To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1994 | |||
Recorded | June 1993-August 1994 | |||
Genre | Folk | |||
Length | 95:27 | |||
Label | Gazell[1] | |||
Producer | Sam Charters[2] | |||
Dave Van Ronk chronology | ||||
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To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places is a 1994 album by the American musician Dave Van Ronk.[3][4] He performed versions of songs written by people he knew. Van Ronk spent 18 months working on the album.[5] Christine Lavin sang on To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places.[6]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Robert Christgau | [8] |
Writing for AllMusic, critic Bruce Eder praised the album and wrote: "Van Ronk does remarkably well with this material—he holds a tune less effectively than Dylan, but he also imparts a special rawness and seriousness to the songs, his voice overflowing with the sound of seemingly bitter experience... Not all of it works — his voice is sometimes way too rough even by folk-blues standards for what he's trying to do — but most of it is extremely valuable. And his cover of 'Soon My Work Will All Be Done' is one of Van Ronk's greatest performances ever."[7]
Track listing
Disc one
- "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (Bob Dylan)
- "Where Were You Last Night" (Frank Christian)
- "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" (Randy Newman)
- "Ramblin' Boy" (Tom Paxton)
- "My Name Joe" (David Massengill)
- "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" (Phil Ochs)
- "Entering Marion" (John Forster)
- "The Drinking Song" (Jack Hardy)
- "Amoeba Hop" (Christine Lavin)
- "Things " (Mitch Greenhill)
- "Stone Sober Blues" (Paul Geremia)
- "Joshua Gone Barbados" (Eric Von Schmidt)
- "Soon My Work Will Be All Done" (Reverend Gary Davis)
- "To All My Friends in Far Flung Places" (Jane Voss)
Disc two
- "Wrap the World Around Your Finger" (Judy Mayhan)
- "Jersey Girl" (Tom Waits)
- "Punky's Dilema" (Paul Simon)
- "I'm Hip" (Dave Frishberg, Bob Dorough)
- "Harbour of Love" (Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Robert Hipkens, Paula Lockhart)
- "Awful Kind of Blues" (Gary White, John F. Hammond)
- "Why The Blues Don't Worry Me" (Steve James)
- "A Sailor's Prayer" (Rod MacDonald)
- "Many a Mile" (Patrick Sky)
- "Four Strong Winds" (Ian Tyson)
- "The Simple Things We Said" (Les Choses Les Plus Simple)" (Gabriel Yacoub) (English Translation: Ellen Hinsey, Nikki Matheson, Gabriel Yacoub)
- "Song to a Seagull" (Joni Mitchell)
- "Heart on the Run" (Tom Intondi, Frank Rossini)
- "All My Friends in Far Flung Places (Reprise)" (Jane Voss)
Personnel
- Dave Van Ronk – vocals, guitar
- Samuel Charters – background vocals, washboard, jug
- Frank Christian – guitar, vocals
- Dave Conrad – bass
- Anne DeMarinis – accordion
- Ada Dyer – background vocals
- Bill Ferns – harmonica
- Erik Frandsen – guitar, background vocals
- Paul Geremia – guitar
- Dakota Dave Hull – guitar
- Keith Ingham – piano, organ
- Arnie Kinsella – drums
- Christine Lavin – background vocals
- Chris Lowe – background vocals
- Peri Lyons – background vocals
- David Massengill – background vocals
- Tom Paxton – background vocals
- Britt Savage - background vocals
- Jenny Schuessler – background vocals
- Eve Silber – background vocals
- Shelly Thompson – background vocals
- Andrea Vuocolo – background vocals
- Murray Wall – bass
- Heather Wood – background vocals
Production notes
- Produced by Samuel Charters
- Engineered by Arthur Steuer and Steve Rosenthal
- Photography by Samuel Charters and Nora Charters
References
- ↑ Riley, Nano (10 Nov 1995). "Influential singer-guitarist to perform in Clearwater". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 23.
- ↑ Rocha, Joseph (27 Apr 1995). "A CRIMSON CACOPHONY; MONTGOMERY"S SOARING; VAN RONK LACKS FOCUS". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 4.
- ↑ "Obituary: Dave Van Ronk". the Guardian. February 13, 2002.
- ↑ Hull, Dave (18 Dec 2013). "Minnesota musician offers his perspectives on 'Inside Llewyn Davis'". Music. St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Elwood, Philip (17 Feb 1995). "Prestige CDs bring back folk revival". San Francisco Examiner. p. C15.
- ↑ Lavin, Christine (June 20, 2010). "Cold Pizza for Breakfast: A Mem-wha??". Tell Me Press LLC – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Eder, Bruce. "To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 13, 2011.