Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – The Long Ride

As he’ll tell you at the drop of a hat, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott was friends with Woody Guthrie, who continues to strongly influence his career. On The Long Ride, Elliott introduces the traditional number “Picture From Life’s Other Side” with an anecdote about riding around in a Plymouth with Woody and Cisco Houston. A highlight of the disc is a reading of Woody’s “Ranger’s Command” that is positively, well, Guthriesque.

Elliott’s latest effort doesn’t feature as many guests as 1998’s star-studded Friends Of Mine, but his duet renditions of old folk tunes are the real meat of this Americana meal. Dave Van Ronk’s high, lonesome, soulful vocals on “St. James Infirmary” illustrate a perfect marriage of folk and blues, or perhaps the inherent similarity between the two genres. Dave Alvin adds a striking Dustbowl baritone to “East Virginia Blues”, and Maria Muldaur shines on the aforementioned “Picture”.

The two Tom Russell collaborations are less successful. “Cup Of Coffee” is a silly, conversational tale of Russell entertaining his houseguest Elliott. This tune would have been bothersome even as a bonus track; it certainly doesn’t deserve to be the second cut on the disc. The duo’s take on Russell’s brilliant “The Sky Above And The Mud Below” starts out promising but drags on for six minutes, like an engaging Western novel you wish were 40 pages shorter.

Elliott’s rendition of Tom Waits’ “Pony” has a faster tempo and nearly the same degree of cragginess as the original on Waits’ transcendent Mule Variations. Joe Craven’s banjo strumming gives the tune a 19th-century vibe. The final cut is a cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “With God On Our Side”. Elliott’s limited vocal range and spare guitar playing, along with the song’s running time of 7-and-a-half minutes, make for a long, rocky close to this uneven album.