From WWR
Release date
September 16,2003
Label
Myth America
Listener comments about The House Carpenter's Daughter
Critics Say
Striving to preserve the kinds of songs that "teach us about what we know in our hearts," Natalie Merchant presents here 11 songs of traditional and contemporary folk music. Merchant's handpicked song choices run the gamut of the 20th century, with seven traditional tunes and four covers. The covers are an eclectic mix: the Waterboys-esque Horseflies song "Sally Ann" (ex-Horseflies Judy Hyman and Richie Stearns provide violin and banjo throughout the album), Florence Reece's coalminer hymn "Which Side Are You On?," Fairport Convention's gothic parable "Crazy Man Michael," and the Carter Family's love-lost weeper "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow." From the track listing, one would expect a somber blend of acoustic instruments and dreamy vocals, but Merchant and company kick out the folk jams more often than not, and Merchant's bright production and energetic arrangements keep the pace lively. As befits the preservational nature of the project, Merchant's annotated liner notes give rhyme and reason to each selection. Reading about the harrowing genesis of "Which Side Are You On?" adds a wealth of poignancy and power to its message. But that's not to suggest that The House Carpenter's Daughter is an overly academic work, as the material varies enough in theme, tone, and rhythm as much as any of Merchant's preceding solo endeavors. Indeed it's actually quite refreshing to hear Merchant's voice consistently wrapped around a bold pedal steel guitar, a weeping fiddle, a rolling banjo, and gentle accordion undertones. Those weary of the traditional nature of the album needn't worry much, as rock textures hover around many a corner, percolating violently on "Diver Boy" before exploding fully on the humorous jumping-rope song "Soldier, Soldier." At turns slow, hazy, and beautiful and at other turns bounding with folk hoedowns, The House Carpenter's Daughter is a delightful exploration of Merchant's folk inspirations. Whether a listener is a folk newcomer or a die-hard folkie, or even a Merchant fanatic or not, this is an album bursting with delights. It proves Merchant's liner-notes theories about the power of folk music again and again. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide
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| Title |
Lyrics |
Request it |
iTunes |
Overall Rank |
Your rank |
Others rank |
Length |
Track |
Last played |
Times played |
Times requested |
Listeners |
Tags |
| Sally Ann |
Lyrics |
|
|
(15 votes) |
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5 stars=Oldcajun ♦ Peterdale ♦ Redsy ♦ Bleau ♦ Kazookid ♦ Pyrite ♦ BlueRidge
4 stars=Kelli ♦ sparx ♦ NitroSavage884
3 stars=Beukeboom ♦ Jim ♦ Amishlaw ♦ Reed
1 star=RickHap
|
5:48 |
01 |
Jan 4th, 2009 |
27 |
16 |
699 |
(click here to edit) |
| Which Side Are You On? |
Lyrics |
|
|
(59 votes) |
You have to login to give your opinion about songs. |
5 stars=Sol® ♦ Jim ♦ Jondo ♦ Kelli ♦ DogNut ♦ Pretendingtowork ♦ sparx ♦ Bisbonian ♦ Dean ♦ Denali ♦ a1l3n ♦ dolcefarniente ♦ BlueRidge ♦ chinook ♦ JC ♦ Phillip ♦ Hoonah ♦ Oldcajun ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Peterdale ♦ Redsy ♦ Sharpston ♦ Hexaba ♦ Chili ♦ JohnnyAppleseed ♦ Bleau ♦ Kazookid ♦ Big Tom ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Keystone traveler ♦ Kimchifox ♦ OldGowl ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Mainer ♦ Scobey ♦ Reno ♦ Walkinblooz ♦ Dayglow
