Search - Ramblin Jack Elliot :: Country Style

Bringing It Back Home - Literally

Mark Oliva | Muenchsteinach Deutschland | 02/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While ending his six-year European exile at the beginning of the 1960s, American folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott cut four albums for the bellwether East Coast folk and jazz label of the day, Prestige International. It began with a Woody Guthrie album in 1960 and was followed by another general folk release in 1961, both studio recordings now available from Fantasy on the "Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Hard Travelin'" CD. The last two Prestige albums - on this CD - are of 1962 vintage, the first a studio session and the second a recording of a live concert at Philadelphia's Second Fret. When one thinks of Ramblin' Jack, one thinks of his five years with Woody Guthrie as the beginning of the story. However, Elliott's music roots found a firm group in much different soil, before Guthrie's name ever had crossed his ears. His real roots were in the music of Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Grand Ole Opry and, above all, Roy Acuff. In the first of his two 1962 albums, Elliott not only brought it back home, but he truly went back home, doing a magnificent collection of country songs, including an impressive cover of Hank Williams' great hit, "Lovesick Blues," and A.P. Carter's "Wabash Cannonball." Still, as great as it is, the country album is the lesser half of this CD. The real jewel is the Second Fret concert, not surprising, perhaps, for those who know what it is to experience Ramblin' Jack on the stage. The Philadelpha sessions start out with nothing less than the definitive performance of "Muleskinner Blues," written in the 1930s by the Yodeling Brakeman, the late Jimmie Rodgers. It's followed by Bob Nolan's Tin Pan Alley Top 40 hit from the late 50s, "Cool Water," but you'd never guess that source hearing RJE do it. It comes across like a fragment of the 19th Century West. One impressive song follows another, mixed with Ramblin' Jack's chatter and patter, several Guthrie songs and then the grand finale, Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line," where RJE outdoes Huddie Ledbetter's fantastic 12-string picking, even though RJE's Martin had only six strings to work with. In the 1960s, "Jack Elliott at the Second Fret" was an essential part of any serious folk music collection. The "Country Style/Live" CD, which includes it, remains every bit as essential today."

Roots of the Great Folk Scare of the 1960's

Lawrence J. Bracken | Gulf Breeze, Florida USA | 05/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think I bought the vinyl version of Live at the Second Fret in a service station bargain record bin in 1963 for $1.79! Here is the basic music and sound that is a direct line from Woody to the Weavers to P,P&M and on to Guy Clark and Townes, Robert Earl and other singers/story tellers. Worth the price for "Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail." Great folk music from an American icon, still singing!"