category: country / blues / folk

Album review:
"In 1946, Capitol approached Travis with the idea of cutting a folk album, and although he wasn't an especially folk-oriented artist, he agreed to give it a go. Although the resulting 1947 record (released as a 78 rpm album) didn't sell well, it was a respectable effort performed by Travis on solo acoustic guitar. Folksy introductions embellish the songs, which include standbys like "John Henry" and "Nine Pound Hammer." Travis added a few songs of his own penned in the folk style, and one of these, "Sixteen Tons," would prove to be his most famous composition, reaching number one when it was covered by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s. The CD reissue combines the eight songs from the 1947 release with four songs from the Capitol Electrical Transciption series that were added to the batch when the album was reissued as Back Home in 1957; it also adds a song from the 1946 sessions that was previously unreleased in the U.S., "This World Is Not My Home." -- Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

CD Track Listing All compositions by Merle Travis except where noted

  1. Nine Pound Hammer (2:39)
  2. That's All (2:59)
  3. John Bolin (traditional) (2:54)
  4. Muskrat (Travis / Hensley) (2:34)
  5. Dark As A Dungeon (2:47)
  6. John Henry (traditional) (3:05)
  7. Sixteen Tons (2:50)
  8. Possom Up A Simmon Tree (traditional) (2:36)
  9. I Am A Pilgrim (2:51)
10. Over By Number Nine (3:07)
11. Barbara Allen (traditional) (4:02)
12. Lost John (traditional) (1:54)
13. Black Gold (4:09)
14. The Harlan County Boys (2:43)
15. Pay Day Comes To Slow (5:25)
16. The Browder Explosion (4:23)
17. Bloody Brethitt County (3:57)
18. Here's The Operator, Boys (2:44)
19. The Miner's Wife (4:20)
20. The Courtship Of Second Cousin Claude (3:47)
21. Miner's Strawberries (3:43)
22. Paw Walked Behind Us With A Carbide Lamp (2:58)
23. Preacher Lane (3:09)
24. Dear Old Halifax (3:03)

Total timing: 78:50

Label/No: Bear Family Records BCD-15636 (German import)

Release date: (c)1946-63, 1993 reissue