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Music : Mermaid Avenue Vol.1
1 2
Rating: 
- Bound For Glory
Nora Guthrie, of the Woody Guthrie Archive, first approached Billy Bragg in 1995 with the idea of him writing music for and recording some of the lyrics Woody had written after the Huntington's disease had preventing him from holding, never mind playing, his guitar. The rational behind Billy's suitability seems sensible, singer-songwriter following the folk tradition which, although English, has been passed on to him from Woody Guthrie via Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Playing the folk festivals with Woody's own apprentices such as Pete Seeger would make him familiar with Woody's history without the necessity to idolise him as some of his contemporise would.
Billy then invited Americano Rockers Wilco to join the party possibly to give the recording an authentic American voice and maybe to blur his decision to sing with an American accent. Either way they compliment Billy Bragg style and help him achieve the right feel for the songs.
The songs are of course the important thing on show here and they are worthy of pulling from the achieve, since I approached this album from the stand point of a fan of Billy Bragg's song writing I did half expect to be disappointed and was pleasantly surprised. Like Bragg's own Woody's songs embrace the out and out political, such as `I Guess I Planted' and `Christ for President', and also sociological love songs such as `She Came Along to Me'. Woody also recorded children's songs which are represented here by `Hoodoo Voodoo' and what the politically correct Bragg refers to as `Woody's Trouser Snake Songs' such as `Ingrid Bergman' of which it is a delight to her Bragg bring to life showing us the full spectrum of Woody's writing after his recording career was cut short.
`Mermaid Avenue', in feel and approach, is very similar to Dylan and The Bands collaboration `The Basement Tapes' which again was a search for the spirit of American music. And again like `The Basement Tapes' `Mermaid Avenue' is a classic, must-have record for any serious music fan.
Rating:
- To 'A Music Fan' below
Others have reviewed this album already.
I need not add to them.
I'll take it that 'A Music Fan' is ignorant rather than malicious when they say that 'maybe there was a reason'
Woody never record them. Yeah I'll say there was.
Go read up on the man, and see why.
Okay you didn't like the album and everyone entitled to an opinion no problem but at least get the facts right about the man.
Rating: - An interesting combination.
I bought this album based, purely, on my love of Wilco's music. I hadmined their own albums for all they were worth and was looking formore.
I was initially sceptical given the premise of this project, andhaving not heard much of Billy Braggs stuff.
Well it turns out that I was very impressed.
Most of the tracks are perfectly balanced and well constructed as you mayexpect from artists of this calibre. What I didn't expect were some of thebest songs I'd heard in quite some time. At first it was only the Wilcosongs that stood out, with Tweedy's vocals hitting the mark, their rawbeauty complementing the sometimes astounding Guthrie lyrics. However, astime passed Braggs songs began to grow and actually provide some of thealbums best moments (Way over yonder in the minor key & eisler on the gobeing the most special of the Bragg material). The albums stand outmoments come with Tweedy at the vocal helm, California Stars would not beout of its weight category in the ring with even the most heavy-weightalbums of our time and Another Man's done gone aches with every poeticGuthrie penned word.
The album's only fault is that sometimes thephrasing and melody delivery is sometimes a little bit forced andobvious.
Saying all that, Mermaid Ave is worth a purchase and deserves repeatedlistens; you will be rewarded believe me, I speak the truth.
Rating:
- What is all the fuss about?
I fail to understand why this has had such positive reviews. I love most of Braggs own music, but this 'collaboration' with the long dead Woody Guthrie hasn't brought the best out of him. Maybe there is a reason why Guthrie hadn't recorded most of these lyrics - they are not very good.
Rating: - A wonderful recipe
I loved Billy Bragg's tender anger when I was growing up; I embraced Wilco's earthy, lively rock when I came to the U.S. Add to that the powerful, quirky, clever lyrics of primal folksinger Woody Guthrie and the result is delicious. Some of the previously unrecorded songs use Guthrie's words and melodies from Bragg or Wilco, so will sound very familiar.
