Dust Bowl Ballads
Encyclopedia
Dust Bowl Ballads is an album by Woody Guthrie
, recorded for Victor Records during Guthrie's time in New York City
in 1940. It was Guthrie's first commercial recording and the most successful album he made. It is sometimes considered the first concept album
.
The Dust Bowl Ballads was originally released as two three-disc collections of 78 rpm record
s. Twelve sides, including the double-sided "Tom Joad", were included in this release, but two of the thirteen songs, "Pretty Boy Floyd" and "Dust Bowl Blues" were left out due to length. All tracks were recorded at RCA Victor studios in Camden, New Jersey on April 26, 1940, except "Dust Cain't Kill Me" and "Dust Pneumonia Blues" which were recorded on May 3. In 1964, during the American folk music
revival of the 1950s and 1960s, a reissue including all tracks from the sessions was released in LP
format by Folkways Records
after RCA Warner refused Guthrie's request to re-issue the album. The complete Dust Bowl Ballads remains available on compact disc
, audio cassette
, and digital upload through the Smithsonian Institution
's Folkways Collection.
The songs on "Dust Bowl Ballads" are semi-autobiographical, chronicling Guthrie's experience as a so-called "Okie
" during the Dust Bowl
era, where Guthrie witnessed the economic hardship that many migrant worker
s faced in California. Like many of Guthrie's later recordings, these songs contain an element of social activism, and would be an important influence on later musicians, including Pete Seeger
, Bob Dylan
, Bruce Springsteen
and Joe Strummer
.
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, recorded for Victor Records during Guthrie's time in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1940. It was Guthrie's first commercial recording and the most successful album he made. It is sometimes considered the first concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
.
The Dust Bowl Ballads was originally released as two three-disc collections of 78 rpm record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s. Twelve sides, including the double-sided "Tom Joad", were included in this release, but two of the thirteen songs, "Pretty Boy Floyd" and "Dust Bowl Blues" were left out due to length. All tracks were recorded at RCA Victor studios in Camden, New Jersey on April 26, 1940, except "Dust Cain't Kill Me" and "Dust Pneumonia Blues" which were recorded on May 3. In 1964, during the American folk music
American folk music
American folk music is a musical term that encompasses numerous genres, many of which are known as traditional music or roots music. Roots music is a broad category of music including bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Cajun and Native American...
revival of the 1950s and 1960s, a reissue including all tracks from the sessions was released in LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
format by Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
after RCA Warner refused Guthrie's request to re-issue the album. The complete Dust Bowl Ballads remains available on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, audio cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, and digital upload through the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's Folkways Collection.
The songs on "Dust Bowl Ballads" are semi-autobiographical, chronicling Guthrie's experience as a so-called "Okie
Okie
Okie is a term dating from as early as 1907, originally denoting a resident or native of Oklahoma. It is derived from the name of the state, similar to Texan or Tex for someone from Texas, or Arkie or Arkansawyer for a native of Arkansas....
" during the Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
era, where Guthrie witnessed the economic hardship that many migrant worker
Migrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
s faced in California. Like many of Guthrie's later recordings, these songs contain an element of social activism, and would be an important influence on later musicians, including Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
.
Track listing
| Track | Song Title | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster) | 26622 - A |
| 2. | I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore | 26624 - A |
| 3. | Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues | 26619 - A |
| 4. | Vigilante Man | 26624 - B |
| 5. | Dust Can't Kill Me | 26620 - B |
| 6. | Pretty Boy Floyd | LPV 502 |
| 7. | Dust Pneumonia Blues | 26623 - B |
| 8. | Blowin' Down This Road | 26619 - B |
| 9. | Tom Joad - Part 1 | 26621 - A |
| 10. | Tom Joad - Part 2 | 26621 - B |
| 11. | Dust Bowl Refugee | 26623 - A |
| 12. | Do Re Mi Do Re Mi (Woody Guthrie song) "Do Re Mi" is a folksong by American songwriter Woody Guthrie. The song deals with the experiences and reception of Dust Bowl migrants when they arrive in California... |
26620 - A |
| 13. | Dust Bowl Blues | LPV 502 |
| 14. | Dusty Old Dust | 26622 - B |
| 15. | Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues (alternate take) | Buddha records CD reissue only |
Sources
- Marsh, Dave. "Dust Bowl Ballads" liner notes. Buddha Records, 2000
- Helfert, Manfred. Ballads from Deep Gap, North Carolina and Okemah, Oklahoma. 1997.