Music tends to become fashionable for a period of time and then drops outs again, and no-one can ever say what is going to cause it to take place, but there is no doubt that in 1958 the folk revival in America was kicked off at least partly by The Kingston Trio’s “Tom Dooley”, which got to number one. This 4CD set is subtitled ‘A Story Of U.S. Folk Music 1963-1969’ and delivers 100 songs (total playing time 5 hours 17 minutes), every track by a different act, demonstrating what the folk revival was about. This is not a genre I am massively familiar with, but even I know the names of Pete Seeger, Bob Gibson, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Fred Neil, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Barry McGuire, John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Cher, The Byrds, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Simon & Garfunkel, Tim Hardin, Gordon Lightfoot, Doc Watson, Townes Van Zandt and Johnny Cash. I must confess to being shocked by the contribution from The Big 3, as I had always assumed “Come Away Melinda” was a Uriah Heep classic, but obviously not!
For me, what makes this such an invaluable collection are all the sleeve notes, provided by Mick Houghton where he details not only who performed and wrote the song, but where it came from and a paragraph detailing its significance. He also mentions Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Fahey, Ian & Sylvia and Richard & Mimi Farina, who are not included in the set only due to contractual reasons, which shows just what a completist he is. There are songs here I know, but not in these versions (such as Paul Simon’s solo version of “The Sound of Silence”), and there are only a few with which I am very familiar (Bob Dylan’s “Mr Tambourine Man”, Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction”), and there are undoubtedly far more artists I have never heard of prior to this than ones I know, which shows just how much more I need to do to get inside this scene.
This is an incredible introduction to the genre, and with the sleeve notes to hand I am sure that all but the very hardened collector will find much here which is new to them. It is the combination of the information and music which makes this such an invaluable set and consequently is a real voyage of discovery which is going to lead me onto finding more music by many of those involved. I doubt there is a more complete set of songs and notes available anywhere for the bargain price of £28.99 which is what it is currently listed for on the Cherry Red website.
Rating: 10/10
Track list:
– DISC ONE: Take Me For A Walk In The Morning Dew
1 The Kingston Trio – Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
2 The Brothers Four – 500 Miles
3 The Limeliters – John Riley
4 The Journeymen – All The Pretty Little Horses
5 Anita Carter – Fair And Tender Ladies
6 Odetta – Long Time Gone
7 Peter LaFarge – Ira Hayes
8 Dave Van Ronk – Candy Man
9 The New Christy Minstrels – Green, Green
10 The Big 3 – Come Away Melinda
11 Simon & Garfunkel – Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
12 Bob Gibson – Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)
13 Paul Clayton – Spanish Is A Loving Tongue
14 Hamilton Camp – Pride Of Man
15 The Simon Sisters – Motherless Child
16 Tom Paley – The Cuckoo
17 Dian & the Greenbriar Boys – Cannon Ball Blues
18 The Even Dozen Jug Band – On The Road Again
19 The Jim Kweskin Jug Band – Minglewood
20 John Koerner – Southbound Train
21 Hoyt Axton – Bring Your Lovin’
22 The Mugwumps – I Don’t Wanna Know
23 Dick Rosmini – 900 Miles To Go
24 Martin and Neil – Morning Dew
25 Malvina Reynolds – What Have They Done To the Rain?
26 Pete Seeger – The Bells Of Rhymney
27 Tom Paxton – I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound
– DISC TWO: Where I’m Bound
1 Judy Collins – Me And My Uncle
2 Bonnie Dobson – Country Girl Blues
3 Hedy West –The Davison-Wilder Blues
4 Judy Henske – High Flying Bird
5 Jackie de Shannon – When You Walk In The Room
6 The Modern Folk Quartet – The Bells
7 Au Go Go Singers -Where I’m Bound
8 Koerner, Ray & Glover – Fine Soft Land
9 Jesse Colin Young – Four In The Morning
10 Fred Neil -The Water Is Wide
11 Bob Dylan – Mr Tambourine Man
12 Paul Simon – The Sound Of Silence
13 Barry McGuire – Eve Of Destruction
14 PF Sloan –Take Me For What I’m Worth
15 Cher – See See Rider
16 Len Chandler – Shadow Dream Chaser Of Rainbows
17 Mark Spoelstra – White Winged Dove
18 Kathy & Carol – Green Rocky Road
19 Richie Havens – Morning, Morning
20 David Blue – Grand Hotel
21 Boz Scaggs – Baby Let Me Follow You Down
22 Tim Rose – Hey Joe (You Shot Your Woman Down)
23 We Five – You Were On My Mind
– DISC THREE: Leaving The Folk Music Behind
1 The Mamas And The Papas – Creeque Alley
2 The Byrds – I Come And Stand At Every Door
3 Gene Clark – The French Girl
4 The Lovin’ Spoonful – Rain On The Roof
5 Scott McKenzie – Like An Old Time Movie
6 Bob Lind – Mister Zero
7 M.F.Q. – Night Time Girl
8 Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – Danville Girl
9 Doc Watson- Worried Blues
10 Phil Ochs – There But For Fortune
11 Fred Neil – Everybody’s Talkin’
12 Gordon Lightfoot – For Lovin’ Me
13 Tim Hardin – Reason To Believe
14 Bobby Darin – If I Were A Carpenter
15 Norma Tanega – Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog
16 Pat Kilroy – Cancereal
17 Tim Buckley – Once I Was
18 Nico – I’ll keep It With Mine
19 The Grateful Dead – Cold Rain And Snow
20 The Leaves – Codine
21 The Youngbloods – Get Together
22 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Buy For Me the Rain
23 Jim & Jean – Changes
24 Jesse Lee Kincaid – Baby You Come Rolling Cross My Mind
25 Billy Edd Wheeler – High Flying Bird
26 Kaleidoscope – Banjo
– DISC FOUR: Take Off Your Thirsty Boots
1 John Stewart – You Can’t Look Back
2 Johnny Cash & June Carter – Pack Up Your Sorrows
3 Porter Wagoner And Dolly Parton – The Last Thing On My Mind
4 The Dillards – Close the Door Lightly
5 The Holy Modal Rounders – Dame Fortune
6 Bonnie Dobson – Morning Dew
7 Mickey Newbury – Just Dropped In
8 H.P. Lovecraft – Spin, Spin, Spin
9 Pearls Before Swine – These Things Too
10 Danny Kalb and Stefan Grossman – Requiem For Patrick Kilroy
11 Taj Mahal – Corinna
12 The Insect Trust – Mountain Song
13 Vince Martin – Summerwind
14 Dino Valente – Time
15 Karen Dalton –Little Bit Of Rain
16 Tom Rush – Tin Angel
17 Steve Noonan – Shadow Dream Song
18 Jerry Jeff Walker- Mr Bojangles
19 Arlo Guthrie – Coming In To Los Angeles
20 Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys – Wings
21 Eric Andersen – (We Were) Foolish Like The Flowers
22 Townes Van Zandt -Tecumseh Valley
23 Judy Henske & Jerry Yester – Three Ravens
24 Anne Murray – Thirsty Boots
Links:
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/