VA - Kerrville Folk Festival: The Early Years 1972-1981 (10CD Box Set) (2014)

The Kerrville folk festival began as a 3-hour indoor concert June 1-3, 1972 in the Kerrville Municipal Auditorium, with a total attendance of 2800. The next year, midnight concerts were added on two of the days, with the attendance doubling. By 1974, the festival had grown to the point that it was moved outdoors to what is now known as the Quiet Valley Ranch. The Kerrville Folk Festival has steadily grown through the years and has expanded to an 18-day event with attendance in the 30,000 range. Given its longevity and popularity, it is a real treat that a portion of its musical heritage has been preserved in this box set. The Early Years: Kerrville Folk Festival 1972-1981 is a 10-CD limited edition box set (only 500 were pressed), with one disc each for the ten years covered. 140 songs total by 90 artists, it contains some instantly recognizable names - like Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt and Nanci Griffith, just to name a few - as well as artists you may never have heard of, and they all turn in stellar performances.

Highlights include the exquisitely understated Pancho And Lefty, performed by its writer, Townes Van Zandt, the B. W. Stevenson rocker, Shambala, Allen Damron's humorous ditty, A Little Bit Late (even for the Pearly Gates!), and - well, I could keep going until I ended up naming every track here. Though the slant of most of the music is obviously toward folk, there are notable forays into bluegrass (a totally unique version of the Jerry Lee Lewis tune Great Balls Of Fire, performed by the Bluegrass Revue), country (I'd Have To Be Crazy, by Steven Fromholz) and gospel (Jesus, My Rock by the Royal Light Singers). In short, there's something here that's sure to please just about any listener. The only real drawback to this box is the fact that it was mastered from LPs. The good news is that it's hardly noticeable on most tracks; the bad news is that on some tracks it's positively annoying. For example, the sound quality on disc 2, from track 6 to the end is particularly painful to listen. Even so, Silverwolf Records is to be commended for its thoughtfulness and selection of material here. Folk music fans are sure to give these discs a spin often.

Tracklist:

CD 01:
01 Allen Damron - This Will Be A Little Big Late (6:09)
02 Carolyn Hester - Summertime (3:49)
03 Long John - Lomax Jr, John A (2:55)
04 Texas Fever - Drunken Lady Of The Morning (4:54)
05 Mance Lipscomb - Texas Blues (3:25)
06 Dicky Barrett - Orange Blossom Special (2:56)
07 Segle Fry - Candy Creek Reunion And Picnic (5:03)
08 Robert Shaw - Put Me In The Alley (3:50)
09 Steve Formholz - Birds And Wolverines (5:55)
10 Bonnie Hearne - Tennessee Green (5:07)
11 Peter Yarrow - When Day Is Done (5:19)

CD 02:
01 Bobby Bridger - The Call (3:16)
02 Carolyn Hester - Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound (2:57)
03 B.W. Stevenson - Shambala (2:59)
04 Royal Light Singers - Jesus, My Rock (6:16)
05 Willie Nelson - The Party's Over (2:19)
06 Timberline Rose - Camille's Blues (5:30)
07 Steven Fromholz - Dear Darcy (4:49)
08 Reverend Charlie Sumners - Peter's Song (3:58)
09 Kenneth Threadgill - Waiting For A Train (2:40)
10 Bonnie Hearne - Muddy Boggy Banjo Man (3:21)
11 Robert Shaw - Here I Come With My Dirty, Dirty Duckings On (3:43)
12 Ewing Street Times - Deep In The West (6:17)
13 Jerry Jeff Walker - Charlie Dunn (3:09)
14 Sunny Schulman - Take Away (4:39)
15 Townes Van Zandt - Techmseh Valley (4:48)

CD 03:
01 Ray Wylie Hubbard - West Texas Country Western Dance Band (4:16)
02 Jimmy Johnson String Band - Just Liek Me (2:49)
03 Flaco Jimenez - La Paloma (3:02)
04 Riley Osbourne - Laredo Lady (3:00)
05 Bluegrass Ramblers - Liberty (1:28)
06 Southern Strangers - Ruby (4:10)
07 Kenneth Threadgill - Mississippi Delta Blues (3:19)
08 Bill Priest - Silent Souls (5:51)
09 Leroy Preston - Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do) (2:47)
10 Bill & Bonnie Hearned - Last Thing I Needed (0:38)

CD 04:
01 John Vandiver - Gypsy Songman (3:23)
02 Red River Dave - Somewhere I Hear An Angel Singing The San Antonio Rose (1:56)
03 Dee Moeller - Slow Movi' Outlaw (5:00)
04 Juke Boy Bonner - I've Had The Blues (3:30)
05 Wheatfield - Seven Bridges Road (3:01)
06 Guy Clark - Anyhow, I Love You (3:32)
07 Townes Van Zandt - Poncho And Lefty (3:59)
08 Bobby Bridger - Starmaker (3:41)
09 Plum Nelly - There's Nothin' I Can Do (2:50)
10 Steven Fromholz - Wolverillo Rap (6:44)
11 Denim - Let Your Colors Fly (3:21)
12 Carolyn Hester - Don't Touch Me (3:01)
13 Robert Shaw - Shorty George (4:38)
14 Bluegrass Revue - Great Balls Of Fire (2:23)
15 Mike Seeger - New Freedom March (1:26)
16 Bonnie Hearne - Dear Darcy (4:31)
17 Kenneth Threadgill - Mississippi Moon (3:04)
18 Terry Waldo - Red Riding Hood (2:21)
19 Cowboy Twinkies - Jazzbo Dancer (3:16)
20 Augie Meyers & Western Head Band - Down To Mexico (2:59)

