Catalog Number: CL-628 Condition Details: Vinyl plays with some crackles and a few light-clicks (play-graded). Cover looks good; moderate scuffing, surface impressions and a few creases, discoloration with darker spots (front/back); tape stuck along top edge and surface abrasion on front near top right. Inner-sleeve is generic white. Spine is somewhat readable with wear. Top edge is taped and bottom edge has large split near center and smaller one on right side. Corners show wear. Opening shows signs of wear and divots. Mono pressing with red six-eye label. Two small pen marks on one side of label. Slight label variation. (Not a cut-out.) Tracks: Leather-Winged Bat / Cotton-Eyed Joe Sweet Betsy From Pike / On Top Of Old Smoky I Know Where I'm Going / I Know My Love Cowboy's Lament Wee Cooper O' Fife / Riddle Song Tam Pierce (Old Engliser) Peter Gray Darlin' Cory John Hardy Colorado Trail / Roving Gambler Bonnie Wee Lassie The Divil And The Farmer On Springfield Mountain Little Mohee Troubador Song Robin. He Married / Lavender Cowboy Green Broom High Barbaree I've Got No Use For Women Old Paint About The Record: The Wayfaring Stranger was the name of the CBS radio program on which Burl Ives first achieved lasting fame in broadcast circles and the name of Ives' autobiography as well, so it was also a natural for his Columbia Records debut. Ives' definitive Columbia album, The Wayfaring Stranger was also one of the bright spots in the very early folk revival of the mid-'50s, serving (every bit as much as the work of the Weavers) as the unofficial songbook for a generation of would-be folksingers who followed. Indeed, while the Weavers subsequently achieved much greater recognition and respect, their work up to this point in 1955 was decidedly more pop oriented, thanks to the presence of Gordon Jenkins' arrangements and accompaniments. In contrast, Ives' presentation on The Wayfaring Stranger was more basic and authentic, consisting of only his voice and acoustic guitar for all but one of the 26 songs. His singing is suited to the wide variety of material here, including folk ballads (Darlin' Cory, I Know Where I'm Going), western songs (Cowboy's Lament, better known as "The Streets of Laredo"), and tall tales (The Divil and the Farmer), among numerous other categories. Along with the work of the Easy Riders, this album has been one of the more undeservedly overlooked contributions that Columbia Records made to the folk boom that followed -- listening to this record, it's clear that more than a couple of young folkies picked up a song or two or three from Ives.