Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Fine but I echo everyone else’s confusion as to why this is here but no Guthrie or Seeger
★★½
San Francisco Baby Blues - 3.5/5 Ol' Riley - 3/5 The Boll Weevil - 2.5/5 Bed Bug Blues - 2.5/5 New York Town - 2/5 Grey Goose - 1/5 Mule Skinner Blues - 2/5 Cocaine - 1.5/5 Dink's Song - Black Baby - Salty Dog -
Old country where of course the N-word can't miss...
Mooie mix tussen Dylan en Cash. Een echte cowboy maar Dylan heeft zich vast door Elliot laten inspireren. Het is onsamenhangend en lekker rommelig, daarin doet hij zijn naam er aan. Dat maakt ook dat je er na een paar nummertjes ook wel weer klaar mee bent. Nipte voldoende, want oud en andere tijd enzo. 5,5/10
There Are Better Things to Do than listen to this album.
Joa geht so - bestimmt ganz gut für 58, aber ist jetzt nicht so dass es mich abholt
Not my taste. Twangy.
I didn’t like it
I feel like I would like this is I was a completely different person
Not it fam
Was fine. Just not my thing really. I quite liked some of the lyrics as it was quite tender at some points. Wouldn’t listen again.
Gammel country. Hørte ikke det hele.
4/10 No me gusto, el género esta bien logrado pero no me gusta
Okay, so this album was alright in the beginning but then ended up being a bit too monotonous and my rating just dropped. I know that it's quite an old album, so I completely understand that it would've been quite a lot cooler to listen to back then than it is now.
Nope. No good. Not terrible but just sounds so old and turgid. Interesting from a historic perspective, but that's your limit
Folk viejo. Parecido a Bob Dylan
Country, 1958 -> 2
Interesting in an “expand my knowledge” kind of way, but not something I’d choose to listen to.
This was very good at what it was trying to be. It sounded like I was watching an old movie about the west. It wasn't bad, just isn't my style. Actual Rating...2.5 Liked Songs: "San Francisco Bay Blues" , "New York Town" , "Cocaine" , "Can't We Be Friends?" , "Salty Dog"
sorry I didn't really enjoy this and it kinda grated on me. cool artist and album name though! Brother Won't You Join In The Line gets some points for being kinda fun
This isn’t a genre I hate. In fact, I love the ramblin’ cowboy genre in general. Some of the best country songs are about wanderlust. But this guy, the son of a surgeon from Brooklyn, doesn’t inspire me in quite the same way.
Folk from the 50s what more do you expect.
1958 country/folk album. Interesting - not interested.
4 - BAD
Typically, I like pre-British Invasion American popular music, but this type of folk revival stuff has never done much for me. Just crazy to me that this stuff was in the present day indie rock lane of largely appealing to college kids as the subversive alternative to the other music of the era. Elliott bringing in Sarah Vaughan for a song is interesting as an attempt to bridge the divide between jazz and folk of the era, but it's not really enough to make this album all that interesting.
I keep saying I like old country music well enough, but then every time it comes up, it feels like a chore to listen to.
Name passt auf jeden Fall, er labert einfach nur vor sich her. Aber gute Stimme hat er
For every moment on this album I don't hate, there is one a cannot stand, like whatever was going on during that goose song. Mid 2.
Listening session: may 24th, while making dinner Listened to before: no Thoughts: I’m glad this was only 30 minutes Favourite track: San Francisco Baby Blues
In many ways it feels like he is doing a parody of these songs. And the drawl feels fake, poorly acted, it does not seem genuine. I almost want to like it, but something is off. 2.25 rounded down. 2
Ágætis þjóðlagatónlist en ekkert að skara fram úr öðrum í þeim geira. Kallinn ennþá á lífi 94 ára. 2,5
es wird nicht besser.
Not for me, ramblin' is definitely the word for it. Gave it a shot though and listened to it all the way through.
Volkke vestiä niin perskaleesti. Kyl jotkut jutut ol varmaan aikalaisiks suht rajua menoa. Vaikee näistä volkkareista on kuitenkaan sanoa, että mikä nyt on pioneerityötä ja mikä sitten jo auratun maan kyntämistä. Mennään siis viiliksien mukaan kun ei viisari värähellyt enempiä.
Johan oli joikausta ja jiihaata. Ei ehkä ihan oma kuppi teetä.
интересный канешн альбом, самое интересное как он сюда попал 1.5
2.5/5. You can definitely tell the influence Ramblin’ Jack Elliott had on future folk music while listing to this album. When I hear the sing-speak on songs such as the intro track “San Fransisco Bay” I can hear Freewheelin’ era Dylan. However, influence does not equal enjoyment, and though I can appreciate this album in a historical, analytical sense, I didn’t fully enjoy the act of actually listening to it. Part of it is the old production which makes some of the higher notes and yodeling sound a bit grating, but it’s also that this is a case where the things he influenced would go on to just be way better. And even among his contemporaries from this same era, I personally prefer Woody Guthrie, who does kinda make a cameo here on the song “New York Town.”
I wish I loved something as much as dimery loves alt uk 80s and country
Meh
это обычная кантри музыка ничего интересного просто песни под гитару, даже не атмосферные хитов нет, переслушивать не буду
Bob Dylan
I don't know what he is saying and there is barely any music. Maybe it would work pretty as spoken word. Jack is ramblin' after all.
50s twangy country with some silly lyrics - but if you like the genre, it's decent. A little too much hollerin' for me - I had to skip the end of one song it was so painful.
I could have done without all the yodelling piercing my poor ears. I quite like the simple stripped back guitar sound, and at times thought I might even be enjoying this album, but those interspersed yodels and whoops kept coming along to ruin it.
Not my thing whatsoever, I was going to give this a 1, but idk he has some charm about him that I like.
A twangy old country record with interesting voice introductions to some of the songs. The subject material varies wildly between animals and cocaine. Sort of a strange record. 2.5/5.0
I'm not sure what to make of this album. It's a solid blues record by a man who sang many blues songs. But is he more than a tribute act? Is it not more worthwhile to listen to other blues albums that are also on this list? Just looking at the time of the release and one wonders if this is someone who is crushed between older blues music and then his contemporaries like Guthrie, Seeger, Dylan and so on.
⭐️⭐️ it's not bad enough to warrant the lowest score, but it's pretty unremarkable
big yawn, not my genre, and a bad example at that.
It’s not bad for the time it was released. He really puts the ramblin in ramblin Jack Elliot. 2 stars.
I wish I loved folk music more. Actually, no I don’t.
Ei ny oikein Jaskan jaarittelut iskeneet omaan makuun.
Not great but not nearly as bad as some would have you believe.
Drunken Ramblin' Jack Elliott. What was the point of this?
Have little patience for Country. Especially Country that Countries so much.
