Now for something completely different. Music can be inspired by any multitude of influences and ideas. Before the days of the internet and even television, songs were the main source of not only entertainment but also the way of sharing your message. Concept albums have kind of fallen by the wayside over the past decade but we found one that is extremely original that we thought you should know about. Prepare yourself for The American Pioneer Singers.
Their latest collection of songs is entitled Abraham Lincoln and The Election Of 1864. The 12 track album is inspired by one of the most important moments in American history that is often forgotten about. During the intense time of the Civil War, Lincoln was running for his second term as President of The United States against George McClellan, former Union General who was fired by Lincoln twice before. The campaign was a grueling one where it looked like Lincoln was on his way to losing until some key wins on the battlefield made him the only logical choice. McClellan still gathered 45% of the popular vote but Lincoln won in a landslide in the electoral college.
The American Pioneer Singers have released this album as a collection of campaign songs that were the popular way to get out the campaign messages at the time. The album provides fair time to each party with 6 songs supporting the Democrat and 6 songs honoring the Republican. The lyrics are poignant and make a good case for the eventual loser of the election on tracks such as ‘When Abe’s Four Years Are Over’ and ‘McClellan The Hope Of The Nation’. The genre that I will call historical folk music is like nothing you will hear today but harks back to a time that we always thought was simpler. This record proves that these times were much more trying than we remember. The lyrics that must have been controversial in the 1800’s remain just as controversial, if not more, as we listen today. The album closes with ‘On The Death Of President Lincoln’, a song that mourns the loss of a great man by both sides of the heated political race. These songs are touching and provide a background that makes them fun to listen to all while learning about a time that has long since been forgotten by the masses.
Go experience it for yourself at: http://www.electionsongs.com