Tell Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense/Land of Giants

New Christy Minstrels | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B00008A8HY
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,702 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Old Timer

2. Billy's Mule

3. Susianna

4. In The Hills Of Shiloh

5. Beaucatcher Mountain

6. Song Of The Pious Itinerant

7. The Cat

8. Down To Darby

9. Julianne

10. Jimmy Grove And Barbara Ellen

11. Treasury Of Nonsense Medley

12. The Land Of Giants

13. Joe Magarac

14. John Henry And The Steam Drill

15. Paul Bunyan

16. Casey Jones

17. Stormy

18. Mighty Big Ways

19. Mount Rushmore

20. Blacksmith Of Brandywine

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

1963 and 1964 albums from the Christies, plus their single The Banjo and two unreleased tracks! Includes from "Tall Tales"—"The Old Timer," "Billy’s Mule," "Susianna," "In the Hills of Shiloh," "Beaucatcher Mountain," "Song of the Pious Itinerant," "The Cat," "Down to Darby," "Julianne," "Jimmy Grove and Barbara Ellen," and the "Treasury of Nonsense medley." From "Land of Giants"—"The Land of Giants," "Joe Magarac," "John Henry and the Steam Drill," "Paul Bunyan," "Casey Jones," "Stormy," "Mighty Big Ways," "Mount Rushmore," "Blacksmith of Brandywine," "Natural Man," "Appleseed John," "El Camino Real," and "My Name Is Liberty." Unreleased tracks: "Whippoorwill" and "Captain (What Shall I Do?)." A Collectors’ Choice Music exclusive!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I never expected to find it on CD!, October 12, 2003

By 

D. COLLIER "Top Guhzillion Reviewer" (Brownwood, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tell Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense/Land of Giants (Audio CD)

I first came across the album TALL TALES! LEGENDS & NONSENSE, when I was about 13 years old. It was in a huge stack of my mom's old LPs along with samples of almost any other kind of music you could possibly imagine (southern Gospel, Scott Joplin, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and the Beatles, just to name a few). I looked at the cover and saw everyone standing there in strange costumes. I had never heard of the New Christy Minstrels, nor had I heard of the old Christy Minstrels. In fact, I don't even think I knew at the time what a minstrel was.

I was immediately hooked! I immediately recorded it onto a tape so I could listen to it in the car or in my bedroom. I listened to it so much, that the tape got worn out, and by the time compact discs came out, I realized that I would never own this obscure album on CD.

I recently saw the movie, A MIGHTY WIND, and loved it. In that movie (which is about New Christy-era folk music), there is a fictional folk group called the New Main Street Singers (obviously a throwback to the New Christies). So my interest was rekindled. After looking up the New Christies (...) I half-expected to find some greatest hits CD that had a few of my old favorites. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only the whole album but another album, LAND OF GIANTS, I had never heard of, plus two unreleased songs.

One of the funniest songs I've ever heard is "Susianna". Not quite the song about a woman who cried for a man who came from Alabama with a banjo on his knee. No, this is about...well, why don't you just read it for yourself:

Oh, Susianna,
Don't mean to cause you pain.
You know I love you, honey.
But your face would stop a train.

"Down to Darby" is a fun Irish drinking-style song which was based on a classic nursery rhyme. "In the Hills of Shiloh" (i.e. the Civil War battle) and "Julianne" are both tragic tales of love, longing, and loss. "Jimmy Grove and Barbara Ellen" is a sweet and beautiful ballad about true love that never dies.

If you need more help getting to know the New Christy Minstrels, here's the best way I can describe what little I know of them: Silly, sad, sweet, stupid, playful, nonsensical, haunting, breathtaking, beautiful, poetic -- all rolled into one. It may sound impossible, but I believe they pulled it off.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome Talent Revisited, July 13, 2003

By 

Colin Burgess (Sydney, AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tell Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense/Land of Giants (Audio CD)

I had to pinch myself to make sure it was true, when I heard that four of my favourite albums of all time were being released on two CD's. While I would have been perfectly happy just to have owned the superb double CD "In Person" and "Presenting the New Christy Minstrels," the pleasure was doubled by the simultaneous release of "Tell Tall Tales" and "Land of Giants." The first album on this CD takes over from where the "In Person" CD ends. It also highlights the creative talents of one of the greatest ensembles of young musicians ever assembled. The diversity of material is as superb and creative as the artistry of these men and women, with quiet melancholy and exquisite harmony giving way to hilariously ribald tracks. Which works better here? There's no answer to that, because there is not a track on either of these albums where the talent disappoints or diminishes. "Tell Tall Tales" will be a true surprise to anyone hearing this album for the first time, and even though it was recorded four decades ago it is as fresh as if the group had just left the recording studio. The second album, "Land of Giants," will impress and enrich you with its patriotry, and its joyous salute to some great Americans and American icons. There are happy songs, and sweet tunes, but just wait until you hear Barry McGuire rip out the dramatic "The Blacksmith of Brandywine." It's unbelievable! Randy Sparks assembled some of the greatest talents of his time when forming the New Christy Minstrels, and these two albums reflect that in abundance. The New Christy Minstrels are legends of the folk era, and if you never hear these albums, you will never, ever know what a truly astonishing event you're missing!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Every Minute of It !, August 29, 2003

By 

Maureen (Minneapolis, Mn USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tell Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense/Land of Giants (Audio CD)

After years of listening to scratchy,well worn LPs, I was delighted to see these two great musical accomplishments produced on CDs! The extreme talent of the performers in combination and solo is absolutely wonderful. This is not a "backround music" CD. You sit down, relax and savor each track while you take a trip through time.