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

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2006
• Number of Discs: 4
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B000ICLTMS
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,742 in Music (See Bestsellers 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

Disc 1 - Live CD:
Highlights include exclusive live performances by Beck, Elvis Costello, Wilco, Nick Cave, Beth Orton, Steve Earle and more! Complete tracklist and song samples are above.

Disc 2 - Live CD:
Highlights include exclusive live performances by Lou Reed, Marianne Faithful, Todd Rundgren, Nick Cave, David Johansen, Van Dyke Parks and more! Complete tracklist and song samples are above.

Disc 3 - Live DVD:
The Harry Smith Project Live featuring highlights from the concerts:
1. Elvis Costello, THE BUTCHER'S BOY
2. David Johansen, OLD DOG BLUE
3. Nick Cave, JOHN THE REVELATOR
4. Beck, LAST FAIR DEAL GONE DOWN
5. Ed Sanders, ONE HOT SUMMER NIGHT WITH HARRY SMITH
6. Kate & Anna McGarrigle, SUGAR BABY
7. Lou Reed, SEE THAT MY GRAVE IS KEPT CLEAN
8. Beth Orton, FRANKIE
9. Rosewell Rudd with Sonic Youth, DRY BONES
10. The Folksmen, OLD JOE'S PLACE
11. Robin Holcomb & Todd Rundgren, THE HOUSE CARPENTER
12. Gavin Friday with Maurice Seezer, WHEN THAT GREAT SHIP WENT DOWN

13. Philip Glass, ETUDE NO. 10
14. David Johansen, JAMES ALLEY BLUES
15. Eric Mingus with Gary Lucas, OH DEATH WHERE IS THY STING?
16. Petra Haden, SINGLE GIRL, MARRIED GIRL
17. Richard Thompson with Eliza Carthy, THE COO COO BIRD
18. Bob Neuwirth with Eliza Carthy, I WISH I WAS A MOLE IN THE GROUND

19. Geoff Muldaur, POOR BOY BLUES
20. Don Byron, Percy Heath & Bill Frisell, THIS SONG OF LOVE
21. Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Elvis Costello, OMMIE WISE PART 1 & 2 (WHAT LEWIS DID LAST...)
22. Steve Earle, PRISON CELL BLUES
23. David Thomas, FISHING BLUES

Disc 4 - Documentary DVD:
The brand-new documentary, The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith Anthology Of American Folk Music, will take you on an eclectic musical journey through "The Old, Weird America." Hal Willner's Harry Smith Project concerts celebrate the eccentric genius collector and his influential Anthology Of American Folk Music. Instrumental in helping inspire the urban folk revival of the 1960s, the Anthology's continuing impact on modern music is incalculable. This film is available nowhere else.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harry Smith's Anthology Revisited. Result: A Complete Triumph!, October 26, 2006

By	David Mandau (Takoma Park, MD) - See all my reviews

I've known and loved Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music since I first bought the CD version (from Amazon--my first online CD purchase!) in 1998. Suffice it to say, any tribute to it is going to have its work cut out for it. Luckily, the Harry Smith Project box set is incredibly enjoyable--and educational--all the way through.

The format of the box is unusual and traditional. Unusual in that it consists of two DVDs and two CDs. Traditional in that it comes in a big 12" by 12" box, the kind that they don't seem to make anymore. (That trend is real shame in my book, by the way--a box set should have heft and not be a puny little thing.) It's the same size as the original box, so it looks great sitting on the shelf next to it--a nice touch.

Both CDs and one of the DVDs consist of highlights from several tribute shows staged by producer extraordinaire Hal Willner a few years ago. (I planned to attend one of the shows but never made it--but that's another story.) The music runs the gamut--fairly traditional renditions of Anthology songs by folkies like Geoff Muldaur, the McGarrigle sisters, and Eliza McCarthy to more-radical reworkings by more contemporary artists.

A few highlights:
-Wilco (and David Johansen, separately) tackling Richard "Rabbit" Brown's James Alley Blues, probably my favorite song from the Anthology. It's always struck me as an odd mix of the old-fashioned and the modern, so it's great to hear Wilco slap a rhythm section on it and turn it into a sprightly folk-rock tune.
-Nick Cave's John the Revelator. I know this as a Son House song--basically a gospel blues. Nick, backed by a wailing trio of femail singers, turns it from a gospel moan into a devilish stomp. Brilliant!
-Lou Reed's version of See that My Grave Is Kept Clean. Another blues tune, this time by Blind Lemon Jefferson. I'm not as familiar with Lou's solo work as I ought to be. I do know that he used to fine members of the Velvet Underground if they used a blues lick during rehearsals. I wonder how much he owes for this performance, which shows that Lou can do pounding elemental electric blues as a well as anyone. The verses are separated by extended guitar rave-ups which are just amazing. Perhaps my favorite performance on the set.
-Elvis Costello's version of Butcher Boy. Elvis strumming on a driving one-chord (I think) jam. I've never heard him sing the blues, I don't think. This comes awfully close.

Anyway, those are just the highlights. I've only listed to the CDs and live DVD once, so I'm sure more will emerge over time.

The final disc is the documentary entitled The Old Weird America. In some ways, it might be best to watch this disc before you dig into the rest of the set. The reason: because it pretty clearly and compellingly lays out Harry Smith's history and make a case for his great influence on 20th century music. Lots of talking heads--Greil Marcus, Elvis, Johansen, Steve Earle and others--and a fair sampling of the live performances round out this fascinating look at a man who none of us will truly ever understand, though we can of course appreciate his impact.

Anyway, this is NOT a purist folk release. But it IS perfect for anyone who loves the adventurous spirit of the original Anthology, or anyone who loves the artists featured. Get it--you won't be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	bogus picker "bogus picker" (bay area) - See all my reviews

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?"

2 of 2 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 "ad9000" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.