Dust Bowl Ballads

by Woody Guthrie

Dust Bowl Ballads cover art

Considered one of the first true concept albums, Woody Guthrie's 'Dust Bowl Ballads' is a foundational work of American folk music that chronicles the plight of Depression-era migrant workers with semi-autobiographical detail. Originally released in 1940, the album's production is stark and immediate, featuring only Guthrie's acoustic guitar and his distinctively nasal, talking-blues vocal delivery. The songwriting, which heavily influenced John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' and generations of musicians, alternates between humorous observation, grim reportage, and defiant social commentary on the hardships faced by displaced families.

Genres

  • Singer-Songwriter
  • American Folk Music

Tracklist

  1. The Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster)
  2. I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore
  3. Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues
  4. Vigilante Man
  5. Dust Cain't Kill Me
  6. Dust Pneumonia Blues
  7. Pretty Boy Floyd
  8. Blowin' Down This Road (I Ain't Going to Be Treated This Way)
  9. Tom Joad, Pt. 1
  10. Tom Joad, Pt. 2
  11. Dust Bowl Refugee
  12. Do Re Mi
  13. Dust Bowl Blues
  14. Dusty Old Dust (So Long It's Been God to Know Yuh)