I have never heard the name Ramblin' Jack Elliott and know nothing about him. After listening 3 times ... Can definitely hear the similarities to Bob Dylan - particularly the folky guitar and voice. Lyrically, Dylan is much more complex and interesting. Seems like Ramblin' Jack doesn't write his own songs. I was having he same thoughts when thinking how Ramblin' Jack compares to John Prine too. The song "Dink's Song" is NOT available on Spotify for some reason. Spotify actually has a completely different song by a different artist ("Can't we Be Friends" by Sarah Vaughn) in it's place on the album. Seems like a screwup. I did find this song on YouTube so I listened there. I liked "New York Town", "Mule Skinner Blues", "Dink's Song" and "Cocaine" (was already familiar with the Jackson Browne version/interpretation of this). This is not earth shattering stuff - but some of it is fun. Seems like Fred Neil is operating in a similar music space - and this project got me to listen to one of his albums - but I liked the Fred Neil album better and respect that he writes his own songs. Liked songs on Spotify: 4/11 Rating: 2/5
Ramble by name, Ramble by nature! Not really my sort of thing but I can appreciate the influence he had on other artists.
Doesn’t do much for me. Not catchy not pleasant, sometimes a bit uncomfortable. Released in the 50s so I guess it has some sort of special flavour. I can see why some people might like it but I’ll pass for now.
Some songs were cool, others were a bit odd. All in all I like this style, but it’s probably not something I’ll come back to a ton. It’s realistically a 2.5,
Really puts the Western in the Country Western genre. Unfortunately, the best song doesn’t feature Jack Elliot singing. Not my preferred style of music at all and besides more representation of genres, I’m not aware of any reason this album made the list.
He rambled, that’s for sure.
Meh
Як історичний екскурс це було цікаво. Музично - не дуже, залишив собі пісню Mule Skinner Blues. Загалом 2.5
Pleasant folk music. I can see why Bob Dylan liked him.
I hate most country music
Don't think it deserves all the hate but it's definitely not good
A strange inclusion - not terrible, and the influence is clear, but as an album it's lacking
Must've heard of him before but it's my first time listening to his music. Just absolutely not in the mood for folk today. But it's cool 2/5
Not my cup of tea. It’s not horrible, but it does feel like it’s trying too hard to country and folksy. I don’t feel like it landed for me. I’ll be happy to never listen to another song about a boll weevil
Clearly see the influence it had on Bob Dylan. Was also interesting to hear the OG version of something from Clapton Unplugged I guess. But it is not for me. 1.5 rounded up to a 2.
I'm quite grateful to albums like this, as I'm a fan of what music like this evolved into. On its own merits, though, it's not the best listen. A bit downtempo and old-fashioned. 2.5 stars, rounding down.
¡Mule Skinner Blues, San Francisco Bay Blues y Bed Bugs Blues son grandes temas! Ese yodeling en Mule Skinner, perfecto eh. Veo de dónde Dylan sacaba mucha inspiración al principio porque también veo que Elliot está muy inspirado por los mismos que Dylan y es “contemporáneo”, tal vez un poco antes de Full Dylan. Bueno, este álbum no fue tan especial como creí que sería, pero estuvo bien, las que me gustaron fueron las que dije al principio. ¡Me gustó saber que el último álbum que hizo hasta el momento ganó un Grammy en 2009! 4/10
1001 Albums Vol. 0027: Jack Takes The Floor ============================================================ Introduction: Well, this is quite peculiar, isn't it? An album all the way back from the 1950's. It's the late fifties admittedly, but still interesting. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is one of the oldest albums on this entire site. I'm pretty sure there are a few from a year or two previous to 1958, but this is still ONE of the oldest albums nevertheless. Honestly, the fact that the 1001 books start in the mid-50's is pretty insane in my opinion. There were some seriously influential releases in the 1940's and, arguably, the 1930's as well. Yes, I know that the way albums were sold heavily differed during that era than it did from the mid-50's to today, but you can't convince me that bands like The Ink Spots weren't influential. I mean, even if they didn't have an impact on music, their general appearance in modern media and Fallout alone would grant them a spot on this list had I made it....Anyway, back to this album specifically. Now, this album, Jack Takes The Floor released in 1958 by Ramblin' Jack Elliot, is considered to be a very influential folk album. As for why? I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you why a lot of these albums are considered to be important or influential. The Wikipedia excerpt that the site pulled doesn't really help at all either. Apparently though, this album is considered to be extremely influential due to its aid in reviving folk in the 1960's. This album, and Jack Elliot as a whole, apparently influenced Bob Dyaln as well. Which, I mean, that guy has made some of the best music of all time, so automatic respect to any artist or album that influenced that guy. On top of this, the album apparently took general ideas from Woody Guthrie and merged them with Jack's own ideas to create something that attempted to be new and unique in the folk scene. You know, the typical, genre-blending stuff when it comes to albums on this site. Now, I will be honest, I have barely heard anything from the 50's. I've heard a bit of Little Richard, some Chuck Berry, but the 50's generally marks unexplored territory to me when it comes to music. Folk too is a pretty unexplored genre to me. I actually went through a short phase where I decided I was going to listen to every record released by Bob Dylan, but quit somewhere at Highway 61 Revisited. So, I heard what is generally considered to be Dylan's best and most influential folk work. And I will admit, some of it was pretty damn great. That being said, besides those four folk albums from Dylan, I've not really heard anything else. So, taking these two factors into account, and the thankfully short runtime as well, this album should be a pretty interesting listen whether good or bad. That being said, there's only one way to truly find out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: San Francisco Bay Blues: 6/10 Track 2: Ol' Riley: 4/10 Track 3: Boll Weevil: 6/10 Track 4: Bed Bug Blues: 5/10 Track 5: New York Town: 6/10 Track 6: Grey Goose: 3/10 Track 7: Mule Skinner Blues: 7/10 Track 8: Cocaine: 7/10 Track 9: Dink's Song: 6/10 Track 10: Black Baby: 3/10 Track 11: Salty Dog: 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: Wow...this album was seriously rough. Like, it was SERIOUSLY rough. I really don't know what else I should have expected. I mean, 50's production, folk songs from an era where songs were much simpler, and a singer that sounds so similar to Bob Dylan that I wouldn't be shocked at all if someone got the two of these artists confused. Yeah, again, this album was rough. You wanna know something else that was rough? Even finding this album in the first place was way harder than it should have been. This was the first album that I listened to that actually wasn't on my main streaming service, Spotify. I go and find this guy's profile, scroll through his albums list, and find that it's not there. I double check in confusion because I don't understand why it wouldn't be there. Nope, it's actually not there. Anyway, I go back to the 1001 site and use the Youtube link they provided on the album's page to find a playlist uploaded by someone for the intended purpose of completing the 1001 albums challenge. Wow. Now, obviously finding the album wasn't too bad. It was inconvenient that I had to stream it through uploads on Youtube instead of Spotify, but it wasn't too bad at all. What I found out after listening to the entire album is kinda odd though. I go back through Jack's discography on Spotify and