Woody Guthrie Album: “Dust Bowl Ballads [Rounder]”

I have had this release on lp for a number of years now, and am thrilled to see it on cd. There is little that a 30 year old can say about Woody Guthrie that hasn't been said by someone who lived in his generation, went through the hardships that he did, and understands all the nuances of his music. But what I CAN say is that his music resonates wonderfully with ME!

The songs flow wonderfully from one to the next, painting the desolate picture of the Dust Bowl during the drpression. The sorrow, pain, hope, and hopelessnesss that each person must have felt is all right there. From "Tom Joad" to "Pretty Boy Floyd" (covered by the Byrds, among others), the songs are pure and honest- as all of Woody's dittys were.

A brilliant gem of the highest order, "Dust Bowl,Ballads" is essential listening for everyone. Such grace, purity, and honesty rarely shows on lps any more. Woody shows why they should. God bless you, Woody.

"Dust Bowl Ballads" was apparently the most successful album Woody Guthrie ever made, especially since it gained him public acclaim. This reissue of the 1940 album contains Guthrie's original liner notes in which he declares: "This bunch of songs . . . are 'Oakie' songs, 'Dust Bowl' Songs, 'Migracious' songs, about my folks and my relatives, about a jillion of 'em, that got hit by the drought, the dust, the wind, the banker, and the landlord, and the police, all at the same time . . . and it was these things all added up that caused us to pack our wife and kids into our little rattletrap jalopies, and light out down the Highway--in every direction, mostly west to California."

What stands out most for me on this album are the two parts of "Tom Joad." Obviously Guthrie was impressed by both John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath," and John Ford's motion picture, which followed quickly on the heels of publication. In just under 7 minutes time Guthrie relates the story of Tom Joad, in many ways a story song similar to "The Great Dust Bowl (Dust Storm Disaster)" or "Pretty Boy Floyd." What strikes me is that there is no explicit argument as to the meaning or import of the story, as if in telling the tale the point is obvious. Like reading scripture or even the old poets reciting the epic poems, the audience (or congregation if you will), recognizes the moral of the tale. Of course the Oakies would not have to be told the lesson of their lives. Singing the songs and hearing them sung validates their pain and suffering by making sure it is remembered and not blown away on the winds. Once you start thinking along these lines it is hard not to think of Guthrie's folk songs as the most sacred of our secular music.

Whatever they did to remaster these songs is great; they are clear and clean but still retain a sense of the time in which they recorded. In addition to Guthrie's original linear notes, which are quite extensive and extremely insightful, Dave Marsh provides a more contemporary take on the man and his songs, making a compelling argument that "Dust Bowl Ballads" was when the singer "became the voice of his people and in a way that remains intelligible many years later." It is always said that Guthrie was not inclined to sing the same song the same way twice, and this album offers proof of that with an alternate version of "Talking Dust Bowl Blues." In many ways an album like this, where there is a clear thematic unity, represents Guthrie at his best better than a greatest hits collection. If you all you have head of the American folk tradition are Dylan and Springsteen, those who carry on the tradition, then it is about time you went back to the beginning and listed to the stories and songs of Woody Guthrie.

I admit it. I'm a folkhound from the get go and I love this collection. The selection of songs not to mention the strong lyrics and emotions they evoke is truly a masterpiece. Woody Guthrie was a musical purist in the truest sense of the word. He had a real gift for stirring one's conscience. His songs were widely played at unions, peace marches and other gatherings for generations. He is the Balladeer of the People; the Voice for All.

Please, please, listen to this collection. I really think you will be glad you did. This is truly high caliber work.

This reissue of the RCA LP from 1964 is truly the best of the best from Woody Guthrie. Had he not contributed a phenomenal wealth of other top-drawer folk music documenting the human condition, this collection of dust bowl originals would have been enough to establish him as the narrator of an era.

"Tom Joad" is Guthrie's retelling of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. He once noted that many who couldn't afford the book could still see the movie. And for those who couldn't afford the price of the movie, Guthrie offered the song.

Do yourself a great favor and get to know the songs included in this set. You'll gain a depth of understanding of America then and realize that we may not have come so far yet.

I am a sixth grade teacher who is doing a novel with my class that is set during the Dust Bowl. So many of the songs deal with topics in this book and I have been amazed how responsive my students are to this music. It is requested everyday during work time.