Tag Archives: Americana music

Four books about Bob Dylan, reviewed in free verse

Carl Benson’s The Bob Dylan Companion: Four Decades Of Commentary Clinton Heylin’s Bob Dylan: A Life In Stolen Moments, Day By Day 1941-1995 Paul Williams’s Bob Dylan: Performing Artist, The Early Years 1960-1973 Paul Williams’s Bob Dylan: Performing Artist, The … Continue reading

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Bob Dylan’s New Morning, and Dylan & the Dead; and Bob Dylan & The Band’s Before the Flood and The Basement Tapes

I’m a big fan of the remastered series of Bob Dylan’s catalogue that Columbia’s been piecing out to us over the years. I don’t think they sound as good as pristine copies of the original vinyl, but for digital versions, … Continue reading

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Bob Dylan’s Together Through Life

There’s a funny thing that happens whenever Dylan releases an album that the critics like (I think it averages out at one every three releases). When they fall all over themselves praising an album, as they did 2006’s Modern Times, … Continue reading

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James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown

A lot has been said and written about A Complete Unknown, pretty much all of it of it good. There are so many ways for a movie like this to go wrong, and director James Mangold seems to have avoided … Continue reading

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Ry Cooder 1972-1995: An omnibus review

Ry Cooder (Reprise, 1970) Into The Purple Valley (Reprise, 1972) Boomer’s Story (Reprise, 1972) Paradise & Lunch (Reprise, 1974) Chicken Skin Music (Reprise, 1976) Showtime (Warner Bros., 1977) Jazz (Warner Bros., 1978) Bop Til You Drop (Warner Bros., 1979) Borderline … Continue reading

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John Stewart’s Havana

John Stewart was an early member of the Kingston Trio, replacing Dave Guard in 1961. He wrote one of the Monkees’ greatest hits (“Daydream Believer”). He inspired Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac to play guitar. Buckingham paid him back for … Continue reading

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Scroggins & Rose’s Speranza

I never tire of hearing new versions of the song “Wayfaring Stranger.” A quick spin through my music library finds at least 10 versions by the likes of Eliza Carthy, Emmylou Harris, Neko Case, Jack White, Maria McKee, 16 Horsepower, … Continue reading

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Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade

The last time I caught up with composer and violinist extraordinaire Jenny Scheinman she’d just released her 2017 album Here On Earth. Whereas that stellar release was best described as jazz flavored Americana, Scheinman’s latest All Species Parade is the … Continue reading

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Odetta’s Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

Odetta is one of the key figures in the American and worldwide folk music revival of the 1950s, and along with Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott one of the few still around and performing today. This glorious re-release of … Continue reading

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John Prine’s Fair & Square

“That’s golden!” John Prine exclaims, after the last strains of a guitar chord fade away on the last (bonus) track on his latest album, Fair & Square. Those two words sum up the whole album. Prine is an absolute treasure … Continue reading

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