Personnel: Pete Seeger (vocals, 12-string guitar, banjo).
Liner Note Authors: Guy Logsdon; Jeff Place; Pete Seeger .
Recording information: New York, NY.
Editors: Peter Seitel; Carla Borden; Jacob Love.
Introduction bys: Guy Logsdon; Jeff Place.
Photographer: David Gahr.
Translator: Oscar Brand.
Arrangers: Texas Gladden; Jean-Jacques Rousseau ; Huddie Ledbetter; John A. Lomax; John Jacob Niles; Marion Hicks.
Originally released between 1957 and 1962, Pete Seeger's five-volume series, AMERICAN FAVORITE BALLADS, brought the nascent folk revival into the cultural mainstream and acted as a cultural history lesson for countless Americans seeking to explore the origins of American musical traditions. Seeger has a colossal legacy as a folk singer, storyteller, and social historian, and these recordings form the bedrock of his remarkably influential career. The traditional material that Seeger records here, including songs like the murder ballad "Frankie and Johnny," Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene," and the country gospel standard "Farther Along," would serve as inspiration to future frontrunners in the folk movement such as the Kingston Trio and Joan Baez. At a time when American folk traditions were underappreciated and sparsely documented, Seeger's recordings functioned as a much-needed jolt to America's collective memory.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.74) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "[Seeger] invests each tune with his cheeky spirit....Seeger steps aside and lets the songs shine."
Dirty Linen (p.52) - "[T]he repertoire is far-ranging, including cowboy ballads, British folk songs, country standards, blues tunes, patriotic ditties, railroad songs, spirituals -- virtually anything that could easily be sung in a group setting..."
