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    • Song of America (31 Tigers)

    Song of America (31 Tigers)

    01/01/2007 | Thirty One Tigers 

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    All Music Guide Review

    Any reasonable music fan would be forgiven for being wary of a collection of American folk music whose executive producer was former attorney general Janet Reno, but as it happens Reno knows more about such things than one might expect. At the very least Reno had the good judgment to suggest singer, songwriter and activist Ed Pettersen coordinate an album of songs that reflected different aspects of American history, from the colonial period to the present day. Pettersen's long gestating project, Song of America, has finally surfaced as a hefty three-CD set, featuring 50 songs from as many artists, and the final product is frequently fascinating and ambitious stuff, music that demonstrates how art mirrors our history and how that art can carry its message in a broad range of interpretations. Pettersen, co-producers David Macias and Bob Olhsson, and their cast of singers and musicians are clearly mindful of the message and context of these songs, but they don't insist on treating them with kid gloves; the discordant horns on John Wesley Harding's "God Save the King" boldly reflects the chaos of the Revolution, Danielson's interpretation of "Happy Days Are Here Again" is at once playful and aware of the dark shadows of the Depression, the Mavericks transform "Dixie's Land" into a spectral anthem to a cause that would soon be lost, and "The Times They Are A Changin'" seems to speak to both past and present through the Del McCoury Band. Pettersen and company are also smart enough to realize that while the folk process has changed, it's hardly stopped, and that the work of James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Grandmaster Flash, and Marvin Gaye are all a part of the broad banner of our history, with their works interpreted with the same intelligence and thoughtfulness as the traditional numbers. The set closes with John Mellencamp singing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," and in this context, Guthrie's simple but eloquent song has rarely displayed a greater resonance, revealing how these tunes don't merely reflect our lives and history, but are a living part of it. Song of America is hardly the first album that seeks to chart this nation's progress through song, but few have done it with this degree of intelligence and imagination, and everyone involved deserved to be congratulated for creating something very special indeed. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

