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Ramblin' Jack Elliott
I Stand Alone
(Anti)
The Music Box's #24 album of 2006
First Appeared in The Music Box, July 2006, Volume 13, #7
Written by John Metzger

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is no stranger to taking long breaks between
recordings, and despite a career that spans nearly half of a century, he has
scant few albums in his name. In fact, seven years have passed since his last
outing The Long Ride was issued, and it’s been more than a decade since
the Grammy-winning South Coast truly reminded the world of his
importance. Although his latest effort I Stand Alone boasts an array of
special guests — Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ Flea, X’s D.J. Bonebrake, Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker, and Wilco’s
Nels Cline all lend Elliott a hand — its title is wholly appropriate. The outing
is all about Ramblin’ Jack, and with one fell swoop, he ruminates upon mortality
in a way that puts the current folk-and-bluegrass revival into its proper
perspective.
At the age of 75, Elliott’s weathered vocals sound more expressive than ever
as he playfully cackles, croaks, and croons his way through the material on I
Stand Alone, while paying tribute to faithful dogs, examining love,
reminiscing about the old days, and laughing at death even as it stares him in
the face. Squeezing 16 tracks into less than 33 minutes, he strings together
seasoned interpretations of songs by A.P. Carter (Engine 143), Hoagy
Carmichael (Hong Kong Blues), and Leadbelly (Jean Harlow) to form
a narrative arc that feels wholly autobiographical. It’s only fitting, then,
that on the concluding Woody’s Last Ride, Elliott softly speaks of his
final cross-country journey with fellow folk legend Woody Guthrie, and as the
song’s surreal accompaniment disintegrates, it provides a gentle reminder of the
fragile, fleeting nature not only of memories but also of life.    
I Stand Alone is available from Amazon.com.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
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