Tribute Albums Always Seem To Be A Mixed Bag: Where Have All The Flowers Gone

The Good: Some amazing vocals, instrumentals, and lyrics
The Bad: Some unimpressive adaptations of Pete Seeger's works.
The Basics: When big names in rock and folk perform covers of Pete Seeger's music, Where Have All The Flowers Gone results: a very average mix of folk music.


With over two and a half hours of music on two c.d.s, one might expect a tribute album to Pete Seeger to be extraordinary. Or, I suppose, those who are not fans of Pete Seeger might expect such an anthology to be entirely boring. As it is, Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger is entirely average. It is, in every way, unremarkable, though it is not bad. As a fan of the music of Pete Seeger, my father presented me with this two-disc album to help illustrate to me how much influence Seeger has had on modern folk and contemporary rock and roll. While the album has an impressive cast of contemporary folk, alternative and rock talent, the album is strangely unmemorable, which says something when one considers I've listened to both discs over a dozen times each.

When one considers Pete Seeger, it is difficult to differentiate between the songs Seeger himself wrote and the ones which he simply popularized. What makes Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger more impressive than If I Had A Song: The Songs Of Pete Seeger, Volume 2 (reviewed here!) is that this compilation of tributes to Seeger actually is loaded with songs Seeger wrote, arranged or co-wrote. Only "Old Riley" appears on this album without any Seeger influence in the creation or adaptation of the song. And what listeners get is a decent, if erratic, mix of talent that is recreating the works of Pete Seeger in tribute to the venerable folk artist.

With thirty-nine songs spread out over the two discs, Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger features almost as many artists or bands performing works written by Pete Seeger. These songs include the instantly recognizable musical storysongs "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" and "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy," social justice anthems like "We Shall Overcome" and "If I Had A Hammer," and songs about history and social causes like "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" and "My Name Is Lisa Kalvelage." There are very few general philosophy songs, though "Turn, Turn, Turn" is covered by Bruce Cockburn on this tribute.

Unlike other tributes to Pete Seeger that I have heard, Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger has folk interpretations of Seeger's songs as opposed to reimaginings of Seeger's works in other genres. This is more like the people coming to Seeger as opposed to taking his works and running with them. So, for example, Bruce Springsteen presents "We Shall Overcome" in a remarkably traditional folk way. The fundamental difference between these songs and many of Pete Seeger's versions is how musically rich they sound. The duet between Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt for "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" has both guitarists plucking out the melody, which makes it much less stark and vocally-driven than Seeger's original. Most of the songs have more than just a single guitar playing and the prevalence of percussion on the album makes most songs sound a bit richer than Seeger's originals.

The biggest difference in these covers and Pete Seeger's original versions of each song comes in the vocals. While some of the songs like John Gorka's interpretation of "The Water Is Wide" come out with similar articulate (if growling) vocals, other songs are less articulate than Seeger's originals. While Pete Seeger has a beautiful tenor voice, Roger McGuinn has a very different range on "Bells Of Rhymney" and is not as articulate as Seeger. McGuinn's version does not put the emphasis on enunciating each and every word the way Pete Seeger does when he performs, which is made evident by Seeger himself performing the album's final track, "And Still I Am Searching."

The real surprise - for some - comes from how well some of the female artists interpret and perform Seeger's songs on this album. Ani DiFranco, whose works failed to impress me when I immersed myself in her works earlier this year, tells the musical storysong "My Name Is Lisa Kalvelage" articulately and with a feminine voice appropriate to the lyrics. Judy Collins does a soprano interpretation of "Oh Had I a Golden Thread" that carries more emotion and soul than any version I ever heard Seeger present. Even the "Empty Pocket Blues" comes out with a surprising depth from The Weavers's Ronnie Gilbert, Robin Flower and Libby McLaren.

And while the women certainly shine on this album, outside Bruce Springsteen's throaty rendition of "We Shall Overcome" (where he does some awkward rests and syncopations), the men performing do well. Even Donovan's version of "My Rainbow Race" is melodic and listenable.

For those who have not heard much from Pete Seeger, he is an articulate folk singer and his gift to listeners (other than legacy) on Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger is the presence of his song "And Still I Am Searching." He sings it with his trademark enthusiasm and mellow vocals and when he sings "And I'm still searching . . . For a way we can all learn / To build a world where we all can share / The work, the fun, the food, the space, the joy" ("And Still I Am Searching") it is impossible not to hear the heart of the poet being earnestly expressed.

Ultimately, Where Have All The Flowers Gone: The Songs Of Pete Seeger is a decent set and has the music of Pete Seeger presented with musical and vocal variations that one would not get from a straight-out Pete Seeger album. The result is something that Seeger fans are likely to enjoy and that provides a nonthreatening entry into folk music for those previously intimidated by the genre.

The best songs are "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" (Disc 1) and "And Still I Am Searching" (Disc 2). The low points are "Old Riley" (Disc 1) and "Quiet Early Morning" (Disc 2).

For actual Pete Seeger albums, please check out my reviews of:
American Industrial Ballads
We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert June 8, 1963
God Bless The Grass
Stories & Songs For Little Children
Waist Deep In The Big Muddy And Other Love Songs
The Best Of Pete Seeger (Vanguard)
Pete
If I Had A Hammer: Songs Of Hope And Struggle
Folk Songs For Young People
Greatest Hits (Brazilian Import)
A Link In The Chain
American Favorite Ballads, Volume 1
American Favorite Ballads, Volume 2
American Favorite Ballads, Volume 3
American Favorite Ballads, Volume 4
American Favorite Ballads, Volume 5
Birds, Beasts, Bugs And Fishes (Little And Big)
Seeger & Hester
Headlines & Footnotes
At 89

5.5/10

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© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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