Jack Takes the Floor

It is almost impossible to talk about Ramblin' Jack Elliott without mentioning Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan or Pete Seeger. It's true that they were contemporaries of Elliott's, but this album shows that they maybe weren't equals in the creative sense. Guthrie and Seeger are often cited by a wide range of musicians as stylistic influences, while Dylan transcended his genre to become one of the greatest songwriters of the twentieth century. Elliott is different in the sense that he doesn't seem burdened by ambition, nor particularly interested in crafting original compositions, making him quite a throwback, albeit a pleasant one. His introductory musings prefacing certain songs are inoffensive and accessible. However, the songs themselves, although delivered in a slightly tongue-in-cheek manner, just don't have the depth to appeal. Without the drive to create original compositions, the interpretational troubadour has to lend some of himself to the song, which is exactly where this record falls short. Johnny Cash and Elmore James were masters of it, their souls sang other people's lyrics. Elliott merely uses his mouth, admittedly with the authentic scrap of tweed in the corner of it. His adherence to the singing cowboy gimmick is admirable, but he's going through the motions. This is nowhere near a Rory Gallagher roaring out Pistol Slapper Blues, more of a competent and highly likeable folk fan performing Sunday evening open mic. It's nice background music for folk enthusiasts, but falls flat as a record due to shallow material and poor continuity. Not bad, but far from a meaningful endeavour.

I see now why he is called RAMBLIN' Jack Elliott. He also drawls, howls, yodels, and warbles. Definitely not my thing. It was bearable for 30 minutes, but just barely. I would argue that I could have gone without hearing this one before I die.

Oh, I like this. I like the style of music, the quality of his voice, and his ramblings. His folksy country-boy persona comes across as kind, gentle, and authentic. This despite his being raised in Brooklyn, his first exposure to rodeo being in Madison Square Garden of all places (according to Wikipedia). He sounds to my Wyoming-raised ears just like a genuine cowboy. I enjoyed this a lot.

He does ramble, I'll give him that. I really don't understand why this is worth listening to though.

Have just embarked on the Ken Burns country music documentary in an attempt to resolve my deep seated hatred for the fiddle and banjo. Will report back in 16 hours.

Feels like an intimate concert around a campfire with an old friend. Somehow it feels like he's performing just for you.

Ok, hear me out… Jandek Takes the Floor. A full cover of this record as performed by Jandek. I’m not crazy, right? There’s something there? Like it could definitely work.

Jack Elliot sounds like Woodie Guthrie. Bob Dylan sounds like Jack Elliot. He did the whole "pretend to be a country bumpkin though really from a privileged upbringing" before John Fogerty did it. Can definitely see why this album is in the book even though I'm not a huge folk fan. If you like folk, this is a classic. If you don't, it will be grouped w/ Dylan and you'll rate it the same.

If this is the music playing around the campfire, I best be hurrying on back to my tent!

While the songs themselves weren't blatantly BAD, they also weren't awesome. I get that Ol' Jack was in the mix with influential people but I just can't get past the fake, put-on southerness. You're from New York, sir. Don't tell me you've ever actually seen a boll weevil, you poser.

Well, it does ramble.

A fascinating little slice of history. Weird to think that this album was released closer to when Marco Polo discovered America than today.

Folk music- never new but it never gets old. Some weird arrangements (I feel like Dink's Song was mislabeled)

Ramblin Jack's the shit. In the opening to the first song it’s obvious why he was nicknamed  “Rambling” . This is a man and his guitar providing an onslaught of wonderful music and storytelling.  Jack sure does know how to pick. If an album recorded more recently had a singer  who was picking so well, we could be 99% certain  the guitar and singing were recorded separately. With Ramblin Jack I doubt that's the case.   When I listen to the intro to Salty Dog I can't help but think how stylistically similar those opening licks are to those in Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. I guess Jack and Woody hung out a lot and Arlo picked up the style by osmosis. 

