Track Listing

1. Tom Dooley
2. Alberta
3. Froggie Went A-Courtin'
4. Beaumont Rag
5. St. James Hospital
6. Muskrat
7. Down in the Valley to Pray
8. Blue Railroad Train
9. Rising Sun Blues
10. Shady Grove
11. My Rough and Rowdy Ways
12. Train That Carried My Girl from Town
13. Black Mountain Rag
14. I Was a Stranger
15. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
16. Country Blues
17. Ground Hog
18. Little Orphan Girl
19. Blackberry Blossom
20. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
21. Rambling Hobo
22. Omie Wise
23. Handsome Molly
24. White House Blues
25. I Want to Love Him More
26. Way Downtown

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35588 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com essential recording
These 1963 and 1964 performances from the Newport Folk Festival illustrate the wide range of influences absorbed by flatpicker Doc Watson. Traditional folk, old-time, Piedmont blues, bluegrass, and gospel are all part of his musical equation, as well as the music of Jimmie Rodgers and the Delmore Brothers. Vanguard's 26-song compilation displays Watson's fleet guitar work and his deep, mellow voice (reminiscent of Burl Ives, actually), plus his passion for the material at hand. His 1963 performance was the one that propelled him into prominence. He'd been playing many of these traditionals since childhood, giving the songs a feeling of well-earned authenticity. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

This is the one...
The title says it all, really - If you own only one Doc Watson recording, this should be it. Doc's flatpicking (on "Black Mountain Rag, for instance), his fingerpicking (on"Little Omie Wise", for instance) and his folk/gospel style vocals (on most of the tracks) demonstrate just why he's considered one of this era's finest musicians. Doc's range is remarkable, and on this CD you'll find him singing gospel a capella, playing guitar full steam ahead, harmonizing with his mother (really!), playing duets with his son Merle, and yodeling like, well, a guy who knows what he's doing. 26 tracks here, over an hour of music, a must-have for anyone who enjoys traditional music, bluegrass, folk, acoustic.

This is a great collection!
I love this CD. It's a great collection of old-time, traditional Southern music. It's like taking a trip back in time - imagine yourself out on the back porch on a summer evening about sixty or seventy years ago. This is what you and your friends would be singing. Doc Watson performs with the right touch of humor, longing, or sadness that each song needs. Years ago, I bought a tape containing the first half of the songs on this CD and it served as an introduction to a whole genre of music. I would recommend this to anyone who is already a fan of Doc Watson or to the person who has heard good things about him and is curious to hear for him/herself.

Best version of Froggie Went a Courtin' I ever Heard
OK, Never heard of Doc Watson? Well, thanks to my Dad, I have. This is easily his best album. You should hear his version of Froggie Went a Courtin. It is the best. Other songs on this album include Shady Grove, Tom Dooley, Alberta, Groundhog, there's even a duet with his late son Merle who flipped a tractor over on himself. If you love bluegrass, you're sure to fall in love with this album.