This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1

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ALBUM INFORMATION
EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 27   Total Length: 72:25

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Michaelangelo Matos

eMusic Contributor

Michaelangelo Matos is a former eMusic editor and one of its chief contributors, a staff critic for Resident Advisor, and he writes for Spin, Rolling Stone, Vil...more »

04.22.11
A classic reaffirmed.
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Chances are that if you attended an American school, you sang "This Land Is Your Land" as a kid. But hearing it in Guthrie's Registry-approved original version, recorded for Moe Asch's Folkways label in 1944, gives it a plainspoken weight that reaffirms its primacy.

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The tops in Folk Music

johnhamburger

Woodie Guthrie brings back the memories of my youth.

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AWESOME!

SallyLynn

Until I listened to this album, I didn't realize that, despite being a long-time folkie, I had never heard Woody himself singing his songs! Pete Seeger, Arlo, Dylan, Springsteen, yes, but not Woody himself. And he sounds better than anyone else! Do yourself a favor & download this album. It is so full of positive sounds and vibes! Just what we need to lift our spirits and strengthen our resolve at this point in our history.

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Excellent historic recordings

Plong42

A great deal at 12 credits, this is an archive of American folk music.

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a must have !

cliffhasbrook

if you like folk music, you need this album ! woody guthrie is the king of folk and was influenced so many that came after him. A great album !

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Essential!

Tucsondeadhead

This is the first in a four-volume set of recordings made for Moses Asch at Folkways Studios over the years. Two of the CDs consist solely of songs written by Guthrie, one is "western" songs (by him and others), and the other is covers of songs made famous by others. Without a doubt, this is the most essential of the four. The quality of the sound is excellent and all of Woody's "hits" (aka best-loved songs) are here, including several takes on "This Land is Your Land." For anyone unfamiliar with the music of Woody, which is available in varying levels of quality by numerous record companies, these releases were overseen by the Smithsonian Institution, which bought the Folkways catalog. As a result, the quality is top-notch. High recommended!

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Fantastic "roots" music

Sank63

Great coverage of some of Woodys best stuff. This is true "roots" music. Put into its historical context, these songs are incredible songs of protest and commentary on the conditions of the time.

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They Say All Media Guide

You’d think the last word in Woody Guthrie reissues would have appeared before this. After all, the legendary folksinger recorded most of his best work nearly 60 years before this was released, and the bulk of it has been regularly reissued in fine collections on Folkways, Rounder, and other labels. So this CD is as surprising as it is welcome. What makes it probably the single best Guthrie disc you can own? For one thing, the compilers had total access to the archives of Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, for whom the singer made the lion’s share of his most important recordings. And they picked for this package 27 songs that showcase the incredible range of his writing and performing talent — everything from children’s ditties (“Car Song”) to social commentary (“Do-Re-Mi”) to historical tales (“End of the Line”). Then there’s the title track — Guthrie’s most famous tune — which was only sporadically available until this CD. It’s here in two versions, including one that features the famous yet previously unreleased “private property” verses.
The sound quality is as notable as the program. The compilers went back to the master recordings and did a magnificent job of cleaning things up without altering what Guthrie waxed. The result sounds pure and intimate — as if the singer were right there in the room with you. Finally, there’s a superb 36-page book with all sorts of fascinating detail on Asch, Guthrie, and every track. The best news: This is only the first volume in a four-CD series. – Jeff Burger

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