Mermaid Avenue

When I first listened to this my first question was - what’s the point of this odd and forgettable collaboration? Then I read the wiki and saw all the lyrics were written by woody Guthrie, and so it makes way more sense. Obviously lots of resonance w Bragg and woody Guthrie both being working-class hero types. But the choice of Wilco as the backing band seems like a missed opportunity. This sounds like them trying to imagine how folk might have evolved if woody Guthrie was alive in the 90s. But it just comes out kinda mediocre because Wilco is almost too natural a choice. They just made cool lyrics into underwhelming 90s songs. Coulda been way more interesting if they’d crossed genres. Would have liked to hear Eminem’s take on woody Guthrie at the time. Rob zombie. NSYNC. Basically anyone from the 90s but Wilco would have created something new and relevant. This is just so forgettable

Not for me

Pre Listen: The album and artist are completely unfamiliar to me. Can't discern anything from the album cover either, really. Cover looks like a lower income urban area? Rap maybe? I have no idea. No expectations. Notable Tracks: Walt Whitman's Niece - Least favorite track. My expectations fell after this, especially considering it's the first track. I thought "Shit, another dime-a-dozen country album." but thankfully, it's just this one that has a bit of a bland feel. Birds and Ships - Highlight of the album here, best vocals of the album. Her voice drew some feelings out of me, that's always an incredibly impressive feat. Hoodoo Voodoo - Favorite track, probably because it's the closest sounding thing to classic rock on here. Funky lyrics, fun riff, I like the keyboard. Foot-tapping type good music. Post Listen: Interesting concept for an album! I liked the variety of sub-genres through here, they did a great job exploring the wide variety of sounds that fall under the umbrella of "Country Music". Because they explored so many sounds, I found myself really enjoying some songs, feeling ambivalent about most, but only really disliking one or two. The genre-swapping between songs was exciting, left me wondering what was next. Blues, Folk, Honky Tonk, Classic, Rock, Bar/Pub, Lowdown, West Coast and East Coast, so much inspiration encapsulated so well. It was like taking a musical tour of a genre I'm normally lukewarm on. I also loved the swapping of vocalists, each one was talented in their own ways. Shoutout to the female vocalist who was on a few tracks, she was my favorite. Instrumental work was solid throughout. I'd like more albums like this, for other genres of music. A rock one, a jazz one, collections like these done well are fun to listen to. 4/5

Two great artists in one. Just the song California Stars make this a five star record. However, the rest of this record is an example of some of the greatest songwriters of our time. Even the NY Times readers agree that Jeff Tweedy is a living legend.

I liked some of the country songs

Better than another record of Wilco playing their own songs. I enjoyed the Bragg fronted ones. The Wilco singer trying his best Guthrie impression was somewhat comical though.

Class

Not for me.

The Good: We get to frolic with mermaids! The Bad: That we aren't frolicking in water... The Ugly: Watching the mermaids gasp for air, and slowly pass out... What? Why the sad observation above? Does it have anything to do with the way that I was feeling after listening to this album? Sad, by the by, not because the album generates feelings of sadness... more that I get sad realizing that I am following a list of 1001 albums where the writer of said list seems to be in it to make me want to quit... I refuse... to quit. I have too many days invested into this here journey... 835 to be exact... So, a decision has been made that, starting now, any album that I believe was included on this list only because Mr D did so to piss me off, will get an instant 2*... Did not like this album at all... should ge 1*

#8: Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue. This is another genre first for me. I've never listened to a country album in full before mostly because I'm not American so most of the talk of Stars & Stripes, Land of the free and all that shit doesn't apply to me. Needless to say this is another album I'm not looking forward to but I've been surprised before. After listening to about 4 songs, I'm not gonna do my typical track ranking as there's 15 tracks and the 4 I've heard are all pretty much the same. Unoffensive yet repetitive lyrics and acoustic production. I doubt if anything will catch my eye or ears but I'll let you know. Track 5: Hoodoo Voodoo. WHAT THE FUCK WHERE DID THIS COME FROM!? This is...this is an actual fucking song! Right after I was ready to say this album was all in one ear, out the other. 9/10. Track 9: Christ for President. On the contrary, this is one of the most corny and annoying songs I've heard. It reminds me of one of my least favourite songs OAT. Joe Hawley's "The Apalogue Of Hot Rod Duncan". 1/10. Track 14: Another Man's Done Gone. Another TH song comes to mind for this one. Just Apathy. I actually like that song and so I like this song too. 7/10. Overall: Yeah apart from a few tracks, this album was in one ear, out the other. I'll forget about most of it by the end of the week probably. Favourite Track: Hoodoo Voodoo Least Favourite Track: Christ for President. Overall: 3/10 (⭐⭐)

I don't warm to this music, I find it dull.

