Thinking of Woody Guthrie

Country Joe McDonald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 26, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vanguard Records
• ASIN: B000000EEW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,631 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #35 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Classic Rock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joe got it right!, June 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Thinking of Woody Guthrie (Audio CD)

Man, did Country Joe McDonald get it from all sides when he put out this one! First off, he had the cojones to record this in Nashville in 1969, a time and a place where men with hair as long as his were not exactly treated with brotherly affection (kinda hard to remember that long hair was once considered a commie pinko plot, isn't it?). So right there this stinkin' hippie doing that old lefty Guthrie's music in Country Music City was anethema to several right-of-center folk. But THEN Joe ticks off the old guard LEFT as well; you'd read grumblings in publications like SING OUT! that, somehow (nobody ever quite said HOW), by doing Woody's songs with the cream of Nashville's finest backing him to the hilt, Joe was "sanitizing" Guthrie, making him into pablum, or at least NOT doing him the way that, say, Dylan or Phil Ochs would've done it (back in 1964, that is!). THEN Joe further alienated whatever was left of the "hippie" base who listened to Country Joe and The Fish. "I mean, bummer, man, he's playing with these straight country cats, I mean, what's that about?"

All of the above opinions are completely ridiculous in the clear glow of 35 years later. THINKING OF WOODY GUTHRIE is an album that does justice to the man who wrote all of the songs on it. Joe McDonald conveys all of the ranges of Woody's line of sight, from the migrant's resigned take on life ("Pastures Of Plenty"), to the dust-storm-beset people of Gray, Oklahoma ("So Long, It's Been Good To Know Yuh")to a guarded endorsement of the (then) major strides in technology for the greater good ("Roll On Columbia"). McDonald sings all of them with conviction and is backed by Nashville pros with talent to burn.
Even "This Land Is Your Land" gets a vitality to it that's totally unexpected but great to hear.

If he had done nothing else in his career, Country Joe deserves to be remembered as one of the best things that happened to Woody Guthrie and what he left us. Highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this one too., January 2, 2002

By 

Ed Falis (Waban, Ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thinking of Woody Guthrie (Audio CD)

He really does wonderful interpretations of Guthrie's tunes. There's a very earthy feel to the whole album. Have played it a lot over the years. Vinyl's probably getting to the point of needing to be replaced. Glad there's the CD option on this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely done and very entertaining, March 22, 2006

By 

Anibeth (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thinking of Woody Guthrie (Audio CD)

Country Joe McDonald's incredible voice and instrumental preparation are the trademarks of the Cd's very element of folk-country. Using Woody's song and honoring his legacy, Country Joe has amazed fans of folk music with his robust voice and with dazzling effects of instrumental accompanists. Woody Guthrie's life lives on through his massive works and through his impression of John Steinbeck's novel, the Grapes of Wrath, which has its share of fans and devoted readers. Tom Joad, one of the release on this cd, as sung by Country Joe, and created by Woody Guthrie, stays true to its roots. I heartly recommend the cd for whoever is a fan of the Late Woody Guthrie and those for Country Joe who delighted fans for generations.