The Long Road to Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music [BOX SET] [ENHANCED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2001)
• Includes 5 CDs & 1 DVD edition
• Original Release Date: September 11, 2001
• Number of Discs: 5
• Format: Box set, Enhanced, Original recording remastered
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Buddha
• ASIN: B00005NCRC
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,299 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Ose Yie (Ashanti War Chant) - Asafoiatse Nettey

2. Sakadougou (Maninka Ballad) - Kandia

3. Ake (Yoruba Work Chant)

4. Kufidi M'Pala Bituta (Baluba) - Toko Mzobe

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Tombeau, Tombeau

2. Je M'en Vais Finir Mes Jours ("Madelaine" song)

3. Dans Un Brigatoire

4. Pour la Belle Layotte - William "Billy" Eaton

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Ol' Lady From Brewster (Children's Song)

2. Hallie, Come On! (Woman's Field Holler) - Miriam Burton

3. Run Squirrel, Whoa Mule (Game Song) - Thelma Drayton

4. Fox Chase (Mouth Organ) - Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Let The Deal Go Down - Godfrey Cambridge, Joe Crofford, Brownie McGee

2. Betty and Dupree - Joe Williams

3. Eas' Man - Leon Bibb

4. John Henry - Valentine Pringle

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 5

1. Ho Boys Cancha Line 'Em? - Valentine Pringle

2. Good Ir'n - Harry Belafonte

3. Go On Ol' Gator

4. Doncha Hear Yo' Po' Mother Callin'?

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Decades after its conception, Harry Belafonte's enormously ambitious project has come to a rewarding fruition with the release of this lovingly produced and beautifully packaged collection. Between 1961 and 1971, Belafonte sought to create a comprehensive document of what he calls "African-matrixed music": "African rooted, Africa as origin, evolved from an original African form." The rough timeframe Belafonte follows begins with the arrival of blacks in America in the early 17th century and ends at the dawn of the recording age. Yet this five-disc set (with a bonus "making of" DVD) amounts to so much more than a musical history; it is, instead, a detailed sociopolitical history of the people who created this music and a journey following the evolution of black culture from the time that the diaspora left Africa for the New World.

Disc 1 offers tribal chants, shouts, and spirituals while the second disc explores the slavery era through the Civil War. Disc 3 looks at postwar sounds both urban and rural while the fourth disc crosses into the next century as the street cries and mountain hollers morph into folk ballads, gritty blues, and minstrel shows--the roots of popular music as we know it today. The final disc includes songs of work and songs of worship, the practical tools of survival for African Americans in troubled times. The sounds found across these discs are faithful re-creations featuring a large cast that includes the likes of Belafonte, Bessie Jones, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and Joe Williams. The lovely 140-page hardbound book includes extensive notes and provocative essays, as well as stunning photos plus artwork by Charles White. To be sure, this is not easy listening and those looking for your basic "roots music" collection will be disappointed. Rather, this is really a fascinating exploration of the roots of roots music. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Incredible from a historical standpoint, September 25, 2001

By	"merlthepearl" (thousand oaks, CA United States) - See all my reviews

The packaging of this set is absolutely top notch. The highest quality materials were used in its construction and the book is superb.

However, from a musical standpoint, I found it very hard to listen to (and I am quite open minded, musically; a big fan of "the Anthology of American Folk Music").

I had expected much more rootsy music...field recordings and the like ala Lomax. However, all of the music on these dics was recorded by Belafonte in a studio in New York and involves many religeous chants, work hollers and childrens songs. A good deal of this set is simply sung a cappella. The selections that I enjoyed most are the ones that have some instrumentaion (mostly drums and hand clapping). There are a few numbers that have additional instrumentation as well.

Overall, while I feel it is worth owning as a historical multimedia document of the black experience in America, I know I will listen to it seldom, if at all, because you REALLY have to be in the mood for it.

If you are looking for a more accessable documentation of black music, I would recommend that you look at a collection called "Sounds of the South" which has a lot of great field recordings made by Alan Lomax.

The overall effect of "The Long Road to Freedom" is like walking through a slavery exhibit at a museum...educational and interesting, but ultimately, in my opinion, not overly satisfying from a musical standpoint.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful job of recovering history while being historical, March 4, 2002

By	Fred McGhee "fredmcghee" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Job well done. The scope of this music is as comprehensive as anything out there. One of the great things about this collection is that it is broad in scope yet surprisingly accessible. These CD's are great teaching tools, and are also surprisingly ENTERTAINING at the same time. In that regard alone they are a wonderful testament of and to the Black experience. But they are far more than just this. The engineers working on this record also did a terrific job; the sound quality is exceptional... You will be challenged, educated, excited, entertained, enriched, and uplifted by these amazing and stirring songs.

No, these are not the Lomax field recordings. If you read the book accompanying the five CD's you'll find out why these recordings weren't done in the field. I'm glad they made the decision that they did; for the most part they brought the field into the (now historic) studio.

These songs will make Black people immensely proud of their heritage, and will give others a fine appreciation of the Black experience in America and elsewhere...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gift to us all, January 7, 2002

By	AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

What a gift this is to all of us! Researched and recorded between 1961 and 1971, this collection traces the
history of black music from the late 1600's to the 20th Century. It covers the roots of African music,
chants, shouts and early spirituals, Louisiana Creole music and a re-creation of a slave Christmas, songs
from the Underground Railroad and Civil War era, rural and urban roots music, game and children's
songs, work songs, minstrel songs...you name it, it's here.

As one who has spent innumerable hours straining to decipher old recordings, I must say that
Belafonte and crew have done a fantastic job of bringing the music to life, creating a sound that is both
satisfying to the modern ear, yet authentic and respectful to the original material. (The music has NOT, for
example, been modernized stylistically. Hurrah for that!) Belafonte simply captured in a modern era what
might have been captured in, say, 1866 had modern recording equipment been available.