Look Over Yonder/Bald Headed Woman/Grizzly Bear/Diamond Joe/Here Rattler Here/Another Man Done Good/Swing Dat Hammer/Go Down Old Hannah/Rock & Gravel/Talkin’ An’ Signifyin’
A departure from the usually upbeat Belafonte style here, as he tackles some old chain gang songs. Evidently this kind of material was not to the taste of the public as Swing Dat Hammer was a rare commercial flop.
“Mostly a cappella, solitary and group vocal, readings of classic and obscure chain-gang and work songs. Tender, delicate, impassioned and powerful, Belafonte sings with incredible sensitivity and strength throughout.”
“One of Belafonte's most honest and chilling performances. This is bare-bones Belafonte, accompanied at most by a single guitar, bass fiddle and minimal percussion in addition to the awesome Belafonte Singers. It is historically important, timeless and thoroughly American music, and it makes for some fascinating listening." ,p> “The songs and musical arrangements on the Swing Dat Hammer album reflect a period in history as well as the laments of chain-gang rhythms. The songs present both a rhythmic beat and purpose (to break rocks in unison while singing). Almost gospel like in arrangement, the listener gets a feeling of sweet, sad joy from the tunes and a need to rise and dance from the rhythms. These are not light-hearted, merry tunes, but a soulful excursion with lyrics easily understood, and tunes having actual music that can be whistled or hummed. Belafonte's voice and rendition translates each song into a powerful bodily feeling.”
“Not only is Mr. Belafonte's voice gorgeous, the musicians and back-up singers are superb as well. The whole thing is all too wonderful. My favourites are Another Man's Done Gone, and Here Rattler, both of which evoke feelings of sadness, anger and fear. When you listen and realise that these songs were sung by men on chain-gangs, the songs take on a whole new meaning - gut-wrenching.”
No comments:
Post a Comment