Pete Seeger - Folk Music of the World (2007)

1. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain
3. I've Been Working on the Railroad
4. Down in the Valley
5. Blue Tail Fly
6. Black Is the Color
7. Boll Weevil
8. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
9. The Fox
10. Casey Jones
11. The House Carpenter
12. Three Courting Songs
13. The Greenland Fisheries
14. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
15. Paddy Works on the Railroad
16. Go Down Old Hannah
17. Road to Eilat
18. Ariran
19. Die Gedanken Sind Frei
20. Bayeza
21. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
22. In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)

It's understandable that Pete Seeger fans might protest the rather lo-fi sound quality on this CD. These appear to be older "live" recordings, for the most part, and, yeah, they are pretty rough when you get right down to it. For me(and I can only speak for myself), that's part of the record's charm. Lately, I find myself getting so tired of the overproduced pap that dominates the broadcast media, that an old rough cut release like this one takes on a certain charm.

And, hey, it IS a budget line release, after all. I know you might hope for audiophile quality nonetheless, but at these prices, can you really complain? It's not as though it's so badly mixed that Pete's voice is drowned out by the banjo or anything. It's fine, actually, just not what you'd call pristine.

But neither were any of the songs to begin with. They're rough and ready and PLENTIFUL. It's been said that Pete Seeger has a bagful of songs that would be the envy of any traditional folkie, and that's certainly true. While most of the tunes here actually do come from his usual Anglo-American base, the CD's title is not inaccurate. Alongside bits of Americana like "Big Rock Candy Mountain" aned "Boll Weevil," He's got pieces from Germany, Korea, South Africa and Scandinavia.

And as I said, the tunes are there in abundance. Nineteen tracks in all, and although some are admittedly shortish, most are full lengh performances. There's something satisfying about the CD's actual playing time. It's just about actual concert length. And that counts for something these days.

I doubt I would recommend this record as an intro to Pete Seeger's works, but I wouldn't say it's solely for completists either. If you've enjoyed his music before, it's likely you'll find this collection rewarding, at least after a few spins. It's one of those records that kind of sneaks up on you. Heck, I think I'll go play it again.--- Gregor von Kallahann, amazon.com

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