Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight?

     What's up everyone?
     Well, not too much new going on today. I'm just continuing to use this week to get back into the school mode and catch up with a bunch of work : /  I guess it has to be done!
     I did act in my roommate's film today for the later part of the afternoon, which was pretty fun! I love acting in movies and hopefully I can do more of it. Not that I don't love musical theatre (after all, it IS my major) but there's something I really love about movies also. I would also love to make some movies in my lifetime as well. I am working on a script too (when I have time) so we will see where that goes! Anyway, so my day consisted pretty much of movie shooting, my Natural Disasters class (which I HIGHLY recommend), homework, and relaxing for another long day tomorrow!

    Anyway, my lounging around consisted of me listening to an album (yes, at this point, you should realize that it is a hobby of mine, music listening). That album is We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2006. It was actually recorded in only three sessions, one in 1997 when he recorded his rendition of the song "We Shall Overcome" for a tribute album for Pete Seeger. Then, he explored more of Pete Seeger's music, and it influenced him to make the album, using a second recording session in 2005 and one more in 2006. So, the album was basically recorded in three days. It is also a "live" album. What do I mean by that? Well, it was not really rehearsed at all, and just played mostly right on the spot. You can hear Springsteen shouting stuff to the band (known as The Sessions Band, as the E Street Band also sits out for this album) and it is very gritty and raw, and it's like you're listening to a folk band live in your own living room. It's actually really cool because you get to hear the music being MADE right there on the spot, no real editing, just good old live raw music.


Pete Seeger

      The album does not actually have any original material from Bruce, being his first and, so far, only record without any original material. The record is composed of Bruce and the Sessions Band rendition/covers of songs by or made famous by activist/musician Pete Seeger. Seeger, of course, is famous for his folk music and was very important in the American folk music revival in the 50's. Bruce was intrigued by this kind of music and didn't know too much about Seeger, as he was really brought up on rock and roll. But later, after he recorded "We Shall Overcome", he investigated it more, buying a bunch of Seeger's records and was intrigued by them. Then, he was introduced to a bunch of musicians local to the New Jersey and New York area. Through that, he formed The Sessions Band and recorded the album.
    It's a very interesting album, as it is "updated folk" and Springsteen and the band bring the old songs into a new light, renewing them and making them his own, but at the same time keeping a very solid folk sound. All the instruments he used for the album, in his words, were ones that "you can't plug in", keeping that old time folk sound. Some of these songs, go back a long way, for example the last track on the album, "Froggie Went A-Courtin", dates back as far as the 1548 in Scotland! But Bruce and the band bring 'em back to life, and it makes you want to just get up and dance, and it is one hell of a hoot-e-nanny! This album will do that to you, you just want to get up and dance, like you're outside on a field or in a barn or just in a dance hall, dancing the night away!
    Bruce mentioned (also going along with using instruments that are not electric) that these instruments used to play these songs were meant to travel, and that it was meant for live performance, one of his reasons he recorded it in only three sessions. He also believed that the real beauty of this kind of music was that it wasn't edited and it was gritty and raw, and that's a feeling he wanted to bring back. He succeeded!


Bruce and the Sessions Band

     This is also a dual disc, so there is another side to it besides the album, which includes a thirty minute documentary of the recording process of the album with performances of select songs from the three sessions, and two bonus songs, "Buffalo Gals" and "How Can I Keep From Singing?", two amazing songs!
    There is also one more song that is on the re-released deluxe edition, called The American Land Edition, which I really like. I have not listened to the whole expanded edition, but I have heard the song "American Land" on it and it is also an AMAZING song, and it's a shame it's not on the regular edition (I bought the song from Itunes anyway!). Bruce closed all the concerts I saw with this song (well, not including the encore) and it is AMAZING to see it live for yourself, as he shoots fireworks and they really rock the stadium with this song as they end their set! It's quite a thing to see!
    So yeah, my favorite songs are...well...I honestly can't choose for this album because I really like them all! So I'll just give you the tracklist:
     1. "Old Dan Tucker"
     2. "Jesse James"
     3. "Mrs. McGrath"
     4. "O Mary Don't You Weep"
     5. "John Henry"
     6. "Erie Canal"
     7. "Jacob's Ladder"
     8. "My Oklahoma Home"
     9. "Eyes On The Prize"
     10. "Shenandoah"
     11. "Pay Me My Money Down"
     12. "We Shall Overcome"
     13. "Froggie Went A-Courtin'"

Also, don't forget to check out "Buffalo Girls" and "American Land"

     By the time this album came out, I had already became pretty aware of Bruce Springsteen, though I really didn't start listening to him that much until the next album. But I remember my dad being really excited about it being released and he played "Buffalo Gals" quite a bit in the car, which honestly is a favorite of mine too. He bought the album and we listened to it a bunch of times while we traveled or just used the car or whatever, and I really loved it! Bruce is such a talented guy and he does a great job with this record, so check it out!
    Well, I need to get to sleep. Dance class tomorrow morning!
     Goodnight!

  -The AR


American Land:


Pete Seeger singing "Buffalo Gals"