Customer Reviews

Nobody Knows What You Do

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

 

 

This is one of the best John Hartford albums, and I own and listen frequently to nearly all of them.

This CD is similiar in feel and range to John's earlier album Aereoplain, but more exploratory. The playing is superb, the songs are lighthearted and amusing, and it's hard to keep this CD out of your rotation for very long. From the jazzy feel of "Down" to the crowd pleasing absurdity of "Granny Woncha Smoke Some Marijuana", to the beautiful melody and lyrics of his classic "In Tall Buldings", this CD is pure gold thru and thru. It is Hartford as his most playful and talented. Everyone should own it (and all the others too)!

This is probably my favorite John Hartford album. A friend introduced me to JH's music back in the late 70's when I was in High School and listening to typical high-school-guy stuff like Aerosmith, Zeppelin, etc. I just had begun to discover "more meaningful" stuff, like Bob Dylan, The Band, Bowie, Neil Young etc., and this album opened my mind up to worlds of music outside what I thought was "good."

There's nothing here not worth listening to over and over. The remastering to CD is lovely, sounds nearly as warm as the original Flying Fish LP. The only reason for withholding the fifth star is Flying Fish/Rounder's move to replace the brilliant "Joseph's Dream" with a take of "No End of Love" (which appears in another version on Dillard/Hartford/Dillard's "Glitter Grass from the Nashwood Hollyville Strings" album. From what I've heard, the original tape of "Joseph's Dream" was lost, damaged, or mishandled, resulting in its omission from this CD issue. Whatever the reason, fine, I guess, but track listings on the CD and elsewhere should be changed to reflect this change. I would rather have transferred my old cassette (made from the LP, btw) to digital than buy a CD version without "Joseph's Dream."

At the peak of his writing and performing, John Hartford handed this little gem to his fans. I bought the album immediately and have treasured it ever since. The title track alone is worth the price of admission. "Sly Feel," "Somewhere My Love," "Golden Globes," "You Don't Have to Do That" -- they're all great. If you have "Aereo-Plain" (then you probably have this one) but if not, do not hesitate. It's classic John.

The low stars this CD received was not for the music, itself. Reviews are intended to help the audience of a particular author or musician or whatever to decide whether or not to make the purchase. This is not the place to whine about a mix-up in your order. This brilliant album by John Harford seems to have been judged by two morons who didn't know how to contact customer service...

While this is certainly one of Hartford's goofier records, replete with songs about breasts and pot, it is still a testament to his idiosyncratic abilities as perhaps the most interesting and traditionally-rooted purveyor of newgrass. Hartford keeps it rootsy, the picking is cleanly recorded and lightning-quick in spots, and his homey, comforting voice displays his simple life convictions. Much of this seems autobiographical, and a fair amount of it is tender. This sounds like Hartford in love.

Also, the reviewer below who laments the omission of "Joseph's Dream" must have a different version of the CD. The Flying Fish CD includes it as track 7.

Ordered the John Hartford, "Nobody Knows What You Do" CD and received a disc with anonymous piano concertos on it!!! The packaging and print on the CD were correct; but there was NO John Hartford music on it!!! A worthless waste of money!!!!

I have ordered this CD TWICE now and both times the CD cover and CD label were for John Hartford's "Knowbody Knows What You Do" but the recording was of piano music, beginning with the Nutcracker Suite. I listened to the sound files on Amazon before I bought, and it was John Hartford. I waited some time before making the second purchase, thinking it was surely some sort of fluke that couldn't happen again. Phht.

What is going on? Was this someone's idea of a joke? I have the LP of this album from when it first came out and really wanted to get it on CD. I don't think I will be ordering again until I can listen to it in advance to make sure it is really the great John Hartford.