Ramblin’ Jack Elliott | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Ramblin Jack Elliott is one of folk musics most enduring characters. Since he first came on the scene in the late 50s, Elliott influenced everyone from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. The son of a New York doctor and a onetime traveling companion of Woody Guthrie, Elliott used his self-made cowboy image to bring his love of folk music to one generation after another. Despite the countless miles that Elliott traveled, his nickname is derived from his unique verbiage: an innocent question often led to a mosaic of stories before he got to the answer. According to folk songstress Odetta, it was her mother who gave Elliott the name when she remarked, "Oh, that Jack Elliott, he sure can ramble." Pressured by his parents to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a doctor, Elliott resisted their urging. Instead, inspired by the rodeos he attended at Madison Square Garden, he became fascinated with the image of the American cowboy. After reading the books of cowboy novelist Will James, he ran away from home at the age of 15 and joined the J.E. Ranch Rodeo. Although he was only with the rodeo for three months (before his parents tracked him down and he was sent home), Elliott was exposed to his first singing cowboy, a rodeo clown who played guitar and banjo and sang songs. Returning home, Elliott taught himself to play guitar. Elliotts recording debut came in the mid-50s when he recorded three songs for a multi-artist compilation, Bad Men, Heroes and Pirates, released by Elektra. Elliott was so influenced by Guthrie (whom he had met during a Greenwich Village picking session in 1950) that he began his musical career by mimicking the legendary folksinger. When Guthrie traveled to Florida in 1952, he sent for Elliott to join him. By the time Elliott arrived, however, Guthrie had already left for Mexico, where he was turned back at the border and forced to return to New York. Elliott reunited with Guthrie a few months later. In the winter of 1954, they traveled together back to Florida; in the spring of 1954, they continued on to Californias Topanga Canyon. The trip marked the last time that Elliott saw a healthy Guthrie. When he went to Europe in 1955, Elliott sang Guthries songs and told stories about him. England provided the setting for Elliotts early success; his first album on his own, Woody Guthries Blues, was recorded in England for the Topic label. In addition to recording four more albums for Topic, he attracted attention with his performances with Derroll Adams, a banjo player he had met in California. The duo barnstormed throughout Europe and had a profound influence on the British music scene. After living in Europe for six years, Elliott returned to the United States in 1961. The day after he returned, he visited Guthrie in the hospital and was introduced to Bob Dylan. (In the mid-70s, Elliott joined Dylans Rolling Thunder Revue and was featured in Dylans film Renaldo and Clara.) Before long, he renewed his friendship with Guthrie, and ended up staying with him, his wife Marjorie Guthrie, and their children for a year. Elliott was an influence on folksinger Pete Seeger. During an early-60s tour of England and Scotland with Seeger and the Weavers, he inspired Seeger with his tales of sailing ships. Among the many other musicians Elliott befriended was Jerry Garcia. Elliott often performed opening sets for Garcias bands and occasionally sat in with the Grateful Dead. In 1990, Red House released Legends of Folk, a live recording of a concert that Elliott had performed with Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips and Spider John Koerner at the World Theater in Minnesota. Bob Feldman, owner of Red House, later persuaded Elliott to record his first studio album in more than two decades, South Coast. Recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, MN, the albums 25 tracks were recorded during three four-hour recording sessions. The album received a Grammy Award as Best Traditional Folk Album of 1995. Elliott returned to the recording studio to record Friends of Mine. Released in 1997, the album featured duets with Joe Ely, Tom Waits, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, John Prine, and Bob Weir. The Long Ride followed in 1999. A documentary about Elliott, The Ballad of Ramblin Jack, and its soundtrack appeared in 2002, while Anti released the album I Stand Alone in 2006. A second album from Anti, the Joe Henry-produced A Stranger Here, followed in 2009. