Search - Sam Mcgee :: Grand Dad of the Country Guitar Pickers

Finger Picker's Delight

KS4SO@webtv.net | Melbourne, FL | 12/02/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having had the original Arhoolie recording of this for many years, it is still a joy to listen to. Sam has chosen a good representation of songs that were popular during his time on Earth. When The Wagon Was New, evokes a simpler way of life. It almost brings to mind the life of the Amish. Buck Dancer's Choice was the song Sam was famous for on The Grand Ole Opry. He is helped out on bass by his grandson and also by Mke Seeger on banjo and guitar. He was quite a musician as stated on the liner notes. Having beat Uncle Dave Macon in a banjo contest and playing with Sid Harkreader and Arthur Smith as well as his bother Kirk McGee. It's too bad he's no longer around. We have these recordings and I wish the ones he made on the MBA label were still in print. They are a great learning tool for guitarists of all persuasions"

GREAT OLD-TIME PICKER

KS4SO@webtv.net | 02/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A REALLY GREAT DISC HIGHLIGHTS A GREAT PICKER. WHAT ALWAYS IRRITATED ME WHEN PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT HIM WAS THE FACT THAT HE WAS ALWAYS CLASSIFIED AS HAVING BEEN HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE BLACK MUSICIANS AROUND HIM AND NOTHING ELSE.THE DISC SHOWCASES THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF HIS INFLUENCES FROM"BLUES"SUCH AS "RAILROAD BLUES"(a real beauty),"FULLER BLUES".THE REAL SURPRISE TO ME WAS THOSE PRETTY OLD-TIME PARLOR TUNES LIKE "DEW-DROP"(so lilting and pretty),FOOT-STOMPING FIDDLE TUNES TRANSPOSED FOR THE GUITAR LIKE "BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM"(he really works hard on this one),FUNNY SONGS LIKE "BURGLAR BOLD",GOSPEL STUFF LIKE "HOW GREAT THOU ART" AND HE WAS STILL LISTENING TO NEW STUFF, WITNESS HIS RENDITION OF THE STRING-ALONGS EARLY 60'S HIT "WHEELS",WHICH HE SAID HE LEARN'T OFF THE RADIO.AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING I'D NEVER ANY OF HIS MATERIAL TILL THIS DISC I'D JUST READ A LITTLE AND WHEN I HEARD THIS I COULDN'T GET OVER WHAT A LOT OF BUNK SOME OF THOSE REVIEWS WERE.A LITTLE NOTE,SAM WAS ABOUT 75/76 YRS OLD WHEN THIS MATERIAL WAS RECORDED AND THERE ARE SOME MISTAKES WHEN HE PLAYS,BUT GIVE HIM A BREAK THE FINGERS WEREN'T AS NIMBLE AS THEY MUST HAVE BEEN 40 OR 50 YRS BEFORE,BUT GIVE THIS DISC A GO,SINCE I BOUGHT IT 6 MTHS AGO I HAVEN'T STOPPED PLAYING IT. IF ARHOOLIE HAD MORE OF HIS STUFF FROM THESE SESSIONS I'D BUY THE LOT."