#276: Anthology Of American Folk Music- Various Artists

Listened to:MP3

(The following took place between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Sunday, February 6th, 2010. The following is written in real time.)

0:00 minutes in: Looking forward to delving into some classic American folk music. This looks like such a comprehensive collection. Cannot understand why it hasn’t appeared on any other lists.

3:29 minutes in: First track was warble-y and weak, but insightful into part of music history often ignored. Interested to see how the album progresses.

7:25 minutes: How did everyone manage to sound like this back then? Seriously, was there a school for sounding like an old toothless man?

9:48 minutes: After an opening note that sounded as if my iTunes had had a blessed glitch and skipped to “Needle In The Hay” by Elliott Smith, I found myself listening to a track entitled “Drunkard’s Special”.

12:00: “Old Lady & The Devil” is actually reasonably enjoyable.

12:58: Holy shit. These lyrics are awesome!

13:17: Opening to “The Butcher’s Boy” sounds like “You Belong With Me”.

13:56: Oh, yeah. They’re both banjos. That’s why.

15:68: Realized these are only vague grasps at the approximate times. Perhaps I’d ought to switch to bullet points.

18:34: Nah. Just know, dear reader, that these are not accurate.

18:45: Doing research on Harry Smith. Turns out he was an experimental filmmaker.

20:35: “King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O” may, in fact, be used as punishment if I one day reproduce. If my kids are bad, just put this track on repeat. Those little bastards will never act up again.

24:16: Still appreciate the massive significance and scope of this album. Still can’t wait until it’s over.

30:00: No god would allow a man to commit to anything that would make him have to do this. I…I feel…ugh.

36:56: I’m shivering, either from the cold or the pain.

43:56: “Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 1A: Ballads” is done. Still appreciate the significance. On we go to “Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 1B: Ballads”. God help us all.

45:56: Vol.1B has actually been more painful than Vol.1A, and I’m still only on the first track.

50:00: Oh, from the opening of “Charles Giteau”, I can just tell this is gonna hurt.

52:45: Oh, dear god, I was right.

56:23: I hurt inside. Seriously hurt. Still appreciate the album, though.

1:02:35: “Gonna Die With My Hammer In My Hand” is kinda fun. Not gonna lie.

1:06:17: Seriously spaced out for a bit. Like, I may end up PVS by the end of this collection.

1:10:24: Seeing the title “Kassie Jones” makes me wish it was The Grateful Dead. And I don’t even like the Grateful Dead that much.

1:13:34: Some day, when I’m on my death bed, looking back on all that time I wasted, I will damn this album to hell. Still appreciate it.

1:45:06: Vol.1B is finished.

I’ll be quite frank, I’ve grown too bored to even type real time. This album is impressive as a sprawling collection of early American folk music. But it’s painful to listen to. No human being need listen to what I did. It is far too much music for no reason. Highly influential? Yes. Deserving a spot on the list? Sure. Tedious and dreadful? Yes. If it were an hour, great, but 4 and a half hours? God damn it.

But before I even take shit for this, yes, I listened to all of it. Start to finish. I’m keeping it on the list, but it’s just….oh, dear god.

-Mike

Tomorrow will be the much shorter #138: Rejuvenation by The Meters.