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American Roots Music
Various Artists
American Roots Music
Genres: Country, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (19) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (16) - Disc #2
  •  Track Listings (16) - Disc #3
  •  Track Listings (18) - Disc #4

An impressive four-CD box-set primer that collects more than 100 years of music, from nineteenth-century gospel ensemble The Fisk Jubilee Singers to contemporary acts such as R&B guitarist Keb Mo'. Includes tracks fr...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Various Artists
Title: American Roots Music
Members Wishing: 6
Total Copies: 0
Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
Release Date: 10/30/2001
Album Type: Box set
Genres: Country, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Bluegrass, Roadhouse Country, Classic Country, Delta Blues, Traditional Blues, Regional Blues, Cajun & Zydeco, Acoustic Blues, Traditional Folk
Number of Discs: 4
SwapaCD Credits: 4
UPC: 660200207526

Synopsis

Album Description
An impressive four-CD box-set primer that collects more than 100 years of music, from nineteenth-century gospel ensemble The Fisk Jubilee Singers to contemporary acts such as R&B guitarist Keb Mo'. Includes tracks from Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, Flaco Jimenez, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, B.B. King, Gene Autry and Jimmy Rogers to name just a few. Contains more than 65 essential American recordings, a wealth of photographs and liner notes written by Robert Antelli, Holly George Warren and Charles Wolfe. Deluxe long digi-book with 56 page collector-quality booklet. Palm Records. 2002.

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CD Reviews

Scattered roots
Jerome Clark | Canby, Minnesota | 11/12/2001
(3 out of 5 stars)

"One doesn't envy anyone charged with the task of assembling a collection of essential recordings in America's many folk and vernacular genres. As such things go, American Roots Music is decent enough, though inevitably anyone who knows the music will wonder at the omissions (for example, of Dock Boggs or any of the classic old-time string bands). Perhaps the major problem here is that the four discs encompass such a range of styles that they can hardly begin to do justice to any one of them. The serious listener will already have much of this in his or her collection. Of course it's not exactly a painful sacrifice to hear "Waiting for a Train," "Uncle Pen," "Black Snake Moan," "Cross Road Blues," or any of a number of other warhorses, yet again. I was least familiar with the music on Disc #4 (Cajun/Zydeco/Tejano/Native American) and so enjoyed it the most. A particular treat is Mingo Saldivar's lively version of the old Johnny Cash hit "Ring of Fire." Saldivar doesn't just sing the lyrics in Spanish; he reinvents the melody, making it sound as if "Ring" were always supposed to be a conjunto tune. The disc ends anticlimactically, however, with the inexplicable inclusion of a New-Ageish composition, when a reprise of the wonderful series theme song (a movingly organic rendition of "Worried Man Blues" by performers representing a variety of traditions) would have been a more proper send-off. As a primer set in an unusually attractive package, American Roots Music will do, more or less, but seasoned followers of our homegrown sounds will seek their pleasures elsewhere."
American Roots Music
D. M. Clements | Freeland, MD USA | 11/07/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)

"As an attempt to present a primer on roots music, this set is very well done. With the exception of jazz, all of the bases are covered and most are covered pretty well. However, anyone with some knowledge of roots music who is looking for a "new jem" is probably going to be disappointed. On the plus side, the version here of "We Shall Overcome" is the best recorded one I have heard and the Tejano and Native American sections are a welcome addition. However, the omission of white mountain gospel or shape notes songs is puzzling."
Gotta Love The Uncle Dave Macon
Bryan Rosengarten | Seminole, FL | 01/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"My wife and I had been eyeing this boxset for a few years now and she finally broke down and got it for me this past holiday season. It's a nice mix of country, blues, gospel, cajun/zydeco, tejano and native American. Overall, the box set is excellent. I don't think there is a bad tune on there, but I do feel it felt short on gospel, folk, cajun, zydeco, tejano and native American styles. There's only about 6 or 7 tracks for each of those styles where an entire 16-19 track disc is dedicated to both country and blues. The set should have been 6 discs instead or it should have been limited to just country and blues. Likewise, I felt it strange that an American Roots boxset included no jazz, for jazz is the only true first American born music, which is based on the blues of course. It's a great collection though and I enjoy listening to it every time. The long wait was worth it. I highly recommend it."