Folkways: A Vision Shared—A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly

CBS released Folkways: A Vision Shared—A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly in 1988. It accompanied a documentary of the same name, with famous musicians paying tribute to the two pioneers. The two artists are integral to the American musical landscape.

Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) and Huddie Ledbetter (1888–1949) helped lay the foundations for American folk and blues. Both men influenced the following generations of musicians. One of Bob Dylan’s best early songs was ‘Song for Woody’, while Nirvana recorded Lead Belly’s ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’

For me, Woody was that sense of idealism, that sense of realism.

Bruce Springsteen on Woody Guthrie

Helpfully, someone’s put the full documentary on Vimeo:

Lead Belly’s music was important to us because he was one of the foundations of music, and to see a black guy be able to accomplish that, and you could hear him everywhere, it made you feel proud of your race of people.

Little Richard on Lead Belly

Featuring favourites like Bruce Springsteen and Brian Wilson, A Vision Shared was critical catnip and won a Grammy. But while some albums are canonised, various artist compilations are often soon forgotten.

My dad used to own an LP copy of this record, one of the few items in his collection that sparked my interest. Let’s look at some of the record’s most interesting covers.

Sweet Honey in the Rock—Sylvie

Lead Belly often told his audiences that ‘Bring Me a Little Water, Silvy’ was about his uncle Bob Ledbetter. Bob worked in the fields, plowing the soil. When he was thirsty, he called for his wife, Sylvie, to bring him some water.

You expect rootsy artists like Willie Nelson, Arlo Guthrie, and Bob Dylan on this tribute record. But there are also curveballs like the a cappella collective Sweet Honey in the Rock. Formed in Washington D.C., Sweet Honey in the Rock perform with four vocalists and a sign-language interpreter.

Vigilante Man—Bruce Springsteen

There are different versions of ‘Vigilante Man’ on the soundtrack album and the documentary. I prefer the documentary’s version, tougher with a full band. Got to love Gary Tallent’s sideburns.

This Guthrie song is about hired thugs (“vigilantes”) in California, who violently chased away migrants trying to escape the Dust Bowl. It references The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck was also a big influence on Springsteen.

Goodnight Irene—Brian Wilson

Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson wasn’t particularly rootsy. But he recorded this cover of ‘Goodnight Irene’ around the time of his 1988 solo debut. It’s steeped in 1980s textures, with booming gated drums. But it’s great anyway, Wilson giving a simple song an ornate treatment.

Leadbelly might not have written ‘Goodnight Irene’ – he was just the first to record this venerable folk song.

Jesus Christ—U2

U2 picked this on-brand song from Guthrie’s catalogue. It emphasises Jesus’ social justice and affection for the poor. The last verse brings the story into the modern day:

This song was written in New York City
Of rich men, preachers and slaves
Yes, if Jesus was to preach like he preached in Galilee,
They would lay Jesus Christ in his grave.

“I wrote this song looking out of a rooming house window in New York City in the winter of Nineteen and Forty. I thought I had to put down on paper how I felt about the rich folks and the poor ones.”

 Woody Guthrie, 1956

Rock Island Line—Little richard and Fishbone

Pairing Little Richard with funk-rock band Fishbone is inspired – Little Richard’s vocal performance is typically dynamic.

Lead Belly and folksong collector Alan Lomax learned ‘Rock Island Line‘ in an Arkansas prison. It later became a big hit for 1950s skiffle singer Lonnie Donegan.

Do you have any favourites from the record?

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