Jack Takes the Floor This is definitely an interesting document of a moment in time and of an interesting character in the story of Bob Dylan. Obviously Elliot has value as a performer in his own right, and is more than just a stepping stone in Dylan’s career, but looking at this from 2024 you can see Elliott was the template for early Dylan - Dylan loved Woody Guthrie but based himself on Eliott who based himself on Woody Guthrie. I suppose the difference between Dylan and Elliott is that Dylan’s sense of opportunism, ambition and purpose, combined with his own skill, charisma and unique internal Dylan filter makes his Woody phase much more interesting and enduring. Dylan’s first album is incredibly reminiscent of this - similar songs, pre song talking and style - and despite that not being his best album, it is captivating in a way Jack Takes the Floor isn’t. Maybe that’s because we know the totality of Dylan’s career, but I also think you can detect a kind of ambivalence in this album in comparison. Elliott seems happy to get these songs down and sing them, but it doesn’t feel like it has any forward momentum. That’s not a criticism at all, I just think it's pretty interesting. Anyhow, put Dylan aside, this is a nice collection of bluegrass, country and blues inflected folk, with the nice easy charm of his voice and his stories. Even if all the songs end up sounding quite similar his guitar playing is easy on the ear, and the moments when he lets loose with his voice gives things a nice raspy power and sense of conviction. Equally the moments when he sings in and understated way, as on Cocaine, have a nice affecting feel. Kind of a tricky one to rate, it’s a very pleasant listen without ever really soaring, but it’s also an historically interesting record, both in terms of Dylan, but also the US folk movement and UK-US musical exchange pre Beatles. Musically it’s a 3, contextually a 4, so I’ll stick with a high 3 💬💬💬 Playlist Submission: Cocaine

Obviously not as talented in terms as songwriting like his contemporaries like Bob Dylan, but I liked the intimate vibe of the album.

A perfectly serviceable classic folk album. It does mean that there are some glaring folk holes in this list. No Dave Van Ronk, no John Renbourne, no Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie. “Waaah those would be compilations” mother fucker there’s a Hives greatest hits album on this list there’s no consistency. Put the fucking hours long folkways Pete Seeger recordings on here, it’s arguably one of the most important collections ever. Fuck you. 3 stars

Not for me but I can see where Boring Dyling got his inspiration from.

Cool, authentic sound that eventually gets boring, which is striking given how short this album is. The dude is aptly named, just kinda talks his way through much of this. Songwriting rarely seems original, too, and my favorite song was literally just Sarah Vaughan singing Liked: San Francisco Baby Blues*

I wouldn’t listen to this again. It was some music.

I’ve seen him in person several times. Ramblin’ is an apt name. He talked more than sang & most of what he said made little sense. I do like his music, his style.

Best album yet! I love cowboy music and this album has so many classics.

Wild!

Could t find the actual album but listened to a bunch of other stuff

I liked

I have now been indoctrinated into folk. This is all I want now. 5/5 Favorite song: San Francisco Baby Blues

Oh fuck yeah. Jack outdylans dylan all over the place. Muy autentico.

Excellent

Superb folk tunes from one of the best of his era

The father of folk music??? Not only the best friend of and carried on the legacy of Woody Gutherie (teaching young Arlo in turn), but also inspiring and fostering Bob Dylan. Referring to him as his son. Especially with some of the traditional tunes included, it's amazing to see how much music bloomed from this man who could never stop telling stories. 4.5/5

Interesting 50s honky tonk with some interesting bug blues

Another great country/folk album. Ramblin' Jack Elliot has simple yet earnest style. On this album, we are treated to a feature by Wood Guthrie himself, a mentor of Elliot. Jack Elliot himself went on to have a massive influence on artists such as Bob Dylan, and Woody's son, Arlo Guthrie. Jack Elliot is a living line directly to Woody himself.

Brilliant. Raw, "real" and Woody Guthrie!

I like this Folk shit. Sue me.

I love stripped down folk country. This sounded like it was recorded at open mic night with the song intros and the live, “first take” quality of the music. Sounds like this was a pretty heavy influence on Arlo Guthrie (East Texas Talking Blues v. Alice’s Restaurant). And I had no idea Jackson Browne didn’t write Cocaine! Neither did Elliott, but at least he credits Rev. Gary Davis introducing the song. I will absolutely listen to this again.

Great album! Love it.

What amazing storytelling and guitar playing. I want to go camping with this guy and listen to him around a campfire.

Country folk

I like how sort of "experimental" this sounds.

I can not compare jack with Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan or Pete Seeger，but just love the ramblin country vibes!this is what i call the digger's delight!

Blues

Speaks to my soul.

cool

Absolutely love this, first album so far that will go onto my playlist

Album 508 of 1001 Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Jack Takes the Floor Rating : 5 / 5 I really like this album. An interesting moment in music. There is a fun duet with Woody Guthrie. We also get "Salty Dog". Good stuff.

This is why I am listening to this list. Every once in a while a record like this comes along that based on my usual listening I have no business enjoying but that really grabs me. From the first track to the last I was listening intently.

This was a fun story-time romp which had me laughing out loud at times!

Not for everyone I’m sure but I loved it

Buen country

Really enjoyed this, solid folk country.

good old fashioned country tunes love it

I really enjoyed it a lot. Definitely my kind of folk/blues I enjoy. And Black Baby has aged really well.

Great tunes love the style

Couldn’t find it

A good ol' time with some good ol' boys. Ramblin' and hollerin' country folk music. Anyone who is a friend with known communist and fascist hater Woody Guthrie is a friend of mine.

