"Troubadours" Folk and the Roots of American Music, Pt. 2 CD 6

On the second volume of Bear Family's extensive four-part, 12-disc series, Bob Dylan arrives at the midpoint, his introduction as seismic as an atomic bomb...
...Prior to his introduction on the second disc -- or CD 5, as the packaging denotes -- a disc has been spent on "The Popular Folk Music Era," i.e. the sweet, freshly-scrubbed crossover folk performed by the Kingston Trio, the Limeliters, the Chad Mitchell Trio, the Rooftop Singers, and the New Christy Minstrels. This was the sound of college campuses between 1958 and 1962, spirited three- or four-part harmonies on traditional tunes and songs from newly emerging writers, sometimes coming from within the group itself. The focus remained on songs designed to be interpreted then delivered to a wide audience but with Dylan, the perspective became distinct, precise, and personal. His six songs are split between protest anthems ("Blowing in the Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin'") and personal songs ("Masters of War" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" blend the two approaches), and while the former had an immediate impact the latter had a greater legacy, something that's evident on the rest of this set's second disc, which runs through Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and Eric Andersen, and its third. That third disc rounds up singers and songwriters from Greenwich Village -- Dave Van Ronk, Judy Collins, Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, David Blue -- peers of Dylan's who drew from similar influences, but each developed their own distinct style of writing or performing, something this disc makes plain. Further fallout from Dylan is documented on the subsequent sets but this volume of Troubadours of Folk shows how vibrant and exciting his Greenwich scene was and illustrates just how different the Bard and his peers were from the prevailing folk of the '50s.(Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:
1 Seven Daffodils - The Tarriers 2 Cocaine Blues - Dave Van Ronk 3 Come Back Baby - Dave Van Ronk 4 Bad Dream Blues - Dave Van Ronk 5 Anathea - Judy Collins 6 Hey Nelly Nelly - Judy Collins 7 Carry It On - Judy Collins 8 The Ballad Of Ira Hayes - Peter Lafarge 9 As Long As The Grass Shall Grow - Peter Lafarge 10 Stewball - The Greenbriar Boys 11 Different Drum - The Greenbriar Boys 12 Many A Mile - Patrick Sky 13 Reason To Believe - Tim Hardin 14 If I Were A Carpenter - Tim Hardin 15 The Lady Came From Baltimore - Tim Hardin 16 The Other Side Of Life - Fred Neil 17 Blues On The Ceiling - Fred Neil 18 Little Bit Of Rain - Fred Neil 19 The Dolphins - Fred Neil 20 Everybody's Talkin' - Fred Neil 21 Grand Hotel - David Blue
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