Malcolm Laws Index

Subject: RE: Malcolm Laws Index
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 07:44 PM

I'd have thought that it was still in copyright, so it's surprising to find it available online; still more surprising to find that UK users are allowed access to it as well.

An enormously useful resource; thanks for pointing it out. Tim will find, though, that it is the second volume that he needs; though for most of the songs concerned, the Roud Index will provide the basic references needed for sleevenotes.

Subject: RE: Malcolm Laws Index
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 06:53 PM

G. Malcolm Laws, Jr.'s Native American Balladry (1950) is available online at Internet Archive. This is the first edition, but I think the classification is the same as that of the revised edition (1964).

Subject: RE: Malcolm Laws Index
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 05:00 PM

Laws' Index was a monumental work, but probably of very little use to anyone. He classified broadside ballads in a hierarchical scheme, where an initial letter designated the general category (Murder, Marriage, Negro etc.) and a number to identify the particular song. Problem is, it doesn't work for a Negro murder ballad, f'rinstance, where more than one category may apply. Laws also didn't provide examples in his index, and his references are often unobtainable, so that it's impossible to determine the logic of listings like: Plains of Waterloo I , Plains of Waterloo II, etc.

In a smaller, though IMO still monumental effort towards clarifying Laws' Index, Susan of DT spent a good deal of time tracking down an example of each of the Laws-numbered ballads and added them, with Laws Numbers, to digiTrad.

Subject: RE: Malcolm Laws Index
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:40 PM

You'll also find some information in this thread: Help: Laws catalog

Mick

Subject: RE: Malcolm Laws Index
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:36 PM

Lots of information about him and his work here, depending of course on whether this is actually want you want to know.

Subject: Malcolm Laws Index
From: RTim
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:23 PM

If I want to make reference to The Malcolm Laws Index of Folk Song, etc., on a CD jacket or in a book, how do I do it?
ie. What is it, Where is, How can I use it, how do I describe it?

Thanks - Tim Radford