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 20 Title: Jack Takes the Floor Released: 1958 Tracks: 13 Duration: 37:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 San Francisco Bay Blues (03:00) 2 Ol Riley (02:03) 3 The Boll Weevil (03:07) 4 Bed Bug Blues (03:01) 5 New York Town (03:25) 6 Old Blue (03:23) 7 Grey Goose (01:43) 8 Mule Skinners Blues (05:20) 9 East Texas Talking Blues (02:33) 10 Cocaine (02:27) 11 Dinks Song (03:22) 12 Black Baby (01:39) 13 Salty Dog (02:35) |
 | Album: 2 of 20 Title: Ramblin Jack Elliott Sings Songs by Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers Released: 1961 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Do-Re-Me (02:34) 2 Dead or Alive (03:26) 3 Grand Coulee Dam (02:42) 4 Dust Storm Disaster (03:27) 5 I Aint Got No Home (02:19) 6 So Long (Its Been Good To Know Yuh) (03:55) 7 T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1) (03:41) 8 Waiting for a Train (02:31) 9 Jimmie the Kid (02:30) 10 Mother, the Queen of My Heart (03:07) 11 In the Jailhouse Now (02:35) 12 Whippin That Old T.B. (?) |
 | Album: 3 of 20 Title: Ramblin Jack Elliott in London Released: 1962 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Rusty Jiggs and Sandy Sam (02:58) 2 Git Along Little Doggies (02:04) 3 Sadie Brown (02:12) 4 Night Herding Song (02:48) 5 Chisholm Trail (02:20) 6 Fifteen Cents and a Dollar (02:56) 7 Rocky Mountain Belle (02:06) 8 Talking Blues (02:18) 9 Diamond Joe (03:22) 10 In the Willow Garden (03:23) 11 I Ride an Old Paint (02:22) 12 Jack ODiamonds (02:27) |
 | Album: 4 of 20 Title: Jack Elliott Released: 1967 Tracks: 12 Duration: 28:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 More Pretty Girls Than One (02:00) 2 Roll on Buddy (02:30) 3 Death of John Henry (02:30) 4 Salty Dog Blues (02:48) 5 Talking Blues (02:33) 6 Im Gonna Walk the Street in Glory (01:46) 7 Cigarettes & Whiskey (02:00) 8 Danville Girl (02:45) 9 Worried Man Blues (03:33) 10 San Francisco Bay Blues (01:57) 11 Roll in My Sweet Babys Arms (02:32) 12 Im Going Down the Road (02:03) |
| Jack Elliott : Allmusic album Review : When Ramblin Jack Elliotts name comes up in folk magazines, hes usually identified as a Guthrie copy who later passed on his skills of impersonation to Bob Dylan. This is true to a point, but a listener doesnt have to check out but three or four tracks on Jack Elliott to find out what an original oddball he is. Its true, he does cover Guthries "1913 Massacre" here, and he tends to prefer traditional material like "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "More Pretty Girls" over originals. But his extravagant vocals deliver this material in the strangest, most startling manner. The listener can never be sure whether hes sending up a song like "Roll on Buddy" or just determined to turn tradition on its head. The most fun and fascinating piece here is "Guabi Guabi," an African folk song that Elliott learned by copying the vocal inflections. Of course, in his typical fashion, he talks through part of song explaining that he couldnt understand a certain section of the original. In his off the cuff, just for the hell of it way, Elliott has more in common with the Holy Modal Rounders than traditionalists like Pete Seeger or the New Lost City Ramblers. Jack Elliott manages to pay its respects to public domain material while still being entertaining. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 20 Title: Bull Durham Sacks & Railroad Tracks Released: 1970 Tracks: 13 Duration: 32:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Me and Bobby McGee (03:42) 2 Folsom Prison Blues (03:48) 3 Reason to Believe (02:04) 4 Ill Be Your Baby Tonight (01:46) 5 Dont Let Your Deal Go Down (01:19) 6 Dont Think Twice, Its All Right (01:04) 7 Lay Lady Lay (02:56) 8 Girl From the North Country (03:00) 9 The Tramp on the Street (04:25) 10 Michigan Water Blues (02:15) 11 Dont You Leave Me Here (01:25) 12 Blue Mountain (00:45) 13 With God on Our Side (03:40) |
