Customer Reviews

Til We Out Number Em

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

 

 

I have just finished listening to the new Woody Guthrie tribute album, 'Til We Outnumber Them, and couldn't resist a twinge of disappointment. A case of unreasonable expectations, perhaps, but I was really looking forward to this recording of the Cleveland concert organised by the Rock'n'Roll Hall of fame to honour Guthrie. The liner notes say that the concert went on for two hours or so, which makes it particularly disappointing that the memento released four years later barely stretches beyond 41 minutes. That said, many of the individual tracks - from Ani Di Franco's highly original take on Do-re-me, through Rambling Jack's authentic-sounding versions of Woody classics, Billy Bragg's passion on what is presumably a previously unreleased song, and the enthusiastic singalong on Hard Travelin' - are outstanding. But there certainly could have been a lot more of the same. And it's a travesty that Pete Seeger, who was present at the concert, goes unrepresented. Besides, the way the album has been edited detracts somewhat from the spontaneity that probably manifested itself at the concert (there's just a hint of it in Bruce Springsteen's version of Ridin' in My Car). A worthy project, undoubtedly, but the outcome is half-baked - and can't really hold a candle to the Guthrie memorial concerts of 1968/70 (going purely by the recorded versions, that is).

As long as young folkies pound old guitars, Woody Guthrie will never die. The current Woody renaissance, more than thirty years after his death and better than half a century since his musical heyday, is among the richest yet, yielding two Billy Bragg/Wilco MERMAID AVENUE compliations, the monumental ASCH RECORDINGS, and now this.

This is actually the second Carnegie Hall tribute concert to make it to CD. The first, in 1970, is also available on CD and features stirring performances by Arlo, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Country Joe McDonald, Richie Havens, Odetta, Tom Paxton and Woody contemporaries Jack Elliot, Earl Robinson and Pete Seeger, in addition to dramatic readings of Guthrie's prose by actors Will Geer, Robert Ryan and Peter Fonda. It is well worth seeking out.

This set, 26 years later, makes an excellent sequel/companion piece to the original. Arlo, Ramblin' Jack and Country Joe are back for this one, along with Bruce Springsteen (doing an exuberant "Car Car"), The Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco (Ani's "Pastures of Plenty" and the Amy/Emily/Ani "Ramblin' Round" offers some gorgeous harmonizing), the ubiquitous Mr. Bragg, Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum (!) and actor/filmmaker/second generation folkie Tim Robbins, last heard on Appleseed's Pete Seeger tribute (where's your CD, Tim?).

Woody Guthrie was the Twentieth Century's Walt Whitman, a poet/philosopher/social commentator whose work will be remembered far into the next milennium. Last year the United States government finally acknowledged his contributions by putting him on a postage stamp. If they really wanted to do him justice, let them make "This Land is Your Land" the national anthem.

I found this a bit on the weak side. Only Ani DiFranco's "Do Re Me" is really distinctive, and most of these songs have been covered much better previously. For instance:

"Riding in My Car" -- Bob Dylan; "Deportee" -- Springsteen (in 1981); "Ramblin' Round" -- Odetta; "Pretty Boy Floyd" -- Bob Dylan

And I wish this CD would have included Joe Ely or Jimmie Dale Gilmore, both of whom performed at the show and can be seen in the cover photo.

As another reviewer noted, the '68/'70 "Tribute to Woody Guthrie" CD is far better, with excellent performances from Dylan, The Band, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, etc. Unfortunately, even that CD cuts out a couple of strong tracks that were on the 2-LP original (Richie Havens' "Vigilante Man" and Judy Collins' "So Long" were two of my favorites).

I've been a folkhound all my life and this delightful collection does not disappoint. It plays the full range of emotions from the fun loving "Hootenanny" to the serious "Deportee." The artists all pay homage to the reigning Godfather of Folk, Woody Guthrie and they all, in the opinion of this reviewer treat Woody Guthrie and his music with respect. It is a worthwhile collection to have. How can anyone not like these songs? They're wonderful!

If you are a fan of Billy Bragg, Bruce Springsteen, Country Joe McDonald or of course Woody Guthrie then you must buy this album, and you probably don't need me to tell you that. I must also confess, that though I loved Pete Seeger as much as anybody, I don't really object to his omission from this compilation of highlights. (One of the reasons that I prefer the video version of "Folkways: A Vision Shared" is that the "Sweet Honey in the Rock/Various Artists" version of "This Land is your Land" is fresher and more surprising than the Seeger rendition, which appears on the CD.)

Talking about surprising the revelation here is Ani Difranco. I really hated her contribution at first, because it was so unlike any other "Do Re Mi" I had ever heard. It did however grow on me, and now I think it's great.

So some good old standards performed by some great artists who clearly are committed to performing brilliant versions of one of America's most wonderful singer-songwriters - that can't be all bad!

I've withheld one star because of the inclusion of some banal commentary and in particular Craig Werner's dismal contribution.

Oh.... this album is so good I almost cried.

I remember hearing a lot of these songs growing up, and to hear them performed by so many different voices is wonderful. There's a lot of chatter on the album as well, the sort of thing you love on a live concert album. Insight from Arlo Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen blend well with tunes sung by Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco... I feel like I'm in the back of the room listening, free to join in if I want.

If you find 3 names you like on here, give it a go. I can't see having any regrets.

While I learned about Woody Guthrie in grammar school in the 50's, along with Grapes of Wrath, and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl; this album should become part of every school's teaching library.

I not only heard this album, but I could "see it".

It was great to listen to Arlo, doing his father's songs. Ani DeFranco and the Indigo Girls brought a whole new meaning to the music.

But Springsteen doing "Riding in My Car", in Hip Hop or Rap for 2 minutes is something you can't miss. The only thing that was lacking, was someone back spinning a record.

As others have already said, a 41-minute CD seems a bit silly, even at a reduced price. As with reinterpretation anthologies, you'll probably find workings pleasing to you, and some not.

That said, even an average recording of Guthrie music is great. I never apprciated "Hard Travelin'" until I heard it on this CD in all it's bouncy, boisterous, sing-a-long harmonies. The voice-over titular retelling of one of Arlo's sweetest stories, atop a finale of "This Land Is Your Land" was a nice twist, though I could listen to any number of versions of "This Land" happily, thank you.

It did leave me wanting more, but as a contemporary marker upon which to rebuild Woody's musical prominence, I like it a lot.

There is no bigger Woody Guthrie fan than me and I was greatly excited when I found out that Ani Difranco, another singer/songwriter I greatly admire, had put together a tribute to Woody. It is, however, fairly disappointing.

There are some good bits, here and there. Difranco's version of Do Re Mi is hot and her version (with Indigo Girls) of Ramblin' Round is the best thing on this CD. Billy Bragg is always good. But Springsteen is wasted on a version of Car Car and Plane Wreck at Los Gatos (the latter of which is done much better by Baez on her First 10 Years collection). Ramblin Jack Elliot does a very respectable version of Talkin' Dust Bowl but he also does 1913 Massacre again, which is already on the original Tribute album from the sixties. David Pirner's version of Pretty Boy Floyd does not hold a candle to Dylan's version on the A Vision Shared CD or Guthrie's own version. The whole ablum is interspersed with various people's reflections on Woody which would have been fine if they were in the booklet but only interupt the music on the CD and get rather boring after you've heard them once or twice.

The uncomprosing critique and collective power in these songs is so comfortably accommodated, as they are covered by (some) people who are not ashamed to support political parties and big record companies. The music sounds O.K. for its nostalgic/referential value: I might just like to be reminded of the originals. In terms of reverence to W.G. I don't give it a single star.