Customer Reviews

I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound: The Best Of Tom Paxton

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tom Paxton is that rarity among folk-era singer/songwriters: some of his songs have become real folk songs. Performers who have never heard of him sing "The Last Thing on My Mind" and "Ramblin' Boy" under the implicit assumption that they're venerable songs of anonymous authorship, just like "Barbara Allen" and "I Ride an Old Paint." Good for him, good for all of us. Paxton has enriched American music as few have done, and it's wonderful to have the best of his early, classic Elektra recordings available at last on CD. Even the topical songs, though tied to events in the 1960s, still manage to tell us something about, or at least make us laugh at, the varieties of human folly. It seems to me, however, that Paxton's political views owe less to a "progressive" ideologue's sentiments (as Scott Alarik's liner notes would have us believe) than to the natural responses of a decent man to injustice or absurdity. One can argue that the neo-folk movement has generated technically more accomplished, more imaginative writers, but only a tiny handful have produced songs that have moved us as much over time. Paxton's songs will always sound fresh -- just like real folk songs. God bless him, and long may he and his songs be with us.

This disc has all of the "hits," if one may use such a term with this sort of music, from Paxton's phenomenal first three accoustic albums. If this is what you're looking for - and it is certainly something worth looking for -- this disc is the disc to get, clearly preferable to the Vanguard best-of collection. (For most of Paxton's best material on Vanguard, just get the Newport Folk Festival albums, which have so very much to recommend them in addition to Paxton's presence.)

The surprise here was the lesser known and harder to fine material from 68-71. Although his voice sounds a bit strained or hoarse at few points, some of the songs are astonishingly beautiful. Really. I even generally enjoyed the plush arrangements, which typically detract from singer-songwriter types. Perhaps that's due to another surprise: some real heavy hitters play on these sessions, including David Grisman, Richard Davis (!), and Hubert Laws.

Twenty-six tracks make this an attractive value, too. A good compromise between LP era collections that omit too much good material and expensive box sets that are overkill for casual fans.

This treasure is one of three I have recently purchased. The other two being Tim Hardin, "Person to Person," and Taj Mahal's, "Natch'l Blues." For three entirely different reasons I have been powerfully reminded of the fertile ground out of which the most poignant and profound integrity of the sixties grew. I must confess that I bought this CD for the sake of "Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues," one of the most amusing and sardonic protest songs of the era, only to rediscover a wealth of vital contributions that Paxton has made to the world of music. The soulful and romantic refrains of "The last thing on my Mind" brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it, in sharp contrast with the rally cry of "What did you learn in school today" this album explores the multi-faceted depths of Paxton's versatile and thought provoking poetry. And what a voice! Paxton is one of the most significant and enchanting mintrels of the 20th century. Hey, oldtimers, this CD will make you feel young again without making the 60's seem trite. It is nice to have such a dynamic and lasting reminder of the influences that made that era such a seminal part of who we are and whence we came. This CD is a very rich repository of human nature and a must for every seeker and collector.

After not listening to Tom Paxton for awhile, I purchased this album and have enjoyed both the music and the memories I've been given the chance to examine once more. I live in Texas right now, but I grew up in California, with Tom Paxton and other 60's folk music. Paxton's music has held up wonderfully through the years, and I still think "Jimmy Newman" is one of the most heartbreaking anti-war songs I've ever heard. I cherish this CD and recommend it to everyone. It has given me back something I had lost.

Amazing compilation from Tom's first 7 albums. Sound quality is superb! The few live tracks were a pleasant addition. At 38, I've seen Tom in concert several times, and heard him play his standards, but the atmosphere was always that of smiling retrospection, before returning to the topical and/or funny songs in his set. Now I glean some insight into his moods when creating these gems. The montage of early photographs was another pleasant surprise. Everything about this album pleases. A great intro to Tom's work for new fans, and the CD to keep at work for us old-timers.

Four decades after the beginning of the 1960s folk music revival, Tom Paxton remains one of the most underappreciated voices from that era. He never really became a star as a result of the revival, but nearly everyone who did recorded at least one of his songs. It's unfortunate that his seven Elektra albums from that decade have been out of print for so long, but until and unless they're all reissued on CD, this collection is a great start.

All of the original versions of his best-known songs are here, and they're all well worth having. But for me, what really make this collection fly are the lesser-known sides, particularly the four selections from 1970's superb "Tom Paxton 6" LP. Like any performer, his style changed and evolved over the course of the decade, and the changes evident in the songs seen here are fascinating. One thing that didn't change, as the later and less famous songs also reflect, was Paxton's talent for biting satire and social commentary. The beginnings of his more recent forays into lovesongs and children's music are here as well.

Entirely too few of this era's songs make it into Paxton's concerts these days. That unfortunate fact just makes this collection that much more important. If you own a turntable, search out the original albums; but in the meantime pick this disc up as well. It's an excellent cross section of a catalog that deserves more attention than it gets.

If you are a Tom Paxton fan or if you just lived through the 60's and 70's you must have this album. There have been several "best of" Tom Paxton releases but this is the real thing - a full measure of his best. Worth every penny. Too bad they didn't improve the sonics and use HDCD and the original two track analog masters but that doesn't detract from the fact that this collection is the best of the best. Besides I heard these songs on a crummy car radio the first time.

This is a long overdue release and contains some of the best performances from Tom Paxton during his early, formative years on the Elektra label. As others have stated, there are omissions in this collection-thus begging the question-when will these be released on cd?
Tracks like "Morning Again", "Crazy John", "Saturday Night" are only available by hunting down the original vinyl.
At the very least, "Tom Paxton 6", his best record, deserves a cd release. The tracks on this anthology from this record sound wonderful on cd.
Also deserving a cd release is his Reprise label record "Peace Will Come"- an album right up there with "Tom Paxton 6".

I was in high school during the VietNam unrest and got into protest music at that time-but the only record by Tom Paxton that I enjoyed was Mysterious Toy. Ater all these years I forgot about him and while shopping in a card shop I heard a childs song-I Have Yo Yo and recognized the artist. From that shopping trip it brought me to Amazon and this great CD by Tom with his vast array of various songs. A truly great artist.Buy it-listen to it- and go back in time whether good or bad.

Listening to Tom Paxton is like a time machine back into the turmoil and frustration of the sixties. This album shows why Paxton is one of the principle movers of the resistance to the war in Vietnam. Some of the songs make you want to cry they're so beautiful, but mostly the humor and good nature is what comes through. "The Vietnam Ragg" probably sums up most guy's attitudes towards the draft most perfectly. We lost a lot in this country when folk music fell out of favor. Men like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seger, Jack Elliott, Hoyt Axton and Tom Paxton came from the soil and blood that built this nation before the days of consumerism and conspicuous consumption and I hope they're never forgotten.