find out that he essentially re-released the entire album in 2021 under the title "New York City Folk". It's the same tracks, different ordering, no remasters, nothing. That kinda just seems like a cheap way to make money in your old age, but whatever. I won't judge. Anyway, I'm really off-topic. I'll go ahead and say that this album is something that I literally never want to listen to again. It has poor 50's production, it's extremely simple, its singer's voice is bad, it has pretty bland and boring lyrics, and it's just overall...bad....Alright? Is that good enough?...No?...Alright. I'll go into a bit more detail. Firstly, the music and production...like I said...it's pretty bland and boring. The music consists of basic, early-folk that you would expect. Simple acoustic guitar, repetitive chords, all of the basic stuff you would expect is here on this album. Hell, there's only one song on the entire album that even contains a harmonica. Isn't that not like...supposed to be a staple instrument of folk or something? That being said, there are some moments of greatness that shine through in terms of the album's music. San Francisco Bay Blues has some pretty fun, fast-paced acoustic guitar playing, Cocaine has an oddly emotional melody, Mule Skinner Blues's melody is just...pretty decent, and so on. For 50's folk, it's not all bad. The music does get extremely repetitive and drawn-out, which is saying a lot since most of this album's songs are around two minutes, but that's not really saying all that much since music isn't necessarily supposed to be the main focus when it comes to folk as a genre. That being said, there are A LOT of better folk melodies you can find out there, some of them coming just a few years after this album's release from a...pretty well-known artist....I wonder who that could be? Anyway, the production does not help this album at all. Now, I will admit, I have actually heard some pretty decently produced songs from the 1950's in the past. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, even Frank Sinatra all have some pretty decently produced songs from this era. Mr. Jack Elliot though...absolutely not. I mean, it's not atrocious, but not anywhere near good either. That said, there isn't really all that much to say about the production level of this album besides that. I mean, I don't really feel the need to describe it any further since I'm sure you already have a pretty accurate auditory image of what it actually sounds like. The production just...sucks...not that much more to say about it. Anyway, what about the lyrics? Folk is known for having some of the best lyrics of any genre of music, surely this album must have great lyrics....Well...(and yes, I did that bit on literally the last album)...not even close. The lyrics, if you can even understand them, should take the listener literally one listen to understand. Part of the reason for that is literally because of the fact that Jack tells the listener what the song is about in the intro of the majority of the songs. Look, I know this was a different era of music, but come on. Telling the listener what the song is about literally takes away the whole point of interpretation, speculation, and many other aspects that make a song relistenable....I just have so many problems with this album, can't you tell? Anyway, the actual lyrics themselves are pretty bad. The first song talks about how sad an abuser is after his woman leaves him, the fourth talks about how bad bed bugs are, and the last talks about how someone would rather be someone's...salty dog than their lover? Yeah...no. Admittedly though, there are some decent lyrical moments on this album. Boll Weevil almost feels like one of those goofy songs that Bob Dylan would write, Dink's Song and O'l Riley have alright messages about freedom, and...uh...that's about it. Yeah...nothing that I've mentioned so far is helped by Jack's voice either. Much like Bob Dylan's, it's pretty bad. In fact, I'd say it's a bit worse than Dylan's. Like I said, the two's voices sound extremely similar, yet Jack's is just slightly worse, at least in my opinion. Now, with all that said, I can at least understand why this album is considered to be extremely influential. I'm sure that it was received in a better light at the time, a light that likely helped push folk back into the mainstream in the 60's. I can basically guarantee that this album, along with some of Jack's other work, influenced Bob Dylan's early work as well. Like I said, any artist or album that influenced one of the best artists of all time deserves some credit. That being said, the fact that this album was influential doesn't save it from being...quite frankly...extremely bad, especially nowadays. It's extremely dated, it's only decently written at best, it's pretty poorly performed, it's extremely poorly produced, and is overall of pretty poor quality. For ALL of those reasons, this album unfortunately receives the lowest score I have given out yet. I typically like to try and see the best in any music that I listen to, but like I said, this album is only decent at best. ============================================================ Jack Takes The Floor: 4/10 Song Average: 5.3/10
I'm no expert of Cowboy-Folk-Proto-Country music, but this seems like an ancestor of today's over-slick Country n Western formulaic crud. Interesting, but seem got on my nerves. Personal rating - 2.5 stars, but fully understand that it could be a brilliant example of its genre.
A single song was fine but it began to grate
Idk, this is just pretty boring. I'm listening to it in a bomb shelter and I'm wondering whether the bomb should just hit instead. Still it wasn't the worst thing ever, somehow. Just doesn't block well the sounds of war so I had to switch to (my go-to) The Smashing Pumpkins after every song.
not for me
Why is the sound quality reminiscent to a basement home recording? Why are there random people teaching themselves to sing at the end? WHAT IS WITH THE OVERTLY RACIST SONG ABOUT THE BLACK BOLL WEEVILS FROM MEXICO THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A HOME AND NEED TO BE KICKED OUT?!?!?
The actual rambling made things very literal. Probably was pretty forward thinking to use his some of his time in the booth to speak/ramble before some of the songs. “Bed Bug Blues” was really funny to me for really just being about how much bed bugs suck. Outside of that? Meh. Sometimes personable, sometimes forgettable. Strong 2/5
An album as old as I am !!! I hope I'm wearing better . Interesting but no Woody Guthrie. Fine in the background but no desire for a second listen for me. Best when the hard edges are softened by either Guthrie or the harmonica . I imagine Lennie , George and Slim listening to this .
Ramblin’ indeed. It gets two stars because I understand the historical significance of Jack Elliot, and his music but I didn't personally enjoy the music, just as I don’t really like Bob or Woody, but to each their own.
Not terrible A bit dated
This is like a whole album of when you get stuck talking to someone at a party
Album cover just makes me think of him (and his buddy) sitting around a campfire eating beans. He's a shitter Bob Dylan, without the songwriting talent.
It’s fine for what it is. But a single guy singing folk songs on his guitar is firmly in 2-star territory.
Meh. Only on here due to vibes.
many albums on this generator give me a feeling of timelessness - that they would be great projects no matter what era they were released in. this project on the other hand is very dated. It's a great look into the music of the 50s, but besides that it just doesn't really hold up.
I understand this was young Bob Dylan’s type of thing. I understand that rock music as we know it was somehow formed right here. But, damn, some of these sounds literally made me feel nauseous.
I tend to like folk music, but this is mostly shouting and some random guitar strumming? I've heard worse, but this barely scrapes a 2. The wiki has refernces to Guthrie and Dylan. The main difference of course being that those two are good.
