Classic Railroad Songs
Various Artists
Reviews
Decca
Reviewed 2006-02-10
Reviewed 2006-02-10
Amazing collection of American folk music about trains, mostly recorded in the 1950s. Work songs, ballads, blues, etc. Performers read like a who’s who: Lead Belly, Doc Watson, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Cotton, Cisco Houston, and more. Lots of fantastic fiddles, banjos, guitars, and, of course, voices. Great notes. Not a bad track in the bunch. A fascinating look at American musical history.
1. :24 seconds of a train going by.
*2. Cool toe-tapping bluegrass w/catchy vocal harmonies.
*3. Furry Lewis, his guitar and lazy voice. Downtempo goodness.
4. Banjo & sweet male vox. Low key, head-nodding.
5. Midtempo story song. Guitar/vox, about turning to crime.
*6. A capella gospel-tinged work song. Too short!
7. Frail but sweet female vox/guitar. Midtempo.
8. Rich male vox/guitar. Down/midtempo
9. Story about a Mormon polygamous RR man. Sung to “Oh Susanna”
*10. Great upbeat bluegrass instrumental jam. A bit of “oh yeahs.”
11. Low key capella fem. vox, - thin but compellingly real. Good.
*12. Midtempo bluegrass about the return of a dead soldier.
*13. Upbeat mountain tune w/great guitar/vox.
14. Lead Belly on a classic. Spoken word intro, get drivin’.
*15. Great harp (as the train), guitars. Upbeat instrumental. Yow!
16. Guitar/vocals duet on toe-tapping classic.
17. Sweet fem. voice/guitar. Lazy, midtempo ballad.
18. Freight Train Blues. Vox/guitar. Solid blues.
19. Midtempo guitar/vox/autoharp. About a train wreck.
*20. Lazy male vox/guitar. Almost a Celtic sound.
21. Sweet fem vox, light & low-key w/quiet guitar.
*22. A dog barks, men work. Slow, serious work song.
23. Great toe-tapping harmonica instrumental. Too short.
24. Twangy family bluegrass jam. Bouncy. Live recording.
*25. Mid/uptempo classic w/Lead Belly on guitar/vox. Cool.
*26. One of the great all-time train songs. Midtempo bounce.
27. Harmonica instrumental. Upbeat train sounds. Cool!
28. Solid old-time stringband. Great sound & so well played.
29. :24 seconds of a train
1. :24 seconds of a train going by.
*2. Cool toe-tapping bluegrass w/catchy vocal harmonies.
*3. Furry Lewis, his guitar and lazy voice. Downtempo goodness.
4. Banjo & sweet male vox. Low key, head-nodding.
5. Midtempo story song. Guitar/vox, about turning to crime.
*6. A capella gospel-tinged work song. Too short!
7. Frail but sweet female vox/guitar. Midtempo.
8. Rich male vox/guitar. Down/midtempo
9. Story about a Mormon polygamous RR man. Sung to “Oh Susanna”
*10. Great upbeat bluegrass instrumental jam. A bit of “oh yeahs.”
11. Low key capella fem. vox, - thin but compellingly real. Good.
*12. Midtempo bluegrass about the return of a dead soldier.
*13. Upbeat mountain tune w/great guitar/vox.
14. Lead Belly on a classic. Spoken word intro, get drivin’.
*15. Great harp (as the train), guitars. Upbeat instrumental. Yow!
16. Guitar/vocals duet on toe-tapping classic.
17. Sweet fem. voice/guitar. Lazy, midtempo ballad.
18. Freight Train Blues. Vox/guitar. Solid blues.
19. Midtempo guitar/vox/autoharp. About a train wreck.
*20. Lazy male vox/guitar. Almost a Celtic sound.
21. Sweet fem vox, light & low-key w/quiet guitar.
*22. A dog barks, men work. Slow, serious work song.
23. Great toe-tapping harmonica instrumental. Too short.
24. Twangy family bluegrass jam. Bouncy. Live recording.
*25. Mid/uptempo classic w/Lead Belly on guitar/vox. Cool.
*26. One of the great all-time train songs. Midtempo bounce.
27. Harmonica instrumental. Upbeat train sounds. Cool!
28. Solid old-time stringband. Great sound & so well played.
29. :24 seconds of a train
Recent airplay
Lonesome Train, Old John Henry Died On The Mountain
Mix Tape: Another Mule Kickin' in My Stall — Dec 31, 2025
Freight Train
Traditions — Feb 08, 2019
Lonesome Train
Iron Skillet by way of Mix Tape — Sep 22, 2018
Lonesome Train
Traditions — Oct 13, 2017
Lonesome Train
Mix Tape: Iron Skillet — Aug 29, 2015
John Henry, Wreck Of The Old 97
Mix Tape: Out of the Skillet, Into the Fire — Aug 01, 2015
Charting
2006-02-12 — 2006-04-16
Country/Bluegrass
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Apr 16 | 1 |
| Apr 9 | 2 |
| Mar 5 | 3 |
| Feb 26 | 3 |
| Feb 19 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Excerpt From "Rail Dynamics" | ||
| 2. | Train 45 | ||
| 3. | Kassie Jones | ||
| 4. | Jay Gould's Daughter | ||
| 5. | Railroad Bill | ||
| 6. | Linin' Track | ||
| 7. | Freight Train | ||
| 8. | Drill, Ye Tarriers Drill | ||
| 9. | Zack, The Mormon Engineer | ||
| 10. | Lost Train Blues | ||
| 11. | The F.F.V. | ||
| 12. | He's Coming To Us Dead | ||
| 13. | The Train That Carried My Girl From | ||
| 14. | Rock Island | ||
| 15. | Lonesome Train | ||
| 16. | John Henry | ||
| 17. | The Wreck Of The Number 9 | ||
| 18. | Freight Train Blues | ||
| 19. | The New Market Wreck | ||
| 20. | Jerry, Go Oil That Car | ||
| 21. | Way Out In Idaho | ||
| 22. | Old John Henry Died On The Mountain | ||
| 23. | Casey Jones | ||
| 24. | Wreck Of The Old 97 | ||
| 25. | Midnihgt Special | ||
| 26. | Wabash Cannonball | ||
| 27. | Lost Train Blues | ||
| 28. | New River Train | ||
| 29. | Excerpt From "3 Little Engines & 33 Lil' |