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Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of
Woody Guthrie
(Rounder)
First Appeared at The Music Box, May 2003, Volume 10, #5
Written by John Metzger
When Woody Guthrie died, he left behind a plethora of poetry that he had
never gotten around to setting to music. Some of this material was tackled by
Billy Bragg and Wilco’s two-album project Mermaid Avenue, but shortly
thereafter, a lesser-known compilation of his songs for children — some known,
some unknown — was put together by the Rounder label. The set featured such folk
music luminaries such as Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Joe Ely,
Taj Mahal, and Kim Wilson — each turning in warm and wonderful interpretations
of Guthrie’s playful words.
It’s the lyrics that are most apt to appeal to kids while guiding them
through the early trials and tribulations of life. Don’t You Push Me Down
offers some assistance in dealing with the playground bully; Dry Bed
jubilantly captures a successful potty training experience; Little Seed
shows how love and care can help life to blossom and grow; and Bigger
fulfills every child’s dream to be just a little bit older. Then, there are the
made-up words and nonsense syllables that fill just about every song ever
written for little tykes, yet within the hands of Guthrie and the artists on Daddy-O Daddy, they are hardly annoying to parents.
Musically, some of the songs might lean just a bit towards an older crowd,
and some younger children might lose interest during Cissy Houston’s eloquent
Little Seed or the two blues-oriented arrangements provided by Kim Wilson —
good as they may be. But it’s also hard to imagine children not dancing wildly
to the percussive bounce of Dry Bed or laughing uncontrollably at the
goofy Little Sack O Sugar. 
Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of Woody Guthrie is
available from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003
The Music Box
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