Customer Reviews

Pete

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Rather recently, Pete Seeger entered his ninth decade. The voice may not be what it once was. But it still goes on, not nearly ready yet to surrender "To My Old Brown Earth." A few years back, when this album was made, it was more than good enough for the retrospective and summation that the album represents. And the message is evergreen, as it always has been.

This album is a labor of love on the part of everyone concerned. But, aside from Pete hisself, credit must go next to Paul Winter, who, over a span of more than 30 years, was an acquaintance first, then a fast friend, and, with the release of the album, collaborator, creative director and executive producer. (There is a fascinating story about the 30-year genesis of this collaboration, complete with an ongoing saga of a Paul Winter classic, "Minuit," which can be found at Winter's Living Music website.)

It is Pete's album, and yet it belongs to all of us, and is surely a gift to all of us as well. I'm one who "came of age" in the turbulent sixties, and can remember well the songs of protest back then. Somehow, those protest songs tended to overwhelm the folk songs that spoke to other issues, or even to no particular issue at all. Pete's got them all covered here.

I absolutely agree with Bill Campbell from Boulder, Colorado below. "The Water is Wide" (#4) and "To My Old Brown Earth" (#18) are very special, as is "Of Time and Rivers Flowing" (#13). What they share in common is the choral mastery of Paul Halley, Winter's long-time Consort keyboardist and composer. Choral arranging (a specialty of Halley's) and singing of this level of excellence has a way of giving one the shakes. And it reaches a level of simply ineffable beauty in "To My Own Brown Earth." There must have been those, naysayers all, who predicted that this approach would never work for Pete's music, with Pete's voice. Trust me; it does!

To counterbalance this choral sweetness and serve notice that we're dealing here with Pete Seeger and not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, there are the rough-hewn classics made famous by Pete and others (Leadbelly included), with a lesson or two on how to reinterpret and juxtapose Stravinsky and Beethoven to rather amusing effect. And then there's "Garbage," an absolutely hilarious cautionary tale on the perils of pollution if ever there were one.

I'm guessing that the "Minuit" saga set out in Paul Winter's recounting of the genesis of "Pete" has a final chapter yet to play out. In my humble opinion, it should be a good one!

Elsewhere, this album is referred to as "the quintessential Pete Seeger." I cannot do other than agree; if you could only have one, this would be it. But, taking a page from other folkies of fame, my favorite moniker is "the quintessential P, P, P & M", for Pete, Paul, Paul and Joanie Madden, who blows a mean pennywhistle in "Of Time and Rivers Flowing" and elsewhere.

Bob Zeidler

This is Pete in old age, coming up with new tricks, new licks, new musical friends, new sound combinations...and just about everything works! Recorded in 1996, but the old familiar Pete is represented with grace, power, humor and his trademark hospitality. "Well May the World Go", "Hudie Ledbetter" and "The Water is Wide" all sound great. "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and "Old Devil Time" and "To Everyone in All the World" are gems. If you grew up with Pete, followed him in the 60's as so many of us did, and are glad he is still alive and singing, buy this one before it goes out of print. There are too many Seeger CD's to say "If you can only afford one, choose this one"---but this is a nice choice for the folks who don't care so much about Civil Rights anthems or left-wing songs recorded when it was risky to do so.

Pete Seeger's voice definitely sounds older, but oh how I enjoy this CD! These are new recordings of old favorites, worth owning even if you have older recordings of them. There's a nice balance between the structure that the choirs (which sing with him) provide, and his expressive interpretation of songs which he obviously loves and knows intimately. The liner notes are interesting reading, too!

Rather recently, Pete Seeger entered his ninth decade. The voice may not be what it once was. But it still goes on, not nearly ready yet to surrender "To My Old Brown Earth." A few years back, when this album was made, it was more than good enough for the retrospective and summation that the album represents. And the message is evergreen, as it always has been.

This album is a labor of love on the part of everyone concerned. But, aside from Pete hisself, credit must go next to Paul Winter, who, over a span of more than 30 years, was an acquaintance first, then a fast friend, and, with the release of this album, collaborator, creative director and executive producer.

It is Pete's album, and yet it belongs to all of us, and is surely a gift to all of us as well. I'm one who "came of age" in the turbulent sixties, and can remember well the songs of protest back then. Somehow, those protest songs tended to overwhelm the folk songs that spoke to other issues, or even to no particular issue at all. Pete's got them all covered here.

