Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1
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Free Music Notes for This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1
Free Music Review: pastures of plenty
Hit: 5 Stars
I am impressed by this CD. It contains the Asch Recordings of the great American Folk Singer Mr Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (1912-1967). To my ears, these are distinctly American in flavour. This collection includes a large variety of his songs including social protest, songs written for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), college drinking songs, cowboy songs, sentimental parlour songs, talking blues and Southern African-American blues. My favourites are the ones which betray a sense of humour. "Talking Hard Work", "Talking Fishing" and "The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done" are bragging songs sung tongue in cheek. The children's songs, "Car Song" in which Mr Guthrie imitates the sounds of an automobile, and "Why, Oh Why" are delightful. Smithsonian Folkways has maintained its reputation with thorough notes which span more than 30 pages. Mr Guy Logsdon writes about Moses Asch, Folkway Records, and annotates each song with meticulous detail. Of particular interest to me is the song "Jesus Christ". Mr Logsdon writes, "Woody was a religious man, but not in the conventional sense". Mr Guthrie may not have been conventional, even so, his observations are poignant. He tells that his inspiration for the song came when "I saw how the rich folks lived, and the poor folks down and out and cold and hungry..." He sings that the working men believed what Jesus said while the rich and powerful fought against it. "If Jesus was to preach as he preached in Galilee, they would lay him in his grave." In an honest expression, Mr Guthrie is preaching the gospel message. Namely, the good news of salvation. He is also identifying an age old truth. The gospel proclaimed meets a two-fold response, (1) some believe and dedicate their life, while (2) others reject it and those who preach it. I am impressed with the brilliance of Mr Guthrie as he combines so much into a simple song. If you are interested in songs by a musician who "played a major role in developing the foundation for the song and social movement" or in fun songs that are distincty "American", this CD will interest you.Free Music Review: Maybe the best single CD of Woody that exists...
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a great collection, lovingly done by The Smithsonian staff that is saving and cleaning and re-issuing the old Folkways catalogue. The booklet alone is worth the purchase price, but the music is excellent as well. Woody's recording career only went a little over ten years due to the coming of the Chorea in the early l950's, but he still laid down too many good tracks to be confined to one album. However, if you can only afford one of his releases, this is a wonderful choice. Second choice would be the re-issue of "Dust Bowl Ballads" on Buddah Records...this was his l940 "concept" album that has had a profound effect on folk, country and protest music ever since. Also, I have to recommend a book to Guthrie fans: "Woody, Cisco and Me" by Jim Longhi. It shows the slice of Woody's life that involved a few journeys on Merchant Marine ships during WWII. It is an essential companion piece to Joe Klein's "Life of Woody Guthrie."Free Music Review: This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1
Hit: 5 Stars
I had heard of Woody Guthrie, and Arlo, and knew they were related somehow, but it wasn't until I had a child of my own and purchased Woody's songs for children, that my curiousity was aroused. After listening to his other work, and reading the marvelous biography "Ramblin' Man" by Ed Cray, I now realize Woody Guthrie's music is nothing less than a national treasure. This c.d. will transport you back to a time when America was a simpler place, but no less troubled than today's world. His social conscience was inspiring and humbling at the same time. His voice is often soothing with a touch of melancholy. I think he is still greatly under-appreciated... kids should learn about Woody Guthrie in school; he wasn't Roosevelt, but his simple songs described the common man's plight during the Depression like no one else. You won't find any Hollywood escapism in his music; this is the real thing. Bob Dylan doesn't even come close.Free Music Review: best single CD of Woody there is
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD, in my opinion, represents the most cutting protest songs Guthrie wrote and performed. "This Land Is Your Land," included here with the extremely rare extra verse version, presents the song as he wrote it--a searing stab at the caste system, buried beneath the beauty of America's plains and mountains. Heard in this light, the song to me is no longer the light-hearted children's song we learned in grade school--it is a frightening message delivered via Guthrie's razor-sharp wit. The song sounds stark, forbidden, stifled.
This album is the beginning of it all. The recording quality is dubious at times, and Guthrie's plaintative singing and guitar playing only add to the ambience. These songs aren't easy to listen to, but this CD is an essential component of any collection, ranking with the Sun recordings in historical importance.
Free Music Review: A true legend
Hit: 5 Stars
What can be said about Woody Guthrie that has not already been said, and probably better than I possibly could.
All I can hope to do is add my voice to others in praising a wonderful singer / songwriter / activist / human being, who was very much a concience for his day and for ours.
I was so pleased to learn that his series of Asch Recodings are available today on CD. His music is collected in the Smithsonian Institute,
Washington - and deservedly so. I love his easy style, it's like he is sitting with you round the fire just strumming and singing out his wonderful mesages. The messages are truly timeless.
He, Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Leadbelly, and others influenced a whole generation of folk - Dylan, Baez, and many others. Please keep them available Amazon. They are still important and relevant.