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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Well, it does ramble.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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. 

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

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

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*

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

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

Great album! Love it.

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.

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

I like how sort of "experimental" this sounds.

Country folk

Not for everyone I’m sure but I loved it

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

Excellent

Speaks to my soul.

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.

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.

Wild!

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

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

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.

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

I like this Folk shit. Sue me.

cool

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!

Buen country

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

Brilliant. Raw, "real" and Woody Guthrie!

Interesting 50s honky tonk with some interesting bug blues

I liked

Really enjoyed this, solid folk country.

good old fashioned country tunes love it

Blues

Superb folk tunes from one of the best of his era

So much influence.

first listen there's something very authentic about the roughness of these recordings

Country/folk. Dude was, for a time, a touring partner of Woody Guthrie's, and also collaborated and toured with the likes of Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead. Dudes sound is somewhere between Guthrie and John Prine. Pretty solid. East Texas Talking Blues sounds exactly like something Corb Lund would put out. I'd say they were definately influenced by Jack Elliott. Favourite songs: New York Town, East Texas Talking Blues, Cocaine, Salty Dog, San Francisco Baby Blues, The Boll Weevil, Brother Won't You Join In the Line Least favourite songs: Ol' Riley, Grey Goose, Black Baby 4/5

Nice

Didn’t find this exact album but listened to another one. Very good!

Quite a leaning to animal songs. It’s a definite grower. I was quite unsure on first listen but it’s really fun. Especially the goose, the dog and the boll weevil. It was almost like children’s TV. Sung by Johnny Cash. It’s probably a 3.5 but for how easy it was on the ears, it’s being promoted.

Loved this.

Pretty good

Old school Cowboy songs. Fun and idiosyncratic. Obviously a very strong influence on Bob Dylan.

Americana folk, I love the story telling in these songs. Jack has a a great voice everything about his styles has that travelling musician vibe like Woody Guthrie Stand out tracksb - Ol' Riley - The Boll Weevil - Old Blues - Mule Skinners blues - Dinks song - Brother won't you join in the line

Turns out, American folk is something I've been sleeping on

Great slice of history. Enough charisma to keep it interesting.

Country 50's.

I enjoyed

With a Woody Guthrie feature, a song that Dolly Parton famously covered, and even a song from a Black songwriter in a very tumultuous time in American history considering, the influence that Jack Elliott had on Country-Western music is clear here. While not all of the songs resonated with me, I really appreciated the work behind this record. Notable Tracks: - San Francisco Bay Blues - Mule Skinner Blues - I'm familiar with the Dolly Parton cover, but this version is solid too - Cocaine 7/10

An enjoyable album made by a man who had a very interesting life, as we have just discovered. You can see how it influenced early Dylan. Some good Cowboy sound.

Jack Takes the Town is one of the plenty of folk artifacts that can be designated as a calm before the storm, where and when the genre itself was a pure art form not yet infected with commercial prospects and financial inclinations. Ramblin' Jack Elliot often sounds like a wise sage that belies his name and this sub-thirty minute record is often an enjoyable listen because of it. Sparse and sublime, like the best of them. https://youtu.be/ysbRnyhsn0Y?si=UfqwFGTymT0rP5zg Favorites: San Francisco Bay Blues, Boll Weevil, Bed Bug Blues, New York Town, Grey Goose, Mule Skinner Blues, Cocaine, Dink's Song.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. Although all of the songs kind of sound the same, I still think they blended together seamlessly and made for a good listen first thing in the morning. It felt like I was in an old-western. "Cocaine" gets a thumbs down from me.

Never heard of him, but I really enjoyed.

Favourite tracks: san Francisco baby blues; dink's song; cocaine

Good

An engaging storyteller. Despite its rudimentary nature this is a very compelling album

Great folk music. Reminded me of when I was in high school learning about this stuff during band class. Always something endearing about it.

Fun!

Good

not sure if i listened to the right album, but I listened to Jack Elliott songs and i love him. Sounds like shakey got some inspiration from him for his second album

Ramblin' is certainly an apt description for Jack Elliott, though therein lies the joy of listening to this album. There's a real earnestness and honesty to these tracks and the storytelling is top notch. Whilst at times things go a bit too off the pace for my liking, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Worth listening to in my opinion - feels honest and real without being pretentious.

good stufff

My kind of thing

Much better than I expected. I suspect Dylan was a fan. Honour, fun, and occasional pathos over proto Americana. It zipped by with a smile on its face.

Was sure I'd listened to/discovered this in the last couple of years and was trying to figure out why. Thought it had come out already in the app. Turns out no it was because I was reading Chronicles. Dylan loved this, and I had to agree with his assessment really. Jake Bugg wishes he was this.

Country 50's

A whole lotta charm to this voice. The spoken intros are so cozy and welcoming. I was humming and whistling along despite not knowing many of the songs. All I could really ask for with this kinda thing. Fave track: New York Town

Yee haw. The CND songs at the end were a nice surprise.

Better than I would have guessed

I was not expecting to like this so much. I can definitely hear a time when Bob Dylan was emulating this sound. Never thought I'd be loving a NYC cowboy. I'll be spending some more time with this album

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It helped me understand Bob Dylan better.

Super folky, thought he sounded like Woody Guthrie and then low and behold Guthrie makes an appearance on the album. Enjoyed the listen.

I like this a bunch.

This was a fun one. Nothing I heard before but many songs were familiar standards. Great guitar, great voice. I liked the guest appearance with what sounded like a fairly aged Woody Guthrie.

Upon first hearing, this seems merely to be of historical interest, but the unique picking style and deadpan lyrics (boll weevils looking for a home?) and delivery make sense of all the influence of major folk music players.

Bed bugs, boll weevils, and cocaine. Oh my!

I love the spoken word intros to each track. Really gives the album a cohesive, narrative structure. His guitar playing is really emotive and great too. One of the better '50s albums I've heard.

girl shut up about bugs

So much has been built on the shoulders of the music Elliott is playing here. Really enjoyed this. It’s not perfect, but a really decent effort. And it made me dig out the Jackson Browne version of Cocaine Blues which led me back to Running on Empty, an album I’ve not listened to in a while.

Nice classic American folk. Brings some slick country influences to Woody Guthrie's style and the result is smoooooooth. Also, has the most serene song about cocaine I've ever heard.

Good album. If you don’t like country/folk, you’ll hate this. 4 stars

Superb storytelling and ambiance.