CD Details
Synopsis
Album Description*Attack ads*, *character assassinations*, and *spin doctors* are not new in American Presidential campaigns. Before radio and television, campaign songs were written and published to transmit similar ideas and influence voters. This collection includes one song from the campaign of every President, from George Washington to William Clinton performed by folk singer Oscar Brand and recorded in 1998. Set to marches and popular tunes, accompanied by banjo, guitar, percussion, and wind, these songs present some of the enduring themes of American political campaigns and the events that have influenced them. Includes "Follow Washington," "Jefferson and Liberty," "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," "Lincoln and Liberty," "Grant, Grant, Grant," "Roosevelt the Cry," "I'm Just Wild About Harry," "Buckle Down With Nixon," "California Here We Come," "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" and 33 others. For ages 9 and up, 69 minutes, extensive notes. "One of the most thoroughly unique folk records released in 1999, Presidential Campaign Songs is also a thorough and unique look at America's political history?. An important and well-crafted historical document, Presidential Campaigning Songs educates and entertains in equal measure." -Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Similarly Requested CDs
| |
CD Reviews
Oscar Brand's Election Song Tribute Wins Comfortably James M. Dickey | Alexandria, Virginia | 07/19/1999 (4 out of 5 stars) "As a long-time Oscar Brand fan, I was delighted to hear that he and Folkways\Smithsonian Records had issued on CD a new version of his vinyl tribute to that now nearly obsolete form of popular culture, the Presidential campaign song. Now that I have actually listened to it, I have no grounds for disappointment. Brand has recorded a song for nearly every U.S. President, some well-known, some fairly obscure for this excellent collection. I deny it a five-star rating only for a couple of factual errors in the liner notes and an extremely mild ideological bias, alas, all too typical of the folk-singing community (why is the song for President Reagan by far the shortest in the collection?) Still, highly recommended, if for no other reason than it is, to my knowledge, only the second CD on the subject released as of this date!"
|