American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1

Pete Seeger | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 25, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B000067URK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,986 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In 1957, at the dawn of the urban folk revival, Moses Asch's Folkways label issued the first of Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads series. Marketing these albums to schools and libraries, Folkways served to document a range of great American folk songs that had remained popular with children since the previous century. Now Smithsonian Folkways has reissued American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1--five volumes were released between 1957 and 1962--in an expanded edition that adds extra tracks taken from some of Seeger's other LPs from the same era. Although this is not explicitly a children's album (the sordid murder depicted in "Frankie and Johnny" is hardly kid-friendly), Seeger's performances have a jaunty sing-along quality that still appeals to younger listeners. Seeger's intent was to introduce these classic songs to a new audience, but his use of banjo as a backing instrument proved almost as influential. His idiosyncratic picking unexpectedly launched a fad among up-and-coming folk groups like the Kingston Trio, and just about every band from the period added a Vega Pete Seeger model banjo to its lineup. Though many of the songs on American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 will be very familiar, Seeger's unabashed joy in singing them is infectious and will have even the most curmudgeonly listener itching to sing along with him. --Michael Simmons

Product Description

Recorded during the heart of the great "folk song revival" of the 1950s and 1960s, Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads was and is a classic series of albums. Ballads contains definitive bits of Americana that have been a part of our lives for more than a half century, including songs like "This Land is Your Land," "America the Beautiful," "John Henry," and "Shenandoah." This CD is the first in a series of Ballad reissues, and essential for any fan of American folk music to own. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PETE FINDS HIS ROOTS AND OURS, June 26, 2006

By 

Alfred Johnson (boston, ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential American music, September 28, 2002

By 

R. Riis "rriis" (NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Favorite Ballads part 1, May 17, 2007

By 

Avid Reader "Avid REader" (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

I originally bought this cd in order to see if I wanted to buy the entire set. After listening to it, I do. Seeger brings these favorites to life bringing in some unfamiliar lyrics that I am sure were closer to the original spirit of the songs than the ones that we all learned in grade school. The simple accompaniment adds to the attraction of the songs.