Although Folkways is most famous for its folk releases by the likes of
Pete Seeger and
Woody Guthrie, its championship of underdocumented, uncommercial sounds extended to some pretty unlikely corners, such as
Sounds of North American Frogs. Fifty-seven species of frogs and toads are represented on this 55-minute, 92-track disc, linked together with narration by
Charles M. Bogart. He details the variation in a straight scientist voice that will strike some as amusingly incongruous with the burps and bleats of the frogs, noting differences in sound cycles per second, possible uses for mating purposes, and the like. Actually, there is quite a bit of variation in the sounds presented, from low eerie growls to rapid-fire trills. It's hard to imagine this arousing too much interest among the record-buying public, but for professional and amateur naturalists it's probably quite valuable, and it's bound to be sampled by both experimental and pop musicians, if it hasn't been already. ~ Richie Unterberger
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