4 stars=Doctordoug ♦ Steven E King ♦ ReWoven ♦ Firewalk ♦ Cater ♦ Fine-line ♦ LuAnna ♦ Griffin ♦ 12-stringer ♦ Amishlaw ♦ countrydave ♦ Toad ♦ 65strat ♦ JohnA ♦ Wade ♦ Pyrite ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ rmed
3 stars=Reed ♦ Toddtyrtle ♦ Mert
|
5:04 |
02 |
Dec 17th, 2008 |
163 |
128 |
4086 |
Pete seeger / Banjo / Electric guitar / Fiddle / Protest / Folk / Sparkit singulars / Haunting / Slow / Unions / Bleau's triple fav / Dognut's double fav / Chili (click here to edit) |
| Crazy Man Michael |
Lyrics |
|
|
(33 votes) |
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5 stars=Redsy ♦ Jim ♦ BlueRidge ♦ Cater ♦ aex ♦ Ruben ♦ Kazookid ♦ OldGowl ♦ Mainer ♦ TundraDawg ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Kingfisher ♦ Bleau ♦ Scobey
4 stars=sparx ♦ Pretendingtowork ♦ Dayglow ♦ Fine-line ♦ Kelli ♦ Bisbonian ♦ Dean ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ Chili ♦ Firewalk ♦ 65strat ♦ Mert ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Kimchifox ♦ Doctordoug ♦ LuAnna
3 stars=Pyrite ♦ 12-stringer
|
5:14 |
03 |
Dec 22nd, 2008 |
67 |
52 |
1867 |
Sad / Slow / Band / Ballad / Cover / Fiddle / Electric / Children / Haunting / Mournful / Mysterious / Minor key / Solo vocalist / Bleau's favs (click here to edit) |
| Diver Boy |
Lyrics |
|
|
(28 votes) |
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5 stars=Pretendingtowork ♦ Big Tom ♦ Redsy ♦ Kelli ♦ BlueRidge ♦ Kazookid ♦ Pyrite ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Jenny ♦ Jim ♦ Danny ♦ Bleau ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Griffin ♦ countrydave
4 stars=Sol® ♦ sparx ♦ Terri ♦ Flying Trout ♦ Fine-line ♦ JohnnyAppleseed ♦ Scobey ♦ Kimchifox
3 stars=Hexaba ♦ DogNut ♦ 12-stringer ♦ Mert
1 star=imnidjit
|
4:46 |
04 |
Dec 14th, 2008 |
67 |
39 |
1273 |
Pop / Dark / Haunting / Reflective / Minor key / Solo vocalist / Electric / Band (click here to edit) |
| Weeping Pilgrim |
Lyrics |
|
|
(17 votes) |
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5 stars=Kelli ♦ Phillip ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Hoonah ♦ Peterdale
4 stars=Jim ♦ Bisbonian ♦ sparx ♦ Kazookid ♦ Doctordoug ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Chili ♦ Amishlaw ♦ Kimchifox
3 stars=Pretendingtowork ♦ Mert ♦ 12-stringer
|
4:14 |
05 |
Jan 5th, 2009 |
34 |
19 |
854 |
Folk / Banjo / Violin / Slow / Solo vocalist / Acoustic / Acoustic guitar / Band (click here to edit) |
| Soldier, Soldier |
Lyrics |
|
|
(21 votes) |
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5 stars=Fine-line ♦ Dayglow ♦ BlueRidge ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Jim ♦ Jenny ♦ Peterdale
4 stars=Doctordoug ♦ sparx ♦ Kelli ♦ DogNut ♦ Kazookid ♦ Pyrite ♦ JC ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Mert ♦ Chili
3 stars=Big Tom ♦ 12-stringer ♦ Amishlaw
2 stars=RickHap
|
3:45 |
06 |
Dec 16th, 2008 |
47 |
31 |
966 |
Pop / Solo vocalist / Band / Electric (click here to edit) |
| Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow |
Lyrics |
|
|
(28 votes) |
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5 stars=Kelli ♦ Chili ♦ LuAnna ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ chinook ♦ Kazookid ♦ BlueRidge ♦ Amishlaw ♦ Jim ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Hoonah
4 stars=Sol® ♦ sparx ♦ jjascob ♦ Fine-line ♦ Bisbonian ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ DogNut ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ JC ♦ Mert ♦ Kimchifox ♦ OldGowl ♦ Cater ♦ Scobey ♦ DBB
3 stars=Pyrite ♦ Doctordoug
|
3:22 |
07 |
