Customer Reviews

Tell Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense/Land of Giants

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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.

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!

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.

The most pleasant surprise of all my CD purchases this year. The great choral sound, the fun songs to sing along with, and the learning I did about American folk heroes listening to "Land of Giants" was terrific - I'd recommend this CD for anyone with kids or without kids who wants to know more about Paul Bunyan, Casey Jones, Joe Magarac and other folk heroes we seem to have lost along the way. New releases of material from the vaults - particularly "Captain, What Shall I Do?" - are a great bonus. Perfect for playing in the car and sharing with the passengers!

"Tall Tales! Legends and Nonsense" . . .what a way to describe The New Christy Misntrels! . . . I foirst heard this album back when it was first relesed on vinyl . .as i first heard every New Christy Misntrel album. i have this lp cover photo (and back-cover photo) forever etched and engraved on my minds memory . . . when i think of the "Christies", it is THIS line-up that comes to myy mind . . these voices . . these "personalities" which come accross in their performances. (ahh and Gayle Caldwell as "Cleopatra" . . . now there's an image worth retaining!) ---

From the sad melancholy ballads . . to the light-hearted nonsensical romps . . to the beautifully executed and delivered solos and harmonies . . .this is "folk" music raised to the level of "class" . . not pseudo-sophistication . . but just plain talent coming to the fore with eachand ever voice and performer recording.

And this cd also includes some bonus tracks previously unreleased from that very same recording session . . .

Also, the entire album, "Land Of Giants" . . . recorded just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy . . .and which by coincidence is filled with the spirit of the "gianrs" who helped sshape our land and our own spirit. (some personified in the fictional characters of legend, Paul Bunyan, John Henry (the steel driving man), Joe Magarac (immigrant laborer) and Johnn Appleseed . . . and other tunes e xtolling the 'spirit of America". And to hear Nick Woods magic vocal on "Natural Man" makes owning thos cd worthwhile. (also, reading the liner notes of this cd was my first awakening to the fact that Nick Woods is no longer with us . . Barry McGuire has a few comments written here about how he still "sees' Nick in hus dreams . .and fears to speak to him lest the dream should end . .so he just listens to Nick's voice singing . . and smiles.(

i am glad that all of The New Christy Mistrel albums have found their way to pristine cd. This group shoul never be forgotten . . . nor pushed aside for the "current fad and flavor" . . the talent is far too phenomenal . .the spirit of the group far too "alive" . . . and The Christies made and are "music history" . .. they are "our history". . . their music is our heritage.

Thanks to Randy Sparks . . and to all of the members of this "American Minstrel Magic". :)

I had the LP's but somehow they got lost.
What a wonderful surprise when these appeared on CD.
Loads of fun!!!

I listened to The New Christy Minstrels as a child and grew up thoroughly enjoying their music. It's great that all that great material is being re-released on CD. The sound is fantastic, the bonus tracks are a treat, and the liner notes are obviously the result of an incredible amount of research. My two favorite tracks are "Julianne" from Tall Tales and "Stormy" from Land of Giants. This two-fer CD is American History at its best!

Formed in 1961 and releasing their debut album in 1962, the best year for the New Christy Minstrels was 1963. The success of the Beatles in America in 1964 changed everything in popular music and the New Christy Minstrels were not alone in struggling to sustain their popularity, although they continued to record great music, at least for a while. The Beatles may have hastened their fall, but given the tensions within the group even then, I think decline would have set in anyway.

Tell tall tales, recorded in January 1963, was released in June of that year. As the title implies, it contains many great story songs that are sometimes fully, sometimes silly. While listening to this album, I am sometimes reminded of the Wurzels, a British folk group who also had plenty of fun with their music. (Their most famous song is Combine harvester, which uses the tune of Brand new key - and Melanie approves of their lyrics.)

The song that I was already familiar with from other versions is the one that Shel Silverstein co-wrote - In the hills of Shiloh. Judy Collins and Bobby Bare are among the artists who have recorded this song. I was also familiar with two other songs (The old timer, Julianne) that were selected for inclusion on Definitive New Christy Minstrels. Only two? This is a great album deserving of better representation on a double CD. My favorite track here is Susianna, who had a face that would stop a train. Was her face really that bad? Well, there aren't so many trains in America these days, so if she's still alive, there's no need to worry about them..

Between the original release of the two albums paired here, the New Christy Minstrels released two other albums (Ramblin', Today) and they are paired together on Golden Classics Edition.

Land of giants, though recorded in December 1963, was actually released in October 1964. America's legendary heroes including John Henry, Johnny Appleseed and Casey Jones inspired this album, which was already in the planning stages, with most of the songs written and ready to be recorded, when John F Kennedy was assassinated and that added extra poignancy to the recording sessions that took place soon afterwards. Being a Brit, I don't know all these people. I'd never heard of Johnny Appleseed before hearing the song here; I surfed the net to find out who he was. An excellent album, it is a pity that interest in the group's music was on the wane by the time the album was released.

These two albums, recorded when the New Christy Minstrels were at their peak, show why they were so popular.

When my brothers and I were in high school, we would sit around the piano and sing a bunch of songs on the "Tall Tales" album (we had the sheet music book). We are planning a huge family reunion on Labor Day and we will be once again entertaining the family with the old songs. Great stuff!!

I listened to this album when I was a kid. It brought back a lot of memories.