SOUND CHECK.Various/``Washington Square Memoirs: The Great Urban Folk Boom 1950-70'' (Rhino)Here's a perfect companion to ``Positively 4th Street,'' David Hajdu's compulsively readable cultural history of the '60s folk renaissance. Hajdu's heroes - Bob Dylan Noun 1. Bob Dylan - United States songwriter noted for his protest songs (born in 1941) Dylan , Joan Baez, Richard Farina and Mimi Baez Farina - are represented in this triple-disc anthology of folk music folk music: see folk song. folk music Music held to be typical of a nation or ethnic group, known to all segments of its society, and preserved usually by oral tradition. Knowledge of the history and development of folk music is largely conjectural. that emerged from New York's Greenwich Village Greenwich Village (grĕn`ĭch), residential district of lower Manhattan, New York City, extending S from 14th St. to Houston St. and W from Washington Square to the Hudson River. . Also on hand are the usual suspects (Pete Seeger Noun 1. Pete Seeger - United States folk singer who was largely responsible for the interest in folk music in the 1960s (born in 1919) Peter Seeger, Seeger , Peter, Paul & Mary, Phil Ochs) and some obscurities (harsh harmonizers Kathy & Carol). The wildly diverse set includes mournful mourn·ful adj. 1. Feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful. 2. Causing or suggesting sadness or melancholy: the mournful sound of a train whistle. spirituals, baleful blues, angry protest songs and goofy novelty tunes. But this juxtaposition of styles and sentiments can be off-putting partly because some of this material just hasn't aged well. There's a good reason jug-band music never caught on. But the best of the music retains the power to stir souls. The Chad Mitchell Trio's earnest rendition of Ed McCurdy's classic campfire song, ``Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream,'' seems to arrive not simply from a different time but a different world. And Arlo Guthrie's ``The Motorcycle Song'' still prompts a smile, even if hearing it once every 10 years is enough. Three stars - Glenn Whipp Various/``More Songs of Route 66: Roadside Attractions'' (Lazy S The Lazy S (∽) and reversed tilde are glyph variants and are used in mathematics. .O.B. Recordings) A sequel to producer David Sanger's 1995 compilation of songs about the Chicago-to-L.A. highway, this almost all-Texan affair features blues, western swing, jump boogie, truckin' country and surf entries, each tied to a different place along the legendary artery. Many of Sanger's fellow Asleep at the Wheelers participate, Dale Watson This article is about the U.S. law enforcement figure Dale L. Watson. For the country musician, see Dale Watson (singer). Dale L. Watson is the former Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI, as such he headed the FBI investigation into does double duty in Tucumcari and Gallup (and who knew there was more than one song that mentioned either place?), Jimmy LaFave does a wonderfully mournful take on Woody Guthrie's ``Oklahoma Hills'' and the steel guitars all but twist the asphalt into ribbons of melody when it's ``Midnight in Amarillo.'' There's enough enjoyable roadside hokum here to make anybody want to drive through the desert with the top down - but try to restrain yourself 'til the end of summer. Three and one half stars - Bob Strauss Soundtrack/``Dr. Dolittle 2'' (J Records) Here's a surprise: a hip-hop soundtrack featuring Snoop Dogg and Lil' Kim that doesn't require a parental advisory. This top-notch companion disc to the current screen hit proves up-to-the-minute r&b can be hard-hitting without the depressingly insipid cliches that make you want to dismiss the entire genre. Potential hits abound: the tight groove of album-opener ``Cluck Cluck'' by the Product G&B with Wyclef Jean, ``Do You Wanna wan·na Informal 1. Contraction of want to: You wanna go now? 2. Contraction of want a: You wanna slice of pie? Roll (Dolittle Theme)'' with an inoffensive Snoop and Kim, ``What It Is (Part II)'' by Flipmode Squad featuring Busta Rhymes and Kelis. Also on board is a who's-who of current hitmakers, including Fabolous, O-Town, Jimmy Cozier, Luther Vandross, Lil' Zane and Alicia Keys. All very listenable lis·ten·a·ble adj. Being such that listening is pleasurable: an undistinguished but listenable soundtrack. lis and, as the doctor himself might say, barking good. Three one half stars - Fred Shuster The Kennedys/``Positively Live!'' (Jiffyjam) Strum-happy couple Pete and Maura Kennedy put an enormous amount of sonic energy into their gigs and they do it with little more than two acoustic guitars and Maura's crystalline voice. Folkies with tradition (``Come in My Kitchen,'' ``The Coo Coo,'' even ``Orange Blossom Special''), flower child idealism (``Life Is Large,'' ``River of Fallen Stars'') and even classicism classicism, a term that, when applied generally, means clearness, elegance, symmetry, and repose produced by attention to traditional forms. It is sometimes synonymous with excellence or artistic quality of high distinction. (Bach's ``Jesu, Joy of Man`s Desiring'') in mind, the D.C.-based duo is always up for an eclectic aside or a virtuoso picking run. It gives this collection of concert tracks a cheerful abundance of surprise fun and good humor. Three stars - B.S. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1) Peter, Paul and Mary The trio Peter, Paul and Mary (often PP&M) is a musical group from the United States; they were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s. The trio comprises Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey and Mary Travers. (2 -- 4) no caption (CD covers) |
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