Country albums are difficult for me to rate because they don't really do anything for me. I'm sure this is a great country record but I'm not the right person for it.
older style country, lot of story telling but not my thing
meh
No muy fan de este estilo de música. Entiendo porque salió en la lista ya que estoy seguro que fue influencia de muchos grandes como Bob Dylan en sus inicios, Judy Collins y hasta de Old Crow Medicine y Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. No estoy muy interesado y mucho menos informado de este género, de Jack Elliot o de este disco, sin embargo, lo disfrute como toda la música nueva que escucho. Pero, por otro lado, no considero que haber escuchado este disco fue trascendental para mi o mi gusto musical. Incluso creo que no lo volveré a escuchar.
It's fine. Fav tracks: Dink's Song
Eh. I liked the fingerstyle playing and the lyrics, but it was kind of boring. It felt very Americana.
I'm sure this was good country back in the day. The lyrics are funny at least.
Listening to Jack Elliott feels like sitting by a campfire with a weathered storyteller who’s more interested in the journey than the destination. As a bridge between the raw dust-bowl era of Woody Guthrie and the early, hungry years of Bob Dylan, Elliott offers a fascinating slice of American folk history. His rambling style is an acquired taste at times, and the yodeling and pre-song "yapping" feel like a charming, intimate performance just for you, if you're into that, I wasn't. Ultimately, this is a record of simple, stripped-back vibes that prioritises character over technical perfection and lacking any real depth
Spotify didn’t have album but listened to another w Woody Guthrie - Folk Music hero’s
2/5 É bom para dormir, aparentemente.
In a nutshell: "the bridge between Guthrie and Dylan" Elliott's voice has good range. The yodelling was a surprise. Jack was best mates with Woodie Guthrie (why don't we have Woody Guthrie on the list?). Johnny Cash sung the praises of Ramblin' Jack Elliott. You can tell Bob Dylan borrowed a (fair) bit from Elliott. Overall: 4/10
This isn't the worst thing I've heard but it still sucks
was worried this would be some Dylan-y nonsense but it was at least close to bluegrass and not entirely unpleasant, even if it's being warbled out by a cosplay cowboy musicians really love cocaine huh
He’s no Guthrie, and he’s no Dylan. Not everyone can live up to those legends, but Jack Elliott seems to have made his career off the back of Woody Guthrie’s work, so the comparison is fair. I’m not sure he wrote any of the songs on this album, but they are all pretty boring and trite. The only thing Jack has going for them are his voice, and given his dispassionate delivery, that isnMt much of an asset on these songs.
I found this on youtube as I do not own Spotify. Hopefully I listened to the right thing. Decent record. If it is gonna just be a dude and his guitar, I'd prefer Robert Johnson. I also see why they call him Ramblin'.
Rambling is right. Album art 2/5
Mule Skinner Blues made me think my tinnitus had come back.
Kind of just don’t see the vision with this one
Not for me
meh
This is a bit of fun! Having said that, absolutely not my cup of tea and I was fairly pleased when it ended.
2.5 for me. Respect the lyrics and craft, not a style of music that speaks to me particularly.
I had high hopes for this album considering his influence on artists such as Bob Dylan but I was bored senseless. He certainly did ramble which is not a plus and the songs were flat and without melody.
Love the boll weevil song. Yee effin’ haw, Gawd bless thee US of A.
My two most significant thoughts after listening to this album: 1. Oh, this is where the Jackson Browne song Cocaine comes from. That's kinda cool. 2. My Spotify Jack Takes the Floor has a Sarah Vaughan version of Dinks' Song rather than the Ramblin' Jack Elliott one. I really like hers much better than the one I assume I'd have heard of his. This was exactly as advertised. It's not really my kind of music, and I am not generally a fan of affected vocals either. It's not a bad album, but it's not for me. Save for Dink's Song by Sarah Vaughan that is.
Hmmm!.... This one's just a bit too "hick" for me. Not an album I would rush to listen to again.
Listen it was a good solid music. It just wasn’t remarkable in any way. I wasn’t moved by any song on here and the one song I did like, he wasn’t even on it.
Nonsense
Rather unremarkable country/folk
Fine album - it’s easy to see where Dylan got his inspiration. Buuut Dylan did it better
Nope. Some old music is just a bridge too far for me. Lost me at boll weevil.
3/10
Fairly average thumb picking folk, sure there are better examples of this
This took me to the local pub. After a few beers, this album would hit hard, but otherwise it’s a bit too boring for my liking.
2.2 2x after landing at GIG
Ramblin' Jack sure is a fitting name for this guy. Old school guitar strumming and singing/rambling. Not a bad album but its age really shows and its not a favorite of mine so not a high scorer even if country often gives an album +1 stars to me.
glad records like this make it onto these lists for historical context, but it can be quite a drag to get through. At least this one was only 40 minutes long and not an entire 6 disk anthology
I liked this lesson expected, I usually like folksy country. This one was a little too unpolished or something I guess. Of course they picked the album that nobody has ever listened to.
This neither takes the floor, nor shits the floor. It's Jack does nothing substantial on the floor, thus leading to a middle of the road two rating... on the floor.
He inspired Bob Dylan to sing in his trademark nasal whine. For this, he shall never be forgiven.
I don't listen to part of it but I have trouble listening to artists who do a lot of talking before during the song
I liked this more than I thought I would. That's not really saying a whole lot, though. It just isn't really my kind of music. I'll appreciate it for what it is and move on. Overall: 2/5
Ramblin' by name, Ramblin' by nature. I would never have known what a boll weevil was without this album, so I've learned something new today. Also, bed bugs and cocaine are bad. Therefore, for educational purposes if nothing else, the Ramblin' man gets a 2/5
Never heard of this artist before this album and honestly was underwhelmed by the whole experience. Some good moments here and there but overall just kind of flat. I'd probably give it a 2.5/5 if I could but it never did anything to bump it to a 3 so it gets a 2/5 from me.
I’d never heard of Ramblin' Jack Elliott before this listen, so I went into Jack Takes the Floor with no expectations. It turned out to be good fun — I enjoyed it more than I thought I would — but nothing really leapt out or grabbed me enough to make me want to return to it. The whole album has the feel of an early Johnny Cash record: warm, earthy, and charming, but fairly samey across the tracks. Favourite track: Nothing truly stood above the rest, though I did enjoy the between-song chat and personality scattered through the album. Least favourite track: Nothing was bad; it’s all consistently solid. Album artwork: Standard folk album cover
I don't like folk :( 4/10 Favourite track: San Francisco Bay Blues
So hard to listen to this on its own terms as opposed to being just a progenitor, as something typical of one of the major traditions that fused and morphed until it became the basis of huge swathes of American popular culture. But what it is is a man and his guitar and a nice singing voice who isn't afraid to yodel or trade verses with a pal. It is funny to see how far back anxieties about Americana authenticity go, how long city slickers have wanted to play cowboy, how much traditional genres are co-opted and re-animated by interlopers and commercialism, and how unstable the whole mess of roots has always been. In the end, the real America is wanting to be country, being worried someone will call you phony, and overcompensating by being as old fashioned as possible.
Never been a fan of this type of blues, is it ragtime? i don't know, but it was meh.
