Mimi and Richard Fariña: Pack Up Your Sorrows: The Best of the Vanguard Years September 28, 1999 Vanguard 79538 Cover photo by Daniel Kramer Running time: 75:42

Pack Up Your Sorrows is an improvement over the previous CD anthology in many ways: the songs are re-mastered; the total running time is ever-so-slightly higher, squeezing in 22 songs instead of 20, and the selection is expanded to include two songs from Memories. The notes indicate the songs' original appearances and give more detailed credits, and there is a mini-history of the Fariñas by Ed Ward. Best of all, there is a previously unreleased alternate version of "Tuileries."

Unfortunately, the liner notes contain a few errors. I will try to correct some of them:

"He was on his way to a publication party for his novel in Carmel, California, when his motorcycle plunged off a cliff, killing him instantly."

This is a common misconception. Actually, the Fariñas had already attended the autograph party (not quite the same as the publication party earlier that month), and then went home for a surprise birthday party for Mimi. It was during the birthday party that Fariña saw a Harley Davidson motorcycle and wanted to go for a ride. The bike belonged to Willie Hinds, a friend of Pauline's husband (Pauline being Joan and Mimi's older sister). The liner notes give the impression that Fariña was driving alone, but actually, he was the passenger. Also, he did not plunge off a cliff but was hurled through two fences.

"Everthing changed with the Newport Folk Festival...Spinning their magic during a cloudburst (which gave the title to their instrumental "Celebrations for a Grey Day")...Vanguard Records recorded the set, and quickly made plans to sign the couple."

The Fariñas' first album was released in April, 1965, before the Newport Folk Festival in July. Since "Celebration for a Grey Day" was on that album, the song could not have been named after the cloudburst. On the contrary, the cloudburst was inspired by the song (this was not the last example of such a Cosmic Moment descended from the skies during a performance of a Fariña song: Joan Baez recalls that in 1967, one year after Fariña's death, she was performing "A Swallow Song" at the Big Sur Festival when a flock of swallows swooped down from the sky).

Also, this is getting kind of nit-picky, but just to clear up another common mistake, the name of the song is "Celebration for a Grey Day" (in the singular). The title of the album uses the plural, Celebrations for a Grey Day. The song list on this CD also makes that mistake.

"...this is a hilarious romp which takes its half-Greek hero, Gnossos Pappadoupolous..."

The correct spelling is Pappadopoulis. Also, Fariña doesn't say that Gnossos is half-Greek, so we should probably assume that he is all Greek. Ward may have him confused with the character Heffalump, who was part black and part white, or Fariña himself, who was half Cuban and half Irish.

"...on April 30, 1966, Mimi Fariña's 25th birthday, Richard had died."

Actually, it was Mimi's 21st birthday.

I'm not blaming Ed Ward for these mistakes. He is obviously a great fan of Richard and Mimi Fariña, and he wrote these liner notes in 1999, without the benefit of Unterberger's book (2000) or Hajdu's book (2001). But I wish that Vanguard Records had taken the time to check the facts. I'm surprised Mimi wasn't consulted.

But in spite of these mistakes, Pack Up Your Sorrows is undeniably full of great music. It's definitely the best bet for your money if you only want one CD by the Fariñas. Here are the songs and credits:

Total Time: 75:24
Compilation produced by Tom Vickers
Liner notes by Ed Ward

Tracks 1, 2, 5, 7-12 are from the album Celebrations For a Grey Day (VSD 79174) 1965.

Mimi, vocals, guitar, autoharp; Richard, vocals, dulcimer; tracks 9 and 11 with Bruce Langhorne, electric guitar; track 11 with Charles Small, piano; Russ Savakus, bass.

Tracks 3, 4, 6, 13-19 are from the album Reflections In a Crystal Wind (VSD 79204) 1965.

Mimi and Richard Fariña accompanying themselves on guitar, autoharp, dulcimer with Bruce Langhorne, electric guitar on all tracks except 18; Charles Small, piano on tracks 15 and 16 and celesta on track 19; John Hammond, harmonica on tracks 6, 15 and 16; Alvin Rogers, drums on tracks 6, 15 and 16; Russ Savakus, string and electric bass on tracks 4, 6, 13, 15 and 16; Felix Pappalardi, electric bass on tracks 3 and 17. Ensemble arrangements done in conjunction with Bruce Langhorne.

Tracks 20 and 21 are from the album Memories (VSD 79263) 1968.

Mimi and Richard Fariña accompanying themselves on guitar and dulcimer with an ensemble led by Grady Martin on track 21.

Track 22 is a previously unreleased version from an unmarked source.

Compilation engineered for release by Jeff Zaraya from the original analog tapes, converted to 20 bit digital audio using the DCS 900. Sonic Solutions software was used to process the digital audio.The bass that was rolled off the original vinyl release has been restored. The final CD was turbo bit mapped.Booklet photos ©Daniel Kramer. Back photo by David Gahr.
Inside tray photo by Diana Davies
Package design by Drew Cartwright, Barry Ridge Graphic Design.

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