The new Hinton CD thing

Subject: The new Hinton CD thing
From: Abby Sale
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 02:13 PM


With great pleasure, I'm listening to the brand new Sam Hinton - The Library Of Congress Session, March 25, 1947; Very nicely remastered & produced (except for misnumbering the booklet) on a Bear Family Records CD (1999) New, current notes by Sam.

Bear Family call Sam "one of the last great reliquaries of American folk song."  That's certainly true but I'm not sure it's the tactfulest to put it in English.

I don't know how to write a review.  I wish I did.  This is a "must have."  Well, it is if you have any interest a) in traditional US song or b) in the actual songs that the Revival, 10+ years later was based on.  (I reckon the Revival begins about 1956 or so & the news got out six or so years later.)

So's you get the idea, the first few of 46(!) songs are

Cindy
Careless Love
I Just Don't Want To Be Rich
Down In The Valley
Battle Of Bunker Hill
Bombardment Of Bristol, Rhode Island
Katy Cruel
Groundhog
I've Got No Use For The Women
Streets Of Laredo (Irish Tune)
Grieve, Oh Grieve

Completely ignoring that these are good songs, finely sung and that it's well-produced and has the honesty to say right out in public these are all traditional, not copyright songs...ignoring the pleasure of listening to Sam's singing or the constant surprises of his versions (ie, not a one from the Joan Baez Songbook or Rise Up Singing) they're good songs.

I'm strongly recommending this to All.  For pleasure, for songs, for academic purposes.  Any of them.

Disclaimer:  Well, maybe I have some conflict of interest - I like Sam personally.  None other.  And I'm only one on millions at that.
 

Subject: RE: The new Hinton CD thing
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 10:36 PM

And, of course, It's available through CAMSCO.

Subject: RE: The new Hinton CD thing
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 10:54 PM

We got a little preview of this CD via a casette sent to us by Adam Miller last year. He told us that he was the first person to listen to these recordings since they were made in 1947. Imagine, these magnificent recordings have been ignored for more than fifty years. Well, at least now everyone will be able to hear them.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: The new Hinton CD thing
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 11:20 PM

It's great that the music of this wonderful guy and folksinger is available for all to hear. Sam is one o' the best ever. For those of you who have not heard Sam Hinton's Decca Lps or the several he made for Folkways, well, you're in for a treat.

(You've got to hear "It's A Long Way To Amphioxis" even if the biology involved was off the mark. It's on one of the Folkways albums---along with "Harry Herman"---a song about a guy digging clams on a bet with a lady who says she'll marry him if he will dig 6 barrels of clams on a ten foot tide.)

Art Thieme