So glad this is on the list, what a nice gem folks should hear. But in my opinion the Wilco songs are just so much better than the ones by Bragg. Bragg’s contributions aren’t bad. But Hesitating Beauty, One by One, and California Stars are darn near perfect. And the few times you get to hear Natalie Merchant's voice is a joy. So five stars for those songs and three stars for the rest.

One of my favorite all time records!

For having been released in 1998, this album is really timeless. Solid listen all the way through.

Fun open window car songs!

I was not expecting to like this but I really quite enjoyed it. I love the idea of juxtaposing (what are now) historical lyrics with modern arrangements.

An important album in my life, yet at some point I had heard it enough times, even “California Stars.” I am more likely to reach for other artists who have expanded on Woody’s ideas or Woody himself.

2,5

On va être très clairs dès le départ pour éviter tout malentendu, pour ce Mermaid Avenue balancé en 1998, ce sera un très beau 4 sur 5. C'est un disque attachant, imparfait par endroits, mais habité d’une grâce tellement terre-à-terre qu’il en devient absolument indispensable pour quiconque aime encore la musique américaine. Pourtant, sur le papier, le projet ressemblait à la pire fausse bonne idée de la fin des années 1990. Nora Guthrie, qui gère le saint héritage de son illustre daron, le grand Woody, patriarche absolu de la folk prolétarienne américaine, est assise sur un héritage contenant des milliers de textes inédits rédigés par son père des décennies plus tôt, des poèmes, des pamphlets, des lettres d’amour et des délires gribouillés sans la moindre ligne de partition. Et que fait-on d'un trésor pareil ? La logique institutionnelle la plus paresseuse aurait dicté d'embaucher une ribambelle de vieux croûtons folk poussiéreux, trois gardiens du temple momifiés et deux chanteurs country propret de Nashville pour nous emballer un bel hommage funéraire, bien chiant, bien sage, estampillé musée d’histoire nationale. Sauf que Nora, elle va appeler Billy Bragg, un gauchiste anglais d'Essex avec une grande gueule syndicaliste, un accent cockney à couper au couteau et une dégaine de docker qui maltraite sa guitare électrique. Et c’est là que Billy Bragg fait preuve d’un éclair de génie absolu, car le bonhomme a l'intelligence de piger qu'à lui tout seul, avec son accent de banlieue britannique et ses trois accords énervés, il va droit dans le mur s'il s'attaque en solo au mythe fondateur de la musique américaine. Il va donc chercher les mecs de Wilco, la bande de Chicago menée par Jeff Tweedy qui à l'époque, est en train de foutre un coup de pompe magistral dans la fourmilière étriquée de l'alt-country. La troupe se retrouve en studio, d'abord du côté de Chicago puis en Irlande à Dublin, et là, loin de s’agenouiller dans un recueillement religieux devant l’ombre du grand Woody, ils décident de le traiter comme un pote de comptoir. Ils le ressuscitent non pas en prophète de bronze intouchable, mais en être humain ordinaire, plein de failles, de désirs maladroits, de déconne potache et de tendresse brute. Dès les premières minutes de l'album, on comprend immédiatement que personne ici n'a cherché à singer le passé ni à faire semblant d'être né dans les années 1930 pendant la Grande Dépression. Quand Bragg beugle avec sa gouaille inimitable, on sent l'urgence, le plaisir presque enfantin de jouer avec des mots qui n'attendaient qu'une paire d'amplis pour recommencer à vivre. Woody Guthrie n’était pas seulement le barde austère des mineurs au fond du trou et des vagabonds qui sautent dans les trains de marchandises ; le mec fantasmait sur les actrices de cinéma comme n'importe quel quidam paumé, il écrivait des comptines pour faire