[.ca] South Coast

This album is brilliant:
Jack "studied" under Woody Guthrie and has become a legend of ramblin'fok-blues in his own right. This album is his best. He brings a driving, fresh fingerstyle guiatrwork to the songs without ever sounding overdone. He is the Real McCoy - Pastures of Plenty, Cocaine Blues, Buffalo Skinners and the haunting show-stopper, South Coast are unforgettable. This album is timeless because it is true, honest and in the groove. A must for any devotee of roots folk.

A complete Elliott guide:
For those who don't know who Ramblin' Jack is, it's probably difficult to comprehend why an old bloke who can't sing and is only a so-so guitarist could ever have become an icon to so many. It is this album, I think, that symbolizes the reasons for his reverement and legendary status. There can be no more vivid a take, for example, on Ian Tyson's 'Will James'. With Elliott, there is never any reason to doubt that he has witnessed and lived everything and all that he sings of. Unlike any other artist who performs largely other people's songs, Jack makes them speak as if his own, as if they were written for him. 'Pastures of Plenty' never sounded this good at the hands of the man who wrote it, and, although 'South Coast' is lengthy, there is never a danger of it dragging. The songs are complemented nicely by the excellent liner notes, made up of quotes from such admirers as Jackson Brown, Jerry Jeff Walker and Tyson himself. The truth is, Elliott has been playing, singing and travelling for so long that these songs are ingrained in his spirit, and any new ones are immediately absorbed into him. Because of this, it is of no consequence that he cannot sing nor play brilliantly. Like the people he has influenced - Loudon Wainwright III, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the list goes on - it is the heart of the man that we love to hear.

A Great Album:
Ramblin' Jack confronts and exceeds the immense legend that has accumulated around him with this spectacular recording. The sparseness of the music and the ragged beauty of his voice lead the listener on a rustic journey along Oklahoma backroads and San Francisco streets. The version of "San Francisco Bay Blues" matches those of his earlier years, and the title track probably ranks as one of his greatest recordings to date. It smacks of wilderness and desolation, reminding one of Bob Dylan's Desire album, or Willie Nelson's Teatro. A definite must for lovers of music.

• Pastures of Plenty
• If I Were a Carpenter
• Cocaine Blues
• I Ain't Got No Home
• Will James
• Buffalo Skinners (On the Trail of the Buffalo)
• Rake and Ramblin' Boy
• South Coast
• Talkin' Dust Bowl
• Mean Old Bed Bug Blues
• Ludlow Massacre
• San Francisco Bay Blues