 | Album: 6 of 20 Title: Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie Released: 1972 Tracks: 14 Duration: 41:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hard Travelling (02:32) 2 Grand Coulee Dam (02:24) 3 New York Town (03:39) 4 Tom Joad (06:18) 5 Howdido (01:33) 6 Talking Dust Bowl (02:45) 7 This Land Is Your Land (02:28) 8 Pretty Boy Floyd (03:08) 9 Philadelphia Lawyer (02:32) 10 Talking Columbia (02:47) 11 Dust Storm Disaster (02:50) 12 Riding In My Car (02:00) 13 1913 Massacre (03:34) 14 So Long (03:14) |
| Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie : Allmusic album Review : Elliott interprets many of the most popular items in the Guthrie repertoire, including "So Long," "This Land Is Your Land," "Pretty Boy Floyd," "Talking Dust Bowl," and "Philadelphia Lawyer." The recording is most representative of his role in popularizing the work of his hero. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 20 Title: Hard Travelin: Songs By Woody Guthrie And Others Released: 1989 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:16:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hard Travelin (02:37) 2 Grand Coulee Dam (02:24) 3 New York Town (03:39) 4 Tom Joad (06:18) 5 Howdido (01:33) 6 Talking Dust Bowl (02:45) 7 This Land Is Your Land (02:28) 8 Pretty Boy Floyd (03:08) 9 Philadelphia Lawyer (02:32) 10 Talking Columbia (02:47) 11 Dust Storm Disaster (02:50) 12 Riding In My Car (02:00) 13 1913 Massacre (03:34) 14 So Long (03:18) 15 Sadie Brown (02:11) 16 East Virginia Blues (03:42) 17 I Belong To Glasgow (03:51) 18 The Cuckoo (02:17) 19 Roll In My Sweet Babys Arms (02:48) 20 South Coast (04:06) 21 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:00) 22 The Last Letter (02:28) 23 Candyman (02:46) 24 Tramp On The Street (03:17) 25 Railroad Bill (05:07) |
| Hard Travelin': Songs By Woody Guthrie And Others : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Jack Elliotts early-60s Prestige LPs Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin Jack Elliott are combined onto a single 77-minute disc on this CD reissue, with one song ("I Love Her So/I Got a Woman") deleted for space reasons. Its not as good as hearing Woody Guthrie himself, and may strike contemporary listeners as a bit tame and dated. Elliott played an important role in the 60s folk revival as a popularizer of Guthries songs and style, though, and this is one of the best places to hear him at his best, on both Guthrie covers and interpretations of various traditional and blues songs. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 20 Title: South Coast Released: 1995 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pastures of Plenty (02:48) 2 If I Were a Carpenter (05:02) 3 Cocaine Blues (02:31) 4 I Aint Got No Home (02:09) 5 Will James (02:16) 6 The Buffalo Skinners (On the Trail of the Buffalo) (05:23) 7 Rake and Ramblin Boy (02:27) 8 South Coast (07:55) 9 Talkin Dust Bowl (03:05) 10 Mean Old Bedbug Blues (03:26) 11 Ludlow Massacre (04:25) 12 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:13) |
| South Coast : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Jack Elliott, this 1995 album (his first after more than a two-decade hiatus from the studio) goes to show, only gets better with age. The 70-something-year-old voice resonates here with the long miles and experience it once just impersonated, the distinctive guitar playing likewise aged into a rich and mesmerizing style. Elliott also reveals himself as one of the few truly enduring figures of the folk era, partly because his music is more honest, and as a result more timeless, than so much of that eras music. This anticipated, Grammy-winning return to the studio represents Elliott at the top of his game, rendering several of his standards (his repertoire is admittedly lean, and the same songs crop up on album after album) at some of their best. There is the usual run of Woody Guthrie songs here (four out of the 12 total tracks) alongside a mix of folk revival tunes, ballads, and blues. The old faithful "San Francisco Bay Blues" is appropriately older, slower, and world-wearier here than in Elliotts earlier, hell-for-leather performances, but it holds up well, proving itself worth at least one more listen. Elliotts real strength, though, comes through on songs like "South Coast" and "Buffalo Skinners," both of them haunting and desperate Western epics. Jack Elliott used to sound more like Woody Guthrie than Woody Guthrie, which itself was no small feat, but where lesser imitators would have ceased, Elliott kept on rambling, and finally sounds like nothing but Jack Elliott, a sound itself worthy of imitation and with its own place in the canon of American roots legends. With South Coast, Elliotts legend is irrevocably cemented. