A THING OF BEAUTY

In which Billy Bragg, Wilco, Natalie Merchant and Eliza Carthy combine to make something truly wonderful....with the help of Woody Guthrie:-

mp3 : Billy Bragg & Wilco - Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key

In case anyone isn't familiar with the story. Mermaid Avenue is a 1998 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by Billy Bragg and the Wilco. The project was organized by Woody's daughter, Nora Guthrie. The LP was released in 1998 and a second volume of recordings, Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, followed in 2000. The projects are named after a song "Mermaid's Avenue" written by Woody. This was also the street in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on which he lived.

It had been during the spring of 1995, that  Nora contacted Billy about writing music for a selection of completed lyrics. Her father had left behind over a thousand sets of complete lyrics written between 1939 and 1967; none of which had any music other than a vague stylistic notation.

Nora Guthrie's liner notes in Mermaid Avenue indicate that it was her intention that the songs be given to a new generation of musicians who would be able to make the songs relevant to a younger generation. Billy in turn approached Wilco and asked them to participate in the project as well. Wilco agreed, and in addition to recording with Billy in Ireland, they were given their own share of songs to finish.

Rather than recreating tunes in Woody Guthrie's style, Billy and Wilco created new, contemporary music for the lyrics. What seemed like a risky enterprise surprised everyone; released in 1998 as Mermaid Avenue, the results were met with near universal acclaim.

Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key, is for many, the highlight of the two volumes of work the project realised. The full list of musicians are:-

Jay Bennett - Hammond B3, bouzuki
Billy Bragg - acoustic guitar, lead vocal
Eliza Carthy - violin
Ken Coomer - drums and percussion
Natalie Merchant - backing vocal
Elizabeth Steen - accordian
John Stirratt - electric bass
Peter Yanowitz - chorus drums

Here's the two otherwise unavailable tracks on the CD single:-

mp3 : Billy Bragg & Wilco - My Thirty Thousand
mp3 : Billy Bragg & Wilco - Bugeye Jim

Happy Listening.