A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly

Various Artists (Artist), Sweet Honey in the Rock (Artist), Bob Dylan (Artist), John Mellencamp (Artist), Bruce Springsteen (Artist), U2 (Artist), Fishbone (Artist), Arlo Guthrie (Artist), Willie Nelson (Artist), Brian Wilson (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026HV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,066 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One of the more creative, successful tribute albums, A Vision Shared was originally released to coincide with a PBS program that premiered in 1988. Packing some serious heavyweights onto one CD, the record features covers of Guthrie and Leadbelly tunes by, among others, Little Richard, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and U2. The 14 tracks consist of mostly well known tunes, and it's fascinating to hear what the artists have done to them. Particularly exciting is a supercharged version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line" by Little Richard with Fishbone and U2's take on Guthrie's "Jesus Christ." --Ian Landau

Product Description

14 track Tribute To Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly. Dylan's PRETTY BOY FLOYD. Also: Springsteen, U2, Brian Wilson and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Compilation January 23, 2002

By Leonard Fleisig TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

To my mind, the problem with many 'tribute' albums revolves around the selection of particular musicians to perform particular songs. They often do not match well. In this case, the selections were excellent. The result is a wonderful CD that brings out not only the best of Guthrie and Leadbelly but also of the artists covering their songs. Sweet Honey in the Rock open with a warm, evocative rendition of Sylvie. Bob Dylan's Pretty Boy Floyd is as good as Dylan has ever sounded. It is reminiscent in tone and content to his own Hurricane Carter. Little Richard's Rock Island Line was terrific as was U2's Jesus Christ. Springsteen, Taj Mahal, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Arlo Guthrie round out the CD with other excellent tracks. It evokes the era in which the songs were written. The CD is well worth buying.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A rare breed: the quality tribute album. December 22, 2003

By Quickhappy

Format:Audio CD

Can't stand tribute albums. Hate 'em! But this little beauty really shines. The secret is in the wide-open, folksy nature of Woody Guthrie's and Ledbelly's work--they wrote songs that are *made* to be sung by other folks, made to be reinterpreted and resung by new generations. The other secret is in the line-up here: great talents, from top to bottom.

When this lp came out in the late 1980s I bought it on a whim. I was in my late teens, and didn't know much about the music. I don't even know why I bought the album. But time and time again, I played it instead of my rock and punk albums. I really endured for a couple of years. I don't play it so often anymore, so I had to give it four stars.

Not much to criticize here: Little Richard//Fishbone's tune is out of place--it's kind of a sour moment in an otherwise sweet ensemble. Willie and Emmylou shine, as do U2. But the album's true gem is by Bruce: "Vigilante Man." It's one of the best recordings the Boss has ever set to vinyl.

Fans of folk, folk-rock, country-rock, southern-fried rock, and alt.country should line up for this one, but even a teen like me who was into punk rock can saddle this horse up for a good long ride.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Had to have it... July 3, 2000

By Mark Voorheis

Format:Audio CD

I borrowed this album from my Father-in-Law for a Folk music show I was preparing. After raving about how much I enjoyed it I shouldn't have been surprised when my own copy showed up at Christmas.

This album pays tribute to two great pioneers who truly paved the way for Rock and R&B. The blending of Folk and Blues is easy to listen to and the stories are tremendously compelling.

If you have any interest in Folk or Blues, pick this up.