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 20 Title: Me & Bobby McGee Released: 1995 Tracks: 15 Duration: 55:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Me & Bobby McGee (02:49) 2 Folsom Prison Blues (03:36) 3 Reason to Believe (02:04) 4 Ill Be Your Baby Tonight (01:46) 5 Dont Let Your Deal Go Down (01:19) 6 912 Greens (07:21) 7 If I Were a Carpenter (05:02) 8 Talking Fisherman Blues (03:59) 9 Tennessee Stud (04:51) 10 Night Herding Song (02:33) 11 Rock Island Line (05:29) 12 Dont Think Twice, Its All Right (03:50) 13 Lay Lady Lay (02:56) 14 Tramp on the Street (04:19) 15 With God on Our Side (03:40) |
| Me & Bobby McGee : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Jack Elliotts Me & Bobby McGee combines traditional folk songs with contemporary songs, like the albums title track. Though it doesnt rank among his best work, the album nevertheless is particularly enjoyable, and is a fine latter-day effort by Elliott. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 20 Title: Kerouacs Last Dream Released: 1997-09-16 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:10:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pretty Boy Floyd (04:04) 2 Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (03:16) 3 Freight Train Blues (03:48) 4 Talkin Fishin (03:40) 5 Roving Gambler (03:56) 6 Cuckoo (03:41) 7 Dont Think Twice (03:43) 8 Soldiers Last Letter (03:09) 9 1913 Massacre (05:06) 10 Buffalo Skinners (05:18) 11 Nightherding Song (02:55) 12 Mean Mamma Blues (02:27) 13 I Threw It All Away (02:39) 14 Detour (02:14) 15 Riding Down Canyon (05:35) 16 Cup of Coffee (04:17) 17 912 Greens (10:12) |
| Kerouac's Last Dream : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Jack Elliott recorded this 70-minute session in Germany in 1980; 17 years later, it found an American release. Among the 17 selections are many -- "Pretty Boy Floyd," "1913 Massacre," "Buffalo Skinners" -- that are a standard part of Elliotts Woody Guthrie-influenced repertoire. "I have been asked, sometimes, why I dont learn new songs," Elliott writes in the liner notes. "These are old ones and I have sung them for a long time. They are good and I think they shall always be good." Fair enough, but that doesnt mean its necessary to record them over and over, or, more to the point, necessary for Elliotts fans to buy them over and over. But then, Ramblin Jack Elliott is not primarily a recording artist, hes a folksinger, and these are the songs he sings. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 20 Title: The Essential Ramblin Jack Elliott Released: 1998 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:17:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Roving Gambler (03:36) 2 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (02:37) 3 Diamond Joe (02:58) 4 Guabi Guabi (04:43) 5 Sowing on the Mountain (02:15) 6 Roll on Buddy (02:03) 7 1913 Massacre (03:51) 8 House of the Rising Sun (03:28) 9 Shade of the Old Apple Tree (02:41) 10 Black Snake (03:26) 11 Portland Town (01:59) 12 More Pretty Girls (02:14) 13 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:15) 14 Buffalo Skinners (04:51) 15 Sadie Brown (03:30) 16 Dont Think Twice Its All Right (04:13) 17 Blind Lemon Jefferson (03:55) 18 Ramblin Round Your City (02:35) 19 Talkin Columbia (03:50) 20 Tennessee Stud (04:14) 21 Night Herding Song (03:20) 22 Love Sick Blues (03:17) 23 I Belong to Glasgow (05:31) |
