Tom Russell - The Man from God Knows Where
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Free Music Notes for The Man from God Knows Where
Free Music Review: Hey History Teachers! Listen To This!
Hit: 5 Stars
I'd been meaning to get some Tom Russell for a long time, and thanks to a friend's Amazon gift certificate I did just that! I hope to buy more of his stuff. I wish I had heard this album at various points in my educational experience to bring people's story to life. Sure, I saw "How The West Was Won", and even heard Bob Dylan's "With G-d On Our Side." The amazing thing about this album is that it inspires in me my Russian and Lithuanian Jewish pride, and it still teaches me about the growth of the United States. Not enough was said about the Norwegian and Irish contributions to our society. Obviously, these songs engage on a personal and musical level too. I was especially taken with the guitar playing and fiddle. Thank you very much, Mr. Russell. It was a little late but it made my 41st birthday a lot happier! Free Music Review: If I was a history teacher
Hit: 5 Stars
If I was a history teacher, I would use this cd as part of my teaching plan. Never have I heard a cd so moving as this cd. Not only does it tell the saga Of Tom's family but it does it in such a way that you can believe in your own family's struggle as immigrants in a new world. It tells the stories of each succeeding generation with the hardships and camaraderie that each endured. though I am a third generation American on my father's side, my mothers forefathers arrived before this was an independent country. the songs ring with universal themes and truth. I couldn't give it a higher recommendation. Truly, a masterpiece.Free Music Review: A true American Opera of music
Hit: 5 Stars
Don't listen in passing. Get the longest cigar you own, sit down with cocktail and take a ride through American history like no other recorded. The rollercoaster nature of this collection will re-focus your view of how the country was settled and how fabulous those settlers were.Free Music Review: Real music for real people.
Hit: 5 Stars
A strong collection of original songs with heart from singer song writers who have talent and soul.Free Music Review: Come Gather Round, My Children
Hit: 4 Stars
Only within the last year have I come to know of Tom Russell through an article I read in MOJO magazine. The article's description of his music sounded interesting, so I bought a Russell CD and liked it well enough to try another one. I settled on The Man From God Knows Where partly because of the silly-looking cuss on the cover and partly because the picture coupled with the CD's title seemed to promise something unusual within.
Well, it took me several listens to warm to it, but I have grown to like it quite well. I don't understand the reviewer who finds this to be "depressing crap". I don't find it depressing at all, Russell's family story could be the family story of a great many of us whose ancestors arrived on these shores poor and in many cases, not speaking English. Everyday life was a struggle. Sure, there were happy moments as there are in everyone's life, but life at that time was nose to the grindstone for all but the lucky few. That was the reality of everyday life. And the harshness of that reality is Russell's focus.
Much of the CD has a "come gather round, my children, and let me tell you a story" quality to it and it sometimes sounds like a county fair sideshow, but there is a lot of great music and a lot of interesting stories to heard. I like most the haunting title cut and its reprises, The Outcast and its revisitation, Sitting Bull in Venice, Eg Er Framand, and Chickasaw County Jail.
Sure, there is a little repetition, but that helps keep the listener focused on the big picture.
The Man From God Knows Where is not going to be to everyone's taste, but if you like a good story, well here's a well-told one that could be a template for your family story too!