''Van Ronk Sings'' is an album by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
folksinger
Dave Van Ronk, released in July 1961.
It was also released on
LP as ''Dave Van Ronk Sings the Blues'' and ''Dave Van Ronk Sings Earthy Ballads and Blues''. All these versions are out of print, but most of the songs can be found on the 1991 Smithsonian Folkways CD release ''
The Folkways Years, 1959–1961'' and ''
A Chrestomathy'', released on CD in 1992.
Dave Van Ronk discography.
/ref>
Reception
Writing for Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Dave Van Ronk's approach to performing traditional folk songs and blues tunes is sufficiently unusual to require a sleeve note from the singer to justify it. Unlike other white, Northern, urban folksingers, who perform such material but do so in their own natural voices, Van Ronk takes much of his style from the black, Southern, rural singers who have performed it before him... he can sing in a way that serves the material and, despite the attempt at imitation, comes off as his own individual sound."
Track listing
Side one
#"Bed Bug Blues" – 2:43
#" Yas-Yas-Yas" (Traditional) – 2:05
#"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (also known as "One Kind Favor") is a song recorded by American blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson in two slightly differing versions in October 1927 and February 1928, that became "one of his most famous comp ...
" (Blind Lemon Jefferson
Lemon Henry "Blind Lemon" Jefferson (September 24, 1893 – December 19, 1929) was an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular and successful blues singers of the 1920s and has been called the "Fat ...
) – 2:54
#"Tell Old Bill"
#"Georgie on the IRT" – 3:28
#"Hesitation Blues
"Hesitation Blues" is a popular song adapted from a traditional tune. One version was published by Billy Smythe, Scott Middleton, and Art Gillham. Another was published by W.C. Handy as "Hesitating Blues". Because the tune is traditional, many ...
" ( Rev. Gary Davis) – 2:32
#" Hootchy Kootchy Man"
#"Sweet Substitute"
Side two
#"Dink's Song
"Dink's Song" (sometimes known as "Fare Thee Well") is an American folk song played by many folk revival musicians such as Pete Seeger, Fred Neil, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Dave Van Ronk, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Cisco Houston as well as more recen ...
"
#"River Come Down" – 3:43
#"Just a Closer Walk With Thee (Traditional) – 3:00
#" Come Back Baby" ( Walter Davis) – 3:51
#"Spike Driver's Moan" – 3:11
#"Standing By My Window"
#"Willie the Weeper
"Willie the Weeper" (Roud 977) is a folk song about drug addiction. It is based on a standard vaudeville song, likely written in 1904. It is credited to Walter Melrose, Grant Rymal and Marty Bloom, who published it with Morris Edwin H & Co Inc in ...
" ( Marty Bloom, Walter Melrose
Walter Melrose (October 26, 1889 – May 30, 1973) was an American music publisher and lyricist in the 1920s and 1930s.
Background
He was born in Sumner, Illinois, and was the brother of Lester Melrose, with whom he established a music store in ...
, Grant Rymal) – 2:47
Personnel
*Dave Van Ronk - guitar, vocals
References
{{Authority control
1961 albums
Dave Van Ronk albums
Folkways Records albums