marrer ses gamins, il parlait de ses lendemains de cuite et de ses peines de cœur sans fardeau idéologique. Bragg incarne cette gouaille populaire avec une liberté totale, une ferveur sans filtre qui fait un bien fou. Mais soyons parfaitement honnêtes deux secondes : si ce disque monte aussi haut dans mon estime, c’est en très grande partie grâce à Wilco. Putain, quel groupe fabuleux c'était déjà à cette période précise. Quand Jeff Tweedy prend les commandes au micro, il y a une bascule magnétique qui s’opère car Tweedy a ce grain de voix traînant, mélancolique, fatigué mais immensément chaud, capable de transformer trois notes de guitare acoustique et un frisson de pedal steel en un coucher de soleil magistral sur une plaine de l'Illinois. Avec l'orfèvre Jay Bennett dans la salle des machines, Wilco injecte dans ces textes séculaires une science de l'arrangement pop qui vous colle des frissons. Ces passages-là respirent l’espace, le ciel ouvert, la poussière des routes secondaires et une nostalgie liquide qui ne tombe jamais dans le mélo sirupeux. C'est ample, c'est noble, c'est joué avec une délicatesse qui touche au sublime sans jamais donner l'impression d'en faire des caisses. Bien sûr, tout n'était pas rose bonbon en coulisses. La légende du rock raconte que Bragg et Tweedy se sont gentiment tiré la bourre pendant ces sessions, chacun campant sur ses positions esthétiques, le barde anglais voulant de la rusticité frontale pendant que les petits génies de Chicago voulaient sculpter le son avec des textures beaucoup plus riches et cinématographiques. Mais c'est précisément ce tiraillement, cette tension d'egos et de sensibilités, qui donne au disque tout son relief. Mermaid Avenue n'est ni un disque solo de Billy Bragg avec un groupe de baloche derrière lui, ni un album secret de Wilco qui s'amuse en vacances. C'est une vraie collision transatlantique, un pont suspendu entre le pub anglais trempé de bière et le porche d'une ferme du Midwest battue par les vents. Quand les harmonies vocales s'entremêlent et que les guitares s'accordent, cette friction produit des étincelles d'une beauté pure. Alors, qu'est-ce qui coince pour que je ne lui balance pas le 5 sur 5 parfait, le statut de chef-d'œuvre absolu et intouchable ? Eh bien, c'est précisément le revers de sa médaille collaborative. L'album fonctionne par alternance de signatures, passant de l'énergie brute et un brin bordélique de Bragg aux enluminures mélodieuses de Wilco. De fait, il souffre par moments de son statut d'atelier ouvert ou de compilation thématique. Il n'a pas la cohérence monobloc, l'architecture implacable d'un disque pensé d'un seul jet par un seul esprit obsédé par sa propre vision. Certaines transitions sont un poil abruptes, deux ou trois moments respirent un peu trop la récréation studio décontractée, et l'écoute globale ressemble davantage à une magnifique veillée entre potes où l'on se passe la guitare de main en main qu'à une symphonie parfaitement verrouillée de bout en bout. Mais franchement, qu'est-ce qu'on en a à carrer de ces petites aspérités ? Dans un monde musical aseptisé où le moindre projet d’archives ressemble à un placement de produit supervisé par des directeurs marketing en costard, ce disque reste une anomalie magnifique, un grand bol d'air frais, vibrant d'humanité et de générosité. C'est un album qui a du coffre, de la gueule et du cœur. Il prouve que la poésie n'appartient pas aux universitaires en cravate, mais à ceux qui savent brancher un jack, fermer les yeux et chanter comme si leur vie en dépendait. Voilà pourquoi je lui colle ce gros 4 sur 5 sans la moindre hésitation : parce que c'est un disque qu'on écoute, qu'on chérit, qu'on ressort régulièrement pour se réchauffer l'âme, et qui continue de faire un bien monumental.

