Songs For Political Action: Folkmusic, Topical Songs And The American Left 1926-1953 [Box set, Import]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 25, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 10
• Format: Box set, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Bear Family
• ASIN: B00000B066
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,651 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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Editorial Reviews

Leave it to Bear Family Records to release a ten-disc collection of Communist and leftist-activist songs that only a dyed-in-the-wool Republican can afford! However, there's a lot of stuff on these discs -- songs about lynchings, anti-union murders and riots, and other injustices, including wretched working conditions permitted by earlier governments, et cetera. There's folk material, of course, but also cowboy songs, country songs, blues and country-blues. These ten CDs also tear down the stereotype of the dry and doctrinaire political song. Highlights include Disc One ("The Roots of the Folk Revival,") which is primarily given over to the oldest union songs and farm-related protest songs. Disc Three is given over to the Almanac Singers; this body of work was recorded when the official Communist Party line (to which they adhered) was non-aggression against Nazi Germany. Some of the music on Disc Four ("Fighting the Fascists") was surprisingly complex, given the spartan conditions under which a lot of it was done. Disc Seven ("Pete Seeger: 1946-48") is mostly made up of Seeger's masterpieces Roll the Union On and Songs for Political Action. Disc Nine ("Campaign Songs: 1944-1949") represents the last significant cohesive body of topical political songs to come from the American left. By the time of Disc Ten ("An Era Closes"), the Left couldn't do more than snipe at the reactionaries setting the agenda and the passive moderates who stood by. The sound quality on most of the material in this set is astonishingly good and the ten discs are accompanied by an over-200-page hardcover book featuring historical and musical essays, photographs, session information and lyrics -- one of the finest documents of the relationship between music and politics of the period that has ever been published. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing collection of rare political songs, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Songs for Political Action: Folk Music, Topical Songs and the American Left (Audio CD)

This 10 CD set includes some very rare political songs. Many can be considered "folk songs" although there are also some rarities like classical-oriented Communist Party songs. If one is interested in the Almanac Singers, the early recordings of Josh White, or Peekskill, this is a must have. The book which accompanies the collection is very informative. I only give the collection 4 stars instead of 5 since there are some songs which do not hold up so well after so many years, but overall this is fantastic compilation.