Customer Reviews

American Favorite Ballads 2

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Folksinger, banjoplayer, songwriter Pete Seeger was born in New York in 1919, the son of musicologist Charles Louis Seeger and violin teacher Constance de Clyver. A political activist, he fought injustice. Seeger was a member of the Almanac Singers and The Weavers in the 40s. During the 50s and 60s, he recorded for Folkways Records. In fact, he was so prolific, there were 38 albums released for Folkways between 1950 and 1964. From 1957-62, Seeger's 5-record "American Favorite Ballads" series were a cornerstone of the collection. "American Favorite Ballads" has apparently been reissued in two volumes. The songs were, and still are, essential items for the folk music enthusiast. As Seeger always believed, we should be singing and enjoying these old songs. And he had a knack for involving his audiences, interacting with them in ways that stimulated their active participation. While not all of the songs on this Volume 2 CD are true ballads in the strict definition of the term, each tells a strong story. With extensive liner notes, and 27 songs totaling 73 minutes, there are many songs that we'll immediately recognize while others are a little more obscure. All are sung by Seeger, most accompanied only with banjo or 12-string guitar. This is an excellent resource for all Americans to rediscover their musical heritage and favorite story songs. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Pete Seeger's five "American Favorite Ballads" LPs were the basic documents of American folk music for generations. No dusty museum pieces, though - they were lively, funny, inspirational, joyous. It is delightful to see them begin to appear now on CD, especially fleshed out, as this volume is, with appropriate additional tracks from his other out-of-print Folkways LPs (how about getting some of those out on CD?). Essential in every way.

I expected the performances to be excellent, but was surprised by how good the audio is on many tracks.

There is only one Pete Seeger. Though he is a man of the twentieth century, his music and life style cover American history. These recordings of Ameican Favorite Ballads are deceptively simple. Pete does not show off instrumentally or vocally, but he plays and sings with conviction. Because Pete sings what he believes, the songs obtain a depth and meaning that we may not have experienced before. Listen to them over and over...you will learn what it is to love America.

Since my youth I have had an ear for roots music, whether I was conscious of that fact or not. The original of that interest first centered on the blues, then early rock and roll and later, with the folk revival of the early 1960's, folk music. I have often wondered about the source of this interest. I am, and have always been a city boy, and an Eastern city boy at that. Nevertheless, over time I have come to appreciate many more forms of roots music than in my youth. The subject of the following review is an example.

I have done reviews of Pete Seeger's more political albums and need not address those issues here. These volumes of American classics with Pete and banjo are the songs you learned mysteriously in your youth, apparently by osmosis. As each song goes along you find yourself singing along to at least part of the song. These songs go deep into the popular culture and the roots of what makes those of us who were born here conscious of the musical influences that formed our lives. You may not like every song but the total effect will grab you.