Folk Songs of the Hills: Back Home / Songs of the Coalmines

Product Review

In 1946, Capitol approached Travis with the idea of cutting a folk album, and although he wasn't an especially folk-oriented artist, he agreed to give it a go. Although the resulting 1947 record (released as a 78 rpm album) didn't sell well, it was a respectable effort performed by Travis on solo acoustic guitar. Folksy introductions embellish the songs, which include standbys like "John Henry" and "Nine Pound Hammer." Travis added a few songs of his own penned in the folk style, and one of these, "Sixteen Tons," would prove to be his most famous composition, reaching number one when it was covered by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s. The CD reissue combines the eight songs from the 1947 release with four songs from the Capitol Electrical Transciption series that were added to the batch when the album was reissued as Back Home in 1957; it also adds a song from the 1946 sessions that was previously unreleased in the U.S., "This World Is Not My Home." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Title Tracks for Folk Songs of the Hills: Back Home / Songs of the Coalmines

1. Nine Pound Hammer
2. That's All
3. John Bolin
4. Muskrat
5. Dark As A Dungeon
6. John Henry
7. Sixteen Tons
8. Possom Up A Simmon Tree
9. I Am A Pilgrim
10. Over By Number Nine
11. barbara Allen
12. Lost John
13. Black Gold
14. The Harlan County Boys
15. Pay Day Comes To Slow
16. The Browder Explosion
17. Bloody Brethitt County
18. Here's The Operator, Boys
19. The Miner's Wife
20. The Courtship Of Second Cousin Claude
21. Miner's Strawberries
22. Paw Walked Behind Us With A Carbide Lamp
23. Preacher Lane
24. Dear Old Halifax

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(7 customer reviews)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

One of the best albums of all time!, March 8, 2007

Ronald G. Jordan "blue-72" (Sugar Grove OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Folk Songs of the Hills: Back Home / Songs of the Coalmines (Audio CD)

If you have any appreciation whatsoever for traditional American music, this collection is absolutely essential for your collection. One of the best and most classic albums i've ever heard from one of the most profound song writers and guitar wizards of our time. I don't know if the music was digitally remastered, but the sound quality is excellent and really adds to the feeling.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Songs From One Of The Greats Of Folk And Country Music, December 30, 2007

Chris Luallen (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Folk Songs of the Hills (Audio CD)

After hearing Merle's "Dark As A Dungeon" on the classic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album I decided to buy this CD and I'm glad that I did.

Like many people, after I hard's day work I have often found myself singing "Sixteen tons and what do you get? / Another day older and deeper in debt." But until I purchased this record I never knew that "Sixteen Tons" was a Merle Travis song. From the excellent liner notes, I also learned that Merle grew up in the small coal mining town of Ebenezer, Kentucky in the early 1900's. But he didn't follow in his father's coal miner footsteps. Instead he sought out a career as a professional musician. He played with Grandpa Jones and the Delmore Brothers at a Cincinnati radio station before finally heading to Hollywood where, in 1946, he was signed by Capitol Records.

Capitol A&R guy Lee Gillette saw some potential in folk music and had Merle record "Folk Songs Of The Hills", which featured the first 8 songs on this CD. But this...Read more

Classic Travis, December 27, 2009

Richard W. Schultze (La Grange, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Folk Songs of the Hills: Back Home / Songs of the Coalmines (Audio CD)

I'm a guitar-picker, and just need to hear Merle Travis play to remind me of greatness playing guitar.