Customer Reviews

The Weavers At Carnegie Hall

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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I was given this album in the late 1950s when a young teenager. Since then I of course became a Bob Dylan disciple, then became heavily addicted to the best British rock and pop music, through The Who, The Beatles, Kinks, Animals and all the other members of that extraordinary 1960s caravanserai.

And amidst all that was the explosion into my consciousness of great classical music, experienced through the likes of Oistrakh and Richter, Giulini and Klemperer, Schwarzkopf and Popp.

I still love ALL types of great music. And I still regularly return to The Weavers and still marvel at their art and their commitment. And of all their recordings I have heard since they first impinged on my young consciousness, this 1955 concert at Carnegie Hall is still the freshest, thumpingest, foot-stomping best. Buy it now. No matter what your age, it will enrich your musical life forever.

This is one of the best Folk albums ever and definately the place to start your collection of Weavers material. When you hear their version of "Sixteen Tons" you'll quickly forget the one by Ernie Ford. "When The Saints Go Marching In" is also great. And, of course, "Wimmoweh" and "Goodnight Irene" are excellent. Add "Rock Island Line" and "Follow The Drinking Gourd" and you have a classic album. But, there are 20 cuts total, so this just barely scratches the surface. The songs, Seeger's instrumentation, and the harmonies of the four is simply outstanding. Definately get this one and enjoy some of the finest Folk Music ever recorded.

I never saw/heard The Weavers live, but I have many of their albums and have played this particular one, literally, hundreds of times. No, I am not a big folk music fan. In fact, I cannot think of one other so-called folk album in my collection of CD's.

The first thing one notices about this live concert, recorded in February of 1955, is that the sound is so terrific-- as if recorded in that great concert hall yesterday. At the same time, the sense of pure joy coming from the stage and then back from the audience is palpable.

The four voices that make up the group are individually so fine & so idiosyncratic: the big, booming bass of Lee Hayes, the sweet baritone of Fred Hellerman, the totally unique sound of Pete Seeger and, best of all for me, the warm alto of Ronnie Gilbert whose every note is just about perfect and whose enunciation is superb. You understand every single word she sings on every single song.

From Ireland, Africa, Indonesia, the American South, Israel, etc. every song is chosen perfectly and matchlessly performed....and I promise you that you'll never listen to "Greensleeves" ever again, without slyly smiling. It is easy to hear that the audience is having the time of their lives. The Weavers are a national treasure. I dare you not to sing along. Highly Recommended.

This CD is a wonderful record of the triumphant concert by The Weavers given at Carnegie Hall on December 24, 1955. After a three year hiatus because they had been blacklisted by McCarthy, The Weavers began to play again in 1955 and played Carnegie Hall to a packed audience! This CD records both the concert and the electric atmosphere in the concert hall that night.

Of course, The Weavers sing their hits "Goodnight Irene" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" as well as songs from around the world such as "Suliram (I'll Be There)" from Indonesia and "Shalom Chaverim" from Israel. The group believed that folk music included more than just American songs. This belief is shown again when they sing "Around The World."

Although one reviewer says the sound is "so terrific," in my opinion the sound quality varies throughout the CD. Although sometimes it does seem as if they're in my living room, this concert seems to have been recorded in mono originally for LP and also if you listen very closely there seems to be several times when the singers are cut off just as they end the last note of the song. The recording of the concert is strictly speaking not complete since the applause is very obviously edited.

Overall, this CD is a great addition to any collection. The Weavers sing a broad variety of songs set in the folk style, such as "Greensleeves" and "Sixteen Tons." This CD is no longer so easy to find. Get it now-it is harder to find for a GOOD reason! GRIN

This is one of the best Folk albums ever and definately the place to start your collection of Weavers material. When you hear their version of "Sixteen Tons" you'll quickly forget the one by Ernie Ford. "When The Saints Go Marching In" is also great. And, of course, "Wimmoweh" and "Goodnight Irene" are excellent. Add "Rock Island Line" and "Follow The Drinking Gourd" and you have a classic album. But, there are 20 cuts total, so this just barely scratches the surface. The songs, Seeger's instrumentation, and the harmonies of the four is simply outstanding. Definately get this one and enjoy some of the finest Folk Music ever recorded.

Two incredible recordings were made from the 1955 shows at Carnegie Hall. This one and "The Weavers On Tour". Unfortunately the latter has not yet been released on CD. Both recordings have an energy that holds up 50 years later. Listen!

Very few musical groups gain the legendary status that the Weavers did, and not just because of the political controversy that the '50's cast over them. They preserved, promoted, and believed American folk song. This album reveals the joy and enthusiasm and professionalism of the original foursome: Pete Seeger, Lee Hayes, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. You can't do any better.

I listened to the Carnegie Hall Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 LPs as a child and was not disappointed in these recordings as CDs. Vol. 1 has a more "folk music-y" flavor, no doubt from the influence of Pete Seeger, who tends to channel "pure" folk music in all its variants, from raw to rollicking. Vol. 2 songs are more typically melodic in their arrangements, although still definitely folk, and feature the musically interesting, husky yet pleasing voice of Eric Darling, with amazingly high-quality sound.

This is a classic from a bygone era. The playlist and the sound are impeccable. Shipped and arived quickly. Price was great.
I'm a " happy camper " once again. Thank you Amazon and sellers.

As the other posters indicated, this was the Weavers' triumphant return to the stage and song after being blacklisted for leftist activites in 1952.

All of that aside, the CD is just plain fun. The foursome of folkie forerunners go through a number of tunes representing worldwide folk music in a very cherry fashion harminising to a guitar and Pete Seeger's peerless banjo.

The ending, when the entire Carnegie Hall audience joins them in the lovely "Goodnight Irene" is enough to make old Joe McCarthy and Ann Coulter dance in the aisles with Rush Limbaugh. It'll make you smile too, reminding you of a pleasant evening with friends singing along to a banjo and guitar.

BTW, Peter Paul and Mary have said in a documentary that they were in this audience as teenagers. They learned their lessons and carried the baton well.