CD 05:
01 Peter Yarrow - Torn Between Two Lovers (3:39)
02 Milton Carroll - Lovin' You That's All (4:42)
03 Mark McKinnon - Back On The Street (2:34)
04 Dee Moeller - What A Way To Go (4:42)
05 Kurt Van Sickle - Eight Miles (3:28)
06 Bill Staines - Chime Bells (2:53)
07 Homdo Crouch - Luckenbach Daybreak (4:40)
08 Shane - From Me To You (5:24)
09 Bill Neely - Texas Traveling Song (2:59)
10 Donald Sanders - Love Is (1:56)
11 Carolyn Hester - You Made My Life A Song (2:08)
12 Bill Haymes - Taking Leave Of The Nest (3:45)
13 Russell - Second Time Around (4:09)
14 Bobby Bridger - Free My Spirit (4:14)

CD 06:
01 Bonnie Hearne - It's So Hard To Find A Smile (2:47)
02 Steven Fromholz - I'd Have To Be Crazy (4:46)
03 Milton Carroll - We Got The Make The Change (3:16)
04 Carolyn Hester - One Man's Hands (2:17)
05 Townes Van Zandt - If I Needed You (2:33)
06 Tom Paxton - Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound (3:24)
07 Patricia Hardin - Joshua Tree (3:31)
08 Mike Williams - A Painting Son (3:36)
09 Dan McCrimmon - Weaving Is The Property Of Few These Days (4:07)
10 Butch Hancock - Fools Fall In Love (4:11)
11 John Vandiver - Temper Temper (5:50)

CD 07:
01 Mother Of Pearl - Sweet Melissa (4:13)
02 Joe Ely - Livin' On A Dry Land Farm (2:02)
03 Rick Beresford - Sweet Virginia Lace (4:19)
04 Frummox - Stuck In New York City (3:19)
05 Alvin Crow - Take Me Back To Tulsa/Milk Cow Blues (7:57)
06 Kevin Hatcher & Ken Brothers - Chime Bells (3:22)
07 Rusty Wier - Queen Of The Rodeo (4:11)
08 Buck White - Crawdad Song (5:14)
09 E. Taylor - Dollar Matinee (4:54)
10 David Amram - Alfred The Hog (7:26)

CD 08:
01 Bob Gibson & Bob Camp - Well, Well, Well (2:39)
02 Gary P. Nunn - Getaway (3:51)
03 Cactus Rose - Little Buutterfly (2:38)
04 Nanci Griffith - Light Beyond These Woods (4:38)
05 Ray Wylie Hubbard - Hello Early Morning (3:42)
06 Lindsay Haisley - Don't Let The Devil Turn You Around (6:53)
07 Shake Russell - Deep In The West (4:52)
08 Ken Brothers - Cattle Cal (2:52)
09 Jimmie Driftwood - The Battle Of New Orleans (3:53)
10 Jimmy Ritchey - Tennessee Bottle (3:33)
11 Mercy River Boys - Safely In The Arms Of Jesus (3:09)
12 Peter Rowan - Midnight Moonlight (4:55)

CD 09:
01 Gary P. Nunn - Austin Pickers (3:54)
02 Tish Hinojosa - Twilight Serendade (4:27)
03 Uncle Walt's Band - Don't You Feel It Too (2:39)
04 Jim Ringer - Bramble And The Rose (3:21)
05 Lonnie Glosson - I Want My Mama (1:56)
06 Masters Four - I Came Here To Stay (2:43)
07 Eaglebone Whistle - Dulcimer Meldey (4:32)
08 Michael Marcoulier - Touch Of New Orleans (3:56)
09 Terry Waldo - Blue Skies (3:03)
10 Lucinda Williams - One Night Stand (3:10)
11 Shady Grove Band - Baby Boy (3:13)
12 Donald Sanders - I Love Trash (2:38)
13 Jon Ims - Nina's Nocturne (2:42)
14 'Spider' John Koerner - Midnight Special (2:29)

CD 10:
01 Guy Clark - Heartbroke (3:02)
02 Bob Gibson - Looking For You (3:31)
03 Carolyn Hester - Ascending Woman (4:55)
04 Robert Shaw - Piggly Wiggly Blues (5:20)
05 Peter Rowan - River Of Stone (4:25)
06 Tim Henderson - Maria Consuela (4:49)
07 Kenneth Threadgill - Jimmie The Kid (2:50)
08 Riders In The Sky - Pecos Bill (2:27)
09 Odetta - Take My Hand (3:57)
10 Steve Young - Steven Bridges Road (4:50)
11 Red River Dave Mcenery - Armelia Earthrt's Last Flight (2:44)
12 Eliza Gilkyson - Esta Solida Del Sol (4:48)
13 Peter Yarrow - Puff The Magic Dragon (5:40)
14 Eaglebone Whistle - Dulcimer Medley No. 2 (4:05)
15 Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Sixth Level (2:52)
16 Buck White - Kentucky Waltz (4:05)
17 Butch Hancock - Dallas (4:16)
18 Odetta - If I Had A Hammer (3:40)