Customer Reviews

Debate '08: Taft and Bryan Campaign on the Edison Phonograph

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Debate 08 is an intriguing collection of no less than 22 recordings of political speeches made by William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft pursuant to the presdidential election of 1908.

Included is a colorful 78 page booklet which lays out the history of the era. Sound quality is remarkably listenable on the transfers of these original Edison cylinder recordings.

The most fascinating thing is how like todays speeches they actually are. Considering their age, the short 2 to 2.5 min speeches are remarkably "soud bite like".

This is a great slice of history, amply proving that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is a must have for all history buffs and political mavens!

Archeophone Records have done an excellent job of remastering and restoring these twenty-two Edison two minute wax cylinder recordings of the 1908 Presidential campaign between William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft. The sound quality of these recordings is exemplary. They are crystal clear and easy to understand. An eighty page booklet containing the history of the phonograph's use in spoken word recording, as well as historic photographs, and transcripts of the speeches are included. This is one of the best Archeophone releases yet. I recommend it highly, as I do all of this company's CDs. I own all of them. Only Ward Marston, of Marston Records, does remastering of this sterling quality.

Great job again, guys. But this one should maybe be sold as a book with an accompanying CD! The 80 page booklet is wonderful, filled with images and cool info... not the usual boring US history book accounts of the election, but relating it all to the recording and phonographical side of things. I haven't gotten through it all yet, but I feel I certainly got my money's worth!