Modern pop music is a genre unlike any other. Musical purists, who favor the complexity of instrumental jazz and classical, have long considered the simplistic nature of pop second rate as an art. However, pop has something that other genres do not: lyrics. All pop lyrics arise from a social context and hence say something about their time. Roots, folk, the blues and grassroots music are the ancestors of modern pop. Similarly, they are commentaries of times gone by.

“The Retrospective: 1925-1950” box set is a 107-track history lesson, exploring the music that evolved into today?s pop genres.

Folk and blues are uniquely American. Unlike any form of music before them, they gave a voice to artists. In this retrospective, consisting of popular and rare cuts from the era, honest social commentaries on the early part of the century are heard. Economic depression, lost loves, political repression and army life are often expressed in lyrics and in musical emotion throughout the four compact disc set.

Most of these tracks were recorded mostly in rural studios, away from the major centers of the recording industry in New York and Chicago. This gives the set a unique rural folk perspective. The rural tunes could have been lost were it not for the early mobile recording campaigns by Columbia Records. The company sent out mobile studios into rural areas, beginning in 1924, in an effort to find rare and isolated talents.The set is an important representation of a the cultural change that took place in the tumultuous age from 1925 to 1950. It features and incredible diversity from a large number of groups that contributed to the musical movement, ranging from African American blues to White Mountain music to Louisiana Cajun. The chronological arrangement of the tracks move the five-hour set forward like a time machine. Its progression shows the great cultural convergence that occurred during this time, as populations migrated. The varieties of sounds begin to come together and borrow from each other, indicating the spreading of ideas amongst once isolated musicians. This folk music pattern is itself a commentary on the pattern of American life during this period of rapid change.

Musically, the tunes go beyond nostalgia value. Big names like Gene Autry and Muddy Waters bolster the box sets line up of rare tunes. Joe William?s 1947 classic, “Baby Please Don?t Go” was a famous cover song by Van Morrison. The set also contains several excellent instrumental tracks, using the popular fiddle and accordion and large band instruments of the time. Though the set is more valuable as a historical exploration, it holds up well to casual listening.

The sound quality is well done considering the age and scarcity of many of these recordings. However, this set will not measure up to modern compact disc recordings. Scratches from the original metal phonograph records can sometimes be heard. Also, some of the sounds and vocals are fuzzy or distorted. Overall, the tracks are very easy to listen to, with only minor glitches.

The booklet contained in the box set is as important as the box set itself. It has an extensive background on blues and grassroots music, and explains much of the history evolution of the genre. There is also a small passage explaining the track selections for the compilation. Even more impressive, are the in depth captions for all 107 tracks. The captions, which contain facts about the songs and the artists, show in depth research on the part of the set?s producers. Some of the captions even point out hidden messages in the music. The booklet is also fully illustrated, with photographs that capture the era gone by. The booklet makes an excellent companion to the music.

For fans of modern pop, “The Retrospective: 1925-1950” is an opportunity to see where it came from. Pop and blues/folk music have the same importance to their times. Also, this compilation provides an introduction to folk music for those who have not experienced it. In the context of American history, the blues tracks in this set are the beginning of free speech in music. It is an art form that is uniquely American, and encouraged the spreading of ideas independent of authority. In this respect it is the beginning of Rock and Roll tradition.

The excellent set list makes up for the occasionally fuzzy sound quality. Most of the tunes hear do hold up to repeated listening, but nostalgia is the appeal behind “Retrospectives.” This compilation brings back the simplistic romance of one of the most consequential time spans in American history. The set contains the surreal sounds from an era that we can never have back, outside of imagination.