I was playing Mermaid Avenue (the first one ) by Billy Bragg & Wilco over the weekend and was wondering whether it had featured here or not. Over eight years now and it turns out it hasn't. Time to right that wrong.Obviously both acts have featured here several times in their own right.
There is a sticker on the front of my copy which tells the tale of how this album came to be and it is probably easier for me to copy it verbatim rather that cobbling something up myself
Mermaid Avenue , Coney Island is where Woody Guthrie lived with his family in the late 1940's and early 50's. Here he wrote hundreds of songs which he never recorded.When he died he left only the lyrics. Billy Bragg and Wilco have written new tunes to these songs. Features California Stars plus guest vocals by Natalie Merchant.
That pretty much covers it other that to say that Billy was asked by Woody's daughter Nora to carry this out. There was a subsequent falling out between Billy and Jeff Tweddy but not before Volumes II and III and The Complete Sessions were commited to tape.
Oh and if you were wondering who Eisler was wonder no longer
Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars
An absolutely wonderful album.
ReplyDeleteI was really really into Wilco during this time. I have seen them about 10 times. They played California Stars every time. As the Swede says, wonderful.
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