Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume Four: Labor Songs

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In honor of Harry Smith, born 90 years ago today. The canonical three were done a few years ago; this one seems pretty worthy too!

Poll Results

OptionVotes
18. "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" — Blind Alfred Reed 4
9. "Cold Iron Bed" — Jack Kelly & His South Memphis Jug Band 2
23. "I'll Be Rested (When the Roll Is Called)" — Roosevelt Graves 2
15. "Hello Stranger" — Carter Family 1
12. "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" — Robert Johnson 1
13. "Parchman Farm Blues" — Bukka White 1
14. "Mean Old World" — Heavenly Gospel Singers 1
20. "Governor Al Smith" — Uncle Dave Macon 1
17. "West Virginia Gals" — Al Hopkins & Bucklebusters 1
11. "Baby, Please Don't Go" — Joe Williams & Washboard Blues Singers 1
19. "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" — Uncle Dave Macon 1
5. "Adieu False Heart" — Arthur Smith Trio 1
4. "Down on the Banks of the Ohio" — Blue Sky Boys 1
27. "Dans le Grand Bois (In the Forest)" — Hackberry Ramblers 1
24. "He's in the Ring (Doing the Same Old Thing)" — Memphis Minnie 0
25. "The Cockeyed World" — Minnie Wallace 0
21. "Milk Cow Blues" — Sleepy John Estes 0
26. "Barbecue Bust" — Mississippi Jook Band 0
22. "No Depression in Heaven" — Carter Family 0
16. "Stand by Me" — Sister Clara Hudmon 0
1. "Memphis Shakedown" — Memphis Jug Band 0
10. "Packin' Trunk Blues" — Lead Belly 0
8. "Southern Casey Jones" — Jesse James 0
7. "Nine Pound Hammer" — Monroe Brothers 0
6. "John Henry Was a Little Boy" — J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers 0
3. "Black Jack David" — Carter Family 0
2. "Dog and Gun [Old English Ballad]" — Bradley Kincaid 0
28. "Aces' Breakdown" — The Four Aces 0


bentelec, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:12 (twelve years ago)

governor al smith

Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:57 (twelve years ago)

blue sky boys track is definitely one of the scarier old time songs

tylerw, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:59 (twelve years ago)

The super desolate "Mean Old World" is probably my vote. "Cold Iron Bed" and (on a lighter note) "West Virginia Gals" also key.

bentelec, Friday, 31 May 2013 17:10 (twelve years ago)

Still not the biggest Carter Family fan but the blithe evil of "Black Jack David" swung me a bit.

bentelec, Friday, 31 May 2013 17:12 (twelve years ago)

i love this volume to bits, and i gotta go with "west virginia gals."

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:25 (twelve years ago)

and if you think THAT blue sky boys track is creepy, you gotta hear their version of The Knoxville Girl... amazing stuff. they are probably my #1 harmony duo in early country music.

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:26 (twelve years ago)

so many classics on here though.. "Adieu False Heart"... "Hello Stranger"... "Aces Breakdown"...

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:27 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE7hf-nBd40

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:28 (twelve years ago)

monroes' "nine pound hammer" is great too but i might prefer the frank blevins version.

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:31 (twelve years ago)

i have a lot of opinions abt this music.
a few days ago i played rekkerds at a harry smith birthday celebration, but i did not bring this volume cuz the tracks are not listed on the labels and that makes it a PAIN for DJing..

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Friday, 31 May 2013 17:31 (twelve years ago)

The super desolate "Mean Old World" is probably my vote. [...]

― bentelec, Friday, May 31, 2013 7:10 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^ this.

And Parchman Farm Blues is wonderful. All great.

Duke, Friday, 31 May 2013 18:46 (twelve years ago)

yeah Parchman Farm Blues is beautiful, that's my vote

i don't even have an internet (Hurting 2), Friday, 31 May 2013 19:54 (twelve years ago)

blue sky boys track is definitely one of the scarier old time songs

― tylerw, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:59 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

what's scary about the performance (i mean, the lyrics are scary, but a lot of people have done that song)

voted roosevelt graves but adieu false heart is right up there

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 31 May 2013 23:32 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BKk9WDYF2o

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 31 May 2013 23:32 (twelve years ago)

what's scary about the performance
oh just the dead-eyed gape of their vocals if that makes sense.

tylerw, Saturday, 1 June 2013 01:52 (twelve years ago)

eh, that observation feels way too greil marcus-y to me --that's kind of how those brother duets sang. it's pretty, but once you get used to it, you can divorce it from the subjects of particular songs.

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 1 June 2013 05:04 (twelve years ago)

always always loved this performance of adieu false heart.

Clay, Saturday, 1 June 2013 05:22 (twelve years ago)

xp sorry but in my book two dudes singing sweetly about murdering a girl is scary... i mean, don't you think that was their intent? it's supposed to be a scary song/performance!

tylerw, Saturday, 1 June 2013 14:03 (twelve years ago)

Too bad Harry Smith never got around to doing Volumes 5 and 6. According to the Anthology's liner notes, they would have explored "rhythm changes" and the songs would have spanned all the way up to the 1950s. Wonder what songs he had in mind.

Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 1 June 2013 21:14 (twelve years ago)

xp sorry but in my book two dudes singing sweetly about murdering a girl is scary... i mean, don't you think that was their intent? it's supposed to be a scary song/performance!

― tylerw, Saturday, June 1, 2013 9:03 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

they sang sweetly about everything. that was kind of what they _did_. i don't think they meant for their _voices_ to sound "scary" on this recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg0fEE9wnuw

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 1 June 2013 23:52 (twelve years ago)

i mean on the recording of "banks of the ohio"

the youtube clip is for reference

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 1 June 2013 23:52 (twelve years ago)

ha, i guess i beg to differ -- it's a scary murder ballad! personally i have always been unsettled by it -- the fact that they sang about the sunny side of life in the same way makes it *more* unsettling imo.

tylerw, Sunday, 2 June 2013 13:56 (twelve years ago)

here is a song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jLeywdxLw

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Sunday, 2 June 2013 16:05 (twelve years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Tuesday, 4 June 2013 00:01 (twelve years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Wednesday, 5 June 2013 00:01 (twelve years ago)


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