Best of the Vanguard Years (Ramblin' Jack Elliott album)
Encyclopedia
Best of the Vanguard Years is an album by American
folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott
, released in 2000.
The 1964 Vanguard release Jack Elliott
is included in its entirety. Seven tracks from Jack Elliott were also reissued on CD by Vanguard in 2007 on Vanguard Visionaries
. More than half of the album includes songs that had not been previously released.
Bob Dylan
appears playing harmonica as "Tedham Porterhouse".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
, released in 2000.
The 1964 Vanguard release Jack Elliott
Jack Elliott (Ramblin' Jack Elliott album)
Jack Elliott is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 1964. It was his only principal release on the Vanguard label.Bob Dylan appears playing harmonica as "Tedham Porterhouse"....
is included in its entirety. Seven tracks from Jack Elliott were also reissued on CD by Vanguard in 2007 on Vanguard Visionaries
Vanguard Visionaries (Ramblin' Jack Elliott album)
Vanguard Visionaries is the title of a recording by American folk music artist Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 2007.-History:Vanguard Records had a high profile during the 1960s folk revival and released music by many folk artists such as Doc Watson, Odetta, John Fahey and many others...
. More than half of the album includes songs that had not been previously released.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
appears playing harmonica as "Tedham Porterhouse".
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. wrote of the album "... even his older material never strikes the listener as out-of-date... For those who want to dig a little deeper into folk music's past, this is a fine selection; for those who aren't familiar with Rambin' Jack Elliott, this is a great place to begin one's acquaintance."Track listing
All songs Traditional unless otherwise noted.- "Roving Gambler" – 3:35
- "Will the Circle Be UnbrokenCan the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)"Can the Circle Be Unbroken " is the title of a country/folk song reworked by A. P. Carter from the hymn "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" by Ada R. Habershon and Charles H. Gabriel. The song's lyrics concern the death, funeral, and mourning of the narrator's mother.The song first gained attention due...
" – 2:37 - "Diamond Joe" – 2:58
- "Guabi Guabi" (Traditional, Jack Elliott) – 4:43
- "Sowing on the Mountain" – 2:15
- "Roll on Buddy" – 2:01
- "1913 Massacre" (Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
) – 3:52 - "House of the Rising SunThe House of the Rising Sun"The House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song from the United States. Also called "House of the Rising Sun" or occasionally "Rising Sun Blues", it tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans...
" – 3:27 - "Shade of the Old Apple Tree" – 2:42
- "Black Snake Moan" – 3:25
- "Portland Town" (Derroll AdamsDerroll AdamsDerroll Adams was an American folk musician.-Biography:Adams was born Derroll Lewis Thompson in Portland, Oregon. At 16, he served in the Army and later in the Coast Guard. He was a tall, lanky banjo player with a deep voice...
) – 1:59 - "More Pretty Girls Than One" – 2:14
- "Danville Girl" – 2:53
- "John Hardy" – 2:27
- "Dark as a DungeonDark as a Dungeon"Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions....
" (Merle TravisMerle TravisMerle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
) – 2:53 - "Hard Ain't It Hard" (Guthrie) – 2:40
- "Don't Think Twice, It's All RightDon't Think Twice, It's All Right"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962, and released on the 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.-Context:...
" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) – 3:16 - "I Got A Woman" – 2:33
- "Railroad Bill" – 3:57
- "I Never Will Marry" – 2:29
- "At My Window" – 2:09
- "Blue Eyed Elaine" – 2:18
- "Wildwood FlowerWildwood Flower"Wildwood Flower" is an American song, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. However, the song predates them. The original title was "I'll Twine 'Mid the Ringlets"...
" (CarterCarter FamilyThe Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
) – 2:25 - "Ranger's Command" (Guthrie) – 3:32
- "Willie Moore" – 2:53
Personnel
- Ramblin' Jack ElliottRamblin' Jack ElliottRamblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
– vocals, harmonica, guitar - Bill LeeBill Lee (musician)William James Edwards "Bill" Lee III is an American musician. He has played the bass for many artists including Cat Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Chad Mitchell Trio, Gordon Lightfoot, Aretha Franklin, Odetta, Simon and Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan...
– bass - Erik Darling – banjo
- John HammondJohn P. HammondJohn Paul Hammond is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr.".-Background:...
– mouth harp - Eric WeissbergEric WeissbergEric Weissberg is an American banjo player, best known for the theme from the movie Deliverance.-Biography:Eric Weissberg went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, then the Juilliard School of Music. He joined an early version of the Greenbriar Boys , but left before they made any recordings....
– bass - John Herald – guitar
- Ian TysonIan TysonIan Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
– guitar - Monte Dunn – guitar
- Tedham PorterhouseBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
– mouth harp