Music of Coal explained

Music of Coal
Type:compilation
Artist:Various artists
Cover:Music of Coal.jpg
Released:2007
Genre:blues, bluegrass, country, folk
Label:Lonesome Pine Records & Publishing
Producer:Jack Wright

Music of Coal: Mining Songs from the Appalachian Coalfields is a 70-page book and two CD compilation of old and new music from southern Appalachian coalfields. The project was produced by Jack Wright and is a benefit for the Lonesome Pine Office on Youth in Wise County, Virginia.

The songs included cover a range of topics related to coal culture such as mining accidents and black lung disease. Some of the artists are natives of the U.S. coal mining region while others have less direct ties. Both vintage recordings and contemporary music have been combined with detailed liner notes giving context to both the songs and the artists. Musicologist Archie Green adds a "Sanctus" note to Wright's "Introduction."

In the preliminary round of nominations for the 50th Grammy Awards the boxed set was under consideration for a number of awards, including, Best Recording Package, Best Liner Notes and Best Historical Album.[1] The compilation did not, however, make it the final round of nominees.[2]

Track listing

Volume one

  1. "Down in a Coal Mine (Excerpt)" - 1:25
    • The Edison Concert Band
  2. "Mining Camp Blues" - 2:59
  3. "Sprinkle Coal Dust on My Grave" - 2:46
    • Orville Jenks
  4. "Coal Miner's Blues" - 3:04
  5. "Hard Times in Coleman’s Mine" - 2:36
  6. "He’s Only a Miner Killed in the Ground" - 2:35
    • Ted Chestnut
  7. "Coal Black Mining Blues" - 1:13
  8. "‘31 Depression Blues" - 2:52
    • Ed Sturgill
  9. "Prayer of a Miner's Child" - 1:51
  10. "That Twenty-Five Cents You Paid" - 2:25
  11. "The L & N Don’t Stop Here Anymore" - 3:10
  12. "Dark as a Dungeon" - 1:55
  13. "Come All You Coal Miners" - 2:21
  14. "My Sweetheart’s the Mule in the Mines" - 0:22
      1. Mike Kline "Thirty Inch Coal" - 2:36
    • Hobo Jack Adkins
  15. "Black Waters" - 3:38
    • Jim Ringer
  16. "Roof Boltin’ Daddy" - 2:26
  17. "Dream of a Miner’s Child" - 2:46
  18. "Coal Miner's Boogie" - 2:57
    • George Davis
  19. "The Yablonski Murder" - 3:00
  20. "What Are We Gonna Do?" - 3:01
    • Dorothy Myles
  21. "Explosion at Derby Mine" - 4:02
    • Charlie Maggard
  22. "Blind Fiddler" - 3:05
    • Jim “Bud” Stanley
  23. "Loadin’ Coal" - 2:29
    • John Hutchison
  24. "Coal Town Saturday Night" - 3:06
    • Randall Hylton
  25. "It’s Been a Long Time" - 3:15
    • Sonny Houston & Roger Hall
  26. "Fountain Filled with Blood" - 3:56
    • Elder James Caudill & Choir

Volume two

  1. "West Virginia Mine Disaster" - 2:48
    • Molly Slemp
  2. "Union Man" - 3:36
    • Blue Highway
  3. "Blue Diamond Mines" - 4:26
    • Robin & Linda Williams
  4. "Set Yourself Free" - :50
    • Billy Gene Mullins
  5. "Redneck War" - 5:22
  6. "Sixteen Tons" - 2:32
  7. "There Will Be No Black Lung in Heaven" - 2:05
    • Rev. Joe Freeman
  8. "Deep Mine Blues" - 3:45
    • Nick Stump
  9. "I’m a Coal Mining Man" - 2:22
  10. "Dirty Black Coal" - 4:27
    • Kenneth Davis
  11. "Black Lung" - 3:21
  12. "Coal Dust Kisses" - 4:06
    • Suzanne Mumpower-Johnson
  13. "Coal Tattoo" (Billy Edd Wheeler) - 4:06
    • Dale Jett
  14. "A Strip Miner’s Life" - 3:00
    • Don Stanley & Middle Creek
  15. "Daddy’s Dinner Bucket" - 3:26
    • Ralph Stanley II
  16. "In Those Mines" - 3:43
  17. "Miner’s Prayer" - 3:14
  18. "Dyin’ To Make A Livin’" - 3:47
  19. "You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive" - 6:06
  20. "They Can’t Put It Back" - 2:31
    • Jack Wright
  21. "Which Side Are You On?" - 5:04

Further reading/listening

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9003312 "Music of Coal earns Grammy Nominations"
  2. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx Nominees for the 50th Grammy Awards show