Pete Seeger
Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger Vol 3
“The previous two volumes of Appleseed’s tributes to Pete Seeger contained a few spoken words by Pete and a harmony or two, while this two-disc set includes an entire disc of Pete singing and speaking, most often joined by his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and a few other friends such as Arlo Guthrie, Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco, Peggy Seeger, Kim & Reggie Harris, Natalie Merchant, and Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert. That list alone should launch you toward the nearest CD shop. . . .The interpretations of Pete’s songs and settings of poems [by other musicians on the second disc] are loving, caring tributes in which each artist has carved his/her/their musical monument to Pete. Picking one or two or three as favorites would not do the effort justice. Comparing ‘Old Devil Time’ with ‘Who Killed Norma Jean’ with ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ is apples and oranges. So let’s just say that Appleseed has picked a basket of shiny, firm, red apples and brilliant, juicy oranges and offers this remarkable harvest to you from a man who has planted more musical seeds than just about any other living American.”
– Sing Out! |
| “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.’ . . . 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 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.”
– About.com |
| “In his 60-some years as a public performer, Pete Seeger has left an indelible footprint on popular music. . . . His comfortable voice and graceful banjo style give his many compositions and folk adaptations an easy and elegant dignity. Seeds is the third in a trilogy of albums that feature songs either written or arranged by Seeger, with the spotlight this time on previously unreleased material, most of which is on the first disc. As a writer, Seeger has long been a master of protest songs, whimsical songs, and songs of unbridled optimism, and ‘Trouble at the Bottom,’ ‘English Is Cuh-ray-zee,’ and ‘Flowers of Peace’ (sung to the gorgeous melody of "Wild Mountain Thyme") are welcome additions to his body of work. ‘Estadio Chile,’ the horrifying story of the great Chilean singer Victor Jara, is simply an unforgettable song, if painful to hear because of the cruelty it has to bear. The final song on the first disc, ‘Sailing Down My Golden River,’ functions as a sort of elegant autumnal statement from Seeger. The songs on the second disc are sung by contemporary folk artists who share an affinity to Seeger's work and include some of his most famous tunes, including Dick Gaughan’s slow, stark, synthesizer-colored version of ‘Bells of Rhymney’ and Natalie Merchant’s powerful take on ‘Which Side Are You On’ . . .”
– All Music Guide |
| "The release of Seeds brings to a fitting and successful conclusion a tribute project that Appleseed owner Jim Musselman began in 1996. . . . Now that this tribute has reached its final fruition, my earnest hope is that Seeger will be referred to in the same breath as, and as the equal of, his old sparring partner, Woody Guthrie. . . . Disc 1 [is] a wonderfully varied mixed bag…[On Disc 2…] songs captured between the spoken bookends include a fine rendition of the Malvina Reynolds/ Seeger co-write ‘Mrs. Clara Sullivan’s Letter’ by John McCutcheon, the reflection of the passing of Marilyn Monroe, ‘Who Killed Norma Jean,’ from Janis Ian, while Scotland’s Dick Gaughan delivers a powerful reading of ‘Bells of Rhymney’ supported by a fuzz-laden electric guitar…Thanks to…Pete for his lifelong crusade of taking his music to the people. (Folkwax Rating: 9 of 10)”
– Folkwax |
“This third volume of Seeger songs is crammed with the hits and obscurities that are the backbone of Seeger’s art. There are more good songs here than one could fit into a lengthy review, but highlights include ‘Bring ’Em Home,’ an anti-war anthem sung by Seeger with Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg and Steve Earle, ‘Estadio Chile’, a song written by Victor Jara . . . etc.”
– Tracks |
| “Like Johnny Cash did with country and rock, the 85-year-old Seeger helped connect the dots between folk and rock. Seeds, Volume 3 magnificently demonstrates how important his contributions have been.”
– Rick Petreycik, No Depression
|
“What can you say about Pete Seeger that hasn’t been said thousands of times before? The legend, now in his mid eighties, lives on and is determined not to go meekly towards that dark night. Seeds is a double CD of new recordings of Seeger material by Pete and friends and admirers he has profoundly influenced, such as Tom Paxton, Natalie Merchant and Janis Ian. It’s the final piece of the jigsaw trilogy that began in 1998 with Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, succeeded three years later by If I Had A Song. Seeger may have lost some of the vocal power and sustainability that marked him out in his prime. But he’s lost none of the passion, commitment and feeling for his music and this comes across in abundance. . . They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps. The company Pete Seeger keeps is a testimony to the seeds he sowed, which led to the 1960s folk revival in America and beyond, a revival that has been sustained by those that Seeger inspired to play and listen to folk music. Pete Seeger towers deservedly on his own folk pedestal, which should be preserved for posterity as an inspiration to us all.”
- Folk North West, UK |
| “Volume 3, the [Seeger tribute] series’ final two discs issued in late 2003, is the most personal and perhaps most powerful set yet. Disc One, entitled ‘Pete and Friends,’ features Pete as the lead voice and/or musician on all sixteen tracks. The first new album by Seeger since 1996’s Pete, which won a Grammy for best traditional folk album, this disc is, if anything, even more affecting than its predecessor. . . . Disc One is a hard act to follow, but the contributors to Disc Two, ‘Friends of Pete,’ tackle the task admirably. . . . As with Volumes 1 and 2, the performances are almost uniformly powerful and memorable, a result of the musicians’ heartfelt love for the material and its creator/co-creator. The mood on this final disc of the series is for the most part contemplative rather than rowdy, the style more quietly passionate than on some of the earlier discs . . . . Instead, we are left with a mixture of serenity and awakened concern for the world‹the kind of enduring passion that will carry Seeger¹s legacy forward for many generations to come.”
– Talking Leaves |
|
