The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET)

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 4
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B000ICLTMS
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,886 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Old Dog Blue - David Johansen

2. Prison Cell Blues - Steve Earle

3. James Alley Blues - Wilco

4. Frankie - Beth Orton

5. Last Fair Deal Gone Down - Beck

6. Sugar Baby - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

7. The Butcher's Boy - Elvis Costello

8. Way Down The Old Plank Road - David Thomas

9. The Coo Coo Bird - Richard Thompson with Eliza Carthy

10. My Baby Done Left Me - Ed Sanders

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. A Lazy Farmer Boy - Robin Holcomb

2. Sail Away Lady - Van Dyke Parks with Mondrian String Quartet

3. Poor Boy Blues - Geoff Muldaur

4. Spike Driver Blues - Marianne Faithfull

5. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Lou Reed

6. Ommie Wise Part 1 & 2 (What Lewis Did Last...) - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

7. Fatal Flower Garden - Gavin Friday

8. I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground - Bob Neuwirth with Eliza Carthy

9. Fishing Blues - David Thomas

10. He Got Better Things For You - Mary Margaret O'Hara

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Revisionism can be as rewarding as rediscovery; indeed, they often make a compelling duo. Those sentiments drive veteran producer Hal Willner's tribute to pioneering musicologist Harry Smith's documentation and preservation of American folk forms--music that was already an endangered species by the time he originally compiled them for Folkways Records in the early '50s. As he's done on similar tributes to musicians as varied as jazz giants Monk and Mingus, Italian film scoring legend Nina Rota, and songwriters Kurt Weill and Leonard Cohen, Willner puts together a group of musicians as intriguingly eclectic as the vintage songs they're covering. That Smith's own original efforts helped fuel the '60s folk boom that in turn inspired more than a few of the musicians here helps give the collection the warm sensibility of musical traditions coming full circle.

Spread across two CDs and a pair of DVD's are a rich slate of performances captured in Los Angeles, New York, and London in 1999 and 2001, as well as documentary material about Smith's own pioneering efforts that helped inspire them. Beck and Lou Reed spin spare, harrowing takes on blues godfathers Robert Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, respectively, while Elvis Costello, Wilco, Richard Thompson, Steve Earle, Van Dyke Parks, the McGarrigles, and others offer up covers characterized by varying degrees of reverence. But, as is typical of most Willner projects, it's the more unlikely musical pairings here that yield the greatest intrigues, be they Pere Ubu's David Thomas recasting "Fishin' Blues" in his forceful persona or Bill Frisell's distinctive jazz sensibilities--the latter also suffusing Gavin Friday's "Fatal Flower Garden" with ghostly elegance. A welcome sense of playfulness also surfaces throughout, one whose good humor even makes room for a relevant clip from Chris Guest's A Mighty Wind folk mockumentary, as well as amusing recollections by some of the artists influenced by Smith's original musical archaeology. More than merely revering history, this is a collection that cheerfully revels in its reinvention. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Harry Smith's 1952 collection of American folk music inspired a whole generation of musicians in the '60s, but his influence didn't stop there younger musicians like Beck, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Wilco and older eminences like Lou Reed and Richard Thompson held a series of concerts in 1999 and 2001 to honor the man and the songs he rediscovered. The best performances from those concerts comprise the two CDs; then there's a DVD presenting performances from London, New York and Los Angeles plus three of Harry's experimental films, and a DVD featuring a brand-new documentary on the man himself. A 40-page booklet offers even more info. From Steve Earle's Prison Cell Blues to Geoff Muldaur's K.C. Moan , one discovery after another.

See all Editorial Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic--the "folk process" documented! January 21, 2007

By bogus picker

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are curious about this but are not familiar with the original "Anthology of American Folk Music"--GET IT, and listen. It is like looking back in time, sort of like the Hubble telescope, only we are looking at images from our own human heritage, and perhaps ourselves.