Nice

oscillates between unremarkable and unpleasant as well as between folk and country. it's not quite matched up between the pairs, but pretty close. some of the lyrics are solid though

The second album from Billy that I've had in this challenge and I have much the same feelings as the first. Top bloke but from a musical perspective, nothing here really hits me as above average.

This is a lovely collaborative effort. Woody Guthrie's lyrics, Billy Bragg, Wilco, and Natalie Merchant made for an enjoyable experience.

The best looking camel in the history of music. Sure the Billy Braggs stuff is a bit better than Wilcos stuff and there is wild inconsistency, but it is a damn fine record that is worthy if Woodie and is a regular part of my rotation before this listen and will continue to be.

Maybe more of a 3.5. Overall I liked a good amount of songs on this album

mmmm i don’t know

Interesting reading how this album was conceived. Can't say I've listened to much Woody Guthrie in my life, but this is essentially a collection of presviously undiscovered Guthrie lyrics (not fully recorded songs), performed by Billy Bragg and Wilco. It's slow and low-energy with the occasional hootenanny-like jaunt. Couldn't find much redeeming about this, as it was just ho-hum to me. Wilco is at least somewhat of an interesting artist, but they've got better works than this.

I liked this one better than Taxman. Maybe the inclusion of Wilco through the album. Will be back to listen to this one again.

If you have to listen to one Billy Bragg album, make it this one, where you have the massive benefit of other artists being heavily involved in the music and lyrics.

Brilliant idea, great execution, one of my favorite albums.

An interesting album. Some really good unreleased Woody Guthrie songs covered well by Bragg n Wilco.

3.5

2.5

This is a good sounding folk album. For a bit I thought it was from the mid 2000’s. Surprised this was from 1998. Now while listening I was stuck between a high 3 or even a 3.5. Was landing on 3.5 but once I read into the album and realized these are lyrics by the folk legend WOODY GUTHRIE. Put to music mainly written by Billy Bragg. That made me have to knock it up another notch. Plus the second half of the album gets better than first half. Definitely think Last 5 tracks there isn’t a Miss. Really Cool concept Light 4/5

Not half bad!

Not as good as the last Billy Bragg album ingot served up. But interesting enough and Billy is a legend.

3/5

When this ended, I shrugged and said "that was alright" So I guess that's my review

one of my all-time favs. "california stars" is sublime but i'd be remiss in saying every f-ing song on here is pretty much a jam. even a song that really shouldn't work, like "ingrid bergman," is handled masterfully by bragg and wilco, the latter group still being youngish upstarts when MA1 came out.

Love the first song the rest are kinda mid, and it bums me out cause i had really fond memories of this record

Usikker på om musikken eller sangen er verst her, men begge deler er i alle fall veldig svakt. Hoodoo Voodoo var direkte vond å høre på.

Musically there's nothing new here, but of course the importance attached to this album is putting these lyrics from Woody Guthrie to music for the first time. Wilco and Bragg mix quite nicely too - who would have thought it? - creating a well balanced and consistently engaging album. I found "Mermaid Avenue" very enjoyable. 1 "Walt Whitman's Niece" (4/5) 2 "California Stars" (4/5) 3 "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" (4/5) 4 "Birds and Ships" (4/5) 5 "Hoodoo Voodoo" (4/5) 6 "She Came Along to Me" (3/5) 7 "At My Window Sad and Lonely" (5/5) 8 "Ingrid Bergman" (4/5) 9 "Christ for President" (4/5) 10 "I Guess I Planted" (3/5) 11 "One by One" (3/5) 12 "Eisler on the Go" (3/5) 13 "Hesitating Beauty" (3/5) 14 "Another Man's Done Gone" (3/5) 15 "The Unwelcome Guest" (4/5) Total - 55 Average - 3.7 437/1001 232/437 albums reviewed were new to me.

This is the album where I learned the name Billy Bragg. It’s better than his solo stuff, and one track is very Beatles-esque- that’s all due to Wilco.

Normally I quite like Billy Bragg despite his opten political lyrics. I like his energy and his delivery. This however is something different and after finding out the lyrics are primarily Woody Guthrie poems I can see why. It's not a bad album just different and not what most BB fans would expect.

Probably wont listen to this again.