| The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott : Allmusic album Review : Elliott was the complete folksinger of the 60s, singing and yodeling traditional material derived from folk, country, and blues sources and (especially) carrying on the tradition of Woody Guthrie. This two-pocket set, some of which is taken from a 1965 concert, provides a representative sampling of his repertoire and style. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 20 Title: Friends of Mine Released: 1998-03-17 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Riding Down the Canyon (04:25) 2 Me and Billy the Kid (03:49) 3 Last Letter (05:08) 4 Louise (04:46) 5 Rexs Blues (02:38) 6 Walls of Red Wing (04:33) 7 Hard Travelin (02:47) 8 He Was a Friend of Mine (03:27) 9 Dark as as a Dungeon (04:44) 10 Friend of the Devil (04:17) 11 Reason to Believe (03:28) 12 Bleeker Street Blues (03:55) 13 Old Time Feelin (00:46) |
| Friends of Mine : Allmusic album Review : Ramblin Jack Elliotts first album for Hightone, Friends of Mine, is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of duets (and one trio) produced by Roy Rogers. Theres a loose, intimate atmosphere on Friends of Mine that is instantly appealing, and his selection of singing partners -- Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffith, Peter Rowan, Tom Waits, John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, Arlo Guthrie, Rosalie Sorrels, Guy Clark, and Bob Weir -- is smart, since each singer helps bring out the best in Elliott. Its an excellent latter-day effort from Elliott that confirms his status as a legendary folksinger. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 20 Title: Country Style / Live Released: 1999 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:11:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mean Mama Blues (01:54) 2 Low and Lonely (01:51) 3 The Wreck of the Old 97 (01:49) 4 Old Shep (03:01) 5 Wabash Cannonball (03:45) 6 Beautiful Brown Eyes (02:11) 7 Lovesick Blues (02:20) 8 Arthritis Blues (03:14) 9 Take Me Back and Try Me One More Time (01:55) 10 Tennessee Stud (03:36) 11 Those Brown Eyes (02:34) 12 Detour (02:08) 13 The Soldiers Last Letter (02:25) 14 Mule Skinner Blues (05:27) 15 Cool Water (04:09) 16 Talking (intro) (00:43) 17 Talking Miner (02:12) 18 Boll Weevil (03:07) 19 How Long Blues (05:00) 20 Salty Dog (02:25) 21 Tying Knots in the Devils Tail (02:36) 22 Hobos Lullaby (02:23) 23 Talking (intro) (01:57) 24 Talking Sailor (04:02) 25 Rock Island Line (05:06) |
| Country Style / Live : Allmusic album Review : A two-for-one single-disc reissue of two 1962 albums: the studio date Country Style and the live club recording At the Second Fret (here retitled Live). With a couple dozen songs in all, you get a good representation of Elliotts repertoire of the time: old country songs ("The Wreck of the Old 97," "Mule Skinner Blues"), old-school country tunes ("Wabash Cannonball," Ernest Tubbs "Take Me Back and Try Me One More Time"), blues ("How Long Blues"), and naturally a few Woody Guthrie tunes. Hes trying to sound like Guthrie a lot of the time, of course, and as an inadvertent consequence, sounds similar to very early Bob Dylan (who at the very beginning of his career was also trying to sound like Woody Guthrie). Hes not as good a singer as Guthrie or Dylan, and contributed no original material to these sets. That gives this something of a dry historical artifact feel, although the live portion of the disc has a slightly warmer atmosphere than Country Style. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 20 Title: Early Sessions Released: 1999 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 More Pretty Girls Than One (02:01) 2 Roll on Buddy (02:31) 3 Death of John Henry (02:32) 4 Salty Dog Blues (02:49) 5 Talking Blues (02:34) 6 Im Gonna Walk the Street to Glory (01:47) 7 Cigarettes & Whiskey (02:02) 8 Danville Girl (02:45) 9 Worried Man Blues (03:33) 10 San Francisco Bay Blues (01:58) 11 Roll in My Sweet Babys Arms (02:33) 12 Im Going Down the Road (02:03) |
