Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home

John A. Walsh, Executive Editor, ESPN
Every so often the American entertainment culture mines a treasure . . . Listen and you'll hear about the world around you. Listen carefully and you'll learn something new about that world. But most of all, enjoy this rich, American treasure.

Product Description:
A personal tribute to the songs of Woody Guthrie by Oklahoma born singer-songwriter James Talley. The band members on the Woody Guthrie album are: John Griffin - Acoustic bass; Richard Hardy - Mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and vocals; John Potrykus - Dobro, second guitar, steel guitar, and vocals; Tim Stroh - Recording and remix engineer (Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe); James Talley - Acoustic guitar and lead vocals; Gregg Thomas - Drums and vocals; Thomas Blues Uhde - Harmonica.

Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home

Tracks:

Belle Starr
Dust Pneumonia Blues
East Texas Red
Do-Re-Mi
Deportee
Vigilante Man
I Ain't Got No Home
Roll On Columbia
Ladies Auxiliary
Gypsy Davy
Red Wing
Pretty Boy Floyd
Talkin Dust Bowl
More Pretty Gals Than One/Poor Boy
Dust Bowl Refugee
Pastures of Plenty
Oklahoma Hills
So Long, It's Been Good to Know You
Sinking of the Reuben James, The
This Land Is Your Land

Album Description

A personal tribute to the songs of Woody Guthrie by Oklahoma born singer-songwriter James Talley. The band members on the Woody Guthrie album are: John Griffin - Acoustic bass; Richard Hardy - Mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and vocals; John Potrykus - Dobro, second guitar, steel guitar, and vocals; Tim Stroh - Recording and remix engineer (Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe); James Talley - Acoustic guitar and lead vocals; Gregg Thomas - Drums and vocals; Thomas Blues Uhde - Harmonica.

Customer Reviews:

Sings better than Woody.......2006-08-11

Woody was the poet and genius-the genuine article. Talley understands the music and he sings better than Woody. I feel very much the same way about Cisco Houston who had a great voice and a feel for the music that made Woody's music even better. Talley is the real thing, too, and this is a very good recording. If you love the music you will love this recording.

A VOICE FOR EVERYBODY.......2000-08-24

Woody Guthrie was without a doubt the Godfather of Folk (alongside of Ledbelly, who was also a top contender for the title). This collection of songs will play every possible emotion, from the rousing "This Land is Your Land" to very sad "Pastures of Plenty" and "Deportee." (those two always did bring a lump to the throat -- they are very moving folk ballads).

Woody Guthrie is the voice for everybody, the voice for all issues whether the issue is freedom, fairness in the unions (I thought of Lech Walesa and his successful goal to secure a democratic government in Poland and in the Polish Labor Unions during the 1989-1990 period whenever I heard these rousing freedom songs)or a tragic disaster, like "Reuben James." Guthrie was and remains topical to this day. His songs can be applied to just about any given case or scenario. From the 1930s labor unions to the current union workers' rights in Poland, Woody Guthrie could be counted on to provide the right song. From racial discrimination issues past and current, there is a relevant Woody Guthrie song.

The real gift of Woody Guthrie (he died in 1967) is unity. He has unified generations with his messages and he also called for unity during his life time.

This is such an outstanding collection. It is something to listen to and treasure.

A real lump to the throat.......2000-06-09

Listening to Talley's honest, straight-up, cleanly played, expressive versions of some Guthrie classics brings a real lump to the throat. A worthy tribute to one of the greats. Guthrie's music was a direct product of his times and experiences. Talley reminds us of what we've lost in gaining our present day world where music is now a "product" rather than a cry for freedom, and also what it cost in the lives of the dust bowl refugees, the migrant fruit-picker deportees, the sailors of WW11, the builders of the Grand Coulee Dam, and those who really did have no home in this world any more. Listen to his version of "Pretty Boy Floyd", and hear him - with a perfectly chosen backing of acoustic instruments traditionally picked - carefully transform a simple story into something special.

A disappointment.......2000-02-24

If you are familiar with Woody Guthrie's performances of his own songs, listen to any of the available tracks here and compare Talley's well-intentioned work with Guthrie's -- or with performances by such singers as Pete Seeger. Sadly, Talley's performances are stunningly tuneless. I bought the CD because of a rave review in The New York Times. I now suspect that, unless the reviewer was tone-deaf, he had never heard Guthrie.

The greatness of Guthrie in a greatness of Talley.......2000-02-21

I know James Talley by great songs like "I Can't Surrender" and "Working Girl", but nothing knocked me out more than listening to his latest album of Woody Guthrie's songs. It's the most brilliant tribute album of Woody's songs ever and a very subtile, great work of Talley, the work that succeeds to be his best work and probably one of the best albums of the year. I enjoyed the whole album very much, but the three songs that left me completely stunned were "Deportee", "I Ain't Got No Home" and "Dust Bowl Refugee" which is my favorite songs of Woody Guthrie. This album is highly recommended and, sure as hell, you'll enjoy it!

Music Album:

Music Album