The Music of Coal

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Most of the time we tend to review newer items, but today I wanted to share a hidden gem of our collection. The Music of Coal is a book and two CD set of music from the Coalfields.  The creators of this set culled classic early recordings and added newer material to represent the many faceted aspects of the region. Some of the songs are standards by the artists who made them famous, such as “Dark as a Dungeon” by Merle Travis or “Dream of a Miner’s Child” by Carter Stanley; some are well-known songs by contemporary singers; others are modern songs, some already considered classics.

The book portion features photos, background information, and the lyrics of the songs.  For example, the section on the song “Sixteen Tons,” tells how Merle Travis came to write the song, how Tennessee Ernie Ford came to record it, and why this version is sung by Ned Beatty.  Some of the selections give context for a song, such as explaining how a miner’s skin can carry the blue-black mark after a near miss from falling coal for the song “The Coal Tattoo” or a history of the conflict at Blair Mountain that forms the basis of “Redneck War.”

The songs range from heart wrenching to jaunty, from serious topics as black lung to “My Sweetheart’s a Mule in the Mines.” Many revolve around family, like “Coal Dust Kisses,” a daughter’s loving remembrance of her father coming home from the mines and the hard times families went through when coal went bust, as in Jean Ritchie’s “The L & N Don’t Stop Here Anymore.” There’s family history as told through “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” and the 1934 tragedy at Derby, Virginia when a mine exploded. 

The singers are a who’s who of the Appalachian region old and new:  The Carter Family, Dale Jett, Dock Boggs, Blue Highway, Jean Ritchie, Ron Short, Darrell Scott, and Ralph Stanley.  It’s an amazing collection, one I have listened to time and again.  I think my personal favorite is “West Virginia Mine Disaster” sung by eleven year old Molly Slemp with a vocal wisdom beyond her years.

Highly recommended!