Customer Reviews

The Long Road to Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The packaging of this set is absolutely top notch. The highest quality materials were used in its construction and the book is superb.

However, from a musical standpoint, I found it very hard to listen to (and I am quite open minded, musically; a big fan of "the Anthology of American Folk Music").

I had expected much more rootsy music...field recordings and the like ala Lomax. However, all of the music on these dics was recorded by Belafonte in a studio in New York and involves many religeous chants, work hollers and childrens songs. A good deal of this set is simply sung a cappella. The selections that I enjoyed most are the ones that have some instrumentaion (mostly drums and hand clapping). There are a few numbers that have additional instrumentation as well.

Overall, while I feel it is worth owning as a historical multimedia document of the black experience in America, I know I will listen to it seldom, if at all, because you REALLY have to be in the mood for it.

If you are looking for a more accessable documentation of black music, I would recommend that you look at a collection called "Sounds of the South" which has a lot of great field recordings made by Alan Lomax.

The overall effect of "The Long Road to Freedom" is like walking through a slavery exhibit at a museum...educational and interesting, but ultimately, in my opinion, not overly satisfying from a musical standpoint.

Job well done. The scope of this music is as comprehensive as anything out there. One of the great things about this collection is that it is broad in scope yet surprisingly accessible. These CD's are great teaching tools, and are also surprisingly ENTERTAINING at the same time. In that regard alone they are a wonderful testament of and to the Black experience. But they are far more than just this. The engineers working on this record also did a terrific job; the sound quality is exceptional... You will be challenged, educated, excited, entertained, enriched, and uplifted by these amazing and stirring songs.

No, these are not the Lomax field recordings. If you read the book accompanying the five CD's you'll find out why these recordings weren't done in the field. I'm glad they made the decision that they did; for the most part they brought the field into the (now historic) studio.

These songs will make Black people immensely proud of their heritage, and will give others a fine appreciation of the Black experience in America and elsewhere...

What a gift this is to all of us! Researched and recorded between 1961 and 1971, this collection traces the
history of black music from the late 1600's to the 20th Century. It covers the roots of African music,
chants, shouts and early spirituals, Louisiana Creole music and a re-creation of a slave Christmas, songs
from the Underground Railroad and Civil War era, rural and urban roots music, game and children's
songs, work songs, minstrel songs...you name it, it's here.

As one who has spent innumerable hours straining to decipher old recordings, I must say that
Belafonte and crew have done a fantastic job of bringing the music to life, creating a sound that is both
satisfying to the modern ear, yet authentic and respectful to the original material. (The music has NOT, for
example, been modernized stylistically. Hurrah for that!) Belafonte simply captured in a modern era what
might have been captured in, say, 1866 had modern recording equipment been available.

My boyfriend gave me this collection last year. He's a musicanwith a deep love of all roots music. I'm black; he's white. We listened to this together and we both found it to be a revelation.
If you are looking for field recordings, this is not the collection for you. The sound is not quaint and tinny (although I love those recordings too). Instead, this is a collection that shows how 'black' music (that is, music from the African Diaspora to America) changed and grew over time, and produced sounds that we still hear today. The selection ranges from Louisiana Creole (the ancestor to today's Zydeco) to Civil War tunes (contrary to the information you'll find on the web and other places, not all black Civil War music was in dialect, and the marching songs are rousing in their patriotism and pride), to good-time music (the ancestor to hip-hop, R&B, and modern pop). The most disturbing piece is the slave sermon, which should probably be played in every classroom in America during discussions of the Revolutionary War, which is followed by a worship service similar to the types held by slaves in private, and acts as a good counterbalance to the prior piece.

My boyfriend and I found ourselves bonding over the Civil War music, as he is an avid bagpiper and very much into Celtic culture. We talked about the roles of Irish and black soldiers in the Civil War and what they had in common in terms of not being viewed as human by most of society. We also enjoyed hearing people like Brownie Magee, not on a fuzzy old recording, but in a living, vibrant fashion.

