Woody Guthrie - The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4
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Artist: Woody GuthrieBrand: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 1999-08-17
Model: SFW40112
Music Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- This Land Is Your Land
- Car Song
- Ramblin' Round
- Talking Fishing Blues
- Philadelphia Lawyer
- Lindbergh
- Hobo's Lullaby
- Pastures Of Plenty
- Grand Coulee Dam
- End Of The Line
- New York Town
- Gypsy Davy
- Jesus Christ
- This Land Is Your Land
- Do-Re-Mi
- Jarama Valley
- The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done
- Picture From Life's Other Side
- Jesse James
- Talking Hard Work
- When That Great Ship Went Down
- Hard, Ain't It Hard
- Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
- I Ain't Got Nobody
- Sinking Of The Reuben James
- Why, Oh Why?
- This Land Is Your Land (Reprise)
- Muleskinner Blues
- Wreck Of The Old 97
- Sally Goodin'
- Little Black Train
- Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet
- Baltimore To Washington
- Rubber Dolly
- 21 Years
- Sowing On The Mountain
- Bed On The Floor
- Take A Whiff On Me
- Stepstone
- Put My Little Shoes Away
- Hen Cackle
- Poor Boy
- Stackolee
- Johnny Hart
- Worried Man Blues
- Danville Girl
- Gambling Man
- Rye Straw
- Crawdad Song
- Ida Red
- Keep My Skillet Good And Greasy
- Train
- Hard Travelin'
- Farmer-Labor Train
- Howdjadoo
- Ship In The Sky
- I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore
- Mean Talking Blues
- Better World A-Comin'
- Miss Pavlichenko
- So Long, It's Been Good To Know You (WWII Version)
- New Found Land
- Oregon Trail
- Vigilante Man
- 1913 Massacre
- Talking Columbia
- Two Good Men
- Sally, Don't You Grieve
- Talking Sailor
- What Are We Waiting On?
- Railroad Blues
- Ludlow Massacre
- Ladies Auxiliary
- Miner's Song
- When The Yanks Go Marching In
- Union Maid (Excerpt)
- Rubaiyat (Excerpt)
- The Many And The Few
- Hanukkah Dance
- Ranger's Command
- Buffalo Skinners
- Billy The Kid
- Cowboy Waltz
- Pretty Boy Floyd
- Along In The Sun And The Rain
- Whoopie Ti Yi Yo, Get Along Little Dogies
- Froggie Went A-Courtin'
- Buffalo Gals
- I Ride An Old Paint
- Dead Or Alive
- Slipknot
- Cocaine Blues
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody
- Chisholm Trail
- Stewball
- Wild Cyclone
- Train Blues
- Red River Valley
- Fastest Of Ponies
- Stewball
- Snow Deer
- When The Curfew Blows
- Little Darling
- Blowing Down That Old Dusty Road
- The Return Of Rocky Mountain Slim And Desert Rat Shorty
Music reviews of The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4
Music Review: An American legend, captured on scratchy tape.
Rating: 5 Stars
Like countless others, I started listening to Woody Guthrie's recordings as a fan of Bob Dylan. I'm happy to say that listening to Woody has enhanced my appreciation for him as a singer and songwriter, and also has made me appreciate Dylan more once I was aware with what elements of Guthrie's influence he incorporated into his art and which he expanded upon. I highly recommend purchasing this entire collection (rather than just one or two discs, since they're available individually) along with the essential Dust Bowl Ballads as a strong foundation for a Woody Guthrie collection (not to mention his amazing autobiography, Bound for Glory).
What can you say about a 4-disc retrospective of such a prolific, improvisational songwriter? In my reviews I generally talk about some specific songs, but there are so many here that I'll try not to get boring and long-winded with too many details. The discs are each loosely-based on a different theme and are named (1) "This Land is Your Land," (2) "Muleskinner Blues" (3) "Hard Travelin'" and (4) "Buffalo Skinners." Although the track sequencing isn't too strict, the songs on each generally do fall in the categories of patriotic, interpretive ballads (mostly classic folk covers), topical/working class ballads, and cowboy ballads. As you'll find out, though, these labels aren't too exclusive, and Woody writes and sings about pretty much anything you could imagine, and he sure was good at it.
As the legend goes, Woody wrote on anything he could get his hands on, and composed songs on the fly (freestyle rap anyone?), so this historical document is also quite amazing considering Asch told Guthrie he could drop by and be recorded whenever he wanted. These off-the-cuff recordings not only represent the broadness of Woody's musical vision, but also a pretty accurate representation of the spontaneous singing he did while wandering the country, living (and hearing about first-hand) the lives of the characters in his songs.
And what great songs they are. The tracks range from classics you may or may not have known Woody wrote and sang; "This Land is Your Land," "Grand Coulee Dam," "Pretty Boy Floyd," "So Long, It's Been Good To Know You," "Hard Travelin'," and "Car song," to name a few. What makes the wealth of music here extraordinary is hearing Woody come up with social anthems, dark ballads, heartbreaking stories, and hilarious blues time and time again. Although folk music is simple (fans of more complex chord changes and instrumentation may take a few listens to appreciate what it is about Woody's music that makes it so classic), the magic is in the storytelling and lyrics. Some of his talking blues like "Talking Hard Work" and "Mean Talking Blues," for example, are laugh-out-loud funny, especially on repeated listens.
Some people have griped about the sound quality, but I personally wouldn't have it any other way. The scratchy, old-timey production fits perfectly, and that analog sound probably accounts for much of Woody's timbre. I'll bet it wouldn't sound half as good if recorded in digital. Woody's signature flat-picked acoustic and occasional harmonica makes most of the accompaniment, although Cisco Houston and a few others make appearances singing and playing acoustic instruments, so there's not really any complex overdubbing that is in danger of being covered up by the quality. As for Woody's voice, it's like a warm blanket or the familiar sound of a grandfather telling a story. Even though it's simple, there's a warmth and magic, subtle wit there all the time that only Woody could pull off so genuinely.
The liner notes only add to the quality of this treasure, providing info for each song, as well as great, informative biographical info. Taken together, this really is an academic historical document both on paper and on CD, but it's also a real pleasure to listen to.
As you might have guessed, I highly recommend this collection, but if you don't have any Guthrie recordings yet, I'd probably recommend the shorter Dust Bowl Ballads first, since it's not as daunting in size or price. Once you're hooked, though, this is the next place to go. I hope you take the time to discover why Woody's such a legend, and treasure this set for years to come.
Description of The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4
Everything Woody ever recorded for Mo Asch's Folkways label, now available as a 4-CD set selling for $18 less than the four volumes cost singly! This is ABSOLUTELY one of the most indispensable bodies of work in American music; Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and an entire generation of folkies worshipped at this man's feet because of this material. From This Land Is Your Land to Pretty Boy Floyd , history in every note.Poland-born, Brooklyn-reared producer and folk enthusiast Moses Asch maintained a suitably slack but ultimately productive relationship with Woody Guthrie. The notoriously unbound folksinger was free to stop by the New York studio unannounced and Asch would record whatever was running through the folksinger's fertile mind at the time. From the vast body of work the twosome came up with comes this cornerstone four-disc collection. All four CDs included in The Asch Recordings have been released individually--This Land is Your Land (something of a best-of set), Muleskinner Blues (a collection of the singer's old favorites), Hard Travelin' (a topical compilation), and Buffalo Skinners (Western-themed songs). If you have one or more of the aforementioned titles, finish off the set one by one. If you're interested in American folk music and you don't have the Guthrie/Asch collection, do yourself a favor and get it out of the box. --Steven Stolder
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