Roy Acuff Sings American Folk Songs

AMG Review of Roy Acuff Sings American Folk Songs

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

The third album that Acuff recorded in the early '60s for his own Hickory label might be less essential than some of his other work from the era, simply because most of the songs are folk tunes rather than his own compositions. That doesn't automatically mean they're not of interest. But Acuff is simply a more distinctive talent when working with the country compositions of himself and others than he is as an interpreter of folk songs. In its favor, though, the arrangements make no concessions to ascendant Nashville country-pop production, presenting the singer with a basic combo including steel guitar and fiddle. That's all the better to put the focus on his plaintive vocals, which are suited to the material, though not conducive toward exciting personalization of the songs. Acuff's arrangement of "The House of the Rising Sun" here, incidentally, has an entirely different tune than the more famous one popularized by the Animals' chart-topping single, coming off as a mildly doleful waltz rather than anguished lues. Not too many of the selections are covered-to-death folk staples, and there's a slight bent toward tragic tales like "The Great Titanic," "Shut up in the Mines," "Birmingham Jail," and "Little Rose Wood Casket." Sings American Folk Songs was combined with another 1963 Acuff album, Hand-Clapping Gospel Songs, on a single-disc CD reissue in 2004.