Dec 9th, 2008 |
70 |
42 |
1570 |
Bluegrass / Country folk / Americana / Banjo / Fiddle / Mandolin / Upbeat / Death / Vocal harmonies / Acoustic / Band (click here to edit) |
| House Carpenter |
Lyrics |
|
|
(36 votes) |
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5 stars=Jim ♦ Kelli ♦ jjascob ♦ Big Tom ♦ Cater ♦ Lil Deb ♦ sparx ♦ Pretendingtowork ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Redsy ♦ dolcefarniente ♦ Denali ♦ Phillip ♦ Bleau ♦ Kazookid ♦ Pyrite ♦ Peterdale ♦ Scobey ♦ NitroSavage884
4 stars=Sol® ♦ ElmasnoJ ♦ Flying Trout ♦ Messtaken ♦ Fine-line ♦ Bisbonian ♦ 12-stringer ♦ aex ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Ruben ♦ LuAnna ♦ Mert ♦ Chili ♦ Kimchifox
3 stars=Beukeboom ♦ Jenny
2 stars=Amishlaw
|
6:01 |
08 |
Oct 1st, 2008 |
78 |
64 |
1918 |
Banjo / Folk / Brooding / Slow / Cheating / Solo vocalist / Band / Fiddle (click here to edit) |
| Owensboro |
Lyrics |
|
|
(32 votes) |
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5 stars=Esther ♦ Jim ♦ Kelli ♦ Peterdale ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Dean ♦ Amishlaw ♦ Phillip ♦ BlueRidge ♦ Kazookid ♦ JC ♦ Mert ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Bleau ♦ Scobey ♦ Walkinblooz
4 stars=Sol® ♦ jjascob ♦ Cater ♦ Dayglow ♦ Bisbonian ♦ sparx ♦ Lil Deb ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ 65strat ♦ DogNut ♦ Chili ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Keystone traveler ♦ Kimchifox
3 stars=Firewalk ♦ Pyrite
|
4:23 |
09 |
Dec 28th, 2008 |
63 |
47 |
1370 |
Folk / Pretty / Mellow / Acoustic guitar / Violin / Banjo / Solo vocalist (click here to edit) |
| Down On Penny's Farm |
Lyrics |
|
|
(37 votes) |
You have to login to give your opinion about songs. |
5 stars=Kelli ♦ Dean ♦ Cater ♦ Chili ♦ Amishlaw ♦ sparx ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Kazookid ♦ Hoonah ♦ Peterdale ♦ Keystone traveler ♦ Ray ♦ Jim ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ Reno ♦ Jenny ♦ OldGowl
4 stars=Sol® ♦ fireball ♦ Bisbonian ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ Doctordoug ♦ DogNut ♦ Fine-line ♦ jjascob ♦ Oldcajun ♦ 12-stringer ♦ Firewalk ♦ countrydave ♦ Big Tom ♦ Pyrite ♦ 65strat ♦ Scobey
3 stars=Beukeboom ♦ Hexaba ♦ Mert ♦ DBB
|
3:44 |
10 |
Dec 27th, 2008 |
74 |
56 |
1819 |
Fast / Band / Fiddle / Happy / Lively / Upbeat / Acoustic / Americana / Old timey / Solo vocalist / Fast dancing (click here to edit) |
| Poor Wayfaring Stranger |
Lyrics |
|
|
(69 votes) |
You have to login to give your opinion about songs. |
5 stars=Esther ♦ Pretendingtowork ♦ Doctordoug ♦ Dean ♦ Jim ♦ Phillip ♦ Kelli ♦ Redsy ♦ Denali ♦ Rubber Soul ♦ Reed ♦ Cater ♦ Chili ♦ Bisbonian ♦ Debry ♦ chinook ♦ BlueRidge ♦ Hoonah ♦ Amishlaw ♦ countrydave ♦ Oldcajun ♦ DogNut ♦ sparx ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Peterdale ♦ Bleau ♦ Kazookid ♦ Hexaba ♦ Pyrite ♦ a1l3n ♦ Gearhead ♦ Sharpston ♦ aex ♦ Robbie ♦ LuAnna ♦ Mert ♦ Griffin ♦ Kimchifox ♦ NitroSavage884 ♦ OldGowl ♦ JohnnyAppleseed ♦ E.D. Egg ♦ Ray ♦ Scobey ♦ TundraDawg ♦ Marko295 ♦ Mainer ♦ Walkinblooz ♦ Flora ♦ Gerryjazz ♦ DrTom
4 stars=jjascob ♦ Big Tom ♦ Steven E King ♦ Whiskers ♦ JC ♦ Anagram ♦ dolcefarniente ♦ 65strat ♦ Fine-line ♦ ReWoven ♦ Whistling owl ♦ 12-stringer ♦ JohnA ♦ Terri ♦ Jenny ♦ Firewalk
3 stars=imnidjit
2 stars=CooleyBufo
|
4:17 |
11 |
Jan 4th, 2009 |
202 |
177 |
5473 |
Haunting / Sad / Banjo / Clawhammer / Fiddle / Traditional / Minor key / Lonely / Acoustic / Solo vocalist / Band / Old timey / Kelli / Bleau's favs / Scobey's double raves (click here to edit) |