I am not qualified to review folk music. I am often surprised by those who would venture to do do although they are not fans nor do they possess the knowledge necessary to fairly evaluate this type of music. In short, all critics are largely just making shit up in order to justify their paychecks. I do know punk rock and I would fairly say I could objectively review a punk rock album and do so comfortably in the knowledge of 50 years of experience participating in the scene as at various times a promoter, an attorney, a record store owner and avid fan. Woody Gutherie lyrics and Billy Bragg and Wilco playing folk music? Not so much. Sure I have enjoyed albums from both Billy and early Wilco but this is not my my bag. It is kid if background music and very folkie. Does it belong on this list? I have no fucking idea. It’s kind of mid for me as the kids say, so: 3/5

This wasn’t great. Musically I guess it had its place, but nothing here appealed to me or sparked anything. I abhor Billy Bragg, but still gave it a chance. Not essential in any way.

okay

First listen good! Hits!

Not bad, pretty country. A song or two was decent.

Better than Coldplay

Very good. I feel like I should enjoy it more though.

First Listen Favorites: Walt Whitman's Niece One By One Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key Honorable Mentions: I Guess I Planted The Unwelcome Guest

Interesting concept for an album. Vocals and instruments sounded good. Certainly Woody Guthrie vibe to it but with a more modern twist.

There is just nothing that makes me say wow

Totally mid and uninteresting. Nothing happens and they don’t even sound good either.

This was a pleasant surprise on a dreary day. Nice, mellow vibe & Natalie Merchant on couple tracks nice surprise. Probably won’t seek out to listen to again

Solide mais vraiment dans les 1000 ??

Guthrie lyrics, Wilco music, Billy Bragg vocals - well, you can hardly go wrong with that. This is brilliant.

This is pretty good and much better than Billy Bragg’s usual material. And then you discover of course it is because it’s an album of Woodie Guthrie covers. I think he should get the credit.

This al album never gets old

Perfect soundtrack for bringing in fall

Something I could listen to on loop all day (and did!). I forgot this entire album was Woody Guthrie lyrics that Billy Bragg and Wilco put music against. I think that's why, to me at least, this album feels so timeless, but also not dated (like it's always been there, but could be playing on some college radio station today). I've always loved certain songs from this album, but listening to the whole thing a few times yesterday gave it a different, better feel. I'm here for it and will be paying Mermaid Avenue a revisit soon.

cool project, cool songs, cool dudes.

Jag gillar detta, mer än vad jag trodde att jag skulle göra. Lättlyssnat och kul att lyssna på. California Stars och Christ for president gillade jag lite extra.

Cool stuff. I don't know that I like it more than Wilco's "solo" material, but some of the tracks here have star power, particularly those that feature solo Tweedy vocals or guest vocalists doing harmonies. Walt Whitman's Niece gives us a lovely simple country-rock piece, backed with some classic harmonica, simple chord progression, and an almost shanty-esque group vocal near the end. Very friendly on the ears and a great way to start a record. Arguably, California Stars is even better, sporting a more universal/genreless sound and a substantially more interesting melody for singing along to. Nice soft guitar+piano outro. The song kind of emanates "anthem power" (despite the production being pretty simple) in a way most other Wilco songs don't. Way over Yonder in the Minor Key... goofy song name, mildly goofy and dated musicianship, but very charming nonetheless. Especially the two-part male/female harmony. Natalie Merchant's contribution in Birds and Ships is breathtaking, both before and after the harmonising section. It's so simple and yet the ballad is sequenced so darn perfectly after its higher-energy predecessors. It then gets promptly and sharply contrasted with the goofy, rambunctious, bluesy Hoodoo Voodoo. I think I prefer Muse's Hoodoo, but the bizarrely hoarse vocal and insistent, bouncy bassline has its own charm. Plus the thought-provoking lyrics ("Hoodoo voodoo / Chooka chooky choochoo / True blue, how true / Kissle me now"). Bit of a weak vocal performance in She Came Along to Me, but I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't add it to my Liked Songs playlist. Even if the bass is the only element worth noting. The slide guitar exists too, I guess, but it's so omnipresent in country music that it may as well be a moot point. At My Window Sad and Lonely exceeds the quality of the previous track in just about every way. Solid vocals (lead and backing), standardly good acoustic guitar and drumming, and a nice singable melody and overall structure. I don't know much about Ingrid Bergman but the song is simple, balladesque, and effective. Christ for President? I can get behind that. The song is pretty good, too. I Guess I Planted finishes Act 2 (of 3) with a standard swung beat and another shantyish group vocal. Good but not remarkable. Act 3 begins with One By One which is actually surprisingly great. The slow, dreamy swing starts off pretty unassuming, but Tweedy(?)'s vocal makes a world of difference, and all the instruments build up and layer excellently, especially in the latter half. Eisler on the Go is fairly unremarkable and I feel no shame in not wanting to approach it again. In contrast, Hesitating Beauty gives us another taste of solid country. And while the genre is definitely tired by this point in the album, in isolation, the song is near faultless. Even the slide guitar's volume is low enough to mostly ignore. Now, piano ballads almost never miss, and Another Man's Done Gone is no exception. I imagine the song contains deep lyricism, much like many of the others on the record, but I'm not a lyrical listener. We end with The Unwelcome Guest, another strong but ultimately inconsequential song. My mother was in the room while this was playing and she described it as "Irish depression" music. I can't say I disagree. 3/5 Key tracks: California Stars, Birds and Ships, One By One

