Search - Fiddlin John Carson :: Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1, 1923-1924

Straight from the begining of commercial "mountain music"

Frank Allen Blissett III | 08/24/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The songs on this volume include both traditional and original songs. There are many gems here, which fans of old-time music will immediately recognize. Whether it be humorous songs such as "Papa's Billy Goat" or tender social commentary as in "Farmer's The Man That Feeds Them All", Carson's boisterous fiddle and rough voice shine through. While most of the songs are solo fiddle and voice, the last two are full string band (duel fiddlers, banjo, guitar) and are the probably the best tracks on the album. The songs were all "acousticly" recorded (that is, recorded withOUT the benefit of amps, equalizers, or microphones) and has the feel of such recordings. The remastering was obviously done from a purist viewpoint, with surface noise and sometimes obvious flutter left on the tracks, but nothing anyone familiar with cylinders and older 78s can't wade through. Still, some of the tracks are VERY rough and novices to phonographia who are interested in Carson should start with later volumes in the series and get acclimated before buying this volume. Discographical information is very efficiently organized, but complete none-the-less. Biographical and cultural information is lacking, and mostly dedicated to the collection's songs."