Rambling was right. I can deal with whiney folk/honky tonk and enjoy it - but the singer needs to actually be good, or at the very least have quality songwriting. None were present here. I'd love to know why this is relevant to be featured on the list, because I cannot for the life of me figure out what is so important about this thing. The Sarah Vaughn feature on Dink's Song was fucking nuts though, I was not expecting that. Bro was pulling a Kanye by not crediting featured artists.
Like early Bob Dylan, with a far less annoying voice. I have never been crazy about folk music and this album didn't win me over in particular. I appreciate it as a piece of American musical history and for its personality, it has more skips than it has listenable songs for me. Highlights: Mule Skinner Blues, Cocaine
Not for me
Knowing nothing about this beyond the name and genre, I suspect this will be terrible.
zu beginn ganz ok, dann aber viel Geschreie und schwer anzuhören.
It’s wild, I’ve had this song from Inside Llewyn Davis stuck in my head for like the past week, the one that goes “Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well” and I’ve been singing it so much it was annoying my GF and then that same fucking song was on this album - I couldn’t believe it! What a coincidence! Too bad this version sucked. I hate folk like this. It all feels so performative, so fake in a way, even though they’re trying to be so sincere. It’s a character they’ve concocted. A rich kid cosplaying as a grassroots American. Even Dylan was that to a certain degree, but Dylan moved the medium forward by writing his own material and maturing the music. This guy is squarely stuck in the “interpretation of traditionals” version of folk. Lol I’m basically describing the plot of Inside Llewyn Davis but HEY, IF THE SHOE FITS!!
It was alright, I didn’t get much out of it. Always fun to hear 50s albums though Rating: 1.9
5/10
Why are there multiple songs about bugs on here??
Meh
2 - not great
100/1089 The recording/master that’s on spotify has a constant staticky sound through most of the songs which is a little distracting This music just isn’t a bit of me. in terms of instrumentation, vocal style, lyrical content, i can’t really relate to it. It had moments that were pleasant and sweet but also ones that grated it’s short runtime worked to its benefit, none of it really outstayed its welcome. As a result, I’m quite glad to have listened to this as part of this project, though it was a slightly underwhelming 100th album. cute 20/100
I had to watch this on YouTube. Too slow country.
Influential. Thankful for what he inspired but did not enjoy.
Had to listen to him but it this record exactly since it’s not on Apple Music or tidal. Woodie Guthrie type stuff. Inspired a lot of folkies I am sure.
Uninteresting country from the 50s
I understand this book needed to include older albums and Ramblin' Jack Elliott is the precursor to Bob Dylan and carried on Woody Guthrie's folk tradition. So, I get why logically this album would be in this book. The talking before/after the songs is not my thing. The talking/singing is also not really my thing either. I knew Cocaine because it was on Running on Empty by Jackson Browne, which is an album that perhaps deserves a spot on this list. Ramblin' Jack doesn't even sing on Dink's Song, so I'm not sure why it is on here. The first song, San Francisco Baby Blues, has 1:15 of Jack Elliott talking about the song he will be singing and then 1:45 of him actually singing the song. I don't have interest in this music. There is a song about bed bugs, one about boll weevils, an ear piercing howl on one song and a mention of borax. No wonder Bob Dylan's music sounded absolutely revolutionary, as he wasn't singing a song about shampoo or worms in his driveway. Three of the songs end with "Blues," though I am not sure why it matters but it felt important to type. Older albums are needed in this book and this is an older album. Ramblin' Jack is still alive and on his 2009 album containing 10 songs, 6 of the songs end with the word "Blues," so he is still very, very, very dedicated to letting you know the songs he is singing are blues. I feel like I should write a song called "Jack Takes the Floor Blues."
Nii ja naa
# 577 : Jack Takes The Floor Jack Takes the Floor – And You’ll Be Taking the Exit The songs aren’t offensively bad, but they’re about as exciting as lukewarm beans in a tin cup. If this is the music playing around the campfire, I’m grabbing my sleeping bag and faking a bear attack to get out of there. Jack does ramble—truth in branding—but it’s less “charming drifter” and more “guy at the pub who won’t stop telling you about his banjo.” There’s a mix of folk and country here, sure, but it’s the kind of mix that makes you wish someone had just picked one and done it better. I genuinely don’t understand why this album is considered essential. It’s like someone recorded a man mumbling stories to his horse and called it a classic. Verdict: 2 Stars for authenticity. File under “campfire music for when you’re already asleep.”
# Album Name: Jack Takes the Floor # Artist: Ramblin Jack # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Pretty boring album. That southern drawl. Yawn. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No
Vilket fylleskrål! Alldeles underbart. Vad är det här ens, nån slags 50tals LoFi? Är det detta som kallas och menas med autetiskt eller "äkta"? Svårrecenserat. Kul i väldigt små doser, men bra ...nja ...över ett helt album (om än en 10a) ...knappast. Alldeles för "äkta" för mig men en tvåa för the effort
Säkert viktig som musikhistoria och inspiration för artister som senare inspirerade andra artister o s v. Men inte så roligt att lyssna på i dag tyvärr.
En folksångare som sjunger låtar om vägglöss, skadeinsekter och kokain. Därutöver rena tramslåtar som Grey goose. Helt ok, men kan inte se att jag kommer att lyssna på detta igen.
Ramblin’ is right. This one hasn’t aged well at all. Nothing here feels essential or worth revisiting.
could be a 1 ngl
Not really my jam. And his screaming in some songs is hard to stand for me. 1,5
2 Stars (5/15)
Mine had a random Sara Vaughn song in the middle of the tracklist, which must have been a mistake on spotifys fault. Anyways, not really for me. Sounds like he was just making up songs as he went along.
While I can appreciate a good ramblin’ story song like “Alice’s Restaurant” and “The Story of Bo Diddley”, this Album doesn’t quite measure up. I get that this is probably a bridge to that style, but just falls a little flat.
I totally get that you can’t really talk about Guthrie and Dylan without mentioning Jack Elliott. And while I can appreciate his tongue in cheek approach and delivery, these songs are just mediocre at best. While there might be some pickin’ and a grinnin’ here and there, there’s also a lot of…well…ramblin’…and that’s about all I can say.
So if you listen to this for what it is, it’s not very good. But, if you consider it for the time it came out…it’s still not very good. Suck it Ramblin Jack! I’m shocked he played a Gibson J-45 because it sounded like an untuned toy guitar. And he’s singing wasn’t very good. 1.5 but I won’t round down since this wasn’t as terrible as some of the other shit we’ve had to listen to.
Didn’t really do it for me. Shrug emoji. 2/5
While feeling the need to acknowledge the importance of this period of time and this artist in the history of American folk music, not really for me. It was cool to hear Woody Guthrie on the song about NYC and read more about how Ramblin Jack was a bridge from him to Dylan but musically there's just not enough going on here to warrant repeat listens.
