Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Woody Guthrie: Talking Dust Bowl Blues
Judging by the roar of approval when Steve Earle paid tribute to Pete Seeger at his Auckland concert, and the rediscovery of the earthy wisdom and political position of Woody Guthrie by another generation, this double CD of 50 songs (with minimal liner essay) is welcome.
Disappointingly it is the abridged version of The Land is Your Land which opens the collection, but elsewhere it corners all his best known songs which have been much covered (House of the Rising Sun, So Long It's Been Good to Know You, Pretty Boy Floyd, Do-Re-Mi are all on the first disc) but it is his dustbowl ballads and talking blues which, while sounding the most dated, have the most resonance.
So, if you are looking for a one-stop shop on this classic singer-songwriter who paved the way for Dylan, Springsteen, the Band, Earle, Mellencamp, Billy Bragg and so many others, this might be the one.
Funny kids songs too.
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