I mostly know Billy Bragg from Democracy Now playing songs of his between their news sections. Not really a fan of Wilco and this kind of newish Alt Country/Folks scene but this was good.

Woody Guthrie was a talented lyricist. Billy and Wilco just show that you need the music to back those up. 2/5.

Surprisingly enjoyed for a country album. Well arranged and nice mix of tunes, felt pretty fresh tbh

I like the groove on some of Mermaid Avenue's songs (like "Hoodoo Voodoo"), but I wouldn't go so far as to say I love the album as a whole.

I like Billy bragg, but don't really care for wilco

A good album, makes the most of Billy Braggs voice, then best tracks are the more muted Americana style treatments on my opinion. 3.7

3.8/5. Such a cool idea. They got some great songs out of it.

I really liked this. Some of Jeff Tweedy's tracks really stood out.

This is one of those where you revisit and from the first second you're like "oh, right, I still have this entire thing memorized even though I haven't thought about it in twenty years." There was a time when NPR could absolutely break a band globally, not sure if that still happens, but it definitely happened here, this was inescapable for years, and it contributed as much to the rise of Wilco as any of their studio albums. It's an undeniably great project, and deserves any and all accolades, but for me it slots into that category of music I abused back in the CD era to where it's completely inaudible under layer after layer of memory.

Just not a Billy Bragg fan!

This is a disappointing album for me, both a lackluster Billy Bragg and Wilco album, as well as a dispointing cover album of Woody Guthrie. The songs try too hard to be soft rock and country, taking away the anger and consciousness of Bragg and the hooks and soul of Wilco. There are a couple good songs: Ingrid Bergman almost hits a certain soulful chord, and California Star is a great catchy song. But there is a reason that these were unreleased Woody Guthrie songs, and its becuase they aren't his best. Overall, I may listen to a couple of the songs again, but the album as a whole I'll probably not touch again.

Probably the worst Wilco album but still not bad

A lot of politically charged folk music takes itself too seriously. But this is just fun.

I liked the idea of this album a lot more than it's execution. I get they were trying to be respective of Woody Gunthrie... but idk it just didn't land for me.

