VA – When Will They Ever Learn? A Story Of U.S. Folk 1963-1969 [2025] (4 x CDs)

FOLK

VA – When Will They Ever Learn? A Story Of U.S. Folk 1963-1969 [2025] (4 x CDs)

This four‑disc anthology traces the years when American folk moved from revival tradition into the wider world of popular culture. Compiled by Mick Houghton and remastered by Alec Palao, the set presents a thoughtful narrative shaped by voices that carried songs through a decade of change. The selections come from major labels and small studios, creating a picture of folk as a living form, shifting with the concerns of the time.

The first disc begins with the Kingston Trio’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone, a reminder of how harmony groups brought folk into the mainstream. The Brothers Four, The Limeliters and The Journeymen continue that polished sound, while Odetta and Peter LaFarge add deeper social weight. Dave Van Ronk, Jim Kweskin and the Even Dozen Jug Band bring the textures of urban folk and jug‑band tradition. Malvina Reynolds and Pete Seeger close the disc with songs that carried environmental and political themes into public awareness.

The second disc moves toward new songwriting. Judy Collins, Bonnie Dobson and Hedy West appear alongside Fred Neil and Jesse Colin Young, shaping a quieter, more reflective tone. Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man and Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence mark the moment when folk’s language entered radio and chart music. Barry McGuire and P.F. Sloan show how quickly political urgency became part of the era’s sound.

The final discs follow folk into broader territory. The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds and Gene Clark sit beside Doc Watson, Phil Ochs and Gordon Lightfoot, revealing how varied the movement had become. By the closing tracks, Karen Dalton, Townes Van Zandt, Taj Mahal and Pearls Before Swine show folk turning inward, shaped by personal writing and changing cultural landscapes.

Across all four discs, the anthology offers a clear, steady account of folk’s evolution. It preserves the voices that carried tradition forward while opening the door to new forms, documenting a decade when American folk was learning, changing and finding its place in a wider musical world. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Kingston Trio - Where Have All The Flowers Gone 3:04