Several tracks on this album are special because they successfully blend the raw qualities of Pete's voice with those of choruses trained and directed by Paul Halley, a long-time collaborater - as keyboardist, composer and arranger - of Winter's. "The Water is Wide" and "To My Old Brown Earth" fall comfortably in this category, as does "Of Time and Rivers Flowing". Choral arranging (a specialty of Halley's) and singing of this level of excellence has a way of giving one the shakes. And it reaches a level of simply ineffable beauty in "To My Own Brown Earth." There must have been those, naysayers all, who predicted that this approach would never work for Pete's music, with Pete's voice. Trust me; it does!

To counterbalance this choral sweetness and serve notice that we're dealing here with Pete Seeger and not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, there are the rough-hewn classics made famous by Pete and others (Leadbelly included), with a lesson or two on how to reinterpret and juxtapose Stravinsky and Beethoven to rather amusing effect. And then there's "Garbage," an absolutely hilarious cautionary tale on the perils of pollution if ever there were one.

This album might well be referred to as "the quintessential Pete Seeger." If you could only have one Seeger album, this would be it. But, taking a page from other folkies of fame, my favorite moniker is "the quintessential P, P, P & M", for Pete, Paul, Paul and Joanie Madden, who blows a mean pennywhistle in "Of Time and Rivers Flowing" and elsewhere.

Bob Zeidler

Seeger is Seeger and the choir chorus's are outstanding. #4 and #18 are especially nice. A very interesting mix of pure country and fine choral work by three great choirs.

"Pete" is Pete Seeger . . . and Pete Seeger is America , , and American Music . . . and Pete Seeger is "the world" . . . and World Music!

Pete Seeger sings our spirit and our soul . . . he has authored some of the most penetrating songs and lyrics . . . lyrics which both compliment our beings and challenge us to live up to our most noble selves.

On this collection of songs, Pete sings with several chorus accompanyments . . and they all serve as an engulphing back-drop for "the voice", Pete Seeger . . the choruses act like an ocean wave carrying Pete along the currents of his own history . . and his own message to us all.

From the very fist note of the very first track, "Well May The World Go", you know that you are encircled by magic . . .and the magic remains mesmerizing track after track after track through this experience.

The second song on this cd is Pete's "My rainbow Race" . . . I first heard this song on an album by Melanie (Safka) and loved it . . . She herself recently re-recorded it . . . and Pete's performance of it on this collection is simply "spiritual".

"The Water Is Wide" (we can't cross o'er . . .) a most beautiful song of love combined overcoming the widest water . . the most impossible obstacle. (I have a recording of it by Maddy Prior and Steeleye Span which is emotionally breathtaking . . and likewise, Pete here uses the lyric and melody to touch our souls and hearts to know that the song is about "us" . . and that we can cross any water . . . overcome any distance . . or obstacle separating us as people . . .it just takes two to row.

I love "Russian Song/ Ode To Joy" . . .the Russian Song is the melody of an old Russian Folk song i first heard by the Don Cossack Choir, "Stenka Razin" . . a sort of Russian Robin Hood (with a new lyric of Pete's own) . . . and "Ode To Joy" . .the Beethoven melody . . i first heard Pete Seeger play this on his banjo (with Peter Yarrow of "Peter Paul & Mary") at the National Cathdral in Washington DC during the "Peace Moratoriums" back in the early 1970's. it is so inspiring to hear him reprsie it again here on this collection.

Pete Seeger has created and contributed a tremendous legacy of "folk music" to us . . and hopefully will inspire many future generations fot the future with his spiritual insights and understandings of "brotherhood and sisterhood" globally.

thank you Pete Seeger!

"Pete" is a wonderfully rich compilation of Pete Seeger's music throughout his long career.

The production is outstanding with a beautiful choir and Paul Winter soprano sax backup.

I have sent this album to many friends.

I actually checked this out from the local library in order to introduce my toddler son to some folk music, and realized that this album is an amazing find. Some of Pete's favorites are re-done and backed up with beautiful choirs. I like it so much that I wanted to buy my own copy, as well as a few for family and friends, but was disappointed to see that the CD is selling for such a high price. You can download it in MP3 form, but the CD booklet with lyrics and stories adds so much.

We all love Pete and the way he presents his stories in song bringing the voices of the audience to harmonize with him. Well let me tell you how good this CD is with the professional chorus behind him in harmony on several songs. The song "The Water Is Wide" will blow you away. "Garbage" has great meaning and hit home with my 12 year old granddaughter. In "To My Old Brown Earth" Pete asks us to continue his work when he is gone. My thought is that the recording company needs to re-release this CD to make it available to all who want to own one of Pete's best.

I like Pete Seeger's rough voice (he's older) on this CD, but the songs themselves are a bit too unfinished for my liking. We have other Pete Seeger CDs that we enjoy more.