17. Ramblin’ Jack Elliot — Jack Takes The Floor / aka Muleskinner(1958)
1. Ran into my first real dilemma on this project here. Long ago I set up my playlist with the 1001 Albums, following someone online as they went through it. It had what appeared to be the right album: Jack Elliot Takes The Floor. I started listening to this today, then went back to the 1001 Albums book to see how my impressions jived with what I was hearing…and none of the tracks lined up. Turns out this is an imposter! The real album I want was later renamed to Muleskinner! What a travesty!
2. I still can’t figure out where that other Jack Elliot Takes The Floor came from. I’m not even sure if it’s the same Jack Elliot. To be honest, I didn’t hate the record. But the real deal starts with a tune called “San Francisco Bay Blues,” so I like it more. Each track also opens with a delightful spoken word intro by Jack himself, fitting with the “Ramblin’ Jack” moniker. I’m glad I cross checked the book.
3. I made no secret of my disdain for the only other Country/Folk album to appear on this list so far, by the Loooooouvin Brothers. Ramblin’ Jack is a major upgrade from that. Here we get into real campfire storytelling. We get proto-Dylan, Woody Guthrie-esque tunes. This is street corner busking music. This is O Brother Where Art Thou music. This is Inside Llewyn Davis music. I dig this.
4. I listened to this record this morning biking around the Haight, as I had to go drop off keys at a friend’s place so she can watch our cats the next two weeks. It felt appropriate. Probably in part because it was 8am, so the Haight was quiet, just a collection of hippy stores and bikers and the smell of early morning dew (I think. I just call a healthy morning smell “morning dew.” I don’t have a term for a gross morning smell.) I’d be happy living in Ramblin’ Jack Elliot’s world, I think.
5. The next album in this list is by Sarah Vaughan and her trio, a lovely jazz record; so when Dink’s Song came on, I thought Ramblin’ Jack was done — it was a slow female vocalist led jazz song, not bad, just out of place. Turns out this is another Spotify fuck up! That’s not the right Dink’s Song! The real Dink’s Song is totally lovely, though! And it was performed by Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis! Worlds been had collidin’
One Essential Song:
Listen On Spotify (just know that “dink’s song” is wrong):
