Classic Labor Songs
Various Artists
General
| Sep 2006
Reviews
mike
Reviewed 2006-10-09
Reviewed 2006-10-09
V/A CLASSIC LABOR SONGS CD (Smithsonian Folkways)
Folk, bluegrass, a little country, singer songwriters, acapella and a few other sounds all sing pro-worker songs. There are some classics, like “Joe Hill” and “Which Side are You On” to go along with some newer tracks.
1. Piano and the lowest voice you’ve heard before.
2. Absolutely awful.
3. Banjo, Pete Seeger and backing female vocals do a classic.
4. Restrained, somewhat uptight version of this classic.
5. Short acapella.
**6. Harmonica, guitar and vocals. Still relevant since you’re probably wearing sweatshop clothes.
7. Another textile worker themed song that’s slightly country.
8. Strange slow pace and grating voice.
**9. Amazing classic with mostly just vocals and guitar in the “talking blues” form, which WOODY GUTHRIE started and DYLAN continued.
**10. Sad, simple guitar and GUTHRIE’S voice. A sad story of the bosses causing a xmas party panic which killed 73 children. Read the liner notes!
**11. UTAH PHILLIPS hitting hard as usual with a song about how the preachers were for a long time, against the worker. Banjo, upbeat, and pissed.
**12. One of my favorite songs and renditions of it. Mostly acappella vocals from an older scratchy voiced woman to begin and then PETE SEEGER and the ALMANAC SINGERS take over.
13. In somewhat of a gospel form which kicks into upbeat banjo bluegrass. A Wobbly theme song.
14. Fiddle, mandolin and multiple female vocals doing an upbeat version of this classic.
**16. A powerful acapella track from bluegrass singer HAZEL DICKENS.
18. A bit poppy.
19. Some electric guitar.
20. Strange rock sound.
21. Doesn't start out sounding like it but this is a straight bluegrass track.
22. Old melody line used in a new song. Mostly acapella.
23. Blues rock.
24. Strong female vocals and background guitar.
**25. Well known, do-wop/barbershop quartet track “We do the Work”
26. Surprising “Mexican” sounding UFW theme song from Cesar Chavez’s time sung by the current president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee.
27. I’ve heard many better version of this track.
Good collection. -mph
Folk, bluegrass, a little country, singer songwriters, acapella and a few other sounds all sing pro-worker songs. There are some classics, like “Joe Hill” and “Which Side are You On” to go along with some newer tracks.
1. Piano and the lowest voice you’ve heard before.
2. Absolutely awful.
3. Banjo, Pete Seeger and backing female vocals do a classic.
4. Restrained, somewhat uptight version of this classic.
5. Short acapella.
**6. Harmonica, guitar and vocals. Still relevant since you’re probably wearing sweatshop clothes.
7. Another textile worker themed song that’s slightly country.
8. Strange slow pace and grating voice.
**9. Amazing classic with mostly just vocals and guitar in the “talking blues” form, which WOODY GUTHRIE started and DYLAN continued.
**10. Sad, simple guitar and GUTHRIE’S voice. A sad story of the bosses causing a xmas party panic which killed 73 children. Read the liner notes!
**11. UTAH PHILLIPS hitting hard as usual with a song about how the preachers were for a long time, against the worker. Banjo, upbeat, and pissed.
**12. One of my favorite songs and renditions of it. Mostly acappella vocals from an older scratchy voiced woman to begin and then PETE SEEGER and the ALMANAC SINGERS take over.
13. In somewhat of a gospel form which kicks into upbeat banjo bluegrass. A Wobbly theme song.
14. Fiddle, mandolin and multiple female vocals doing an upbeat version of this classic.
**16. A powerful acapella track from bluegrass singer HAZEL DICKENS.
18. A bit poppy.
19. Some electric guitar.
20. Strange rock sound.
21. Doesn't start out sounding like it but this is a straight bluegrass track.
22. Old melody line used in a new song. Mostly acapella.
23. Blues rock.
24. Strong female vocals and background guitar.
**25. Well known, do-wop/barbershop quartet track “We do the Work”
26. Surprising “Mexican” sounding UFW theme song from Cesar Chavez’s time sung by the current president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee.
27. I’ve heard many better version of this track.
Good collection. -mph
Recent airplay
Casey Jones (Union Scab)
Everything — Nov 30, 2024
Which Side Are You On?, Joe Hill
Traditions — Nov 21, 2023
Automation
Everything — Nov 11, 2023
Automation
Everything — Nov 04, 2023
Casey Jones (Union Scab)
Everything — Oct 07, 2023
We Just Come To Work Here, We Don't Come To Die
Traditions - Musicians We Lost to Covid — Oct 29, 2021
Charting
2006-10-08 — 2006-12-10
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Dec 3 | 1 |
| Nov 26 | 1 |
| Nov 19 | 1 |
| Nov 5 | 5 |
| Oct 29 | 2 |
| Oct 22 | 3 |
| Oct 15 | 3 |
Track listing
| 1. | Joe Hill | ||
| 2. | Bread And Roses | ||
| 3. | Casey Jones (Union Scab) | ||
| 4. | We Shall Not Be Moved/Roll The Union On | ||
| 5. | Rol Lthe Union On | ||
| 6. | Cotton Mill Colic | ||
| 7. | The Mill Was Made Of Marble | ||
| 8. | Argon Mill | ||
| 9. | Talking Union | ||
| 10. | 1913 Massacre | ||
| 11. | The Preacher And The Slave | ||
| 12. | Which Side And You On? | ||
| 13. | Hold The Fort | ||
| 14. | Union Maid | ||
| 15. | Too Old To Work | ||
| 16. | Black Lung | ||
| 17. | Been Rolling So Long | ||
| 18. | Vdt | ||
| 19. | Automation | ||
| 20. | I'm A Union Card | ||
| 21. | Carpal Tunnel | ||
| 22. | We Just Come To Work Here, We Don't Come To Die | ||
| 23. | One Day More | ||
| 24. | One Day More | ||
| 25. | We Do The Work | ||
| 26. | De Colores | ||
| 27. | Solidarity Forever |