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Avg: 4.0 (33 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1990
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Traditional Folk
- Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Grade A pickin’ and singin’ from a legendary folk guitarist.
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We Say...
Though I've always been seduced by the intimacy of what's now titled The Original Folkways Recordings of Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley: 1960-1962, even that doesn't quite measure up to this 1963 follow-up. The North Carolina flat-picker was one of the two or three most influential folk-country guitarists of the last half century or so, and a seemingly bottomless repository of traditional music, though he retained a healthy respect for other forms (he was working as an electric rockabilly and western swing guitarist when first discovered by '60s folk researchers). He's been recorded in nearly every conceivable context but family brings out the best in Doc, whose sure, gentle tone and timing are impeccable and irresistible (he also plays some banjo, mandolin and autoharp). The harmonies on the spirituals are especially moving, but Doc tore into trad material like the hoary instrumental "Bonaparte's Retreat" with style and spirit that made it distinctly his own.
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They Say...
Doc Watson, grandfather of the folk revival movement, has had a profound influence on American traditional music. Not only did he pioneer the playing of fiddle tunes on a flattop guitar, but through his incessant touring has brought traditional music to a larger audience. This Smithsonian Folkways release captures not only Doc Watson, but almost a dozen family members at the height of their power and has been deservingly hailed as a classic recording. Right from the opening track, "Old Groundhog," Watson and family send the listener on an amazing journey into the American musical past and present. Incidentally, their performance of "Old Groundhog" is certainly the equal of Bascom Lamar Lunsford's "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground," in terms of surreal country, capturing as it does race relations, commentary on shoe strings, as well directions for catching a groundhog. On "The House Carpenter," a weepy tale of that conflates religious and personal love, a haunting female voice sings almost off-key accompanied only by a fiddle that doubles on the melody. On the instrumental "Bonaparte's Retreat," Watson offers a droning, sea shanty-influenced version of this song staple of Mississippi river communities. Some of the family's best work is found in the spirituals scattered about the album. "When I Die" features a beautiful, uplifting three-part harmony, as does "The Lost Soul," which contains the wickedly abject refrain, "I'm paying now/the penalty." A fabulous record that's a must-listen for any serious fan of American music.
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| 01. |  |
Ground Hog |
2:21 |
|
| 02. | |
Every Day Dirt |
2:08 |
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| 03. | |
Bonaparte's Retreat |
1:31 |
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| 04. | |
The House Carpenter |
4:33 |
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| 05. | |
I'm Troubled |
2:42 |
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| 06. | |
Your Long Journey |
2:36 |
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| 07. | |
When I Die |
2:17 |
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| 08. | |
That Train That Carried My Girl from Town |
2:20 |
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| 09. | |
Down the Road |
1:41 |
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| 10. | |
The Lone Pilgrim |
3:08 |
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| 11. | |
Texas Gales / Blackberry Rag (medley) |
1:58 |
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| 12. | |
Darling Corey |
2:37 |
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| 13. | |
The Triplett Tragedy |
5:31 |
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| 14. | |
Muddy Roads |
1:24 |
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| 15. | |
The Lost Soul |
3:01 |
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| 16. | |
Keep in the Middle of the Road |
1:14 |
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| 17. | |
The Old Man Below |
1:35 |
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| 18. | |
Pretty Saro |
1:42 |
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| 19. | |
Cousin Sally Brown |
2:20 |
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| 20. | |
Look Down That Lonesome Road |
2:06 |
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| 21. | |
Doodle Bug |
1:02 |
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| 22. | |
Rambling Hobo |
1:38 |
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| 23. | |
The Cuckoo Bird |
3:03 |
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| 24. | |
Frosty Morn |
1:41 |
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| 25. | |
Shady Grove |
2:17 |
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| 26. | |
Southbound |
2:40 |
|
26 Total Tracks, 61:06 Total Length
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Credits
- Doc Watson - Banjo // Doc Watson - Banjo // Doc Watson - Banjo // Doc Watson - Banjo // Doc Watson - Guitar // Doc Watson - Guitar // Doc Watson - Guitar // Doc Watson - Guitar // Doc Watson - Mandolin // Doc Watson - Mandolin // Doc Watson - Mandolin // Doc Watson - Mandolin // Doc Watson - Autoharp // Doc Watson - Autoharp // Doc Watson - Autoharp // Doc Watson - Autoharp // Doc Watson - Vocals // Doc Watson - Vocals // Doc Watson - Vocals // Doc Watson - Vocals // Doc Watson - Main Performer // Doc Watson - Main Performer // Doc Watson - Main Performer // Doc Watson - Main Performer // Doc Watson - Compilation // Doc Watson - Compilation // Doc Watson - Compilation // Doc Watson - Compilation // Doc Watson - Assistant // Doc Watson - Assistant // Doc Watson - Assistant // Doc Watson - Assistant // The Watson Family - Vocals // The Watson Family - Main Performer // Mike Seeger - Compilation // Mike Seeger - Assistant // Mickey Hart - Technical Advisor // Mickey Hart - Technical Advisor // Mickey Hart - Technical Advisor // Mickey Hart - Technical Advisor // Gaither Carlton - Banjo // Gaither Carlton - Fiddle // Gaither Carlton - Vocals // David Glasser - Digital Editing // Dolly Greer - Vocals // Sophronie Miller Greer - Vocals // Jeff Place - Producer // Jeff Place - Liner Notes // Jeff Place - Compilation // Jeff Place - Archivist // Jeff Place - Reissue Compilation // Ralph Rinzler - Guitar // Ralph Rinzler - Producer // Ralph Rinzler - Engineer // Ralph Rinzler - Executive Producer // Ralph Rinzler - Compilation // Ralph Rinzler - Assistant // Ralph Rinzler - Reissue Compilation // Peter Siegel - Engineer // Annie Watson - Vocals // Annie Watson - ? // Arnold Watson - Banjo // Arnold Watson - Harmonica // Arnold Watson - Arranger // Arnold Watson - Vocals // Merle Watson - Banjo // Merle Watson - Guitar // Rosa Lee Watson - Vocals // Willard Watson - Banjo // Bob Yellin - Photography // Bob Yellin - Cover Photo // Lorrie Taylor - Assistant // Archie Green - Engineer // Eugene Earle - Engineer // Suzanne Holder - Assistant
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