Marah's rough-and-ready "John Brown's Body" is a welcome blast of energy to start Disc 2, which covers 1861-1945. Jake Shimabukuro wails the "Stars and Stripes Forever" on his ukelele. The Black Crowes and their father Stan (billed as the Folk Family Robinson) deliver an honest and moving reading of Woody Guthrie's "Reuben James," one of the great topical songs of the 20th century. Old Crow Medicine Show, my favorite of the new crop of Americana bands, does a nice job with Woody Guthrie's plangent lyric about illegal migrant workers, "Deportee (Plain Wreck at Los Gatos)." And Janis Ian sings the grim "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" - perhaps the saddest song ever written in the English language, at least prior to the oeuvre of Harry Chapin - a capella and with all due reverence. The song benefits from the quiet treatment. So does "Over There," chirped with effective hollowness by - speaking of the Chapin family - Jen Chapin, over Stephan Crump's mournful sawing on the bass. Instead of a rousing call to arms the song becomes a thoughtful consideration of the business of war.
The early Jazz Age is represented by Andy Bey's smooth, moody version of "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" and a jaunty "Rosie the Riveter" from Suzy Bogguss, who isn't a jazz singer but does a decent job. Classical soparano Karen Parks contributes a lovely, art-song version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and Danielson's "Happy Days Are Here Again" is refreshingly nutty. But for every well-done or interesting track, there's a colorless, tepid one. These sleepy versions of what have always been significant, meaningful songs are disappointing.
Disc 3, 1946-present, is also a frustrating mix of the fresh and the tired. It's great to have Elizabeth Cook and The Grascals' new recording of the Louvin Brothers' "Great Atomic Power," and having Devendra Banhart take a crack at the 1960s condemnation of suburbia, "Little Boxes," was an inspired idea. But the recasts of very familiar rock-era songs like "The Times They Are A Changin'," "What's Going On," I Am Woman," and "Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud" don't add anything much, though they're mostly nice enough. Kim Richey having a calmly joyous time with the 60s anthem "Get Together" is something of an exception, and the Ben Taylor Band's sleepy take on Neil Young's great protest song "Ohio" is curiously affecting. Bettye LaVette comes off well, taking Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" to soulful heights the Boss's own inexplicably Oscar-winning version didn't even approach.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.