| Early Sessions : Allmusic album Review : These songs from the mid- to late 50s are taken from the albums Elliott recorded with banjoist Derroll Adams while on a six-year tour of Europe. The two performers had a legendary chemistry, taking the continent by storm and affecting a profound influence on the British music scene. On this mix of gospel, blues, and traditional folk melodies, one can hear what all the fuss was about. Beginning with the Woody Guthrie classic "More Pretty Girls Than One," the two run through their favorite songs with the slipshod energy that was to define all of Elliotts later recordings. There are many moments to treasure here, from the humor of "Talking Blues" and "Cigarettes & Whiskey" to an unadulterated version of the Carter Familys "Worried Man Blues," a song which Elliott would later say was defiled by many a well-meaning British folkie. The artist may have made tighter recordings in later years, but his spirit and earthiness was never better than here, and as a place to hear the legendary Derroll Adams, this disc is a must. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 20 Title: The Long Ride Released: 1999 Tracks: 13 Duration: 56:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Connection (03:09) 2 Cup of Coffee (06:16) 3 Rangers Command (03:30) 4 Pony (03:23) 5 St. James Infirmary (03:20) 6 Picture From Lifes Other Side (05:03) 7 East Virginia Blues (03:59) 8 The Sky Above and the Mud Below (06:15) 9 Take Me Back and Try Me One More Time (03:27) 10 Now Hes Just Dust in the Wind (04:33) 11 True Blue Jeans (02:31) 12 Diamond Joe (03:17) 13 With God on Our Side (07:32) |
| The Long Ride : Allmusic album Review : On 1999s THE LONG RIDE, Ramblin Jack Elliott carried on the age-old tradition of storytelling. Serving as the bridge between Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, Elliott has managed to garner quite a following of famous friends and fans. Although not as celeb-heavy as 1998s FRIENDS OF MINE, THE LONG RIDE finds quiet a few notable guest appearances. Produced by bluesman Roy Rogers, (who also plays guitar on a number of songs), this collection finds Elliott covering artists including the Rolling Stones (a peppy "Connection") and Tom Waits (the banjo-heavy "Pony"). Elliott exudes camaraderie throughout, whether hes duetting with old crony Dave Van Ronk ("St. James Infirmary"), jawing away with Tom Russell ("Cup of Coffee," "The Sky Above and the Mud Below"), or sharing the spotlight with young buck Dave Alvin ("East Virginia Blues"). Although Elliott lends an easy-going air to Ernest Tubbs "Take Me Back and Try Me One More Time," it is on a solo reading of Bob Dylans "With God on Our Side" where this Jewish cowboy transcends his Brooklyn upbringing to take a place alongside his mentor Guthrie. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 20 Title: The Ballad of Ramblin Jack Released: 2000-08-15 Tracks: 20 Duration: 59:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro by Johnny Cash (00:25) 2 Muleskinner Blues (05:04) 3 Cuckoo (02:29) 4 Hard Travelin (01:44) 5 Railroad Bill (03:31) 6 Buskin (00:32) 7 Pastures of Plenty (02:43) 8 Rake & Ramblin Boy (02:45) 9 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:05) 10 Talkin Sailor Blues (by Candy Man) (04:50) 11 Acne (03:24) 12 Dont Think Twice (03:38) 13 Take Me Home (03:06) 14 If I Were a Carpenter (04:49) 15 Car Song (01:05) 16 900 Miles (Odetta) (03:58) 17 Cup of Coffee (04:46) 18 Introduction by President Clinton (00:30) 19 1913 Massacre (04:28) 20 Cuckoo (reprise) (03:38) |
| The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack : Allmusic album Review : This soundtrack to the 2000 documentary film about Elliott (directed by his daughter) also serves as a pretty good career retrospective. The 20 cuts are taken from an assortment of live, studio, television, radio, and film performances from 1953 to 1998. The chief flaw of Elliotts output is that he was not an innovator. He wrote little of his own music (only one of the songs on this release is original), and his competent, homespun brand of folk was similar to, but not nearly as good as, Woody Guthries or early Bob Dylans. The strength of Elliotts music, on the other hand, is that he sounded the same pretty much whenever he sang or recorded. If you liked traditional American folk at any time during the last half of the 20th century, Elliott was the old reliable, there to provide it for international audiences. So its no surprise that this soundtrack is a consistent listen of engaging, if unremarkable, roots American folk music. Elliott sounds a lot better, of course, when hes performing duets with greater talents, and there are a number of such duets on this compilation, including performances on Johnny Cashs television show in the late 60s and early 70s; a 1953 studio cut with his mentor, Guthrie (also including Sonny Terry on harmonica and vocals); and a song apiece with Odetta and Derroll Adams. Theres also a live 1961 radio airshot of a duet with a then label-less Bob Dylan on the silly, and not terribly witty, early rock & roll parody "Acne." | ||
