Customer Reviews

1962-68: Hits & Highlights

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This Raven Records (an Australia based label) release is a most eclectic collection of Christy recordings indeed. For fans, it's well worth owning because it includes some rare singles that have never been reissued on CD - notably "The Banjo," "Down the Road I Go," "There But For Fortune" and Mike Settle's "If I Could Start My Life Again" (all in mono mixes, unfortunately). In an effort to represent some of the group's later work for Columbia, they included some real duds, e.g., "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Blowin' In The Wind." The sound quality varies, but is generally acceptable. It sounds as if they used commercial CD releases as sources for many of the more familiar tracks. (The opening of "Blowin' In the Wind" is clipped just as it is on a 1996 Vanguard compilation.) The liner notes -- while they include some interesting tidbits and rare photos -- are peppered with inaccuracies. Nonetheless, if you're interested in the history of the group, you'll find some useful background information and perspective on the changes in the group's sound during the 1962-1968 period covered.

I like this CD because it shows the various generations of the group and how their sound evolved over the years. Plus, there are songs that are not found on any other album by this group...and that is always a plus!

This is an excellent collection of Folk Music by one of the best groups in a gendre of music that while very popular in the 60's,is now fading into the distant past.
Folk Music has been around ever since people got together and wanted to sing.It reached its heyday in the 60's.There were many groups and they varied greatly.The 60's was a time when many people were trying to find their way.They were tired of wars,longed for peace.There were many protest groups,this was a time often referred to as the "beat generation".Freedom marches,anti-war demonstrations,,you name it,the coffee houses and campus lounges were fillied with youth trying to make some sense out of it all.Freedom,was a slogan that meant something different to everyone.If anything could describe what was happening ,it could be expressed in the words of a populr song "The times ,they are a changing"
The New Christy Minstrels were very popular the the coffee houses in New York,California ,on Radio,and TV .The group consisted of several members,generally around 10,but in the period 1961 to 1971 over 20 different members were in the group.This group tended to cover a wide variety of songs and was not as political or anti-something as most groups.It was the spawning ground for artists who would outlast the Folk gendre such as Kenny Rogers and John Denver.It was also the world of Ledbetter,Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan ,Pete Seeger,etc.who were newcomers on the
music scene.
One of the reasons I think this is a great collection is because of the variety of songs included.While there are some of Folk Music's most popular songs such as,"Green Green","This Land Is Your Land","We'll Sing In The Sunshine","Blowin' In The Wind","Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight),etc.;there are many lesser known and actulally rare folk songs(at least to me).There are also several songs that are closer to being Old West of pioneer songs,some Spirituals,a couple of Christmas songs and even one song that is a classic Scottish song,"Go Lassie Go".
In all,there are 30 songs ,totalling 75 minutes of Folk Music.
If you are a long time fan of Folk Music;I am sure you'll love this collection,especially for several of the rarer songs.If you are relatively new to folk music,or simply looking for a good representative collection showing what it is all about;look no further,you've found it.

This is a very good cd with many entertaining and different songs, but all along the folk line.Very nicely done.There are 30 songs on here and some are well known, others not so well known, but all done enjoyably.

This CD was everything we hoped it would be and arrived in record time.