Old, Weird America: Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music
(2007) Produced and Directed by Rami Singh
Ovation TV
For two hours I sat spellbound in front of my television set learning about and listening to the roots of American music. Ovation TV’s world premiere of the documentary Old, Weird America: Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music was an education to me, and I thought I knew a lot about American music. But I was not familiar with the story of Harry Smith, an eccentric man who was also brilliant and artistic and he knew the sounds of American history when he heard them. Old Weird America tells how Smith discovered some 78 rpm records of early folk music and, because this was during World War II, records were being melted down because shellac was a rationed war material. He recognized that an important part of American culture would be lost, so Smith began to buy up as many of the records as he could find. He amassed a huge collection, and in 1952 Smith chose specific songs from his collection to be released as a three-volume anthology by Folkways. He wanted the country to hear the music. His anthology, which brought folk music like blues and bluegrass and instruments like the fiddle, the blues harp, and the mandolin to the general public’s attention, helped to bring attention to folk artists who had been largely forgotten. The anthology was hugely influential during the folk music revival of the 1960s, and Bob Dylan was just one of those influenced by Smith’s collection. In 1997 the anthology was rereleased and there were concerts held across the country to commemorate Smith’s groundbreaking work.
To complement Smith’s story, present-day artists like Elvis Costello, Nick Cage, Lou Reed, David Johansen, Beck, and Sonic Youth interpret some of the songs from Smith’s anthology. Some of the interpretations bring to life the spirit and the soul of the original versions. Some of the interpretations are abstract and offer just a glimmer of the original as the artists create their own songs. Some of the interpretations bring you back in time, and some are startlingly modern. I found some of the interpretations too abstract for my taste, but that will be up to viewers to decide whether they like the newer versions for themselves. But scattered throughout the documentary are some of the original versions of songs from Smith’s anthology, and that is why this documentary is important. It highlights what is special about American music. In a review of its 1997 rerelease, Rolling Stone hailed Smith’s anthology as highlighting the “…bedrock of our nation’s musical heritage.” Others have hailed Smith's anthology as the Rosetta Stone of American music. In the plaintive, grainy voices from the past you can hear the truth about death and life and everything in between. It's like you're transported into the past and you can hear the beginnings of the music we love today.
If you are not familiar with Smith’s story then the documentary will tell you about a part of American music history that you should know. All I can say is that after watching this I ran to my computer and ordered Smith’s anthology for myself.