Although this disc is credited to
Pete Seeger, it is actually a collection of tracks recorded by his early folk group,
the Almanacs, for the Keynote and General labels in 1940 and 1941 (plus a radio air check of "Round and Round Hitler's Grave"). The Almanacs were a loose confederation, at best, but generally consisted of
Seeger,
Lee Hays,
Millard Lampell, and
Woody Guthrie (and sometimes
Pete Hawes), and truthfully, they were often more an agenda than a group.
Seeger's bright, energetic banjo playing is prominent here, and traditional fare like "Cindy" and "Ground Hog" have a completely timeless feel, while "C for Conscription," "Talking Atom," and "Newspaper Men" illustrate the group's quirky sense of political humor. The Almanacs were really only together about a year, and in that time they recorded some 35 tracks, 30 of which have survived and are collected on Prism's
Songs of Protest.