Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue

Woody Guthrie comes back to life

I feel that Billy Bragg & Wilco's music captures the passion of Woody Guthrie's lyrics. "California Stars" is inspired! November 18, 2008

simply charming

It's hard to believe the music for these lyrics was written many years after Guthrie died. What a wonderful collaboration. Everything works so well together on this album - from the lyrics and music to the instrumentation, the band, the vocals, and the production. Jeff Tweedy's voice is wonderful for this recording. This is the perfect blend of rock and folk feel, kinda like Neil Young. Thank God someone is still making albums like this. November 17, 2008

A masterful collaboration...

Better than the sum of its contributors, the 2nd song "California Stars" knocks this one out of the park. A true campfire song for the ages. If this record is a bit uneven due to the stylistic differences between Wilco and Billy Bragg, it is only a temporary feeling that a song shuffling to your taste will fix. Repeated listenings belie the depth of talent stretching from the writer to the musicians. Worth the effort to listen a bunch of times. "Way Over Yonder In A Minor Key" features unique harmony vocals from Natalie Merchant, "Hoodoo Voodoo" is as Wilco as they were. "The Unwelcome Guest" is a nice mix of all of 'em, ending the album on a somber, if powerful, note. September 21, 2008

Maybe my favourite record

I think everything has been said already in the previous reviews so there's not much - or rather nothing - I can add.

All I wanted to say is that this is a very special record for me. I listen to a lot of music and own several hundred CDs but this one is really outstanding. I think that this record is really emotional but in a pleasent kind of way. A lot of songs on the album bring tears to my eyes everytime I hear them. The whole project was a great idea and one can feel that the participators put all their heart and love into it.

In short: Mermaid Avenue is one of the records that makes live worth living for me.

I'm a fan of Wilco but I love this one better than any of their studio-albums. June 1, 2007

Thanks Nora! Great Idea

We should all thank Nora Gutherie for selecting Billy Bragg and Wilco to put this album together. What a fantastic combination. There are several wonderful songs on this cd. My favorite is "Hesitating Beauty". I was lucky enough to see Wilco perform this on Prairie Home Comapanion last week. It caused me to revisit this album and I'm glad I did. May 19, 2007

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