Thinking of Woody Guthrie

Thinking of Woody Guthrie
Studio album by Country Joe McDonald
Released December 1969
Recorded August 1969
Bradley's Barn Studios,
Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Country • pop rock •[1] folk •[1][2]country rock
Length 32:24
Label Vanguard
Producer Samuel Charters
Country Joe McDonald chronology
Thinking of Woody Guthrie
(1969)		 Tonight I'm Singing Just For You
(1969)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]

Thinking of Woody Guthrie was released in 1969 by Vanguard Records and is the debut solo album of Country Joe McDonald, best known for his work with Country Joe & the Fish.[1] It was a different approach by McDonald to release a folk music and country album in the style of Woody Guthrie. Prior to this solo release, he was known to make albums in a psychedelic style with his band. The album was a tribute to the work of Woody Guthrie, a country and folk musician who died two years earlier. All of the tracks on the album were either composed or performed by Guthrie. McDonald was heavily influenced by Guthrie since he was a child. McDonald could recall his interest of Guthrie came first when his parents played Guthrie's first album, Dust Bowl Ballads.[4] Even though McDonald has issued several albums in his career, he looks to this album as the piece he is most proud of.[5]

Background

McDonald had signed on to Vanguard Records as a solo performer and went to Nashville with Sam Charters to record his first solo album in a small studio known as Bradley's Barn. McDonald and his band were still together, but the relationship was faltering, and they would breakup soon after CJ Fish was released.[6] McDonald was backed by well-regarded country musicians like Grady Martin in recording sessions for the album. Songs included were Guthrie favorites like "Tom Joad" and "This Land is Your Land".[7] Although the studio musicians did not know the compositions McDonald wanted, they learned incredibly fast. Recording for the ten tracks took only a day to complete. With the spare recording time, more country standards were completed for McDonald's next album, Tonight I'm Singing Just For You. The tracks were meant to retain the spirit of Guthrie's recordings so the songs were only adjusted to compliment McDonald's own style.[8]

Release

The album's release in December 1969 brought critical acclaim for McDonald, and in 1975 McDonald was present at the Hollywood Bowl with other contemporaries to partake in a celebration of Guthrie's career, thanks in part to the album. In homage to his inspiration, McDonald performed "Woman At Home", a Guthrie track that was previously unreleased at the time.[9][10] Country Joe McDonald continues to create tributes for Guthrie, all starting from this album, and Billy Bragg is noted as saying:

Like no one of his generation, Country Joe McDonald carries on the mission of Woody Guthrie.

[11]

The original compact disc release of the album was on May 13, 1989. It was distributed by Vanguard Records.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Pastures of Plenty"   2:13
2. "Talkin' Dust Bowl"   2:22
3. "Blowing Down That Dusty Road"   2:34
4. "So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh)"   3:01
5. "Tom Joad"   7:08
6. "The Sinking of the Reuben James"   2:42
7. "Roll on, Columbia"   3:25
8. "Pretty Boy Floyd"   3:22
9. "When the Curfew Blows"   2:16
10. "This Land Is Your Land"   3:21

Personnel

Production

References

  1. 1 2 3 William Ruhlmann. "Country Joe McDonald: Thinking of Woody Guthrie". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Thinking Of Woody Guthrie Country Joe McDonald". Ace Records. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Allmusic review
  4. ↑ "Country Joe McDonald still thinking of Woody Guthrie". PopMatters. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Country Joe McDonald". ashkenaz.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Thinking of Woody Guthrie". countryjoe.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Woody Guthrie". google.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Country Joe McDonald". countryjoe.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  9. ↑ Ace Records. "Country Joe McDonald - Thinking Of Woody Guthrie - Ace Records". acerecords.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Country Joe McDonald, Country Joe’s Tribute to Woody Guthrie". countryjoe.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015. C1 control character in |title= at position 34 (help)
  11. ↑ "Brown Paper Tickets". bpt.me. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
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