Wayfaring Stranger

Burl Ives | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B0000507YT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,511 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Leather-Winged Bat

2. Cotton-Eyed Joe

3. Sweet Betsy from Pike

4. On Top of Old Smokey

5. I Know Where I'm Going

6. I Know My Love

7. Cowboy's Lament

8. Wee Cooper O' Fife

9. Riddle Song

10. Tam Pierce (Old Engliser)

11. Peter Gray

12. Darlin' Cory

13. John Hardy

14. Colorado Trail

15. Roving Gambler

16. Bonnie Wee Lassie

17. The Divil and the Farmer

18. On Springfield Mountain

19. Little Mohee

20. Troubador Song

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Released in 1959 (years after he appeared on radio as "The Wayfarin' Stranger"), this LP finds Burl singing the kinds of traditional American folk tunes that made him beloved by so many, including On Top of Old Smoky; Cotton-Eyed Joe; Roving Gambler; Green Broom; Pretty Polly; John Hardy , and more. 26 songs plus three bonus tracks!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most essential folk albums ever, July 11, 2001

By 

Bradley Olson (Bemidji, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

This is the album that set the standard of the classic folk album for many generations yet other than many of these songs on the Flapper "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" album and a few other CD's, this album has never been issued on CD until now. The 29 songs on this CD are all classic folk songs, mostly done with Burl and his acoustic guitar with little or no orchestration. For example, the version of "On Top of Old Smoky" on this CD is all Burl and his guitar and the version on the MCA "Greatest Hits" CD is the recording featuring Percy Faith's orchestration. The songs are short and simple to understand and are set in the classic folk tradition making this one folk album you need to start your collection with. Contrary to another review of this item, Collectables basically copied the liner notes from the original vinyl and used them on this reissue as they still apply to the album to this day. The CD reissue has 3 bonus tracks that were not on the vinyl issue (for those looking for the vinyl: check zShops, Amazon Auctions, ...for that and only buy the mono version, which is what this CD uses, as the "stereo" LP is all rechanneled) and they really work well with the album so you can listen to them over and over again just like the original 26 tracks on the album.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last!!!, December 9, 2002

By 

Judy Bradley (Horse Shoe, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

My parents had this album and "The Return of 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.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS REAL FOLK MUSIC ! EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY, November 27, 2000

By 

James D. Jones (DeFuniak Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

Here's another fine Burl Ives release on compact disc.Finally there are some high quality products available and this one is among the best.Truthfully I have never heard any bad Burl Ives music.This is some of his most famous folk material.Folk song collecting is where Ives got his inspiration to become the great entertainer that he has.In his early days he traveled around the country as a vagabond performing and learning folk songs in coal camps,logging camps,hobo jungles and other places.This is that kind of traditional ,real folk.Included are the most well known recordings of "Sweet Betsy from Pike","Tam Pierce" and "Peter Grey"which are three of Ives'best ever.The other 26 are ALL excellent as well.There are no liner notes of any kind except for the release dates.The sound quality of these old recordings is quite good,sounding as if they could have been remastered from tape.Usually when an Ives compilation is released on compact disc,someone finds fault,comparing it to the original vinyl records.Well if you feel like getting out granny's victrola and searching the ends of the earth,go ahead.But,you wont find anything as good or better than this.