02 Brothers Four - 500 Miles 2:51

03 Limeliters - John Riley 3:03

04 Journeymen - All The Pretty Little Horses 2:40

05 Anita Carter - Fair and Tender Ladies 2:57

06 Odetta - Long Time Gone 3:43

07 Peter LaFarge - Ballad of Ira Hayes 3:41

08 Dave Van Ronk - Candy Man 2:38

09 New Christy Minstrels - Green, Green 2:11

10 Big Three - Come Away Melinda 3:10

11 Simon & Garfunkel - Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream 2:14

12 Bob Gibson - Fare Thee Well 2:37

13 Paul Clayton - Spanish is the Loving Tongue 2:13

14 Hamilton Camp - Pride of Man 2:10

15 Simon Sisters - Motherless Child 1:51

16 Tom Paley - The Cuckoo 2:34

17 Dian & The Greenbriar Boys - Cannon Ball Blues 2:36

18 Even Dozen Jug Band - On The Road Again 3:19

19 Jim Kweskin Jug band - Minglewood 2:54

20 Spider John Koerner - Southbound Train 2:34

21 Hoyt Axton - Bring Your Lovin' When You Come 2:26

22 Mugwumps - I Don't Wanna Know 2:11

23 Dick Rosmini - 900 Miles to Go 2:34

24 Vince Martin and Fred Neil - Morning Dew 4:13

25 Malvina Reynolds - What Have They Done to The Rain_ 1:51

26 Pete Seeger - The Bells of Rhymney 4:58

27 Tom Paxton - I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound 3:41

CD2

01 Judy Collins - Me and My Uncle 2:53

02 Bonnie Dobson - Country Girl Blues 3:06

03 Hedy West - The Davidson-Wilder Blues 3:53

04 Judy Henske - High Flying Bird 2:58

05 Jackie DeShannon - When You Walk in The Room 3:06

06 Modern Folk Quartet - The Bells 3:54

07 Au Go-go Singers - Where I'm Bound 2:52

08 Koerner, Ray & Glover - Fine Soft Land 3:51

09 Jesse Colin Young - Four in The Morning 3:26

10 Fred Neil - Water is Wide 4:17

11 Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man 5:28

12 Paul Simon - The Sound of Silence 3:09

13 Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction 3:39

14 PF Sloan - Take Me for What I'm Worth 2:45

15 Cher - See See Blues 2:39

16 Len Chandler - Shadow Dream Chaser of Rainbows 5:17

17 Mark Spoelstra - White Winged Dove 4:08

18 Kathy & Carol - Green Rocky Road 2:30

19 Richie Havens - Morning, Morning 2:20

20 David Blue - Grand Hotel 4:05

21 Boz Scaggs - Baby Let Me Follow You Down 2:19

22 Tim Rose - Hey Joe 4:50

23 We Five - You Were on My Mind 2:36

CD3

01 Mamas & the Papas - Creeque Alley 3:49

02 Byrds - I Come and Stand at Every Door 3:01

03 Gene Clark - The French Girl 2:38

04 Lovin' Spoonful - Rain on the Roof 2:13

05 Scott McKenzie - Like an Old Time Movie 3:16

06 Bob Lind - Mr Zero 3:49

07 Modern Folk Quartet - Night Time Girl 2:35

08 Ramblin’ Jack Elliott - Danville Girl 2:53

09 Doc Watson - The Worried Blues 2:54

10 Phil Ochs - There But for Fortune 2:46

11 Fred Neil - Everybody's Talkin' 2:44

12 Gordon Lightfoot - For Lovin' Me 2:27

13 Tim Hardin - Reason to Believe 1:59

14 Bobby Darin - If I Were A Carpenter 2:22

15 Norma Tanega - Walkin' My Cat Named Dog 2:18

16 Pat Kilroy - Cancereal 4:23

17 Tim Buckley - Once I Was 3:26

18 Nico - I'll Keep it With Mine 3:20

19 Grateful Dead - Cold Rain and Snow 2:31

20 Leaves - Codine 3:56

21 Youngbloods - Get Together 4:36

22 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Buy for Me the Rain 2:24

23 Jim & Jean - Changes 3:48

24 Jesse Lee Kincaid - Baby You Come Rollin' Cross My Mind 2:38

25 Billy Edd Wheeler - High Flying Bird 2:34

26 Kaleidoscope - Banjo 3:35

CD4

01 John Stewart - You Can't Look Back 2:06

02 Johnny Cash - Pack Up Your Sorrows 2:28

03 Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton - The Last Thing on My Mind 2:37

04 Dillards - Close The Door Lightly 2:55

05 Holy Modal Rounders - Dame Fortune 2:56

06 Bonnie Dobson - Morning Dew 3:20

07 Mickey Newbury - Just Dropped In 2:53

08 H.P. Lovecraft - Spin, Spin, Spin 3:23

09 Pearls Before Swine - These Things Too 3:25

10 Danny Kalb and Stefan Grossman - Requiem for Patrick Kilroy 6:10

11 Taj Mahal - Corinna 3:02

12 Insect Trust - Mountain Song 2:55

13 Vince Martin - Summerwind 3:46

14 Dino Valente - Time 3:06

15 Karen Dalton - Little Bit of Rain 2:36

16 Tom Rush - Tin Angel 3:27

17 Steve Noonan - Shadow Dream Song 3:13

18 Jerry Jeff Walker - Mr. Bojangles 3:47

19 Arlo Guthrie - Coming Into Los Angeles 3:06

20 Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys - Wings 3:00

21 Eric Andersen - (We Were) Foolish Like the Flowers 5:45

22 Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley 2:55

23 Judy Henske and Jerry Yester - Three Ravens 3:31

24 Anne Murray - Thirsty Boots 3:31

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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