American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly

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American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly
File:American Epic-The Best of Lead Belly 312x312.jpg
Compilation album by
Lead Belly
ReleasedJune 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
Recorded1935
Genre
Length42:18
Label
American Epic chronology
American Epic: The Best of The Carter Family
(2017) 		American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly
(2017) 		American Epic: The Best of Blind Willie Johnson
(2017)

American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly is a compilation of Lead Belly's first commercial recordings made in 1935 and released in 2017 to accompany the award-winning American Epic documentary film series.[1] The album was released as a 14-track download and a vinyl LP.

Background

During the production of the American Epic films, the sound department gained access to two collections of rare test pressings of Lead Belly's first professional recording sessions from 1935.[2] Although Lead Belly was ultimately not featured in the final cut of the films, it was decided that these recordings were of such historical importance that they merited being transferred and restored[2] using the new restoration techniques the American Epic film sound department had made in transferring and restoring the old shellac 78rpm discs for the film's soundtrack.[3]

Compilation

Restoration

New sound restoration techniques developed for the American Epic film series were utilized to restore the fourteen recordings on the album.[4] The 78rpm record transfers were made by sound engineer Nicholas Bergh using reverse engineering techniques garnered from working with the restored first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s in The American Epic Sessions.[5] This was followed by meticulous sound restoration on these 1920s recordings, by sound engineers Peter Henderson and Joel Tefteller, to reveal greater fidelity, presence, and clarity than had been heard before.[3][5][6][7][8]

Release

The album was released on June 16, 2017,[1] one month after the US broadcast of American Epic.[9] The album was issued as a download by Sony Legacy and a vinyl LP by Third Man Records.

Critical reception

The Village Voice described the sound as "re-mastering I can only call profound. Performances you might think you knew sound as if you've never heard them before — never apprehended them."[6] Ian Anderson in fRoots said "you haven't really heard these tracks at all. Not like this. Forget bad dubs of worn-out 78s pressed on poor vinyl. The 'reverse engineering' transfers by Nicholas Bergh and subsequent restorations are so startlingly better, practically everything you will ever have experienced from this era can be discounted. And there's none of that fog of 78 surface noise which many people find too much of a distraction: suddenly, legendary artists are in the room with you."[8]

Track listing

No.TitleOriginal RecordingLength
1."Mr. Tom Hughes' Town"ARC unissued, Feb 5, 19353:08
2."C.C. Rider"ARC unissued, Jan 23, 19353:02
3."You Can't Lose Me, Charlie"ARC unissued, Jan 23, 19353:02
4."Kansas City Papa"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19352:53
5."Death Letter Blues, Part 1"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19353:05
6."Death Letter Blues, Part 2"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19353:04
7."Fort Worth and Dallas Blues"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19353:00
8."Bull Cow"ARC unissued, Mar 25, 19352:47
9."Ox Drivin' Blues"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19352:57
10."Shorty George"ARC unissued, Feb 5, 19353:09
11."You Don't Know My Mind"ARC unissued, Jan 23, 19353:05
12."Matchbox Blues"ARC unissued, Feb 5, 19353:07
13."My Baby Quit Me"ARC unissued, Mar 25, 19352:57
14."Baby Don't You Love Me No More"ARC unissued, Jan 24, 19352:56
Total length:42:18

Personnel

  • Lead Belly - vocals and guitar
  • Bernard MacMahon - editor, compiler, producer
  • Nicholas Bergh - 78rpm transfers, mastering
  • Peter Henderson - restoration, mastering, producer
  • Duke Erikson - restoration, mastering, producer
  • Joel Tefteller - restoration, mastering, compiler
  • John Polito - mastering
  • Ellis Burman - mastering
  • Allison McGourty - producer
  • Adam Block - producer
  • Patrick Ferris - associate producer
  • Jack McLean - associate producer
  • Nat Strimpopulos - artwork

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American Epic: The Collection & The Soundtrack Out May 12th". Legacy Recordings. 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Armstrong, Nikki (March 2018). "American Epic". Big City Rhythm &Blues. as we travelled to over 37 states from New York to Logan County in West Virginia to Laie, Oahu
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Restoring a vintage 1920s recording system for 'American Epic'". Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  4. ↑ "American Epic - Reviving Record Production's Past". Long Live Vinyl. 2017-06-16. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Appleford, Steve (2017-05-15). "'American Epic': Inside Jack White and Friends' New Roots-Music Doc". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Greil Marcus' Real Life Rock Top 10: The Epic Tradition". Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Randy (14 May 2017). "'American Epic' explores how a business crisis ignited a musical revolution". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Anderson, Ian (August 2017). "American Epic". fRoots. p. 59.
  9. ↑ "American Epic: Episode Descriptions". Thirteen. Retrieved 2018-07-13.

Bibliography

  1. Filene, Benjamin. Romancing the Folk: Public Memory & American Roots Music. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0807848623
  2. Lomax, John A. & Lomax, Alan. Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly "King of the Twelve-string Guitar Players of the World," Long-time Convict in the Penitentiaries of Texas and Louisiana. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1936.
  3. Gracyk, Theodore. I Wanna Be Me: Rock Music And The Politics Of Identity. Pennsylvania: Temple University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-1566399036
  4. Wald, Elijah & McGourty, Allison & MacMahon, Bernard. American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself. New York: Touchstone, 2017. ISBN 978-1501135606.

External links

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