When We Were Good: The Folk Revival

When We Were Good: The Folk Revival follows the American folk music movement from its roots through its commercial peak in the 1960s. The book centers on the pivotal 1958 Kingston Trio recording of "Tom Dooley" and traces both backwards and forwards from this cultural moment. Cantwell examines key figures who shaped folk music's trajectory, including Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. The narrative reconstructs the social and political environment that allowed folk music to move from a niche interest to a mainstream phenomenon. The book documents the transformation of folk music from its origins in field recordings and left-wing politics to its emergence as a commercial force. Cantwell incorporates analysis of album covers, festival culture, and the role of record companies in folk's evolution. Through this cultural history, the book reveals how folk music became intertwined with American identity and idealism during a period of social change. The work explores themes of authenticity, commercialization, and the complex relationship between tradition and innovation.

Readers find this academic analysis of the 1960s folk revival to be thorough but dense. Multiple reviewers note Cantwell's deep research and cultural insights, particularly regarding Pete Seeger and the Kingston Trio's influence. Likes: - Detailed examination of how folk music connected to broader social movements - Strong analysis of key events like the Newport Folk Festival - Quality archival research and historical context Dislikes: - Writing style described as "unnecessarily academic" and "meandering" - Some sections bog down in theoretical frameworks - Limited coverage of certain important folk artists - Too much focus on sociology versus the music itself Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (21 ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (12 reviews) Notable reader comment: "Cantwell offers valuable insights but makes you work hard to find them beneath layers of academic prose" - Amazon reviewer The book appears more popular with academic readers than general folk music fans seeking an accessible historical overview.

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The Mayor of MacDougal Street by Elijah Wald This memoir chronicles the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s through the experiences of a central figure who witnessed the rise of Bob Dylan and other folk luminaries.

Rainbow Quest: The Folk Music Revival and American Society by Ronald D. Cohen This historical account examines the folk revival's impact on American culture from the 1940s through the 1970s, focusing on its key institutions and performers.

Folk Revival: The Rediscovery of a City's Musical Heritage by Michael F. Scully This study explores the Boston folk music scene and its role in shaping the broader folk revival movement through the stories of musicians, venues, and record labels.

The North American Folk Music Revival by Gillian Mitchell This analysis compares the parallel development of folk revivals in the United States and Canada, examining their cultural and social significance in both countries.

🎵 The book takes its title from a line in Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages," reflecting the idealism and later disillusionment of the folk movement 📚 Author Robert Cantwell spent 15 years researching and writing the book, drawing from extensive interviews with folk revival participants and his own experience as a banjo player 🎸 The book traces how the Kingston Trio's 1958 recording of "Tom Dooley" sparked massive mainstream interest in folk music, selling over 3 million copies 🎤 Despite focusing on the 1950s-60s folk revival, Cantwell connects it to earlier American traditions, including vaudeville, blackface minstrelsy, and labor movement songs 🏛️ The work examines how middle-class college students transformed traditional rural music into a vehicle for social protest and cultural change in urban America