Writing for Allmusic, critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. wrote of the album "The songs, as usual, run from sentimental to strange, from the romantic to the weird... Mark Twang may not be the first stopping place for the new Hartford fan, but for those already familiar with his unique talent, it's a must have." Music critic Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...

 wrote "These days he sings mostly about the mighty Mississip (too thick to navigate, too thin to plow) and records eccentric river music for a folk label. He's slightly the better for it, on the whole—but I wouldn't say his living sounds so secure that he should turn down a gig on the Proud Mary. A gig playing, or a gig navigating"

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Hartford; except where indicated

1. "Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew" – 3:01
2. "Long Hot Summer Days" – 4:48
3. "Let Him Go On, Mama" – 3:49
4. "Don't Leave Your Records in the Sun" – 2:26
5. "Tater Tate and Allen Mundy" – 2:42
6. "The Julia Belle Swain" – 4:48
7. "Little Cabin Home on the Hill Waugh Waugh" (Bill Monroe
   Bill Monroe
   William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
   
   , Lester Flatt
   Lester Flatt
   Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
   
   , Hartford) – 1:13
8. "Austin Minor Sympathy" – 6:42
9. "The Lowest Pair" – 0:45
10. "Tryin' to Do Something to Get Your Attention" – 4:39

Production

• Producer: Michael Melford
• Recording Engineer: Claude Hill
• Art Direction: John Hartford
• Cover Artwork: Willy Matthews
• Liner notes: John Hartford