Pete Seeger: Getting Right with the Left

The Pete Seeger retrospective A Link in the Chain (Columbia/Legacy) comes as a welcome gift following the demi-democratic elections of last season. Covering Seeger's solo recordings for Columbia from the early '60s to early '70s, Chain is more than a collection of songs about democratic values, it catches Seeger on concert stages, convincing audiences that participatory democracy happens when citizens raise their voices in spontaneous attempts at harmony. Seeger's musical and political vision, 56 performances worth, has finally been encapsulated in this intelligently compiled set.

Unlike the sloppily assembled Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits, also on Columbia, A Link in the Chain thoughtfully organizes Seeger's career into four categories: "Tall Tales and Stories," "Songs of Freedom," "Saints, Sinners, Just Plain Folk," and "For the Children." Only one recording on this anthology is previously unreleased, but Columbia has been slow in making a number of Seeger LPs available on CD, so this set fills a gap. Careful remastering of the original tapes results in a fuller, warmer sound-image of Seeger's voice, 12-string guitar, and banjo.

And what a curiosity that voice is. Capable of leaping from a low tenor to a high falsetto, it remains an oddly thin and sometimes reedy vehicle. Compare his vocal chops to that of the other great troubadour of the Left, bass/baritone Paul Robeson, and Seeger sounds pale by comparison. But those very vocal limitations are an invitation to join in. What audience members had the nerve to sing along with Robeson?

Which isn't to downplay the sheer emotional fire in Seeger's singing. The 11 songs comprising the "Songs of Freedom" section in this set are completely gripping expressions of idealistic fervor. From the familiar "We Shall Overcome" to the little-known "Last Train to Nuremburg" (linking Nixon's Vietnam policies to the acts of the Nazis), Seeger wins over your heart with his tuneful politics.

So much political sermonizing can quickly become tedious, and Seeger's humor, well represented in this anthology, often saves the day. He's has a Chaucerian flair for bawdy storytelling, best heard here on "Queen Anne Front" and "This Old Car." When he dramatizes ironic attitudes, as he does winningly on his version of Tom Paxton's "What Did You Learn in School Today?" Seeger sings with a light-hearted tone. His ringing banjo and guitar lines punctuate his points: political, erotic, or simply silly.

Seeger has also distinguished himself through group associations. MCA has just released two worthy single-disc compilations showcasing Seeger in band settings, The Weavers: The Best of the Decca Years and The Almanac Singers: Their Complete General Recordings. The Weavers sides offer over-orchestrated but vocally rousing versions of folky fare such as "Goodnight Irene" and "Midnight Special" from the 1950s. The Almanac Singers release (which features Woody Guthrie and Weaver-to-be Lee Hays) offer amazingly raw, unvarnished sailing ditties and earthy ballads recorded in the 1940s. Taken together, these discs embody Seeger's rich musical legacy.

-- Norman Weinstein