It sure is ramblin. I have issue with guitar playing or even most of the vocals, but the lyrical content lacks something. You can hear the connection to Woody Guthrie but the quality of songs dont compare to those i’ve heard from Guthrie
I don’t really have an opinion on this - it was fine? Typical country from that era, which is not my bag. But it was fine.
Another album not on Amazon to stream so I got to experience this through YouTube. The playlist I listened to had an unfortunate hour long crypto ad after the first two songs (boo, hiss, down with that type of thing etc, etc). I should have known from the name there would be a bit of talk-singing on a par with Shatner (which is not a compliment), but I liked San Francisco Baby Blues once he started singing. And track 2, Ol' Riley. It did make me giggle that he was slightly obsessed with insects (The Boll Weevil being immediately followed by Bed Bug Blues). Woody Guthrie turning up was a surprise for me as I had no idea of their history together. This made me think of the soundtrack to O' Brother Where Art Thou (which remains the only time I've walked out of a cinema at the end and gone straight to HMV to immediately purchase the soundtrack). I can't see me regularly listening to this in the same way, but I did enjoy some of the non talk-singing bits. It loses a least 1 star for the ramblin' though. 2/5
OK for insect oriented prison folk, I guess
Not great. The sound quality is not great and some of that is probably just because it's very old, but I've heard way better recordings from the 50's. Aside from that I found the voice unpleasant on a lot of the tracks, and the lyrics didn't really capture me Standouts Salty Dog 2/5
Não senti absolutamente nada. É como se eu não tivesse ouvindo nada, o puro silêncio. A voz dele é bonita, algumas letras são engraçadas, mas só isso. Nada demais. ⅖ só porque não me ofendeu em quesito nenhum. Não me fez sentir nada! Total apatia. Vou tratar como se fosse um dia de descanso da lista. O de amanhã vai ser fenomenal ou terrível, 8 ou 80, veremos.
Not my thing
Meh 2.3/5
OK album
1. baby - 2 2. riley - 1.5 3. uuoll - 2 4. Bug - 2 5. York - 2 6. Goose - 1 7. Mule - 2 8. Cocaine - 2 9. Dink - 2 10. Black - 1 11. Dog - 2
Decent storytelling
"Ramblin'" Jack indeed. Jokes aside, this sounded very casual and of its time. Not the greatest folk music I've ever heard either.
Liked track 1 but then it fell off
Cof, cof...
2.8
I try not to be ageist about art, but this old-timey stuff is just hard for me to like. I reckon he'd have been entertaining enough in his day but the world has moved on to better things. My ratings have all been a reflection of how much I personally enjoyed listening to each album, with no consideration for how influential or significant a record was, and so I can't give this more than 2 stars in good conscience
Don't think I've ever heard this? Should be interesting. edit: Initial vibes remind me of the Jimmy Carter and Dallas County Green, with the acoustics and accents, and storytelling aspect.
I can admire old country for it's style, but it's not mine. Definitely belongs on this list though even if I didn't love it.
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Joa - öde halt.
Der einzige Ort an dem ich mir für diesen Künstler vorstellen könnte, wäre eine Kneipe nachts um drei. Das Album ist knapp 30 Minuten lang, davon ist 15 Minuten Gelaber. Also kaum Material. Ansonsten halt Folk. Bürgergeschichten mit wenig aufdringlichem Gitarrensound und Gesang.
If this is country I may not listen to the whole thing. Although I don't mind the old country too much. yeah no. Sorry. 2 stars
It's hard for me to understand if this has historical significance. I lost patience around the time of back-to-back bug songs.
A bridge between classic folk and country. Not my thing.
Yehaw, men ikke den yeeste hawen.
Drunk guy from NYC puts on his cowboy attire and does a Woody Guthrie impersonation.
Can't dig it
meh, it was a bit annoying but it could’ve been worse
Some super old country. Wasn't quite in the mood for it. Just alright
Sure, I guess?
This is #day320 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... bring on more of that '50s country because I haven't got enough of it yet. What's stopping me from giving this album a 1 is the mix of blues and folk here and there. And I don't mind some old-school, stripped-down blues. Otherwise, no intent to ever listen to this again. I'm giving it a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day321.
Some good songs, but a whole album is too much for me...
I just...I...no, I can't. I didn't enjoy this, I don't particularly care for singer/songwriters and just a guitar. Nothing against Mr. Ramblin' I just don't like the genre in general. This album? Not on Spotify, but thanks to someone's playlist I heard enough of this album to get the drift. 2 Stars, it's just not for me. But while we're on that singer/songwriter topic... Why is it that singer songwriters feel the need to talk about their songs before they sing them? And while talking about/describing the song, end up using the song lyrics to illustrate the song before they sing? So, here's a song about driving all night out to El Paso. It's called, El Paso. ... "Well, it's been all night and I'm still driving on that lonesome road to El Paso." This drives me crazy. How about, this is a song about aliens and cowboys and the open road instead? JUST NOT THE FREAKING FIRST VERSE IN UNSUNG FORM. Thank you for attending my TED Rant.
This was not great. I am not sure how it got on the list, it just sounds like somebody tryin' to be somebody else.
-this was interesting to listen to. like most of the ‘50s country records i’ve gotten on here, however, i found it difficult to really connect with it?? idk his voice was just. grating. -not like i listen to ‘50s country music much in my free time so i guess im not the right person to pass judgment -Favorites are Bed Bug Blues and Dink’s Song
Had to listen on YouTube ☹️ It’s whatever
Like a early watered down Version of Bob Dylan. Liked few tunes and the other felt a bit unseasoned to me. clearly influental tho. (2.0/5.0)
Sure
Bed Bugs sure are evil. Same with Boll Weevils too Best Song: San Francisco Bay Blues Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2/5
Does every damn song really need an intro explanation. “This is a song about when you need to go to work but would rather stay in bed… Ohhhh I need to get to work, but I’d rather stay in bed” ass music
It’s not my type of country music, maybe it’s a bit too old for me or something? The San Francisco song was pretty solid, outside of it. I don’t see myself looking back into it in the future. Find guitar work, pretty good lyrics, classic old western feel.
jack takes the floor... en hopelijk brengt ie hem nooit meer terug...
It was like the country music my grandpa listened to. Then again it wasn’t anything like the country music my grandpa listened to.
As someone whose parents have made him listen to a lot of this kind of music. This is on the lower end of the spectrum.
Bästa med detta albumet är att det är kort
..
After Listening to this Album I immediately stopped using the metric system
Don’t mind a bit of Country but can equally see why the arrival of Rock ‘n Roll was a breath of fresh air !
Not a patch on Marty Robbins!
Like Bob Dylan without the voice, musical ability or any depth of talent. Does have added red neck and ye haw though.
