Customer Reviews

The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET)

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

 

 

If you are curious about this but are not familiar with the original "Anthology of American Folk Music"--GET IT, and listen. It is like looking back in time, sort of like the Hubble telescope, only we are looking at images from our own human heritage, and perhaps ourselves.

As Hal Willner says, there are pieces you will love and pieces you might not like. But in truth, this is how the artists in this collection interpreted the originals. And even in the ones I was less than enthusiastic about, I saw something, and went back with a greater appreciation of the original. As a result I developed more enthusiasm for the new performance. This is something to be savored over and over.

I had been listening to Folkways LPs and subscribing to Singout! since the early '60s, and aquired the anthology in the early '70s. I had no previous knowledge of many performers in this set. So this was an eye-opener for me. I even read a review of a person, although generally positive, who wondered why "The Folksman" were in this. My answer is, "we perhaps should not take anything too seriously, and what if the gift of life itself is just a joke?"

I attended the concert on the first night in LA, from which a majority of the material here was drawn (I actually stuck it out 'til the 2:00 am conclusion!) What drew me to the show is much the same as the appeal of this set - the chance to see 30 or more of your favorite singers and musicians on the same stage (and a few who you could do without), playing songs from what just might be the greatest and most influential compilation (or "mix tape") of all time! At the very least, this is a very nice souvenir of the event. The interviews and backstage/rehearsal footage in the DVD are very illuminating and are ample testimony to the mad genius of Hal Willner (creator/producer).
Some of the performances here are a lot less impressive that my memory of them, while others (David Johansen, Richard Thompson and Elvis Costello, among others) hold up very well. Willner should be commended for showcasing criminally underrated artists like Robin Holcomb and Van Dyke Parks, as well as for pushing some people (like Beck and Beth Orton) out of their comfort zone material-wise, resulting in some very memorable performances. Some of my other favorites here: Sonic Youth (with trombonist Roswell Rudd) burn up the stage on "Dry Bones", David Thomas is an insane genius, Bob Neuwirth, Geoff Muldaur and Steve Earle all individually show they are up to the task.
There were some classic moments from the night I attended that didn't make it to this release, including Garth Hudson's bizarre and amazing "Recessional Music" on the Royce Hall pipe organ, and Daniel Lanois' mini-set of the Anthology's Cajun songs (accompanied by his super-loud electric guitar). The pre-Mighty Wind Folksmen, introducing some much needed perspective, are rightfully represented here. However, not included was their version of "Flashdance," which somehow said it all (the audience were larfing). Also, not to be forgotten was Mary Margaret O'Hara's train wreck version of "Better Things" (which is represented here by a less chaotic version from a different night). It caused a mass exodus - as it was about midnight at that point, a lot of people were probably suddenly remembering they had babysitters or jobs to go to in the morning!
Being a lot more familiar with the original Anthology recordings now than I was prior to the concert, I am probably a lot more critical of these interpretations, some of which are frankly a bit superficial. Also, it is a bit more noticeable, especially on the DVD, which performers hadn't done their homework and learned the songs thoroughly before the show! On the other hand, some of the versions here caused me to have new appreciation for the songs themselves and really focus on the brilliance and bizarreness of the lyrics. A lot of contemporary songwriters could stand to check them out..
On the technical end, the camera work on the DVD is a bit "on the fly" but not too bad considering there was probably very little rehearsal/blocking. Audio-wise, the recording quality is much better than expected (I'm guessing there was a litlle bit of post-production repair, including fixing some fluffed lyrics). The second DVD ("Old Weird America") that delves a bit more into Harry Smith and the origins of the Anthology, has been shown a bit in art house theaters around the country and is almost worth the price of the set by itself.

I had the pleasure and honor of knowing Harry Smith. There is a perceptible link between the folk revival in the '50's and early '60's that had a direct influence on the cultural change in the US--especially the Civil Rights Movement--credit Harry Smith, Moe Asch and Ralph Rinzler--teachers of American indiginous American culture to Americans--there remains much work to be carried on in a tradition Smith began with his colleagues.

No collection will please everyone. That being said, this one left me a little cold in that the coices about what to include and what to leave out were not the choices I would have made were I producing this collection.
Without going into details and whys - suffice it to say that before buying this set, you need to take a close look at the playlist so that you will not wind up buying something that is appreciably different than what you were hoping it would be.

Overall worthwhile,although I won't be listening to it often.

...must be nice to be Hal Willner. You've got a rolodex filled with eccentric talents who seem to be willing to jump at your beck-and-call to help you chase down whatever your current fleeting musical obsession is, and record labels seemingly all-too-willing to invest in your "art" (little to none of which is actually written, performer, or arranged by you) in the hopes of garnering kudos from music critics who secretly want to be you (so of course they love it). After all, they all have big record collections and appreciate talents like Van Dyke Parks, David Thomas, and Mary Margaret O'Hara on more levels than common listeners, right?

Hal Willner: I'm Hal frickin' Willner, and I want a big ol' budget so I can get nine tubas, a Tuvan throat singer, a chamber orchestra, Eliza Carthy, and Tricky to perform the works of Nick Drake.

Record Company A&R Guy Who Wishes He Was Hal Willner: Who do we make the check out to?

Hal Willner: Um, just make it out to "cash." Thanks.

This big boxed set celebrates the music of Harry Smith, who I suppose is sort of a proto-Hal: a man with no perceivable musical talent, but with an eccentric vision that allowed him to compile commercially available recordings into a collection so coherent, compelling, and ingenious in the way it internally cross-referenced itself that it helped to define the very regenerative, restorative, and recyclable nature of American folk culture. If every suppressed music critic, self-proclaimed hipster, or A&R man wants to be Hal Willner, it's nice and comforting to know that Hal Wilner may just want to be Harry Smith. Can he do it? Well, he's making a po-mo reduction/celebration of what was essentially a po-mo reduction/celebration. Does the onion have too many layers? Methinks.

Some stuff here works. Some doesn't. It all has a slight air of smug self-congratulation, almost like the artists are celebrating Hal as much as they are Harry. I honestly can't blame the artists: with so many connections and such, it's well worth your time to butter Hal's biscuit -- his stuff can be pretty high-profile, and certainly folks like David Thomas, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Van Dyke Parks could use all the exposure they can get: they are geniuses. That said, it's said to see genius subsumed by ego...

Fittingly (on a symbolic level), the packaging is a little flimsy. The disks aren't well-supported by this thin cardboard tray thingie...