Since
Pete Seeger
began recording for the major-label
Columbia Records
in 1961, he has not stopped recording for tiny
Folkways Records
, and by the evidence of albums like this, it's the smaller company that is reaping more of the benefits of the singer's dual affiliation. Thus far,
Seeger
has only released live albums on
Columbia
, while
Broadsides
is a studio recording that is a follow-up to 1963's
Broadside Ballads, Vol. 2
(itself the successor to the various-artists collection
Broadside Ballads
, on which
also appeared), again featuring recordings of recently written, topical folk songs first published in the magazine
. Spending more time with his guitar than his banjo for once,
ranges across political topics, singing in opposition to war (
"The Dove,"
"Flowers of Peace"
), nuclear proliferation (the song parody "Mack the Bomb," sung to the tune of
"Mack the Knife"
), and pollution (
"Coyote, My Little Brother"
). There are also more philosophical songs and even a sort of last will and testament from a songwriter only in his mid-forties (
"To My Old Brown Earth"
). But
may be on to something in its exclusive use of concert material.
is a much more subdued performer alone in a recording studio, and these tracks lack the enthusiasm he brings to his concerts, as well as the crowd reactions he incites. The humorous song about aging
"Get Up and Go"
would benefit from an audience that no doubt would laugh and cheer its sentiments, and
has already demonstrated that
"We Shall Overcome,"
sung by
in isolation here, works a lot better as a singalong. Still, this is an album of strong material the bigger company would do well to emulate, if it can summon the political will, that is. ~ William Ruhlmann