Woody Guthrie - 'My Dusty Road'

Woody Guthrie was, without question, one of the greatest artists to ever lend his talents to the evolution of American folk music. He wrote thousands of songs in his lifetime and recorded hundreds of them. While many of his compositions are still being discovered, this box set from Rounder Records presents 54 songs preserved remarkably well on their steel masters. The sound quality is incredibly clear and the energy on these discs is palpable.

Woody the Agitator

Before he had carved a long and lasting path for himself as a solo singer-songwriter, Woody Guthrie sang with the Almanac Singers. The Almanacs were a group of radical folksingers who performed at union halls seeking to help labor organizers and agitators as they worked for just labor laws.

This entry in the box set is full of songs which, in some cases, tell stories about the labor movement. "The Ludlow Massacre" (purchase/download), for example, is a song about an historical event which proved pivotal in the labor movement. Other tunes, like "You Gotta Go Down and Join the Union" (purchase/download) and "Gonna Roll the Union On" (purcahse/download), seek to motivate people to get involved in the labor movement. Their repetition is aimed at getting folks to sing along together, and to help people remember the refrain.

Woody, Sonny, and Cisco

This disc opens up with "Train Breakdown" (purchase/download), which is one of the finest selections therein. Sonny Terry's rich, nuanced harmonica skills, peppered with train whistle-mimicking calls of "Woo" make it a lively, spirited opener.

It's easy to feel like you're right there in the room with these three great talents, particularly on the jam session songs. Good luck not dancing (or at least getting some vibrant toe tapping underway) for the "Square Dance Medley" (purchase/download). Guthrie and Houston's harmonies are packed with energy here and throughout this collaborative disc. Much of it feels largely improvised, in the best possible way. Often, we hear Guthrie calling out to his jam partners, asking them to keep jamming, or otherwise commenting on their selections. As such, it feels less like a planned recording and more like the listener has been allowed a spot as fly on the wall while these three jam.

Woody's Roots and Greatest Hits

These two discs talk mostly about life's mundane workaday experiences - from gambling and poverty to fleeting love, work, a good horse, and hard luck. Guthrie had a terrific ability to shine a light on the importance of the daily routine, and these songs only make that case.

Woody's Roots includes some of the finest performances of Guthrie's most memorable tunes, like "Buffalo Skinners" (purchase/download), "A Picture From Life's Other Side" (purchase/download), and "Hard Ain't It Hard" (purchase/download).

Woody's Greatest Hits is pretty much what it says it is. Maybe the best performance on this disc comes from its last tune: "Bad Repetation" (purchase/download). Its story is about not being good enough for the girl you love. The way he draws out some of the notes (particularly on the word "bad") makes it come across as both regretful and sarcastic. This was another of Guthrie's innumerable skills - delivering songs in a way that showcased life's complicated absurdities.

A Note on the Packaging

It's so rare anymore that an album's packaging and presentation warrants a mention in the review, but My Dusty Road is certainly an exception. Packed into a limited edition suitcase-shaped package, there's a facsimile of Guthrie's business card, a postcard he wrote home, and a 64-page booklet which includes rare drawings and editorial cartoons Guthrie drew. There are also the interesting and informative liner notes, which talk about the way these masters were found in a Brooklyn basement storage unit.

Given the story of these recordings, the fact they came out so impeccably clear and rich is remarkable. Long-time fans of Guthrie's life and work will be pleased with some rare and never-before-released tracks. Folks just learning about his work would be well advised to pick this up as an introduction, since it presents more than just Guthrie's songs. Here we get a glimpse at his work ethic, personality, and a larger idea of his creative perspective (through the drawings in the book and notes home). To call this collection great is an understatement. Next to the The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 recording from 2007, it could be the best find from his catalog since his passing decades ago.