At 77, and firmly established as the link between Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, Jack Elliott could be excused a bit of laurel-resting. Instead, inspired by their collaboration on I’m Not There’s soundtrack, Elliott and producer Joe Henry have chosen to explore the pre-war country blues. Stylistically, it’s a slight departure from Elliott’s usual purview.
There’s a tussle between frailty and wisdom in the performances, with wisdom winning, mostly. The songs are well chosen (Rev Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” stands out), and the band – including Van Dyke Parks and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos – create a woozy, tumbledown feel, as if they are playing from a carnival float. Elliott is better at world-weariness than he is at sass, but has enough guile to mould the songs in his own image.
ALASTAIR McKAY
For more album reviews, click here for the UNCUT music archive