People who think that 'black music' is only for black people must also think only Italians should listen to opera and that Jimi Hendrix wasn't really a rock musician. This is _American_ music, and as such, should be in the collections of anyone interested in American history, 20th century music, or African-American culture. American music has had a variety of influences, and these recordings could help younger people and even a lot of adults become interested in music history, just as did 'Down From the Mountain'. In many ways, this music is more 'roots' music than anything in ' O Brother, Where Art Thou?', because it truly tries to go back to the source. As an anthropologist I might quibble over the inclusion of the African section without qualifying it as possibly being ahistorical (we don't actually know if those exact songs were sung in the time before slavery, but it's likely that are similar ones contemporary to the time), but other than that, I'm very happy. For once we have a music collection that does not focus solely on slavery and misery. There's a lot of joy and hope here, and a strong sense of reliance, which is perhaps the best trait that Americans have as a whole.

There are lots of reviews or word of mouth on this CD box set that, quite frankly, focuses on all the wrong things. To pigeonhole this box set a "must for black families" vastly understates the raw power and broad appeal of this collection. This box set is bigger than that; it's much more than just a quaint time capsule for blacks to listen to. It's fun, entertaining, and can go toe-to-toe with any of the best new music releases out there right now.

This music is basically the foundation of ALL popular music celebrated in the Western world today. Rock, Top 40 Pop, Salsa, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Hip-hop, Country, Bluegrass, they ALL owe an immeasurable debt to the music and culture brought over to the Western hemisphere by African slaves.

The collection starts with African chants and tribal music, and some of the instrumental and vocal arrangements could easily be from modern pop music. As it moves from the African black music experience over to the early Black American music experience, it's easy to hear how African music evolved in America to become the modern American pop, rock, hip-hop and R&B music we know today. People always mention how African music is the roots of pop, rock, soul and Afro-latin music, but this collection really drives the point home when you listen to old tribal music and hear beats and vocals that sound uncannily like those heard in today's modern music genres. There is no modern popular genre that doesn't owe a great debt to African-based musical sensibilities, and although we hear it said all the time, this box set actually illustrates the point better than a million articles and academic speeches ever could.

This collection is more than a history lesson or a source of pride for blacks. That almost makes it sound cold and academic. This collection has WARMTH and personality; it's great entertainment and just plain incredible music. Listen to it regardless of your race, political orientation, or ideology. Buy it and enjoy it because you love good music and want to hear the roots of it straight from the source, not just as a source of racial pride or as an acedmic study in music history.

When you listen to The Long Road to Freedom and allow your imagination to travel to the time period and the true quality of life depicted in this collection, it is an emotional experience, reinforcing the respect we feel for our forefathers and mothers. The accompanying text adds perspective, a welcome addition to the basis of knowledge of African American History.

the quality of this set was incredible. At times the sound was so rich that It was only after the third listening of some of the choir pieces that a realized they were singing acapello. This is a musical history of a people who are both telling there story and allowing us to remeber the impact that their music has had on our modern music. Coming of age in the fifties and sixties I heard my idoles give credit to the black artests they learned from but I never thought I would be able to hear music this old reproduced to the quality of our modern sound. Not of this culture myself It struck me as deeply as the first time I say Roots.

Anyone who listens to this collection of CD's will be truly blessed. For it is a testament to the heartache, heartbreak and the wrong done to people of African descent. However the music is redeeming as it strives to touch your soul with it's rhythmic chants, songs and testimonies. It is a true example of the strength, courage, faith and hope that all people, especially those of African descent, hold in their hearts.

I am an average white guy in his forties who purchased The Long Road... when it first came out in'01. Please read the other reviews for facts, details and editorials... I am here to warn you. If you are prone to being emotionally effected by beautiful, soul piercing harmonies performed by a tribe of professional and basic folk then avoid this musical journey. If you hate tears of awe rolling down your cheeks every time you experience a number of songs especially from disc 2 and 5...while I'm listening, my eyes well up just in anticipation of hearing "We look like Men of war" or "All Round' de Glory Manger"... then steer away. Many of these tunes play in my head especially during particularly tough days at work. Play it LOUD or avoid at all costs.

I skimmed the book included and it's pretty harsh. Of course the lives the slaves lived was also. The music is glorious and lively. They saved some of their history in the music they sang in the fields. The creole CD, #2, contains quite lovely choral arrangements. I plan on working around the house to the rhythms I discovered.