Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 (London: 1600-1700)

Ewan MacColl | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: January 1, 1962
• Label: Folkways Records
• Copyright: (c) 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1962 Folkways Records
• Total Length: 48:19
• Genres: International/Europe
• ASIN: B000S9BXX6
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,253 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Revitalization of the English Folk Scene and an Unnerving Historical Trip, December 26, 2010

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directions "neuralbuddhist" (Space Time Foam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vol. 1-Broadside Ballads (London: 1600-1700) (Audio CD)

This was one of the earliest efforts to collect and in some way attempt to bring to life the folk tradition of England that would then within a few years jump start the English folk (and folk rock) tradition. What makes this specific collection of most interest is instead of reinterpreting known folk songs, folk ballads that would have been common in the historical time frame are unearthed, many of which portray an unnervingly real depiction of life at the time. Topics such as the chilling depiction of the great fire of London, the death of a midwife and the humurous jibe at the emergence of tobacco and its condemnation as part of a drinking song open the listener, in some ways to life at the time (in a way that a revisionist documentary could not). Clearly for many (perhaps myself included) the English folk scene such as Fairport Convention and classics that go in and out of print such as: Anthems in Eden may be receive more listens. However the authenticity of this compilation clearly cannot be found in later releases none of which would have existed without the dedicated efforts of early folk musicians to revive a musical tradition that had in many ways,other than preserved song lyrics gone extinct and bring it back to life.