- Bound For GloryNora Guthrie, of the Woody Guthrie Archive, first approached Billy Bragg in 1995 with the idea of him writing music for and recording some of the lyrics Woody had written after the Huntington's disease had preventing him from holding, never mind playing, his guitar. The rational behind Billy's suitability seems sensible, singer-songwriter following the folk tradition which, although English, has been passed on to him from Woody Guthrie via Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Playing the folk festivals with Woody's own apprentices such as Pete Seeger would make him familiar with Woody's history without the necessity to idolise him as some of his contemporise would.
Billy then invited Americano Rockers Wilco to join the party possibly to give the recording an authentic American voice and maybe to blur his decision to sing with an American accent. Either way they compliment Billy Bragg style and help him achieve the right feel for the songs.
The songs are of course the important thing on show here and they are worthy of pulling from the achieve, since I approached this album from the stand point of a fan of Billy Bragg's song writing I did half expect to be disappointed and was pleasantly surprised. Like Bragg's own Woody's songs embrace the out and out political, such as `I Guess I Planted' and `Christ for President', and also sociological love songs such as `She Came Along to Me'. Woody also recorded children's songs which are represented here by `Hoodoo Voodoo' and what the politically correct Bragg refers to as `Woody's Trouser Snake Songs' such as `Ingrid Bergman' of which it is a delight to her Bragg bring to life showing us the full spectrum of Woody's writing after his recording career was cut short.
`Mermaid Avenue', in feel and approach, is very similar to Dylan and The Bands collaboration `The Basement Tapes' which again was a search for the spirit of American music. And again like `The Basement Tapes' `Mermaid Avenue' is a classic, must-have record for any serious music fan.
Rating:
- To 'A Music Fan' belowOthers have reviewed this album already.
I need not add to them.
I'll take it that 'A Music Fan' is ignorant rather than malicious when they say that 'maybe there was a reason'
Woody never record them. Yeah I'll say there was.
Go read up on the man, and see why.
Okay you didn't like the album and everyone entitled to an opinion no problem but at least get the facts right about the man.
Rating:
- An interesting combination.I bought this album based, purely, on my love of Wilco's music. I hadmined their own albums for all they were worth and was looking formore.
I was initially sceptical given the premise of this project, andhaving not heard much of Billy Braggs stuff.
Well it turns out that I was very impressed.
Most of the tracks are perfectly balanced and well constructed as you mayexpect from artists of this calibre. What I didn't expect were some of thebest songs I'd heard in quite some time. At first it was only the Wilcosongs that stood out, with Tweedy's vocals hitting the mark, their rawbeauty complementing the sometimes astounding Guthrie lyrics. However, astime passed Braggs songs began to grow and actually provide some of thealbums best moments (Way over yonder in the minor key & eisler on the gobeing the most special of the Bragg material). The albums stand outmoments come with Tweedy at the vocal helm, California Stars would not beout of its weight category in the ring with even the most heavy-weightalbums of our time and Another Man's done gone aches with every poeticGuthrie penned word.
The album's only fault is that sometimes thephrasing and melody delivery is sometimes a little bit forced andobvious.
Saying all that, Mermaid Ave is worth a purchase and deserves repeatedlistens; you will be rewarded believe me, I speak the truth.
Rating:
- What is all the fuss about?I fail to understand why this has had such positive reviews. I love most of Braggs own music, but this 'collaboration' with the long dead Woody Guthrie hasn't brought the best out of him. Maybe there is a reason why Guthrie hadn't recorded most of these lyrics - they are not very good.
Rating:
- A wonderful recipeI loved Billy Bragg's tender anger when I was growing up; I embraced Wilco's earthy, lively rock when I came to the U.S. Add to that the powerful, quirky, clever lyrics of primal folksinger Woody Guthrie and the result is delicious. Some of the previously unrecorded songs use Guthrie's words and melodies from Bragg or Wilco, so will sound very familiar.