Customer Reviews

Return of the Wayfaring Stranger

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If you own only one Burl Ives album, then make it this one. Unfortunately, current marketers rehash many of Ives' worst songs, the ones geared towards small children, basically novelty songs. This is an adult album with some of the most common-sense and beautiful singing you will ever hear. The first 14 cuts were recorded in 1960 with just Burl, his guitar and a few special effects. The songs are American standards and Burl's interpretation is marvelous throughout. His penetrating tenor will send shivers down your spine with his renditions of Fare Thee Well Honey and Lindy Lou. But the most outstanding tracks are undoubtedly the rousing Mule Train and John Henry.

Ives is a master at singing these songs and this is a honest, stripped-down, unadorned masterpiece. They don't make music like this anymore, and as far as this genre goes, this is as good as it gets.

Until Recently You had to be a vinyl record collector to enjoy Burl Ives'classic folk,country and pop recordings.Finally some good quality products are being released and this one is one of the best.The first 14 tracks,previously released in 1960, are wonderful folk selections of the same style as the original Wayfaring Stranger recordings of the 1940's.There are however two guitar parts on these.They're all excellent.Tracks 15-22,released in 1950 and track 23,released in 1955 are very entertaining pop recordings with an orchestra and chorus.The arrangements are exciting and upbeat.Again,they're all excellent.There are no liner notes of any kind other than the original release dates.The sound quality of these old recordings are quite good,sounding as if they could have been remastered from tape.Usually when an Ives CD comes out,someone finds fault comparing it to the original release on vinyl.Well if you want to start a record collecting hobby go ahead,but you wont find anything as good or better than this.

This 23 track CD contains not only the original 14 tracks on the vinyl version, but 9 bonus tracks, including "The Donut Song" in its original mono form as it is rechanneled on the "Little White Duck" CD. The entire album is a classic and does contain his hit cover of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and his interpretations of "Billy The Kid," "John Henry," "Worried Man Blues" and other folk classics. A lot of the bonus tracks are not on any other CD in print and they are as good as the original album which this CD features the original artwork and reproduces the original liner notes from the vinyl contrary to another review of this product. This is a must have as an album that holds out on its own and/or as a companion to Collectables's "Wayfaring Stranger" reissue as the original album is sung in the same style as the first "Wayfaring Stranger" volume and the bonus tracks are just as nice.

Pure Burl. Young people aren't familar with this old guy but except for Frosty but he was a great talent and shouldn't be forgotten. Love the gospel songs.

As Burl Ives is always great and this CD is another good one.

My parents had this album and "The Wayfaring Stranger" when I was growing up. We used to listen to them when we went to bed. I loved it and we wore the records out. I have been searching for Cd's of this for years and really hoped that they would be released so that I could share these with my children. They are part of this country's history through song and deal with life as it was and is.

This is a nice acoustic album. Just Burl and his guitar on most songs. There are some additional songs added to this Cd that were not on the original album. They don't quite fit in with the original style, but they are still good.

The Wayfaring Stranger CD by Burl Ives is just what I ordered and it arrived quickly.