    Song of America (31 Tigers) Track Listing

  • Track#
  • Title
  • Artist
  • time
  • lyrics
  • 1
  • Lakota Drum Song
  • Bullhead, Earl
  • 3:08
  • Sound Clip for Lakota Drum Song from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 2
  • Once More Our God Vouchsafe to Shine
  • Lee, Julie
  • 3:07
  • Sound Clip for Once More Our God Vouchsafe to Shine from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 3
  • Let Us Break Bread Together
  • Blind Boys Of Alabama
  • 3:49
  • Sound Clip for Let Us Break Bread Together from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 4
  • God Save the King
  • Harding, John Wesley
  • 3:49
  • Sound Clip for God Save the King from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 5
  • Young Ladies in Town
  • Foster, Elizabeth
  • 3:01
  • Sound Clip for Young Ladies in Town from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 6
  • The Old Woman Taught Wisdom
  • Holcombe, Malcolm
  • 6:30
  • Sound Clip for The Old Woman Taught Wisdom from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 7
  • The Liberty Song
  • Pettersen, Ed
  • 4:59
  • Sound Clip for The Liberty Song from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 8
  • Yankee Doodle
  • Simon, Harper
  • 3:29
  • Sound Clip for Yankee Doodle from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 9
  • Jefferson & Liberty
  • Wilders
  • 2:10
  • Sound Clip for Jefferson & Liberty from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 10
  • Hail Columbia
  • Kowalczyk-Santoro, Steven
  • 2:56
  • Sound Clip for Hail Columbia from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 11
  • The Star Spangled Banner
  • Take Six
  • 2:03
  • Sound Clip for The Star Spangled Banner from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 12
  • Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
  • Chapman, Beth Nielsen
  • 5:09
  • Sound Clip for Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 13
  • Peg and Awl
  • Johnston, Freedy
  • 4:34
  • Sound Clip for Peg and Awl from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 14
  • Sweet Betsy from Pike
  • BR Five Four Nine
  • 4:23
  • Sound Clip for Sweet Betsy from Pike from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 15
  • Trail of Tears
  • 4:35
  • Sound Clip for Trail of Tears from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 16
  • Declaration of Sentiments
  • 4:34
  • Sound Clip for Declaration of Sentiments from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 17
  • Go Down Moses
  • Fisk Jubilee Singers
  • 3:43
  • Sound Clip for Go Down Moses from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 18
  • Dixie's Land
  • 6:13
  • Sound Clip for Dixie's Land from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 19 (2)
  • John Brown's Body
  • Marah [1]
  • 2:40
  • Sound Clip for John Brown's Body from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 20 (2)
  • Battle Hymn of the Republic
  • Smith, Joana
  • 5:15
  • Sound Clip for Battle Hymn of the Republic from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 21 (2)
  • Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
  • Ian, Janis
  • 2:09
  • Sound Clip for Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 22 (2)
  • Thousands Are Sailing to Amerikay
  • OBrien, Tim
  • 4:24
  • Sound Clip for Thousands Are Sailing to Amerikay from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 23 (2)
  • The Farmer Is the Man
  • Gibbs, Otis
  • 3:03
  • Sound Clip for The Farmer Is the Man from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 24 (2)
  • Home on the Range
  • Harms, Joni
  • 4:30
  • Sound Clip for Home on the Range from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 25 (2)
  • Stars & Stripes Forever
  • Shimabukuro, Jake
  • 2:28
  • Sound Clip for Stars & Stripes Forever from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 26 (2)
  • Sleep My Child (Scholf Mayn Kind)
  • 4:47
  • Sound Clip for Sleep My Child (Scholf Mayn Kind) from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 27 (2)
  • Over There
  • Chapin, Jen
  • 2:31
  • Sound Clip for Over There from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 28 (2)
  • How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm
  • Bird, Andrew
  • 5:04
  • Sound Clip for How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 29 (2)
  • Lift Every Voice and Sing
  • Parks, Karen
  • 5:11
  • Sound Clip for Lift Every Voice and Sing from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 30 (2)
  • Happy Days Are Here Again
  • Danielson
  • 3:05
  • Sound Clip for Happy Days Are Here Again from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 31 (2)
  • Brother, Can You Spare a Dime
  • Bey, Andy
  • 6:30
  • Sound Clip for Brother, Can You Spare a Dime from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 32 (2)
  • Seven Cent Cotton and Forty Cent Meat
  • Lauderdale, Jim
  • 2:11
  • Sound Clip for Seven Cent Cotton and Forty Cent Meat from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 33 (2)
  • Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)
  • Old Crow Medicine Show
  • 4:56
  • Sound Clip for Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 34 (2)
  • Rosie the Riveter
  • Bogguss, Suzy
  • 2:31
  • Sound Clip for Rosie the Riveter from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 35 (2)
  • Reuben James
  • Folk Family Robinson
  • 4:04
  • Sound Clip for Reuben James from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 36 (3)
  • The Great Atomic Power
  • 2:45
  • Sound Clip for The Great Atomic Power from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 37 (3)
  • Little Boxes
  • Banhart, Devendra
  • 4:08
  • Sound Clip for Little Boxes from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 38 (3)
  • The Times They Are A Changin'
  • McCoury, Del Band
  • 3:49
  • Sound Clip for The Times They Are A Changin' from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 39 (3)
  • Apache Tears
  • Kempner, Scott
  • 3:42
  • Sound Clip for Apache Tears from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 40 (3)
  • Get Together
  • Richey, Kim
  • 4:01
  • Sound Clip for Get Together from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 41 (3)
  • Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)
  • 4:32
  • Sound Clip for Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud) from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 42 (3)
  • Ohio
  • Taylor, Ben [Singer/Songwriter]
  • 2:40
  • Sound Clip for Ohio from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 43 (3)
  • What's Going On?
  • Anthony David
  • 5:02
  • Sound Clip for What's Going On? from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 44 (3)
  • I Am Woman
  • Wainwright, Martha
  • 3:27
  • Sound Clip for I Am Woman from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 45 (3)
  • Youngstown
  • Ryan, Matthew
  • 4:14
  • Sound Clip for Youngstown from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 46 (3)
  • Wave
  • 4:35
  • Sound Clip for Wave from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 47 (3)
  • The Message
  • Shorty WOP
  • 6:34
  • Sound Clip for The Message from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 48 (3)
  • Streets of Philadelphia
  • LaVette, Bettye
  • 3:49
  • Sound Clip for Streets of Philadelphia from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 49 (3)
  • Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning
  • Wrights [Country]
  • 5:30
  • Sound Clip for Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning from Song of America (31 Tigers)


  • 50 (3)
  • This Land Is Your Land
  • Mellencamp, John
  • 4:10
  • Sound Clip for This Land Is Your Land from Song of America (31 Tigers)


    • Credits of Song of America (31 Tigers)

    • Bob Olhsson
    • Engineer, Mastering, Compilation Producer, Mixing
    • Kim Richey
    • Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
    • Ed Pettersen
    • Bass, Piano, Arranger, Theremin, Vocals (Background), Engineer, Mixing, Compilation Producer, Liner Notes, Producer, Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion
    • Neilson Hubbard
    • Bass, Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Producer, Glockenspiel, Arranger
    • Don Herron
    • Banjo, Mandolin, Vocals (Background), Fiddle
    • Andrew Bird
    • Violin, Vocals, Whistle (Human), Guitar (Electric), Arranger
    • Will Hill
    • Native American Flute, Language Consultant, Spoken Word, Cultural Advisor
    • Andy Hunt
    • Vocals (Background), Mixing, Ngawang Chopel
    • Leo Black
    • Guitar, Producer, Horn Arrangements, Arranger
    • Chris Eckman
    • Producer, Choir Arrangement, Engineer, Performer


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