We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert

Seeger, Pete

album cover

A High Expression of American Idealism

Near the end of the first half of this recording, which documents Pete Seeger's June 8, 1963, appearance at Carnegie Hall, the guitarist and folk singer makes oblique reference to the "events" in Birmingham, Alabama. He explains that he visited the area, one front in the civil rights movement, a few weeks before. As he shares a brief set of the songs he heard there, more than a few in the crowd sing along. Particularly on "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," it sounds as though this audience knows the words, even the appended verses that speak directly of the struggle for civil rights. Once he's got the crowd locked in a powerful unison, Seeger strays away from the melody, adding a slightly errant, deliberately scruffy harmony vocal. With that, the storied hall becomes a church and Seeger its choirmaster—the dedicated soul whose idealism inspires congregants and makes profound social change seem possible.

That's classic Pete Seeger: There's no outrage in his delivery, yet he somehow stirs outrage in his listeners. A founding father of modern folk, Seeger intends nothing more than to raise consciousness, and just by singing his tales of hardship and hymns of struggle, he does exactly that. This uniformly strong two-disc set contains the complete concert and includes most of his well-known songs. It serves as an excellent introduction to the vast Seeger trove of protest music, folk songs from across the globe, and children's songs. It's essential listening for anyone who wants to understand American idealism.

Seeger's songs are appeals to basic right-mindedness, governed by a universal golden-rule view of justice. Though they're now indelibly linked to the tumult of the 1960s, they resonate beyond that era, because they speak so eloquently about compassion, understanding, and dignity. When Seeger begins another sing-along, "We Shall Overcome," he urges his listeners to "go and help those people down in Birmingham and Mississippi . . . and maybe we'll see this song come true." And then he sings in that unshakable way of his. Pretty soon his believing becomes contagious, spreading possibility. And look where that eventually led: A reprehensible chapter in American history came to an end.

Genre: Folk
Released: 1964, Columbia
Key Tracks: "We Shall Overcome," "Mrs. McGrath," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," "I Ain't Scared of Your Jail"
Catalog Choice: If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle
Next Stop: Bruce Springsteen: The Seeger Sessions
After That: John Jacob Niles: My Precarious Life in the Public Domain
Book Pages: 686–687

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Comments:

#1 from Tim, DC - 04/11/2009 2:27

Bravo. This was my first selection out of the 1,000, and I was profoundly moved by the recording. Years ago I went through a phase of listening to some of the more popular folk acts of the 60s but somehow never encountered what appears to be their brilliant forefather.

Only 999 more to go.

1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die