Project 1001: Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco
Project 1001: Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco
I treat horses good / And I'm friendly to strangers
“It was an idea that never should have worked. A British folk-rocker joins up with alt-country outliers to put music to the unreleased lyrics of Woody Guthrie. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone if it had diminished the reputation of all involved.”1
But it turned out that this amalgamation of talented musicians produced remarkable interpretations of Guthrie’s lyrics in a contemporary style which, in my view, is a classic piece of American music.
Natalie Merchant sings on a song and her beautiful voice elevates these proceedings to a lovely level. I hope you’ll give this album a spin if you haven’t heard it before. I’m confident you will very much enjoy it! My rating:
American Songwriter:
Mermaid Avenue, performed by Billy Bragg and Wilco and released in 1998, was a revelation, proof that Guthrie was far more than the populist, fascist-bashing folkie that he was often perceived to be. He was also capable of startlingly personal songwriting that was far ahead of its time. Volume 2 was released just two years later to more raves.
AllMusic:
Both artists completed more songs than could fit on Mermaid Avenue, which is neatly split between Bragg and Wilco, with Bragg taking lead on eight of the 15 songs. The results are almost entirely a delight, mainly because all involved are faithful to Guthrie's rowdy spirit -- it's a reverent project that knows how to have fun. There are many minor, irresistible gems scattered throughout the album, and most of them come from Bragg. Where Wilco's fine contributions sound inextricably tied to the '90s, both for better and for worse, Bragg's music sounds contemporary while capturing Guthrie's folk traditions. That's not to say Wilco's contributions are failures -- it's just hard to imagine Guthrie singing the plaintive "California Stars" or the plodding "Christ for President," neither of which quite fit the lyrics. Nevertheless, their hearts are in the right place; more often than not, they come close to the target, and their joyous playing invigorates Mermaid Avenue. The blend of Bragg's traditionalist sensibility and Wilco's contemporary style ultimately illustrates that Guthrie's words, ideals, and aesthetics remain alive in the '90s. It's a remarkable record that deserves a sequel.23
The L.A. Times:
These lyrics from the Guthrie archives (written mainly in the 1940s) don’t offer anything to stand with his classics, but they’re fine footnotes. The dominance of love songs full of ache and exuberance shines a different light on a writer who’s known mainly for his work on a larger, social/political scale.
The set also skims across a range of Guthrie trademarks--bawdy narratives, mystical philosophy, leftist broadsides, abstract verbal nonsense, wry political comment and whimsical reverie (an off-the-wall ode to actress Ingrid Bergman). Even the verses that seem dashed off and undeveloped bear the stamp of a master wordsmith and a constantly striving artist.
With Bragg and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy each singing seven songs and guest Natalie Merchant taking one, “Mermaid Avenue” can initially seem disjointed and unfocused, but ultimately its ramshackle approach proves to be the perfect channel for Guthrie’s raucous and irrepressible spirit.4
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Kate Taylor wrote:
Recorded first in Chicago then in Dublin, the album captured a raw earthy sound, reminiscent of early bluegrass and folk rock. It was a breakthrough for Bragg and Wilco, earning them a billing in Rolling Stone’s “Essential Recordings of the Nineties.5
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
Prime Playlist: 163. Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg and Wilco
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: #906
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: n/a
• RIAA certification: n/a
Released on June 23, 1998. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica7
• Number one album: MP Da Last Don by Master P8
• Number one movie: The X Files by Rob Bowman9
• Most watched TV programs: ER, Friends, Frasier, NFL Monday Night Football, Veronica’s Closet, Jesse, 60 Minutes, Touched By an Angel, 20/20, Home Improvement10
• NYT bestseller, fiction: A Widow For One Year by John Irving11
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom12
Some other albums released that month
• Jurassic 5 by Jurassic 5
• Adore by The Smashing Pumpkins
• gloria! by Gloria Estefan
• If You See Her by Brooks & Dunn
• MP Da Last Don by Master P
• Munki by The Jesus and Mary Chain
• Diabolus in Musica by Slayer
• DLR Band by David Lee Roth
• Left of Cool by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
• A Long Way Home by Dwight Yoakam
• Never Say Never by Brandy
• Aaron Carter by Aaron Carter
• Vertical Man by Ringo Starr
• Imagination by Brian Wilson
• Order in the Court by Queen Latifah
• Powertrip by Monster Magnet
• Silent Reign of Heroes by Molly Hatchet
• Under the Radar by Little Feat
• Time by Lionel Richie
• We Ran by Linda Ronstadt
• Behind the Front by Black Eyed Peas
• Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
• Carry On by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• Miles from Our Home by Cowboy Junkies
• Newpower Soul by The New Power Generation
• Static by Bleach
• System of a Down by System of a Down13
Sport
• Jun 14 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls beat Utah Jazz, 87-86 in Game 6 for their 3rd consecutive title and 6th in 8 seasons; MVP: Michael Jordan for 3rd straight year and 6th time.
• Jun 14 WLAF World Bowl 6, Waldstadion, Frankfurt: Rhein Fire beats Frankfurt Galaxy, 34-10.
• Jun 16 Stanley Cup Final, MCI Center, Washington, D.C.: Detroit Red Wings go back-to-back, defeating debutant finalists Washington Capitals, 4-1 for a 4-0 series sweep.
• Jun 21 US Open Men's Golf, Olympic Club, SF: Lee Janzen recovers from 7 stroke deficit to win his second Open title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up .
• Jun 24 NBA Draft: Pacific center Michael Olowokandi first pick by Los Angeles Clippers.
• Jun 27 NHL Draft: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) center Vincent Lecavalier first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning.14
Notable Births
• Jun 16 Jonah Marais [Frantzich], American pop singer (Why Don't We), born in Stillwater, Minnesota15
Historical Events
• Jun 25 In Clinton v. City of New York, the US Supreme Court decides that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional.
• Jun 27 Opening of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.
• Jun 30 Sega Channel, cable's 1st on-demand video game service, closes down. 16
Notable Deaths
• Jun 21 Al Campanis, baseball second baseman and executive (first Greek player in MLB history; GM LA Dodgers 1968-87), dies from coronary artery disease at 81.
• Jun 23 Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (Tarzan, Pride & Prejudice, Hannah and Her Sisters), dies at 87.
• Jun 25 Richard Bales, American composer (National Gallery of Art orchestra), dies at 83.
• Jun 27 Boris Nikolayevich Belousov, Soviet cosmonaut, dies at 67.17
There was a sequel and a box set released some years later.
Taylor, Kate, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fifth printing, ed. by Robert Dimmery p. 823.
Ibid.