I began listening to Woody Guthrie in August 2023 and wrapped up the albums below in October of that year. I recommend listening to the albums in the order that they are listed.
Dust Bowl Ballads (1940): A
This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1 (1997): A-
Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recording, Vol. 2 (1997): A
Hard Travelin': The Asch Recordings, Vol. 3 (1998): B+
Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4 (1999): B+
Dust Bowl Ballads (1940):
Dylan was exactly right when he later noted that Guthrie’s songs "had an infinite sweep of humanity." His voice, his approach to his subjects, the simplicity in his lyrics: it's all meant for the common people and yet none of it is pandering or sugar-coating. He's plain as plain can be but yet he's still so brilliant. He's authenticity at its peak and songs just ooze out of his dusty lungs. In addition to his own anecdotes about the Dust Bowl, he dedicates two songs to summarizing The Grapes of Wrath because Guthrie was one of the first to realize just how invaluable recorded music could be to unite people in a populist movement. A
This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1 (1997):
Guthrie was a legend for his prolific songwriting and recording. The Asch Recordings consists of four volumes, each a double album of material, that only covers a five year period from 1944 to 1949. Because it focuses on Guthrie's original material, the first installment is often considered the best and the most essential but I'm not inclined to agree. As Robert Christgau pointed out in his own review, listening to it in one go is occasionally difficult even if it's hard to argue against the inclusion of any of the songs. A-
Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recording, Vol. 2 (1997):
Most people these days put undue weight on the importance of original songwriting. In the folk world Guthrie was a part of, however, there was no undercutting the power of covering traditional music. Even for his original lyrics, Guthrie would often look for melodies that had already proven themselves as favorites among the American people. With this in mind, I approached this second volume--a compilation of covers--without the slightest belief that it would be inferior. And when I found many fantastic traditionals I've never heard, interesting variations on folk standards I've long known, and discovered that Guthrie's vocals could be warmed with great effect by the addition of accompanying singers Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry, and Pete Seeger, I had no qualms about enjoying it more than number one. A
Hard Travelin': The Asch Recordings, Vol. 3 (1998):
Although the first volume had problems with monotonicity, it ultimately gathered Guthrie's most essential original songwriting. Because this one collects topical songs (a more specific type of original songwriting), it is sometimes working with secondary material that was left off the first volume. Although much of the album is focused towards good causes like unions and strikes and is an important historical document, it no doubt lacks relevancy for today. Not only that, but accompaniment shows up infrequently. It captures a few recordings which are worthwhile--"Hard Travelin'," "Farm-Labor Train," "I Ain't Got No Home in this World Anymore," "Better World A-Comin'," "So Long It's Been Good to Know You," "Oregon Trail," "Vigilante Man," "Talking Columbia," and "Sally Don't You Grieve"--but it would have been best as a single LP. As it is, the bulk is difficult to plow through. B+
Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4 (1999):
The final installment of the Asch Recordings focuses on cowboy/western music. Although it is not the strongest of the four, there's enough first rate material for the album to stay interested throughout the lengthy track-list while the accompaniment--most often from Cisco Houston but Lead Belly also join in for an excellent number--keeps the album interesting and diverse. Highlights include "Ranger's Command," "Billy the Kid," "Cowboy Waltz," "Froggie Went A-Courtin'," "Buffalo Gals," "I Ride an Old Paint," "Poor Lazurus," "Chisholm Trail," "Railroad Blues," "Red River Valley," "Stewball," and "Blowing Down This Old Dusty Road." B+