I love cowboy folk music. awesome album!! personal top3 in no order: The Boll Weevil Bed Bug Blues Salty Dog

Un increíble álbum de Folk, con canciones del imaginario norteamericano de principios del siglo XIX. Las interpretaciones de Jack Elliot son emotivas y sumamente cautivantes. Recomendado para cualquiera que disfrute del género.

Fun listen.

Just an excellent early record from an incredible americana folk musician.

I liked this album. I've never listened to something like this before.

The recording is bad, but what can I ask for from 1958. I like the guitar playing a lot. Ramblin’ Jack has a decent voice too.

Looks like country but it's very much folk. Songs are simple and reflective of the time where they came from. Elliott learned folk the folkiest way possible: on the street. He would later learn under Woody Guthrie and began spreading American folk music to the UK and Europe. Elliott's vocal stylings would influence the great Bob Dylan so his work is the blueprint for a lot of great contemporary folk music in America.

Good stuff, different from what I usually see on this list and better for it. 4/5

I have no complaints

A song about a weevil, a song about bedbugs, a song about cocaine…what more could you ask for? A really fun album with a lot of heart.

3++

4 stars for the 40 seconds he ya-hewed!

it’s nice it’s a nice blue album. I knew some songs. I liked the one about big bad bugs and cocaine.

actually kind of enjoyed this surprisingly. liked the casual nature of it, just chatting with friends and jamming. felt like home.

It is 2023. Bob Dylan is referred to as this guy’s musical “son”. Dude knew Woody Guthrie and taught Woody Guthrie’s songs to his son Arlo. Johnny Carson thought that this guy knew everyone and had a song for everything. And he’s still alive! It’s 2023. This dude is a living musical history treasure trove.

This was so wonderful!! Salty Dog was a fun highlight and also the tracks with what I think was a woman's vocals? Really nice vintage country vibes. Never heard of Jack Elliott before but all of the Spotify suggestions after the album were corkers too so that's always a great sign!

Banger

I listen to a good bit of folk music but I’ve never really listened to any this old before besides covers. Really interesting comparison. No particular favourite song but I liked the album.

At first couldn't connect with this music but it got better as it went on I thought salty dog was fun -kinda kinky Liked 'brother won't you join in the line' the best

I can imagine Janis Joplin doing acoustic recordings of some of these songs.

So happy to listen to this. I did need to find this on vinyl preferably a little scratched up, get a heavy pour of cheap bourbon and sit back and enjoy.

Country 50's

Listening to Mountain Stage the other night, I realize how limited my knowledge of traditional American music is (folk, blues, etc). Guess this is a good jumping off point. Very by the basics, but you see where American music gets the jumping off point from recordings like these. While I'm here, how is there no Woody Guthrie album on here? He has recordings. Favorite tracks: "Boll Weevil", "New York Town", "Dink's Song", "Salty Dog"

Simple, pleasant country songs filled with authenticity, harkens to Beat Generation aesthetic of fast living in a dressed down manner

Yeehaw!

Been a good week (musically only)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott meriterebbe un 4 solo per la simpatia. L'amore è sbocciato con OI'Riley, da li ogni brano mi ha dato motivo per sorridere. Un po' mi ricorda la versione bianca e meno spirituale di Mississippi John Hurt. A pelle lui è un 3.25. Ma devo dargli 4 perché lo trovo geniale a modo suo, spesso ho avuto l'impressione che non canti ma canticchi, perdendoci in tecnica ma guadagnandoci molto come interpretazione.

Un disco que pinta un paisaje y epoca exquisitos. El folk hace que te sientas en casa y ese sonido viejo de mal grabado aportan a la sensación. a pesar de que pinta el paisaje de manera literaria, no es más que eso y el album se queda un poco liso en eso, por es que el disco es un 8/10.

folk gostosinho. chora bobo dylan

Great, should be a 4.5

4.5 excellent

Excellent

Amazing storytelling, so so cool

This was a cool album. Really enjoyed the guitar work and the vibe of it.

A must have for any road trip

Liked the sound of the guitar. Stories were kind of funny too. Woody Guthrie surprised me.

Sounds better than Dylan

Loved this. Didn't know this guy but read about him. Good mates with Woody Guthrie, as we know from that one song, and certainly sounds like him. Very good stuff.

really pleasantly surprised, short one too, 11 tracks in 32 minutes

love the commentary between tracks

Jag gillar

Yep, I dig this sort of folksy rambling gubbins. Very pleasant! Fave track - "Grey Goose".... HONK!

1/12/22

This must have been a pretty wild recording back in 1958. I really like the guitar.

Well this was a fun album. Folk music as it was meant to be presented, simple, unencumbered, great stories told simply and succinctly. I enjoyed this album very much. 4 🌟