 | Album: 17 of 20 Title: Best of the Vanguard Years Released: 2000-10-31 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:12:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Roving Gambler (03:35) 2 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (02:37) 3 Diamond Joe (02:58) 4 Guabi Guabi (04:43) 5 Sowing on the Mountain (02:15) 6 Roll on Buddy (02:01) 7 1913 Massacre (03:52) 8 House of the Rising Sun (03:27) 9 Shade of the Old Apple Tree (02:42) 10 Black Snake Moan (03:25) 11 Portland Town (01:59) 12 More Pretty Girls (02:14) 13 Danville Girl (02:53) 14 John Hardy (02:27) 15 Dark as a Dungeon (02:53) 16 Hard, Aint It Hard (02:40) 17 Dont Think Twice, Its All Right (03:16) 18 I Got a Woman (02:33) 19 Railroad Bill (03:57) 20 I Never Will Marry (02:29) 21 At My Window (02:09) 22 Blue Eyed Elaine (02:18) 23 Wildwood Flower (02:25) 24 Rangers Command (03:32) 25 Willie Moore (02:53) |
| Best of the Vanguard Years : Allmusic album Review : It might be tempting to look at Ramblin Jack Elliott as a folksinger from a bygone era except for a couple of things. First, hes still with us around the turn of the millennium, and still recording vital material such as 1999s The Long Ride; next, even his older material never strikes the listener as out-of-date. In fact, his performances on Best of the Vanguard Years are fun, not a word usually associated with folk music. He keeps the pace snappy, even on worn classics like "House of the Rising Sun" and "Wildwood Flower." Hes probably one of the few folksingers who could give Ray Charles a run for his money on "I Got a Woman," or liven up an old warhorse like "Roll On Buddy." One of the most fun pieces on this album is "Guabi Guabi," a song that might be taken as nonsense at first listen, but that is actually an African folk song that Elliott learned phonetically. Theres also a great version of "Dont Think Twice, Its All Right" that owes more to traditional folk than to Dylan. In fact, with one or two exceptions, Elliott remained grounded in the folk tradition, unlike many folksingers who began to look inward for new material in the mid-60s. Most of the recordings on Best of the Vanguard Years feature Elliott accompanying himself on guitar and, when needed, harmonica. There is a lot of material here -- more than half of the album -- that has not been previously released, including good versions of "John Hardy" and "Dark as a Dungeon." For those who want to dig a little deeper into folk musics past, this is a fine selection; for those who arent familiar with Rambin Jack Elliott, this is a great place to begin ones acquaintance. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 20 Title: The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957 Released: 2004 Tracks: 16 Duration: 43:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:48) 2 Hard Travelin (03:57) 3 Big Rock Candy Mountain (01:43) 4 Old Rattler (02:18) 5 Talking Columbia Blues (03:06) 6 Streets of Laredo (02:27) 7 Jack of Diamonds (03:23) 8 Rusty Jiggs & Sandy Sam (02:54) 9 Tom Joad (07:25) 10 Acres of Clams (02:31) 11 Freight Train (01:13) 12 Chisholm Trail (01:57) 13 Crawdad Song (02:25) 14 Black Girl (a.k.a. in the Pines) (03:04) 15 Tom Dooley (02:16) 16 Rocky Mountain Belle (01:30) |
