American Favorite Ballads 5 [Box set]

Pete Seeger | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 21, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 5
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B001SGKQI6
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,540 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

Pete Seeger began singing, playing the banjo, and collecting folk music in the mid-1930s¯and has continued doing so into the 21st century. His life encompasses the social upheavals and transformations of much of the 20th century, while his peace anthems and songs of struggle and hope thread through our national soundtrack. They are as often sung by schoolchildren as by activists at peace and environmental rallies. Even in his late eighties, he inspires people across generations, cultures, and nations.

Moses Asch founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document folk music and other sounds from around the world. Considering these to be educational as well as entertaining, yet aware of their limited commercial appeal, he directed his sales towards libraries and schools. Pete Seeger's five-volume series American Favorite Ballads (recorded 1957-1962), comprised of classic songs from the American experience that adults and children could sing together, formed a cornerstone for Asch's primary audience. Pete Seeger recorded 38 albums for Folkways between 1950 and 1964.

The Smithsonian Institution acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987; Asch's emphasis on the educational nature of Folkways recordings comported perfectly with the Institution's mandate, the "increase and diffusion of knowledge." The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of Folkways and the 20th anniversary of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. We are pleased to honor Pete Seeger's life and legacy through this reissue, and continue our commitment to preserve and expand Asch's "encyclopedia of sound," thus keeping it available for current and future generations of listeners.

Product Description

Pete Seeger's life, music, and legacy encapsulate nearly a century of American history and culture. He has immersed himself in folk music and used it, like Johnny Appleseed, to "plant the seeds of a better tomorrow in the homes across our land." The songs in this collection of 139 American Favorite Ballads narrate tales of ordinary people and their extraordinary deeds, and show Pete at the crossroads of the past and the future putting his own stamp on America's folk song heritage while bequeathing it to generations to come. 5 CDs, each with its own booklet of extensive notes, nearly 6 hours of music!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AT LAST, November 19, 2009

By 

Matti (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: American Favorite Ballads 5 (Audio CD)

This is a compilation all Seeger fans have been waiting, late fifties and early sixties in one box with fine liner notes. There is also an exellent 3-disc compilation " Rainbow Race / "Now" / "Young vs. Old" from 1969-71 available to complete your perfect Pete Seeger marathon.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure joy from beginning to end, June 1, 2009

By 

Robert Tucker - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Favorite Ballads 5 (Audio CD)

What a great collection of folk songs by master folk song interpreter Pete Seeger. Each song rings with honesty and earthy joy, resounding in authenticity and energy. Seeger approaches the songs naturally without forcing text or music to fit into a prescribed scheme. The songs seem to flow out of his heart and each performance demonstrates a depth of understanding of the history of each song.

This collection is unparalled for its comprehensive look at the wonderfully complex world of the American folk song. As I listened, it brought back memories of childhood songs that somehow have stayed with me for many years in spite of their dormancy. Seeger is a master at interpretation and we are indebted to him for this collection.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, May 6, 2009

By 

Kevin J. Roberts - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Favorite Ballads 5 (Audio CD)

I find it to be very ironic that the works of two of the biggest rebels in American cultural history, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, are published, marketed and sold by the American government.

Of course this is a consequence of the Smithsonian acquiring the Folkways archives. But it doesn't take away from the irony. The Smithsonian isn't marketing the works of Joe McCarthy!!

Grab this set while you can. The original records are next to impossible to find. The booklets that come with each CD are very well written