As Hal Willner says, there are pieces you will love and pieces you might not like. But in truth, this is how the artists in this collection interpreted the originals. And even in the ones I was less than enthusiastic about, I saw something, and went back with a greater appreciation of the original. As a result I developed more enthusiasm for the new performance. This is something to be savored over and over.

I had been listening to Folkways LPs and subscribing to Singout! since the early '60s, and aquired the anthology in the early '70s. I had no previous knowledge of many performers in this set. So this was an eye-opener for me. I even read a review of a person, although generally positive, who wondered why "The Folksman" were in this. My answer is, "we perhaps should not take anything too seriously, and what if the gift of life itself is just a joke?"

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting souvenir of a once in a lifetime experience... April 21, 2007

By Alan F. Deremo

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I attended the concert on the first night in LA, from which a majority of the material here was drawn (I actually stuck it out 'til the 2:00 am conclusion!) What drew me to the show is much the same as the appeal of this set - the chance to see 30 or more of your favorite singers and musicians on the same stage (and a few who you could do without), playing songs from what just might be the greatest and most influential compilation (or "mix tape") of all time! At the very least, this is a very nice souvenir of the event. The interviews and backstage/rehearsal footage in the DVD are very illuminating and are ample testimony to the mad genius of Hal Willner (creator/producer).
Some of the performances here are a lot less impressive that my memory of them, while others (David Johansen, Richard Thompson and Elvis Costello, among others) hold up very well. Willner should be commended for showcasing criminally underrated artists like Robin Holcomb and Van Dyke Parks, as well as for pushing some people (like Beck and Beth Orton) out of their comfort zone material-wise, resulting in some very memorable performances. Some of my other favorites here: Sonic Youth (with trombonist Roswell Rudd) burn up the stage on "Dry Bones", David Thomas is an insane genius, Bob Neuwirth, Geoff Muldaur and Steve Earle all individually show they are up to the task.
There were some classic moments from the night I attended that didn't make it to this release, including Garth Hudson's bizarre and amazing "Recessional Music" on the Royce Hall pipe organ, and Daniel Lanois' mini-set of the Anthology's Cajun songs (accompanied by his super-loud electric guitar). The pre-Mighty Wind Folksmen, introducing some much needed perspective, are rightfully represented here. However, not included was their version of "Flashdance," which somehow said it all (the audience were larfing). Also, not to be forgotten was Mary Margaret O'Hara's train wreck version of "Better Things" (which is represented here by a less chaotic version from a different night). It caused a mass exodus - as it was about midnight at that point, a lot of people were probably suddenly remembering they had babysitters or jobs to go to in the morning!
Being a lot more familiar with the original Anthology recordings now than I was prior to the concert, I am probably a lot more critical of these interpretations, some of which are frankly a bit superficial. Also, it is a bit more noticeable, especially on the DVD, which performers hadn't done their homework and learned the songs thoroughly before the show! On the other hand, some of the versions here caused me to have new appreciation for the songs themselves and really focus on the brilliance and bizarreness of the lyrics. A lot of contemporary songwriters could stand to check them out..
On the technical end, the camera work on the DVD is a bit "on the fly" but not too bad considering there was probably very little rehearsal/blocking. Audio-wise, the recording quality is much better than expected (I'm guessing there was a litlle bit of post-production repair, including fixing some fluffed lyrics). The second DVD ("Old Weird America") that delves a bit more into Harry Smith and the origins of the Anthology, has been shown a bit in art house theaters around the country and is almost worth the price of the set by itself.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars revolutionary culture changing recording August 17, 2008

By Robert W. Zachary, Jr.

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had the pleasure and honor of knowing Harry Smith. There is a perceptible link between the folk revival in the '50's and early '60's that had a direct influence on the cultural change in the US--especially the Civil Rights Movement--credit Harry Smith, Moe Asch and Ralph Rinzler--teachers of American indiginous American culture to Americans--there remains much work to be carried on in a tradition Smith began with his colleagues.