Customer Reviews

Freedom: Songs from the Heart of America

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought this was going to be yet another predictable compilation of traditional freedom songs.Thankfully,it's not. It's by far the best holiday gift I could ever imagine giving-great songs-great range of artists, doing songs both well known and unknown.I never heard Nina Simone's "I wish I knew how it would feel to be Free" and it's fantastic. Same holds true for Dave Brubeck's version of "Because all Men Are Brothers." In this time of forced patriotis,this compilation offers a creative and memorable collection of songs that are stirring-not sappy, fun and not forced-for listeners of all ages. Where else could you find Duke Ellington,Bruce Springsteen, Suzanne Vega and Mahalia Jackson..Billie Holiday, Woody and Arlo Guthrie,Bob Dylan, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Johnny Cash and Jerry Garcia?? It's amazing that such great music is finaly put together in one boxed set. I can't wait to see the tv version on which the cds are based.

I thought this was going to be yet another predictable compilation of traditional freedom songs.Thankfully,it's not. It's by far the best holiday gift I could ever imagine giving-great songs-great range of artists, doing songs both well known and unknown.I never heard Nina Simone's "I wish I knew how it would feel to be Free" and it's fantastic. Same holds true for Dave Brubeck's version of "Because all Men Are Brothers." In this time of forced patriotis,this compilation offers a creative and memorable collection of songs that are stirring-not sappy, fun and not forced-for listeners of all ages. Where else could you find Duke Ellington,Bruce Springsteen, Suzanne Vega and Mahalia Jackson..Billie Holiday, Woody and Arlo Guthrie,Bob Dylan, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Johnny Cash and Jerry Garcia?? It's amazing that such great music is finaly put together in one boxed set. I can't wait to see the tv version on which the cds are based.

If you're going to spend some rather serious bucks on a compilation CD, you could do a lot worse than this! It takes us on a multidimensional, multigenerational trip through some of the plateaus of American music from the first half of the 20th century, on. I guess Columbia is trying to catch up with Sony on these all encompassing compilations, and if so, more power to them. This recording touches so many bases and appeals to so many different sensibilities, fans of different genres, etc. that it would be impossible to cover it in under 2,000 words. I'm far too lazy to attempt that, amyway. Suffice it to say that there isn't a bad cut on the CD and that the compilers actually took some thought into arranging the thing.

As it's nearing 4th of July this year and our country is not in the best of shape (OK, maybe I'm spending too much time looking in the mirror after my showers this summer!), this CD collection should come as a refreshing and fulfilling reminder of what American music is all about, and why we should remember why it's still a vital, freedom loving country, with room for differing styles, tastes, etc!

BEK