mapgpie   Primary Artist
The Minus 5   Primary Artist
Larry Long   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Moxy Fruevous   Primary Artist
Kate & Anna McGarrigle   Primary Artist
John Wesley Harding   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Joel Rafael Band   Primary Artist
Steve Earle   Primary Artist
Eric Andersen   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Joan Baez   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kim Harris   Primary Artist,Vocals
Reggie Harris   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Anna McGarrigle   Primary Artist,Vocals,Tambourine,Guitar (Electric)
Guardabarranco   Primary Artist
Dar Williams   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Dave Carter   Primary Artist,Banjo,Guitar,Vocals
Magpie   Primary Artist
Eliza Carthy   Primary Artist,Violin,Vocals
Arlo Guthrie   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Tracy Grammer   Primary Artist,Vocals,Mandolin,Violin
Kate McGarrigle   Primary Artist,Drums,Vocals,Button Accordion
Toshi Reagon   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jackson Browne   Primary Artist,Vocals
Corey Harris   Primary Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar
Billy Bragg   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
John McCutcheon   Primary Artist,Vocals
Terry Leonino   Vocals
Kevin McCormick   Fretless Bass
Bill Rieflin   Drums
Luis Conte   Percussion
Peter Ostroushko   Mandolin
Jian Ghomeshi   Drums,Vocals
Mark Dann   Bass
Robert Jospe   Drums,Percussion
Bo Ramsey   Slide Guitar
Kenny White   Organ
Billy Peterson   Bass
J.T. Brown   Bass
Chris Von Sneidern   Vocal Harmony
Dawn Buckholz   Cello
Jonas Fjeld   Bass,Drums,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Debbie Duncan   Vocals
John Ramberg   Guitar (Baritone),Guitar (Electric)
Jorge Caleron   Bass
Andres Sanchez   Guitar
Peter Buck   Bass,Guitar (12 String)
Greg Artzner   Guitar,Vocals
Michel Pepin   Guitar (Acoustic)
Mike Ford   Guitar,Vocals
Daniel Thonon   Hurdygurdy
Murray Foster   Bass,Vocals
Nancy Ives   Cello
Joel Rafael   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Will Rigby   Drums
Jorge Strunz   Guitar
Scott McCaughey   Vocals,Tambourine,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (12 String)
Joel Zifkin   Violin
Alberto Salas   Piano
Amanda Vincent   Keyboards
Joel Pena   Tres
David Matheson   Piano,Vocals
Geoffrey Jones   Vocals
Jeff Berkley   Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Veslemoy Solberg   Vocals (Background)
Carl Johnson   Guitar (Acoustic)
Katia Cardenal   Vocals
Fiddlin' Pete Watercott   Violin
Brian Melick   Percussion

Technical Credits

Paul Dieter   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Terry Leonino   Producer
Steve Mckinstry   Mastering
Bill Lane   Assistant Engineer
Pete Seeger   Composer,Adaptation,Consultant,Lyric Adaptations
Joseito Fernandez   Composer
Kate McGarrigle   Producer
Tracy Grammer   Producer
Billy Oskay   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
David Glasser   Mastering
Larry Long   Arranger,Executive Producer
Lee Hays   Composer
Billy Peterson   Producer
Bobby Read   Engineer
Corey Harris   Lyric Adaptations
Chris Andersen   Producer
Jackson Browne   Producer
Ben Wisch   Producer
Twangtrust   Mixing,Producer
Jonas Fjeld   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
John McCutcheon   Lyric Adaptations
David Seitz   Producer
Patrick Earle   Assistant Engineer
John Wesley Harding   Producer
Magpie   Performer
Jim Musselman   Photography,Executive Producer,Producer
Jose Marti   Poetry
Carol Hodge   Photography
Jorge Caleron   Producer
Salvador Cardenal   Composer
Peter Buck   Feedback,Producer
Reggie Harris   Arranger,Producer
Michel Pepin   Mixing,Engineer
Anna McGarrigle   Producer
Woody Guthrie   Composer
Guardabarranco   Producer
Malvina Reynolds   Composer
Henry Diltz   Photography
Dave Carter   Producer
Joel Rafael   Producer
Scott McCaughey   Producer
Sam Erickson   Photography
Tom Heron   Engineer
C. Taylor Crothers   Photography
Nels Israelson   Photography
Javier Ramirez   Mixing
Ken Schles   Photography
Hector Angulo   Lyric Editing
Irene Young   Photography
Andrew Goetz   Photography
Dane Lanken   Photography
Michael Wilson   Photography
Carla Leighton   Design,Package Art Direction
Millard Lampell   Composer
Elde Stewart   Photography