Is this book worth buying?

Subject: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 05:58 AM

I am doing some research - out of interest, not for a qualification - tracking down some of the English/Appalachains music and folk tale links. I have C Sharp's books.

Does anyone know enough about this one to know whether it is likely to add anything to what CJS knew?

Southern Mountain Folksongs: Traditional Songs from the Appalachians and the Ozarks
W K McNeil
August House Publishers
Published November 1992

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: GUEST,bailey
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:14 AM

Hell no! It's a piece of shit.

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: IanC
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:55 AM

Try the Folk Library PermaThread for Mudcatters' comments on good books. According to the USA (Regions), the best book on the Ozarks is Randolph.

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:59 AM

Thanks IanC. Bailey - your comment is clearly heartfelt!

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 08:41 AM

It contains only 36 songs (one version for each; no chords given), but comments and notes are often useful. McNeil's Southern Folk Ballads, 2 vols. (August House, 1987-88) are of more help.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 04:22 PM

I haven't looked at this title, but I trust August House for storytelling and other things "folk". That said, I'd try to look at the book in a library, get it on interlibrary loan, or somehow examine the goods before I bought it if I possibly could. Just my 2 ducats worth, hollowfox (the cheapskate librarian)

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 04:18 AM

Thanks to all. I have managed to find and order a copy of the Randolph book mentioned by IanC.

I admit to feeling a bit nervous about trying to buy anything from the PermaThread: as so many of the great books are out of print - Bronson, most of Child (thanks again Loomis Press) and so forth - I always expect to see the books are not available except for a huge price. I reckon that this supposedly 'Basic' library would cost well over US$50,000 to buy!

BUT: I was wrong - completely wrong. This Randolph book has cost US$23.05 including postage. So IanC is right, always try a search for the recommended books first

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: Nerd
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 02:00 AM

er...DMcG, I hate to tell you this, but what you ordered was probably the one volume version of Ozark Folksongs. The Complete version is four volumes, each of which is bigger than the one-volume version. To get it WOULD be real expensive.

The McNeil books are good introductory volumes, but not in-depth treatments.

Hope this helps!

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 03:20 AM

Oh, well, such is life!

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 07:37 AM

See also this thread ('Unprintable Songs') on Randolph's bawdy song collection.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 07:44 AM

I forgot to mention the great collection of Ozark folk songs, which is online: The Max Hunter Folk Song Collection.

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: GUEST,Foe
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 08:32 AM

Was turned on to Randolph's Ozark Folksongs when in college back in the '50s. U Maine library had the set. I was able to locate a reprint copy of the four volume set last year, still in shrink wraps, at a used bookstore (on the web) for $100

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 08:58 AM

RANDOLPH, Vance. Ozark Folksongs. 4 vols. Columbia: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1946-1950; reprint ed., 1980. 464, 448, 416, 414 pp.

"This monumental work shares with that of Frank C. Brown in North Carolina the honor of being the most extensive folklore collections on a particular region ever published. Edited by Floyd C. Shoemaker and Frances G. Emberson, it includes at least 900 ballads and songs from Missouri, but with variants, the total is closer to 1,700. About 800 of these have tunes. All are extensively documented in headnotes. Vol. I, English and related ballads, Vol. II, topical songs (including Civil War, Negro and pseudo-Negro songs, temperance), Vol. III, lighter songs and play parties, Vol. IV, religious songs, hymns, miscellaneous songs and sentimental ballads. There are indices of titles, first lines, contributors, and towns." (Terry Miller, Folk Music in America: A Reference Guide, Garland, 1986, p. 127)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 09:38 AM

Hey, DMcG, until you break the bank at Monte Carlo, check and see what they have in nearby libraries, not forgetting the reference section. Look in any nearby college or university libraries as well. You won't be able to look up things at 4 AM, but it's better than not seeing them at any time. Have fun, hollowfoxwhocan'taffordBronsoneither

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 09:48 AM

I work near the British Library, so I can get access to pretty much *everything*. They disapprove of my taking it home, though ...

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 09:58 AM

Just a thought to widen the thread a bit: I think that we're pretty much agreed that we'd all love the 'basic' library but gathering it is a lifetimes work (or maybe a lifetimes salary!) What would people suggest for "a folk-library in weekly parts"? Or more seriously, suppose we set a limit of, say, £20/US$30 a month and limited ourselves to books currently in print. What would people suggest for the first few months?

I would pick the Loomis House Child for the first month, obviously!

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 11 Apr 02 - 11:03 AM

McNeil has a vast knowledge of Ozark lore and music and is highly respected by folklorists around the country. He also has a great affection for folk traditions. My impression of August House is that their audience is not the scholarly community but rather the popular culture so one should not expect a great deal of depth in their publications. That is not to say they are worthless. They can be entertaining and informative. One may not agree with all of McNeil's opinions but he is an informed writer who has factual and literary support for his conclusions. I would recommend anything he has written including the August House publications.

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 01:28 AM

McNeil compiled a two-volume set called Southern Folk Ballads (August House, 1987-88) - that one is a significant piect of scholarship, although not as comprehensive as even the one-volume Randolph Ozark Folksongs.
August House published McNeil's Southern Mountain Folksongs in 1993. It's a short work and covers very few songs - but McNeil tells a really good story about every song he covers. Maybe it's not comprehensive, but it's very enjoyable and interesting reading.
McNeil is the editor of the August House American Folklore Series, a darn interesting collection of books. He's the folklorist at the Ozark Folk Center, and Mudcatters Arkie and Dale Rose are privileged to work with him there.

DMcG, don't give up hope of assembling a decent folk library. I've done pretty well, and I usually limit myself to $20 a volume (except for the really extraordinary books). If you cruise eBay and the online used booksellers, you can find decent prices for many of the books in the Basic Folk Library PermaThread. I'm in California and I've ordered books from Australia and Great Britain, and found that overseas shipping isn't prohibitive - as long as you're willing to wait.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 05:27 AM

Thanks Joe. I have a reasonable library for British Folk, mainly based on Northumbria and Southern England. It is in trying to start up a reasonable collection for a new area that need the help, so the advice on the 4-volume Randolph is very welcome.

The only trouble with buying stuff over the Net is that you can end up buying the wrong book! (see above)

Thanks to all for your advice.

Subject: RE: Is this book worth buying?
From: DMcG
Date: 13 May 02 - 11:47 AM

Well the book I ordered in April 2nd finally arrived today. It is the abridged Ozark Folksongs, but there still seems to be plenty of worthwhile material in it, plus good indices and references, so it was well worth the few dollars. Thanks, all