Today a guy can go into a studio and make a record, just any guy. Today you are judged by your records. You make a record overnight. A guy makes a record and overnight he's a big recording star and you can't say anything to him. And most of the time he can't even carry his instrument - Sam Price, to Paul Oliver, 1960
Not specifically anti-war but about racism in war: Josh White - Uncle Sam Says. I believe National Defense is really patriotic. Imagine the anxiety in 1942 when this was recorded with the enemy gaining ground and we're newly in the war. How long will the war last??? He's saying Buck up folks; 'This war may last you for years.'
In 1985 Jonas Bernholm released two LPs (on his Dr Horse label) of their entire recorded output, the first of which had a gatefold sleeve. Both LPs are festooned with vintage photos that had been loaned to him by Willie Dixon, the Caston family and others. The notes to both are copious (by Jonas and Don Snowden). The LPs got rave reviews at the time but one or two pundits found them an "acquired taste". These LPs used to fetch silly sums of money...
In the 90s there was a single Sony CD in the Roots & Blues series which didn't really do them justice.
Topics like these keep me exposed to gems that I have either forgotten about or have missed along the way. On Leadbelly songs, this cat wasn't afraid to record anything. Some of the subject matter, tone, and language was decades ahead of its time. If I only had a time machine and could hear him in his prime when he was young. Well prime isn't the right word since House sounded the best later in life.
Not specifically anti-war but about racism in war: Josh White - Uncle Sam Says. I believe National Defense is really patriotic. Imagine the anxiety in 1942 when this was recorded with the enemy gaining ground and we're newly in the war. How long will the war last??? He's saying Buck up folks; 'This war may last you for years.'
I just came across "Uncle Sam Says" on YouTube:
I think that White's "Defence Factory Blues", from the same session, qualifies to this thread also: