Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village In The 60's

Jonatha Brooke (Performer), Marshall Crenshaw (Performer), Chrissie Hynde (Performer), Curtis Stigers (Performer), Loudon Wainwright III (Performer), Ron Sexsmith (Performer), Jules Shear (Performer), Suzzy & Maggie Roche (Performer), Patty Larkin (Performer), John Cale / Suzanne Vega (Performer)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 25, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Astor Place Records
• ASIN: B00000IQMK
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,368 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #72 in

  Music > Indie Music > Folk > Traditional Folk

Track Listings

1. Bleecker Street - Jonatha Brooke

2. My Back Pages - Marshall Crenshaw

3. Morning Glory - Chrissie Hynde

4. No Regrets - Curtis Stigers

5. Pack Up Your Sorrows - Iris DeMent, Loudon Wainwright III

6. Reason to Believe - Ron Sexsmith

7. Darling Be Home Soon - Jules Shear

8. Love's Still Growing - Maggie Roche,

9. Everybody's Talkin' - Patty Larkin

10. Last Thing on My Mind - Cry Cry Cry

11. So Long, Marianne - John Cale, Suzanne Vega

12. Thirsty Boots - John Gorka

13. I Ain't Marchin' Anymore - Black 47, Larry Kirwan

14. Since You've Asked - Beth Nielsen Chapman

15. Let's Get Together - Paul Brady

16. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) - Instrumental

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tribute albums come in all shapes and sizes. Most, however, simply come and go. The ones that stick around are backed by a vision that extends beyond "Let's get a bunch of people together to do a bunch of Clash songs" (to cite one ignoble example). Bleecker Street's raison d'être is to shine a light on a fleeting and relatively uncelebrated period in the '60s folk boom--the nascent singer/songwriter era that came in the wake of Bob Dylan's move from protest songs to personal ones. The songwriters celebrated here--Eric Andersen, Fred Neil, Tim Buckley, Phil Ochs, and Dylan among them--penned songs that have become part of the fabric of American folk. Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe" (splendidly revived by Ron Sexsmith) is as straightforward a lament as has ever been put to tape; John Sebastian's "Darling Be Home Soon" is longing set to music. With Bleecker Street, the deities and apostles share a piece of heaven, which, of course, is as it should be. --Steven Stolder

Product Description

Full title - Bleecker Street - Greenwich Village In The 60's. New York may not be the folk music Mecca it once was but there is certainly enough history to warrant a tribute album such as this. Bleecker Street was the breeding ground for such artists as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Tim Buckley. On this single disc a suitable line up of relatively contemporary artists line up to pay their homage. Participants include Loudon Wainwright III, Suzanne Vega, Chrissie Hynde and Marshall Crenshaw. Highlights of this 16 track folk feast include Ron Sexsmith's version of Tim Hardin's 'Reason to Believe', John Cale and Suzanne Vega's take on Leonard Cohen's 'So Long Marianne' and Chrissy Hynde's awesome version of Tim Buckley's 'Morning Glory' and many more. Deleted in the US & only limited quantities available of the import at this low price. Gatefold digipak.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Dylan Was Right....., June 17, 1999

By A Customer

A few years back, around the time he released not one, but two, albums comprised entirely of traditional folk and blues tunes, Bobby said he no longer wished to write songs because there were so many incredible songs out there already - many of which the masses were not even familiar with. Of course, Dylan went ahead and released his critically applauded "Time Out of Mind" album last year, comprised entirely of original songs, thereby going back on his promise. Even so, his idea was not a bad one. Case in point: the latest release from New York's funky Astor Place Label, "Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village In the `60s," a lovingly packaged, recorded and performed collection of modern-era folkies, popsters, and rockers paying homage to 15 classic Village compositions and their authors. Let's see... there are drool-worthy performers here like Chrissie Hynde, John Cale, two-thirds of the Roches, Black 47, Jonatha Brooke, Suzanne Vega, and so many more. And then, there are the SONGS from the most fertile, creative era of songwriting, ever, by writers like Fred Neil... Bob Dylan... Richard Farina... Buzzy Linhart... Judy Collins... Shall I continue? Give this no-risk disc a listen or two or three, and see if you can remove it from your CD player and your consciousness. I can't seem to. (C.A. Carlino)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic tribute of 60's folk, October 4, 2002

By	Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Bleecker Street is a more than satisfactory collection of folk songs from the 1960's is a nice relaxing antidote for the weary soul. Looking at the photos of Bleecker Street with its cafes, apartments, and even the arch in the park, I felt myself transported back to all those years ago.

All the artists, be they folk, alternative, or other, do admirable covers of the songs. I must admit I even liked the songs I'd never heard of before. Hey, after all, the album's released by Astor Place so there's a high standard by virtue of that fact.

Of familiar tunes, I was taken with Jonatha Brooke's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's title track and Marshall Crenshaw's rendition of Dylan's "My Back Pages." Patty Larkin's cover of "Everybody's Talkin'" has a tasteful understatedness, which makes a contrast to Harry Nilsson's version. The oft-covered "Reason To Believe" is a familiar friend here, done gently by Ron Sexsmith. And who can forget the timeliness of "Let's Get Together": "C'mon people now/Smile on your brother/Everybody get together/Try to love another right now." Kudos to Paul Brady there!

Of unfamiliar tunes, highlights included Cry Cry Cry's version of "The Last Thing On My Mind," "Pack Up Your Sorrows" by Loudon Wainwright III and Iris Dement, and "The Love's Still Growing" by Suzzy & Maggie Roche. Beth Nielsen Chapman's lovely crystal clear voice enhances her cover of Judy Collins' "Since You Asked."

The most upbeat song is Larry Kirwan & Black 47's cover of the angry anti-war anthem "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore." This song was originally done in 1964, and it lists military engagements involving White America fought in, such as the Mexican War, World War II, and Little Big Horn. Given the current state between the U.S. and Iraq, it's still relevant today.

The rear of the CD booklet listing the artists and songs also lists the original performers. I'll list the song and original artists:

No Regrets, Tom Rush
Pack Up Your Sorrows, Mimi & Rich Farina
The Love's Still Growing, Buzzy Linhart
Reason To Believe, Tim Hardin
Darling Be Home Soon, John Sebastian
Since You've Asked, Judy Collins
Morning Glory, Tim Buckley
Turn Turn Turn, Traditional
Thirsty Boots, Eric Andersen
Last Thing On My Mind, Tom Paxton
My Back Pages, Bob Dylan
Let's Get Together, Dino Valenti
Bleecker Street, Simon & Garfunkel
Everybody's Talkin', Neil, Fred
So Long Marianne, Leonard Cohen
I Ain't Marchin' Anymore, Phil Ochs

Overall, a superior and introspective cover album, which reinforces the standard of how cover songs collections should be.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Faithful but refreshing rendering of some genuine classics, August 3, 1999

By	Daniel Galeza "galezadx" (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've never been especially fond of tribute albums, which always seem to be either ill-conceived, misguided, or both. Happy to say, "Bleecker Street" is neither. The selection of songs is in itself a history in microcosm of sixties folk-rock, and the matching of artist to title is almost always on target. Of particular interest are Jonatha Brooke's wistful version of the title tune, John Cale's channelling of Cohen's "So Long Marianne" (with Suzanne Vega the perfect choice for harmony vocal on the chorus), and Ron Sexsmith's plaintive "Reason to Believe". It's also nice to see long-forgotten chestnuts like "Thirsty Boots" and "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" covered. Well crafted and produced, this CD (along with "Return of the Greivous Angel", the Emmylou Harris-helmed tribute to Gram Parsons) has restored my belief that tributes can actually function well (and artistically) as albums.