''Back Home'' is a compilation LP consisting of

Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic expl ...

's album, ''

Folk Songs of the Hills ''Folk Songs of the Hills'' is a 1947 album by American singer Merle Travis. It is a collection of traditional songs from his home of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, including original compositions evoking working life on the railroads and in the c ...

'' (1947), with four previously unreleased tracks. This album marked a new turn in Travis's career, bringing his Kentucky-style fingerpicking and down-home vocal style to the attention of a broad public of country and folk music enthusiasts at the onset of the

American folk music revival The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Billie Holiday, Richard Dyer-Benn ...

. Together with another Capitol release the following year, '' The Merle Travis Guitar'', it introduced the style of guitar playing that came to be known, in simplified form, as

Travis picking Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plectr ...

. The album includes traditional country songs such as " John Henry", "

Muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitat ...

", "Lost John (from Bowling Green)", " Barbara Allen", and Travis's signature gospel song, "I Am a Pilgrim". Also included are the original compositions "

Dark as a Dungeon "Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in a shaft mine. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions. The so ...

" and " Sixteen Tons". All songs are introduced by a spoken narrative. This was Travis's first LP featuring entirely acoustic guitar rather than electric. The cover shows a grist mill powered by a water wheel, a main source of energy "back home" before the arrival of electricity. In his autobiographyJohnny Cash with Patrick Carr: The Autobiography, HarperCollins, 1997

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

says about this album: "If I had to answer that old but still interesting question, 'What music would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?', I'd say the '' Freewheelin''' would have to be on the list. So would Merle Travis's Down Home, which has "Sixteen Tons" and all those other great songs on it and was the first country concept album (''

Ride This Train ''Ride This Train'' is the eighth album by American country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was originally released on August 1, 1960 and was re-issued on March 19, 2002, containing four additional bonus tracks. It is considered Cash's first co ...

'' was the second)."

Track listing

# "

Nine Pound Hammer Nine Pound Hammer is an American cowpunk band formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky. Nine Pound hammer was one of the first rural hardcore punk bands to substantially i ...

" (Travis) # " John Henry" (Traditional) # " Sixteen Tons" (Travis) # "

" (Travis) # "That's All" (Travis) # "Over by Number Nine" (Travis) # "

I Am a Pilgrim "I Am a Pilgrim" is a traditional Christian hymn from the United States, first documented in the mid-19th century. It forms part of the repertoire of gospel music, gospel, folk music, folk, and bluegrass music, bluegrass artists. The song combine ...

" (Traditional) # "

" (Traditional) # "John Bolin" (Traditional) # "Possum up a Simmon Tree" (Traditional) # " Barbara Allen" (Traditional) # "Lost John (from Bowling Green)" (Traditional)

Notes

Personnel

* Merle Travis – vocals and acoustic guitar 1950 albums Merle Travis albums Capitol Records albums {{1950s-country-album-stub