A great selection that is well-organized and well-produced.
05/26/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This set provides songs about the depression and they are arranged in chronological order. All the well-know songs are here but not always in the best-known versions. This is actually a wise choice. I suspect the producer assumed that the average purchaser already had versions of many of these songs and deliberately chose some alternative recordings. Some of these alternatives are good and some are not. I found it curious that the producer was critical of some of his own choices. One wonders why he would criticize his own selection rather than choose a better one. The book that accompanies the discs provides a discography for each song and a short essay that places it in the context of the depression. The essays are breezy and lack depth. There are a few howlers in the comments, but for the most part they are enjoyable. The mastering on some of the selections is questionable, but overall the job has been done well. Surface noise is sometimes high but my ears tell me that it was left so that the sound of the original recording would not be obscured. This is a terrific set albeit a bit pricey."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1