On the first song. Seems like a theme tune for a tv show about a quirky couple buying and running an old English pub. There would be probably be grumpy townspeople not used to outsiders, but would eventually become less frosty and warm up to the two. Obviously, the show would include financial problems, but the couple would sort it out, maybe even with the help of the town that has now fully welcomed them. The couple would settle into the town and feel completely at home, becoming an interesting patch in the town's history. The show would be cancelled after one season. On the second song, this one feels almost the same. But not notable enough to be a theme song. Maybe a song that would play over a shot of a road trip car driving through that one road in America that's just a straight line surrounded by desert. Maybe that describes a lot of the roads. Still, a dusky sunset would blanket the top of the shot as the music shifts from playing inside the car to playing through the speakers. Quite a forgettable song. I'e already forgotten it, and I'm listening to it. I'm just describing the scene. Next song. This one is just kind of boring. The kind of music my grandad would play after shouting at the Alexa to "JUST PLAY MUSIC". I'm pretty sure there are many people that can sing like you, Billy Bragg. Or Wilko, whichever one you are. I can't believe Wilko closed down, I used to buy nail glue from there. And water sprays for plants that I would just spray my brother with. I've never been able to keep plants, I've killed two succulents and one cactus. I think they are the problem. NEXT. I like her voice, but it sounds like a song that would play over shots of fields in an indie-hippie movie. It is also pretty boring. The guitar is pretty, but many guitars are pretty. I used to want to be able to play guitar, but I always thought they look a bit funny. The neck is too long, if you ask me. WOO NEXT ONE. This feels much more upbeat. Like jukebox music in an idealistic reimagining of a 1950s diner. I watched a video essay today about how the 1950s were actually not a nice time in history, and I find it so weird that they are pined after so much. Life literally has never ben better than now, stop trying to rewind the clock. Plus, everyone that says things like that have to be at least a little bit, if not a lot, racist. This song is pretty good. Next track. I should probably name the songs. But I'm not going to. Who is reading this anyway? It's just like a diary. I can say what I want. I don't like pandas. WOW, that felt good to get off my chest. This song is fine. Nt that good though. I watched Lady Bird today, I absolutely adored it. So good. I'm bored of the updates. I'll do a conclusion at the end, hopefully this gets a bit more interesting. Side note, I love the name Mermaid Avenue, that is so fun. Overall, I didn't hate it, it was actually pleasant at times. But the chuntering pace and often boring lyricism just isn't for me. I don't like it particularly. But I didn't hate it. So 3/5 seems fair.

I've been aware of this album for years, but never really took the time to listen. Musically it's entertaining if not amazing. I do find Billy Braggs ability to shift to this style quite surprising. It's quite different than his own output. Qobuz took me to "The Complete" sessions album so I listed to this and a fair bit of the next. I think it's an album that stands almost as much by how it came about as what it is. None the worse for that, but not groundbreaking. Probably 3/5.

lyrics good. music idk. probably nice but i got so sick of this sound in the last decades. i've had a photo of woody guthrie taken in mc sorley's on my lock screen for a while lately, he's been on my mind. sitting at a table in the back, next to the furnace, holding up his guitar, mid song. i don't imagine it sounded like wilco. all the men in the ale house wearing their hats. i watched a doc about him and steinbeck on pbs over the summer, their paths crossing, splitting ways in hollywood etc. i've never read the grapes of wrath but i got it at the library and haven't cracked it yet. i think about the history of this country a lot, both the depression and the turn of the 20th century, how art fits into it all. wondering how people felt those other times and how we feel now. anyway i couldn't really connect to this album

I favorited California Stars - that was a great song. I was pleasantly surprised when Natalie Merchant appeared a few songs later. But that was really it - not much else to see here. Middle of the road, a little more country than I would otherwise enjoy, and largely inoffensive. Pretty middle of the road. Perhaps deserves a lower score as this list should be only top offerings but here we are. 3/5

My least hated country album I've listened to from this list so far

Correcto

The Allman Bros. at their best. It's all great but I'm here for that extended version of Whipping Post!

Ok, Billy Bragg gets a Spotify follow. Well done choice cut: California stars

Really enjoyed

A nice variety of folk styles, a little hit or miss but as a whole it was pleasant

I love Wilco but I don’t like this Billy bragging around

I prefer Billy Bragg without Wilco. Interesting stuff. Not great.

Dad music.

I mean . . . I listened to all three albums of this so it must be good but it's necessarily uneven. "California Stars" is incredible.

6/10 - pleasant country

I love Woddy Guthrie. Interesting project to record some of his unreleased songs. This is pretty good but not quite good enough for a 4. Needed more of those female vocals - I liked that track.

I liked this quite a bit.

piaciuto davvero tanto

Hahaha he said seamen friends! See this review is just as dumb as all of these fucking lyrics. Wilco is fine though.

California Stats is great, everything else is a miss for me.