| Seeds - Pete Seeger | |
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Reviewed by Kathy Coleman
Back in the 30's and early 40's, "folk" music was just all that stuff played by "folks" -
- music from the back woods whereever those back woods were, from New York down
to Tennessee. Somewhere along the line Southern folk singers disassociated
themselves from activist folk singers and their music became "country." Still, the roots
are all the same. Pete Seeger branched off firmly from those very early folk roots, prior
to the break, but his political activism removed him forever from the, at the time, less
controversial country branch. But folk music, no matter where it ended, all came from
the "folks."
Between 1939 and 1941, Pete Seeger (born May 3, 1919) met Woody Guthrie and
formed The Almanac Singers and had begun spreading the word of social injustice
across the land. With the use of traditional, roots-based music, they dealt contemporary
issues, including unions, in their lyrics (and while this may have ostracized them from
the country music folk singers, these topics were often touched on by country singers in
the 60's, including Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash). Seeger formed a songwriters'
union and started the Almanac People's Music Library; he was drafted in 1942 and
served in the Pacific. While there, he gathered collections soldiers' songs and sent
them back to the States for publication. In 1946, the Library's name was changed to
People's Songs, Inc. This organization remains active today, publishing the long-
running Sing Out! magazine as well as music. After the war, Seeger formed The
Weavers, a group dedicated to singing his style of politically-charged folk music.
However, the fifties saw the rise of fear of Communism and the associated House of
Anti-American Activities investigated Seeger, and The Weavers were banned from
television and a number of concert halls. Still, Seeger was not dissuaded, and
continued his activist work although he was blacklisted by the US and not played on
American radio or television for seventeen years. This didn't stop him from continuing to
sing and remain politically aware throughout the sixties and seventies. Eventually,
things came back around, and in 1994 Pete Seeger was awarded the Presidential Medal
of the Arts and won a Kennedy Center Award. In 1996 he was inducted to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame; in April 1996 he was awarded the Harvard Arts Medal, and in 1997 he won a
Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, Pete.
Now, at the age of 84, Pete continues to sow the seeds of understanding through music.
With Seeds, Pete entered the studio to record a number of brand-new songs concerning the
current political climate, including an update of his Vietnam-era "Bring Them Home," where he
sings, "The great part about America is that you have the right to speak your mind." While many
may not agree with Pete's stance concerning the current conflicts, there's no doubt that his heart
remains in his message, and in his music.
On this double-disc set, he is joined by others in the folk and country, including Ani
DeFranco, Steve Earle, and Billy Bragg. The first disc is Pete and Friends, and includes the
updated version of "Bring Them Home," along with songs taped live at a Philadelphia benefit for
Sing Out! including brand-new songs "Trouble At The Bottom," "Odds On Favorite," and the
first official release of "Take It From Dr. King." There are delightful songs such as the
lighthearted "English is Cah-Ra-Zee" and an elegantly moving "Sailing Down My Golden
River." Pete has lost none of his touch on the banjo nor one whit of his smooth, distinctive,
folksy voice.
The second disc in the set is a pure tribute disc, taking some of Pete's greatest
compositions and re-imagining them at the hands of such artists as Tom Paxton, Janis Ian,
Natalie Merchant, and many others.
The combination of sounds and styles reminds one listening just how today's folk and
country are related at the very bottom; these seeds sprouted music today which include folk,
rock, country, and all the various subgenres of each of those. Pete Seeger may remain
controversial, and some people won't like what he has to say. But he'll keep on saying it, and
that's part of the joy of living in this country. If you didn't like what Natalie Maines had to say,
you likely won't care at all for what Pete Seeger has to say. But if you love freedom of speech,
and great, real, honest, roots music, this two-disc set is an absolute must-have. It delves into a
lifetime of song more than six decades in the making; it is as traditional as it is topical, as new as
it is eternal.
Song List:
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Album cover, used with permission of Appleseed Records
Sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
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