Simple Songs Of Freedom: The Tim Hardin Collection is a compilation album by folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 artist Tim Hardin

Tim Hardin

James Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...

, released in 1996. It includes selections from his three Columbia

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 albums and five previously un-released tracks.

Reception

In his review for Allmusic, music critic Richie Unterberger

Richie Unterberger

Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...

 wrote "Although his best work was behind him, he was still capable of recording good material... Simple Songs is the one album of post-Verve Hardin music to own."

Track listing

All songs by Tim Hardin unless otherwise noted.

1. "Simple Song of Freedom" (Bobby Darin
   Bobby Darin
   Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
   
   ) (3:51)
2. "Shiloh Town" (3:09) *
3. "Turn the Page" (2:57) *
4. "Playing Cards/The Magician" (2:42) *
5. "First Love Song" (4:23) * *
6. "Last Sweet Moments" (6:07) * *
7. "If I Knew" (3:51)
8. "Hoboin'" (John Lee Hooker
   John Lee Hooker
   John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
   
   , Joe Josea) (3:25)
9. "André Johray" (2:48)
10. "Southern Butterfly" (2:49)
11. "Bird on a Wire
    Bird on the Wire
    "Bird on the Wire" is one of Leonard Cohen's signature songs. It was recorded 26 September 1968 in Nashville and included on his 1969 album Songs from a Room. A May 1968 recording produced by David Crosby, entitled "Like a Bird", was added to the 2007 remastered CD...
    
    " (Leonard Cohen
    Leonard Cohen
    Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
    
    ) (5:26)
12. "Midnight Caller" (Pete Ham) (3:06)
13. "Yankee Lady" (Jesse Winchester
    Jesse Winchester
    Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
    
    ) (4:24)
14. "Till We Meet Again" (Sheppard) (3:10)
15. "I'll Be Home" (Randy Newman
    Randy Newman
    Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
    
    ) (5:39)
16. "If I Knew" (4:37) * *
17. "Thanks to Dedeon" (3:53)

* Previously unreleased tracks

* * Live tracks