The Holy Modal Rounders-The Holy Modal Rounders I & II (1999)
Artist: The Holy Modal Rounders
Title: The Holy Modal Rounders I & II
Year of Release: 1999
Country and Year of Edition: US 1999
Sell Price: $7.10
Sell Date: 2/27/26
Condition: VG+/VG+
Discogs Last Sold: 12/2/25 VG+/VG+ $9.98
Low: $1.85
Median: $6.00
Average: $6.31
High: $12.41
Current low price: $5.65
Current Number on Sale at Discogs:14
Have/Want:202/26
Where Sold: Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Time It Took To Sell: 2 years
Where and When Bought: Facebook $2 lot
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A
Sad To See It Go: No
The first 2 albums from Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber's folk group issued on Prestige in 1964 and 1965 were compiled together on this 1999 reissue CD on Fantasy Records. These two albums have been compiled together since 1972 when Fantasy issued Stempfel and Weber as a double album. Peter still plays around small places Otto's Shrunken Head In NYC to this day. Steve Weber had a long career including playing in The Fugs before passing in 2020.
These two albums are consistantly great but there are a few in particular that made my ears perk up every time. The closers of each album "Bound To Lose" and "Flop Eared Mule" both times save the best song for last. The traditional "Solidier's Joy" stood out because I'm pretty sure I remember a mandolin acoustic version of it as a weekly theme from my local 70's folk show. I'll have to track that down and figure it out. "Hot Corn, Cold Corn" brings up Sally. Whether because of or infuencing Little Richard, I have no idea. These guys play loose with trad. Another traditional, "Down On The Old Plank Road" assures us they won't get drunk no more. Every one of the 29 tracks has a certain fun ragged quality to it that sounds good in the background AND the foreground. Zone in and you'll hear something conversational like "how do you like the weather Uncle Joe?"
The only record I had by the group before this was a mid 70's release on Rounder with Michael Hurley, the UNholy Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Fredericks and the Clamtones called Have Moicy! These recordings precede that one by more than a decade. There is something that sounds timeless, modern and uncorrupted by nonsense.
After all, riverboat gamblers are bound to lose!
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