The Folkways Years 1964–1983 (Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40127, 2001) compiles recordings by Harley "Red" Allen spanning nearly two decades of Folkways catalog work. The centerpiece is material from the landmark 1964 sessions with Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians — widely credited as a high-water mark of hard-driving progressive bluegrass — including six previously unreleased tracks from those sessions alongside selections from four subsequent Folkways albums through 1983. Bill Keith plays banjo on the 1964 material; Wakefield's mandolin style remains among the most distinctive of the era. An accompanying 36-page booklet situates Allen's career in the broader history of post-war bluegrass. Allen's intense, keening tenor was a significant influence on the vocal sound of the tradition, and the compilation makes the full scope of his Folkways work accessible in a single volume.
Tracklist
- 1 Little Maggie alt version 2:44
- 2 Somebody Loves You Darling alt version 2:52
- 3 New Camptown Races alt version 4:14
- 4 Are You Afraid to Die alt version 2:45
- 5 Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong alt version 3:33
- 6 Are You Washed in the Blood alt version 2:42
- 7 Deep Elem Blues alt version 4:53
- 8 Ground Hog 2:01
- 9 Catnip 1:46
- 10 The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake alt version 3:48
- 11 I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail 2:16
- 12 Shake Hands with Mother Again 2:31
- 13 All the Good Times Are Passed and Gone 2:07
- 14 When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again alt version Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians 2:36
- 15 Can You Forgive? 3:42
- 16 Old Joe Clark alt version 2:34
- 17 Knocking at Your Door 2:11
- 18 Green Apples 2:19
- 19 Hello City Limits alt version 2:39
- 20 Victim to the Tomb 3:44
- 21 Are You Teasing Me? 2:35
- 22 My Sweet Love Ain't Around 3:10
- 23 Dig a Hole in the Meadow alt version 2:11
- 24 I’m Waiting to Hear You Call Me Darling alt version Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians 2:43
- 25 Stone Wall 2:57
- 26 Troubles around My Door 1:50
- 27 I Guess I'll Go On Dreaming 2:28
- 28 Christian Life 2:49