There are countless Woody Guthrie compilations on the market, most of which draw on either his early-'40s recordings for Alan Lomax or the Moe Asch recordings from later in the decade. In Guthrie's case, it hardly makes a difference, since his approach and sound are the same in both instances, a mix of traditional folk songs with poignant originals based in turn on traditional melodies, a situation that gives Guthrie's work a remarkably consistent tone, and one that gives his original material the feel of having been around for generations. A case could be made that Guthrie was the first true postmodern American songwriter, since he consciously took folk melodies from the past and updated them with new focus and gave them fresh and often distinctly political agendas. This collection includes some of Guthrie's best re-created folk masterpieces like "Grand Coulee Dam," "Pretty Boy Floyd," "I Ain't Got No Home," the two-part "Tom Joad," "Vigilante Man," and "Philadelphia Lawyer," and combines them with Guthrie's interpretations of actual folk songs like "Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy," "Stewball," and "Stackolee," to make (as the title says) a proper introduction to this important American artist. There is a lot more to Guthrie's work than this, though, including his charming children's material, so listeners may want to go directly to the Lomax and Asch sessions, both of which are available in several different packages. ~ Steve Leggett, AMG
Original year of release 2004 Catalog Number INTROCD2059
Disc 1: This Land Is Your Land Grand Coulee Dam Dust Bowl Blues Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues Great Dust Storm, The (Dust Storm Disaster) Pretty Boy Floyd I Ain't Got No Home Tom Joad Pt. 1 Tom Joad Pt. 2 Do Re Mi Vigilante Man Dust Cain't Kill Me Dust Pneumonia Blues Keep My Skillet Good And Greasy Buffalo Skinners Mule Skinner Blues Worried Man Blues Gambling Man Stewball Take A Whiff On Me Cumberland Gap Go Tell Aunt Rhody Philadelphia Lawyer I Ride An Old Paint Ship In The Sky Stackolee When The Yanks Go Marching In