Odetta's debut album was a strong, confident effort featuring just her and her guitar on 16 tracks, most of which were traditional in origin. In its day, it was quite an influential recording; Bob Dylan, in fact, once cited this record in particular as the one that made him decide to trade in his electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustic guitar. Several of the songs would find their ways into the repertoires of subsequent folkies, and even some folk-rock bands. There's no way of knowing whether they heard the tunes first on this release, but it's entirely possible, as it was one of the first strong traditional folk LPs. It's now been reissued on CD, and retains a lot of its original appeal in the power and emotional depth of the performances. by Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1 Santy Anno 1:52
Traditional
2 If I Had a Ribbon Bow 2:39
Hughie Prince / Lou Singer
3 Mule Skinner Blues 2:47
Jimmie Rodgers / George Vaughn
4 Another Man Done Gone 2:07
Vera Hall / Alan Lomax / John A. Lomax / Ruby Pickens Tartt
5 Shame and Scandal 2:19
Public Domain
6 Jack O'Diamonds 3:12
Alan Lomax / John A. Lomax
7 'Buked and Scorned 2:36
Traditional
8 Easy Rider 5:03
Lead Belly
9 Joshua 1:50
Public Domain
10 Hound Dog 3:47
Public Domain
11 Glory, Glory 2:09
Public Domain
12 Alabama Bound 1:39
Alan Lomax / John A. Lomax
13 Been in the Pen 2:38
Traditional
14 Deep Blue Sea 2:57
Public Domain
15 God's Gonna Cut You Down 1:47
Traditional
16 Spiritual Trilogy: Oh Freedom/Come and Go With Me/I'm on My Way 6:02
Public Domain / Traditional
Credits :
Guitar, Vocals – Odetta
