Woody Guthrie Book

Subject: Woody Guthrie Book
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 01:25 PM

just finished the new book by Elizabeth Partridge 'This Land Was made for You and Me, the Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie'. It is written for young adults, ages 12 and up, and I was impressed by the sophistication it assumes and respect it gives to readers of that age. Other than including lots of photos and illustrations, and having somewhat larger type, it was not toned down for a younger audience in many ways. It would need more footnotes and endnotes for a more scholarly audience, but it tells the tale of a complex human being, suffering from an unknown illness for much of his adult life, with sympathy, but not attempting to make a hero out of him, or excuse him, but to know him. Pretty well done, i would say, recommended to readers of all ages, the larger type was welcome for me, I must admit!

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 03:48 PM

Sounds like a great book, Bill.
I'm wondering if anybody can lead me to a Woody Guthrie songbook. As far as I can tell, there's nothing in print - but it seems that there should be. Can anybody advise me on a book that would give a fairly complete collection of Woody's songs?
How many songs does the Partridge book contain, Bill?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: dwditty
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:08 PM

I just spent an hour driving listening to Nora Guthrie being interviewed by WPKN in CT. SHe has spent the last years organizing the archives of her father cataloging over 300 lyrics, several hundred of which he taped to provide the melody. I know it has nothing to do with the book, but just thought I'd throw it in.

dw

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:14 PM

sadly this doesn't contain many complete lyrics, just pieces of them, and discussions of the songs as they enter the biography. I think I had a Songbook with lots of Woody's songs in it, somewhere. I'll dig around and see what I can find for you, Joe.

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:17 PM

Joe - just did a quick Google and came up with this

http://www.woodyguthrie.org/woody_guthrie_songbook.htm

looks pretty good to me!

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Mark Ross
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:23 PM

The best collection of Woody's songs is the NEARLY COMPLETE WOODY GUTHRIE songbook, unfortunately now out of print. If you do a search for used books, copies are now going for upwards of $75! I've talked to Nora about reprinting it but she says there are too many mistakes. However, eventually the Archives plan to put everything Woody wrote on line. On the same line, Happy Traum is thinking of doing a Homespun tape on Woody's guitar style.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:28 PM

the site above, under publications has a few things available. I have a couple of copies of Roll on Columbia, from Sing Out that they say they are now out of. The Lomax reprint of Hard Hit Songs looks great for the price.

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Francy
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 05:05 PM

I have one entitled: "The Woody Guthrie Songbook", with complete words and music to 60 of his songs, with writing, his original drawings and many pictures. It was edited by Harold Leventhal & Marjorie Guthrie and designed by Will Hopkins. It was copyright of 1976..Publishers: GROSSETT & DUNLAP New York. As far as I can tell this is a first printing......It has a Library of Congress card number 74-18881..... Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Mark Ross
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 06:04 PM

The NEARLY COMPLETE was published in the early '60's(it's got a gray cover)and contains something like a thousand songs.

Mark

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 10:25 AM

Hey Bill Kennedy......My local library got this one in and I just read it. Your review is spot on! I too liked the fact that it wasn't "dumbed down" to the point that so many books for kids (of all ages) are. Frankly, for a lot of kids it would trigger an interest in learning more about many different things from Woody to the Communist movement of the thirties, to other singers and activists, to the blacklist........A whole raft of questions I could see some kids wanting to know more about.

For most adults, it's no more than an afternoon's read, but it's a good read for many with a limited knowledge of who he was. I liked the fact that Woody was neither lionized of demonized.....a kind of "just the facts" approach that is too often missing from books of ALL types.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 12:35 PM

I have the book "Woody Guthrie Folk Songs", containing words, melody lines and chords to 188 songs, compiled and edited by Pete Seeger and published in 1963 by Ludlow Music Inc, New york, and Essex Music Ltd, London (green and black cover).

Joan

Subject: RE: Woody Guthrie Book
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 12:38 PM

A more detailed look at the cover reveals in minute writing above the title, "The Nearly Complete Collection of..."

Joan