|
Subject: Blind Alfred Reed From: GUEST,stumacd3@maine.rr.com Date: 08 Jan 02 - 09:36 PM Hello, I am wondering if anyone knows anything about Blind Alfred Reed. I am familiar with some of his songs, but am asking for overall impressions of his complete works. Please email me at stumacd3@maine.rr.com. Thank you! |
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: Les B Date: 09 Jan 02 - 12:20 AM I just got a CD of his from County about two months ago. While I liked a song of his I first heard on an anthology of old time music, I was a little disapointed with the full CD of him. He was a fine fiddler, but his songs, many which he penned himself, tend, to my taste, to be a bit stilted and "preachy". Also, he didn't play many fiddle tunes on the CD, mostly songs. |
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: Rick Fielding Date: 09 Jan 02 - 12:35 AM One of his skills was to be able to sing AND play the melody (pretty much in tune). I've tried that and it's HARD! Rick |
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: Stewie Date: 09 Jan 02 - 03:07 AM The CD that Les refers to is 'Complete Recorded Works' Document DOCD-8022. I agree that there is a preachiness to some of his pieces, indeed to the extent that one begins to wonder how serious he actually was and suspects perhaps a wry smile at times. I am very glad to own the CD; there are some lovely recordings on it. Reed's voice is strong and clear and his fiddle playing very fine. He was an extremely religious man and many of his secular pieces have a hymn-like austerity, but are none the less moving for that. His own simple compositions reflect the rural southerner's contempt for materialism, hypocrisy and exploitation. His event ballads, such 'The Wreck of the Virginian' and 'Fate Of Chris Lively and Wife' stand as well as similar pieces by his contemporaries and his reworkings of familiar themes - 'Explosion in the Fairmount Mines', 'The Prayer of the Drunkard's Little Girl', 'Black and Blue Blues', 'Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down - have his personal stamp. Three of the 4 recordings in his first session were gospel pieces - 'I Mean to Live for Jesus', 'You Must Unload' and 'Walking in the Way with Jesus'. The remaining side was 'Wreck of the Virginian'. 'Unload' was a popular gospel song of the time, but he may or may not have had a hand in the composition of the other two. In his subsequent 2 sessions, he eschewed gospel for his ballads and novelty songs. His masterworks are 'How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live' and 'There'll Be No Distinction There', the latter being one of the few early recordings, black or white, on the subject of discrimination and subsequently recorded twice by the Carter Family [there is also a version in the Brown Collection of NC Folklore]. The 2 moralistic songs about flapper hairstyles, 'Why Do You Bob Your Hair Girls' and 'Why Don't You Bob Your Hair Girls No 2' [Victor mistakenly had 'Don't' on the label of the latter], are dated and perhaps stilted, but nevertheless are of historical interest in respect of the countryman's attitude towards fads and the jazz age. In a similar vein to 'Poor Man' was 'Money Cravin' Folks'. The condition of marriage was a favourite theme for Reed, giving rise to 'Woman's Been After Man Ever Since' and 'We've Got to Have 'Em, That's All', two songs that I reckon hold up pretty well. My personal favourites of Reed's are two on which his son, Arville, shares the vocals [Arville also played guitar on most of his recordings]: 'Beware' and 'You'll Miss Me'. 'Beware' is particularly delightful with charming fiddle accompaniment - as Rick said above, the fiddle plays the melody [Reed kept rattlesnake rattles in his instrument in hopes of improving the tone]:
We know young men are bold and free 'You'll Miss Me', a secular song, has faint echoes, particularly in the chorus, with 'Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone', a gospel song perhaps best known by the Carter Family recording. The 2 songs not mentioned so far are a sentimental piece called 'The Old-Fashioned Cottage' and a topical Reed composition that was recorded solo by Arville on vocal and guitar - 'The Telephone Girl'. --Stewie.
|
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: Art Thieme Date: 09 Jan 02 - 11:50 AM Well, I guess it's nice to see someone who really is sure of themselves. That said, the problems start when those convictions stop just being a knock on the door from someone with a magazine to sell and begin being a BANG on the door from someone who wants to cut your head off because you didn't "bob your hair, girls". Civil liberties are being trounced on right now, here and in other places, by people who are "certain" of their beliefs. And I really don't know what can be done about it. The courts are upholding the overzealousness in the name of "the greater good". Always dangerous. Sorry for the thread creep. Just on my mind today---and every day, lately, after I've read the morning paper. Art Thieme |
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: Rick Fielding Date: 09 Jan 02 - 12:41 PM I dunno Art. If someone came to my door enquiring about my salvation, WITH a fiddle, I'd be tempted to invite them in, put on a pot of coffee, and get out the guitar. After a few tunes, I'd quickly start rummaging through my thousands of records, and begin boring them senseless with excerpts from Gid Tanner, Eck Robertson, Grant Rogers, and Bob Wills...Complete with MY theories on regional styles. I'd ask them what they though about "the Devil's interval" and whether Satan preferred 'long bowing' or 'shuffle'. Now of course, if they appeared on my doorstep with an accordion....I'd hide till they went away! Rick |
|
Subject: RE: Blind Alfred Reed From: GUEST,Les B. Date: 09 Jan 02 - 04:23 PM Stewie - wow ! That's a much more articulate summary of Blind Alfred's recording than I was able to summon up. I did indeed fail to mention that his voice was strong and clear, and that he did fiddle and sing at the same time. And yes, Rick, that is damned hard to do! The song Blind Alfred Reed did that I really like, and am getting ready to learn, is "Beware". |
| Share Thread: |
