Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

It's almost like you're being told these stories in person by Seeger: the words seem to roll off his tongue, as if he had just thought of something he had to tell you rather than something that had been scripted.   

He bursts into song, he inserts poetry, he has friends over for a laugh and to sing along with him - or so it seems.   In reality, it's all recorded, or possibly with the guest singers spliced together.   

There isn't one whole narrative, as each chapter is a narrative.   It's strung together because they're all about Seeger in some way, but the more I listened, the more I realized this wasn't about Seeger all that much.   Oh, one story was about his family history, but it was more about his parents than him.   A lot of stories would seem like name dropping, except that they're not really about Seeger, or Seeger knowing these people.   He does mention that he has connections in TV that help him get his first Columbia record off the ground, but he chuckles about how the Smothers Brothers got his song on the air, awed by their generosity and ingenuity.   And honestly, when he does call upon these famous figures, it's always about telling us how wonderful and warm and clever and funny they are: it's about the people, more than the fact that Seeger knew them, or that they were famous.  I get the sense that he would tell these down-home, warm stories about anyone, famous or not.   He just so happens to have them about famous people. 

This worked on every level, from Seeger's own easy going narrative, to his warmth and narrative, to the unique way that he weaves song and performance along with these simple tales about people he just happened to know. 

I'm not sure how to categorize this.   Biography?   Cultural memoir?   Performance art?  I don't know, but I do know one thing: I loved it!