| The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957 : Allmusic album Review : Born in Brooklyn, Jack Elliott reinvented himself as a cowboy folksinger in the Woody Guthrie mold (but without Guthries particular talent for recasting folk melodies into new compositions), and was adept at catching the nuances of rural American singing styles. He did indeed like to ramble, and he landed in London in 1955 just as the skiffle boom was taking off, signing to Topic Records. The songs on this disc were all recorded for Topic at a session on a yacht at Cowes Harbour on the Isle of Wight in 1957. Some of the tunes were issued on a 10" LP called Jack Takes the Floor and the rest were stowed away in the British Library in London, which was where a Topic staffer discovered them nearly 50 years later. The sequence here is a fairly typical Elliott set of the time, made up of Guthrie tunes (including a fine version of "Tom Joad"), traditional American folk songs ("Streets of Laredo," "Tom Dooley"), and other pieces that fit his style, like his wonderful cover of Libba Cottens "Freight Train." Things get a little affected when Elliott talks between songs, but when he sings, it all works, and his guitar playing is always simple, appropriate, and top-notch. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 20 Title: I Stand Alone Released: 2006-07-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 32:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Engine 143 (03:28) 2 Arthritis Blues (04:21) 3 Old Blue (03:16) 4 Driving Nails in My Coffin (01:54) 5 Rake & Ramblin Boy (01:50) 6 Hong Kong Blues (02:08) 7 Jean Harlow (00:31) 8 Call Me a Dog (01:26) 9 Careless Darling (01:27) 10 Mr. Garfield (03:36) 11 My Old Dog & Me (00:19) 12 Leaving Cheyenne (01:40) 13 Remember Me (01:19) 14 Willy Moore (02:06) 15 Honey, Where You Been So Long? (01:26) 16 Woodys Last Ride (01:38) |
| I Stand Alone : Allmusic album Review : If youre an old fan of Ramblin Jack Elliott, look for few surprises now that hes jumped to the label that hosts Nick Cave, Joe Henry, and Tom Waits. This is Jack Elliott the fingerpickin folkie, friend to Cisco Houston and Woody Guthrie, and influence of Bob Dylan. These 14 songs reflect what Jack has done since leaving the rodeo more than 50 years ago. Most of the songs here are utterly familiar, including "Mr. Garfield," "Leaving Cheyenne," "Old Blue," "Willy Moore," "Careless Darlin" (with Lucinda Williams), "Hong Kong Blues," "Drivin Nails in My Coffin" (with David Hidalgo), and many others. In addition to the aforementioned guests, Nels Cline, Flea, Corin Tucker, and D.J. Bonebrake are here, to name a few. Elliott hasnt recorded an album in seven years, but I Stand Alone ranks among his very best efforts. His voice is richer now that its aged; its full of authority, wisdom, and a certain kind of madness -- the kind that one witnesses during his live shows. There are no standouts on this record, with the possible exception of its final cut, "Woodys Last Ride," which Elliott penned. With an autoharp, a lonely guitar, and some ambient sounds, Elliott tells a beautiful and spooky story about the last time he saw Guthrie. There are no regrets, no sophomoric or melodramatic words, just a winsome pleasure and brief tale that sends the entire record off into the night sky with a smile. The rest of this set is simply great. Its a fantastic introduction to Elliott for newbies, and authoritative proof that hes not only still got it, but he just keeps getting better. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 20 Title: A Stranger Here Released: 2009-04-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Rising High Water Blues (03:55) 2 Death Dont Have No Mercy (06:08) 3 Ramblers Blues (05:14) 4 Soul of a Man (04:16) 5 Richland Women Blues (04:25) 6 Grinnin in Your Face (03:55) 7 New Stranger Blues (03:25) 8 Falling Down Blues (04:53) 9 How Long Blues (04:44) 10 Please Remember Me (04:03) |
| A Stranger Here : Allmusic album Review : If anybodys got a sense of history, its Ramblin Jack Elliott, who began his career in the 1950s, learned directly from Woody Guthrie, and influenced Bob Dylan and countless others. Confronting a possible second Great Depression in America in 2009, a 77-year-old Elliott delivers an album of blues tunes from the first one, songs he absorbed as a young man. While Elliotts agreeably worn, leathery voice inhabits songs associated with the likes of Rev. Gary Davis and Blind Willie McTell with undeniable ease, producer Joe Henry puts a twist on the proceedings. With a band that includes Van Dyke Parks, Los Lobos David Hidalgo, and others, Henry adds just a bit of arch, modern sonic spin, providing a moody atmosphere that enhances the experience without overwhelming Elliotts performances. | ||