I’m somewhat torn on this. It’s somewhere between a slightly interesting folky twist on some old blues songs, well the guitar style is interesting anyway (quite up tempo and the picking is cool), the vocals aren’t great. Which then happened to have something of an influence on the Dylan led late 60s folk movement. The flip side is that it’s quite the murdering of some old blues songs which in a couple of cases (Bol Weevil and Cocaine) I know were better sung by more original and authentic musicians, and which I assume applies across most of the other songs. I think the latter is probably swaying me here, and I hope some of the original blues musicians get a recording or two on the list (surely Leadbelly) rather than this being an unrepresentative representation of a time/style.
It’s my birthday today so was hoping for something a bit more special. However I suppose the 1001 God’s went for something which is nearly as old as me but I don’t think there is anything on the list older than me or even same age. What a sobering and depressing thought. Anyhow what do I think of old Ramblin’ Jack? Traditional Americana folk music is something I respect if not necessarily get. It’s not the horrible gangster rap which seems to over populate this list. The perpetrators of which are not fit to lick something brown and smelly off Ramblin’ Jacks cowboy (I assume) boots. All this is in its favour but I appear to be ramblin’ on myself in my joyful birthday stupor. So best shut up in the thought that by the time my next birthday comes around (God willing) I will be close to finishing this process. How time fly’s when you’re enjoying oneself and knowing some of my all time favourite albums are yet to be dished out to me. But alas sorry Jack you are not one of them. 2/5 4/5/25
tror I alle de andre folk sangere syntes Ramblin' Jack var en poser fordi han kom fra New York? Jeg tænker på det hver gang han snakkede mellem numrene
Hyggeligt nok! Det er et godt navn, han rambler ret meget!
Cozy!
Different enough to hold my attention. Early Bob Dylan vibes. Not many of his own songs, I believe, which made some of the tracks ring hollow. Salty Dog was my favourite. Not sure if I'd be back - there are better examples of early folk.
I am not deeply into that kind of folksy stuff, but this one to me seems quite generic and unambitious if compared to some of his much more prominent contemporaries. Feels and sounds like a watered down early Dylan or late Seeger.
Well at least he lives up to his name, he did ramble on about stuff with a country soundtrack behind him. At least it wasn't too long
Woody Guthrie he ain’t but there’s some occasional moments of brilliance here. Still, there’s no rhyme nor reason to the song selection. A neat artifact but that’s about it.
fun for 5 minutes
This was an interesting listen, and a change from the music we normally get from this list. It really got me thinking about Wild West movies and Red Dead Redemption 2 (still need to finish that game) and thought it'd be cool to listen to this while playing that game. I don't think I'll ever listen to this again, and I don't think I'd ever have a desire to play any of this music again (apart from what I mention above). It wasn't really good, but like I said, it was interesting. I'm sure it had its place in history. But it doesn't translate to today very well.
Love a bit of folk music! Quick but fun album that tells stories in a light and easy-to-listen-to kind of way. Liked the Woody Guthrie feature on New York Town, whole album definitely imbued with a little bit of lip. Also liked the addition of a couple traditional folk tunes for good measure. Makes me nostalgic for a time and place that I’ve never seen. Fav track: San Francisco Bay Blues
Pfoe, ja dit is echt een lastig album om te reviewen. 1958, jezus wat een oud album, zou zomaar het oudste op de lijst kunnen zijn? Beste man leeft op naar zn naam in elk geval, want ramblen doet ie zeker! Dit album klinkt een beetje alsof je dronken oom zn gitaar er bij pakt en besluit dat hij eigenlijk een fantastische zanger en songwriter is. Dit album bevat jodelen, bevat diergeluiden en bevat een hele hoop half dronken gezang. Dit is wel mn favoriete country jodel die ik in tijden heb gehoord. Ook de eerste country jodel die ik heb gehoord... Wel indrukwekkende jodel skills. Ga niet liegen! Lekker cocaine nummertje ook. Altijd fijn als artiesten gewoon eerlijk zijn over hun inspiratie. Uiteindelijk; niet echt mijn ding. Echt zwaar verouderd. Maar Jack krijgt absoluut een ster erbij omdat hij een gans nadoet bij Grey Goose en ik ben onder de indruk van hoelang hij een jodel kan vasthouden. FAVO: Grey Goose
Good american folk music. I cannot see any outstandig fakt.
Absolute yap fest. When Dink’s song came on I had to check the album wasn’t over because I was finally hearing a tolerable song
Kinda entertaining - some annoying.
Een soort Bob Dylan die als kind in een ketel met pruimtabak is gevallen. Ik moet wel zeggen dat ik dit liever hoor dan Bob Dylan, maar er zijn veel dingen in het leven die ik liever hoor dan Bob Dylan. Op zich is het leuk om weer een stukje jaren '50 tijdlijn te vullen. Ik kan hier een 2 voor geven maar ik kan er ook nog wel een 3 uit persen als dat gewenst is. Het zit er qua genot een beetje tussenin. Ik hou het op 2 vandaag.
Boring country music
I mean, he do be ramblin'. 2,5/5
Really not enjoying this one
I've never heard of Ramblin' Jack Elliott before. Not bad if you are in the right mindset. Seems like he is telling a nice story with decent music. It's a niche kind of thing for me, if I'm in the mood for sort of western folk music I will load him up.
I struggled to understand other reviews, thinking the album was perfectly listenable, then it went onto the goose song. I thought the interludes about the history of the origins of certain tracks were interesting but this is just not for me.
I was reading the reviews when I was listening to this album hayward-s-cayenne's gave me a chuckle as I was at that moment in the album. Other than that the other remarkable thing was the Woody Guthrie impression in New York Town, nice spoken intros, but other than that its just a man with a guitar 4/10
I’ll be honest I struggled with this one. Jack Takes the Floor is one of those albums that feels like it drags on forever, even though it’s not even that long. I get that Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is a respected figure in folk music, and I understand his influence, but this album? This was painfully boring. By the halfway mark, I was already clock-watching, and by the end, I felt like I’d endured some sort of test of patience. To be fair, Elliott’s guitar playing is solid. It’s got that raw, stripped-back folk charm, and there are moments where you can hear the influence he had on artists like Bob Dylan (not that I care for Dylan either). The simplicity of his performance is just a man and his guitar. Does have a certain appeal, if that’s what you’re into. I can respect that this is folk music in its purest form, and there’s an authenticity to the way he delivers these songs. There are a couple of tracks where you can hear a bit of liveliness in his performance, and when the pacing picks up a little, it’s almost engaging. But those moments are few and far between. The biggest issue? It’s just so dull. There’s no variation, no dynamic shift, nothing that grabs your attention. It’s the same repetitive folk structures over and over again, and it wears thin fast. Elliott’s voice doesn’t do the album any favours either. It’s got that old-school cowboy folk twang, which I know some people love, but personally, I found it grating. After a few songs, it just started to sound like background noise, and by the end, I was completely checked out. Another thing that got on my nerves was the storytelling. Folk music thrives on great storytelling, but here, it just feels like he’s rambling (pun intended) with no real emotional weight behind it. It’s almost as if he’s just going through the motions rather than actually feeling the songs. There’s no fire, no passion, just flat, lifeless delivery that made it even harder to stay engaged. Look, I get that this album is important to folk history, and I respect its place in music. But as a listening experience, Jack Takes the Floor was nothing but a slog. It got annoying fast, it felt incredibly repetitive, and I honestly couldn’t wait for it to be over. If you’re a hardcore folk fan, maybe there’s something here for you, but for me? Absolutely not. 2.1/5 stars. Never again.
