Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions
Billy Bragg · 2012
246 min · 61 tracks · alternative rock
Folk-infused alternative rock weaves together vivid storytelling with an Americana heart, guided by Bragg's distinctive voice.
Why this album works
This comprehensive collection received critical praise and renewed interest in Guthrie's unreleased lyrics, showcasing Bragg's ability to bridge past and present folk traditions. It also highlighted the enduring influence of Guthrie on contemporary music, as evidenced by its positive reception in major publications like Rolling Stone.
- Career context
- Released in 2012, 'Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions' showcases Billy Bragg's long-standing collaboration with Wilco, building on the acclaim of their original 'Mermaid Avenue' project from 1998. This album further solidified Bragg's commitment to preserving Woody Guthrie’s legacy while also reflecting his own artistic evolution over decades.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
Disc 1
- 1 Walt Whitman’s Niece Standout 3:54
- 2 California Stars Standout 4:59
- 3 Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key 4:06
- 4 Birds and Ships 2:16
- 5 Hoodoo Voodoo 3:12
- 6 She Came Along to Me 3:28
- 7 At My Window Sad and Lonely 3:28
- 8 Ingrid Bergman 1:50
- 9 Christ for President 2:43
- 10 I Guess I Planted 3:33
- 11 One by One 3:26
- 12 Eisler on the Go 2:58
- 13 Hesitating Beauty 3:06
- 14 Another Man’s Done Gone 1:36
- 15 The Unwelcome Guest 5:06
Disc 2
- 1 Airline to Heaven Standout 4:50
- 2 My Flying Saucer 1:45
- 3 Feed of Man 4:05
- 4 Hot Rod Hotel 3:16
- 5 I Was Born 1:50
- 6 Secret of the Sea 2:39
- 7 Stetson Kennedy 2:38
- 8 Remember the Mountain Bed 6:26
- 9 Blood of the Lamb 4:16
- 10 Aginst th’ Law 3:01
- 11 All You Fascists 2:43
- 12 Joe DiMaggio Done It Again 2:30
- 13 Meanest Man 3:44
- 14 Black Wind Blowing 2:58
- 15 Someday Some Morning Sometime 2:51
Disc 3
- 1 Bugeye Jim 3:14
- 2 When the Roses Bloom Again 4:07
- 3 Gotta Work 2:12
- 4 My Thirty Thousand 2:37
- 5 Ought to Be Satisfied Now 3:30
- 6 Listening to the Wind That Blows 5:03
- 7 Go Down to the Water 4:31
- 8 Chain of Broken Hearts 3:27
- 9 Jailcell Blues 2:23
- 10 Don’t You Marry 3:14
- 11 Give Me a Nail 1:38
- 12 The Jolly Banker 3:26
- 13 Union Prayer 4:09
- 14 Be Kind to the Boy on the Road 3:42
- 15 Ain’ta Gonna Grieve 4:47
- 16 Tea Bag Blues 3:59
- 17 I’m Out to Get 3:58
Disc 4
- 1 Man in the Sand: All Aboard: Okfusgee Co., Oklahoma (Way Over Yonder in Minor Key) 4:15
- 2 Man in the Sand: The Homestead (I Ain't Got No Home / This Land Is Your Land) 7:38
- 3 Man in the Sand: First Stop: Pampa, TX 1:36
- 4 Man in the Sand: Next Stop: California (California Stars / This Land Is Your Land) 5:40
- 5 Man in the Sand: Last Stop: The Big "Red" Apple (Here Comes the Train / Ingrid Bergman) 5:09
- 6 Man in the Sand: The Political Stage (There Is Power in a Union / Ideology) 2:39
- 7 Man in the Sand: Barking, Essex (Between the Wars) 2:32
- 8 Man in the Sand: More Than Scraps of Paper (She Came Along to Me) 6:25
- 9 Man in the Sand: Chicago: Rehearsals with Wilco (Go Down to the Water / Feed of Man / Birds and Ships / All You Fascists Bound to Lose / When the Roses Bloom Again) 10:26
- 10 Man in the Sand: Dublin: Recording the Album (The Unwelcome Guest / At My Window Sad and Lonely) 6:18
- 11 Man in the Sand: Boston with Natalie Merchant (I Was Born / Birds and Ships / Way Over Yonder in Minor Key / Ingrid Bergman) 11:17
- 12 Man in the Sand: Woody Says So Long (At My Window Sad and Lonely / Another Man's Done Gone) 10:15
- 13 Man in the Sand: London: Cutting the Album (Hoodoo Voodoo) 11:23
- 14 Man in the Sand: [credits] (Go Down to the Water) 1:52
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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