The Man From God Knows Where

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The Man From God Knows Where album cover
Album Information

Total Tracks: 26   Total Length: 74:27

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Magnificent Tom Russell

ParadiseMissouri

Recorded in Norway, the tracks on this CD have a noticeable clarity. The CD is best listened to as a whole; this brings out the story of America. It is epic.

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Another fine recording

pwillhoft

I heard Tom Russell for the first time over a decade ago. It was shortly after he released "Cowboy Real". Since then he has consistently remained one of my favorite artists. One of the most impressive qualities of Russell's music is his ability to balance between tradition and contemporary ideas. I can hear his music side by side with Hank Williams or Tom Waits. He manages to bond with a variety of styles and sounds while remaining authentic to traditional American folk themes. On "The Man From God Knows Where", Russell extends his mastery of story telling to encompass the entire song list. This is an epic tale of immigration, hardship, sacrifice and redemption. It is the story of the American west in all its mystery and brutality. "I'm an Orphan Child, Leaves of Grass sewn through my hair. Yeah, me and old Walt Whitman, We're the men from god knows where."

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Not Russell's best, but still pretty damn good

warmglass

Russell is one of the finest songwriters alive. This is a folk opera (if there is such a thing) that tells the story of his family's immigration from Norway to the Midwest. A bit repetitive in places (the title song refrain gets tiresome after a while), but the song cycle does grow on you after several listens. Along the way it touches base with Buffalo Bill, Walt Whitman (his voice is heard on track 9), and other historical figures, but it's mostly about the hard life that immigrants faced. Lots of guest vocalists, heavy Irish influence as well. Best tracks: Delores Keane's "When Irish Girls Grow Up" (definitive version of the Irish classic), Iris Dement's "Acres of Corn", Russell's "Rider on an Orphan Train" and "Throwing Horseshoes at the Moon." The closing "Love Abides" is a good song, too. Song to avoid: "The Outcast" -- Dave van Ronk's voice is a taste I haven't yet acquired.

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They Say All Music Guide

Tom Russell had been releasing great records for about 25 years by the time he issued this album, but he outdoes himself here. Eight years in the making, The Man from God Knows Where is a song cycle inspired by America’s pioneers and, particularly, Russell’s own immigrant ancestors; but it probably comes at least as much from the artist’s imagination as from historical fact. Be that as it may, he does a terrific job of conjuring up the hard realities faced by America’s early immigrants. The performances, meanwhile, are even more adventurous than you’ve come to expect from Russell. Featuring guest spots by Iris DeMent, Dave Van Ronk and others, the album mixes music of the American West with that of Ireland and Norway and, somehow, it all holds together. A fine, fine collection. – Jeff Burger

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