4/10 Extremely annoying at some points, can’t recall much of anything, the better moments are ok, just overall very subpar American Folk music. You can die before listening to this
One of the originals and likely a huge impact on his genre but not my taste.
Not a bad album if you are looking for some really classic country.
The Jack I knew from 1933? And which floor's he taking?
Maso
4/10. It's a guy. He rambles. He took the floor. He played his guitar. He made a record. Mahalo.
Like this kind of stuff when it comes up on Cerys. A whole album is a bit much though.
Howdy partner Much like mud hard to get through he's still alive The rambling stud But I don't have a clue it's a deep dive
why is this on this list? if an older folk album was to be included, why not like pete seeger or woody guthrie? not actively bad or anything. but do not see anything noteworthy here. some of the performances are pretty good (san francisco bay blues, cocaine), but nothing on the level of peak seager or guthrie. production quality is predictably poor. i'm sure there's much more to elliott as a performer that these recordings don't capture. in any case don't think that the album format is oriented towards this approach to music. don't get much out of the traditional folk songs about various kinds of critters. maybe if it had more political or labor songs, i'd be inclined to pretend it was better than it actually is for the sake of agitprop. also, yodeling!?
Ok 2/5
No es mi predilección
A small dose was fine but didn’t really float my boat
Well firstly his name is pretty accurate but it’s easy to see how he inspired the likes of Dylan and such, the guitar work was good but the lyrics hold nothing really plus the actual singing was really goofy at times, I can understand this being an influential album to some extent but it doesn’t really hold well today and just amounts to a collection of campfire songs, not bad but not deserving of a 3
It’s not terrible, it’s not great, some of it is played on an obviously out of tune guitar. Not my kind of folk…
01) San Francisco Bay Blues - 6,0 02) Ol' Riley - 5,0 03) Boll Weevil - 5,0 04) Bed Bug Blues - 5,5 05) New York Town - 5,0 06) Grey Goose - 4,5 07) Mule Skinner Blues - 4,5 08) Cocaine - 5,5 09) Dink's Song - 5,0 10) Black Baby - 4,5 11) Salty Dog - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,05 (51/100) Current ranking: 416/445
I'm all for the folksy working-class-ramblin' thing, but yodelling?
plate
We get it
On his Spotify bio it mentions that he was contemporaries with Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan, who are all in the Complete Unknown movie, which I would recommend watching because Highway 61 is on this list. The album is kind of boring and the audio quality isn't great. Also the Dink's Song for some reason plays a song by Sarah Vaughan that doesn't appear to have much to do with this compilation.
4/10 - These has been a streak of not enjoyable albums. All for different reasons though. His artist name is accurate. He is just ramblin and I did not like it. Grey Goose was completely unlistenable to me. I wanted to turn it off so badly.
Country cowboy folk tunes for the campfire is about right.
Not particularly melodic
Rambling’ is a great descriptor of this music. And what is with all of the sons about bugs and animals? Jack obviously hung out with many of the singer/songwriters of his day and I even hear some Johnny Cash. His lyrics are mostly simplistic bordering on dumb.
this album has well and truly informed me that bed bugs is infact mean and evil, and if there was any doubt, solidified as fact that they sure don't mean me no good
Okay
As I usually say with these things, interesting historical document, OK listen, probably won't return. Is that really Woody Guthrie on one track, or some impersonation/inside joke?
It’s ok, not my scene though
Too much Ramblin', Jack.
No thanks. Not a fan of songs having to have a spoken prologue before they're sung, it's like someone having to break down a joke and explain to you why it was funny. Also I don't mind a bit of folk, but this was a bit too folky for me.. redneck in a tin bath with some marlboro reds and a banjo sort of vibes. 2 stars because upon looking Ramblin' Jack up on the Google it appears Robert Dylan owes him $12, so naturally I have some sympathy for him.
Probably the next sub genre of country that coyne likes because he's too cool to like the mainstream stuff. loser
Never heard this before. I was really looking forward to this but it disappointed me. The album seems to meander all over the place and it rarely connects. It's an influential album, but not that enjoyable of a listen at this point.
I can take it or leave it. If this is who inspired Dylan, I'm just gonna stick with Dylan. Or Seeger. Or fuck it, The Grateful Dead.
Every day I'm ramblin'!
Plays guitar well. I’m not fond of this country style. Musical voice, though. 2/5
kinda just bleh
Nothing special really
Maybe this is historically important, I have no idea but it did absolutely nothing for me. My average score is going down and down at this rate. Fingers crossed for the next selection
Meh, don't really care who this guy inspired, only fun song here is the Bed Bugs one.
Did not enjoy
Jack… take a hike!
Unbearable.
Won't listen again, but its not unbearable. It is just average pre-Dylan folk music.
Not my thing
I do my best to appreciate these albums in the context of their time. I couldn’t quite get into this one.
Badly recorded bad country music. Stand-out: Salty Dog
Something I've never even heard of from that long ago. Very country, even to an extreme. Also what's with all the yelling? Interesting to discover this but not my thing. I see how he was influential.
Wait a minute! Did Jack Elliott write a song about Cocaine in 1958! The man is a prophet. In all seriousness, there is music pre Beatles and music post Beatles, we can get rid of all of pre Beatles, other than the black music that influenced them. Jack Takes the Floor is not offensively bad, but it’s from another planet that no one can on this planet can relate to 4.1/10
perus rällätystä
I usually have time for music like this but today this album got right on my last nerve. I feel a little like I'm being punked. Grey Goose, really?
True folk artist. Good songs.
Generally don’t mind a bit of country but sometimes it’s a little too old school for me and this falls into the category. I had to skip through the one about the goose and the one with the continual yodel
haha thats cool man can you leave now
Best Song: Cocaine. I only like this because I like songs where the vibe and the lyrics don't match. Worst Song: Grey Goose. Sounds like someone found a guitar and just tried to noodle with it as something to do while they shouted incoherently. Beautiful. Overall: This is not good. There's this unpleasant, presumptuous naivete about the whole thing, as if I'm listening to a child playing with their tape recorder. The audacity to think I needed to listen to the 'ramblings' of some country bumpkin's id.
Loved the female who sang on a few tracks. Didn't care for Jack's voice.
A little haunting. I don't know what to say on this one actually.
I get the feeling that even Jack Elliott fans don't even listen to this album much. Surely there aren't more of his albums on this list, but there he must have had better ones than this. It's basically what you hear by a local guitarist that only gets out of his house a few times a year and occasionally plays at the farmer's market or something.