Partial disagreement; partial agreement from me. I encountered it only in the CD reissue of a few years back, though I'm old enough to have encountered in the 60s. The vast majority of the songs (not instrumental tunes) I had previously heard in great but revival versions from Ry Cooder, Bob Franke, Paul Geremia, Geoff Bartley, and numerous others. It was enlightening and rewarding for me to hear the originals. I am not speaking of audio quality here, but rather of recognizing the generations-long impact of *this particular collection* of reissued 78s.

Plus, Harry Smith was a fascinating (obviously brilliant, obviously infuriating) man. Worth it just for the extended commentary in the reissue. Especially because you can get it discounted through various online sources.

chris smith