Highlights: Boil Weevil, Bed Bug Blues, Mule Skinner Blues, New York Town, Cocaine
In 2021, with the re-emergence of American folk, is easy to see Jack Elliot’s long arm of influence. The album is an establishment of American folk, with a slight foray into country and blues. It would be an easy listen on the porch during a warm, hazy afternoon. I love the short stories prior to singing the songs. I sure wish the quality were better, but what can I do. His voice ranges from powerful to shaky, but he obviously has great control over it despite its initial ragged sound.
It’s weird to hear the original version of a voice that has been mimicked for years. Mule Skinner Blues has Jack showing off his falsetto. Grey Goose is Elliot singing over a one-note guitar lick. It’s raw and unpolished and real ‘outlaw folk.’ There are no tricks to the performances, they are filled with simplicity and even wrong/misplayed notes. New York Town introduces, the man, the myth, THE Woody Guthrie to the album. Bed Bug Blues’ flat-picking sounds like classic porch blues. When he reached New York, Dylan was sometimes referred to as the ‘son’ of Jack Elliott, because Elliott had a way of introducing Dylan’s songs with the words: “Here’s a song from my son, Bob Dylan.” Elliot had a major influence on Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, etc. “Sounds more like me than I do.” Woody Guthrie Eventually, met and became a student of Woody Guthrie, who once said that Jack Elliot He proceeded to teach himself guitar and busked for money. Headed for the rodeo and met a singing rodeo cowboy clown with an acoustic guitar and banjo. A quick wiki review: he was a Brooklyn kid who fell in love with being a cowboy so much that he ran away at 15 years old. Jack Elliot – Jack Takes the Floor (1958) Jack Elliot – Jack Take the Floor Apparently, the list, also, turned into a book. I came across a list on entitled ‘1001 Albums you must hear before you die’.
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