Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Of the singers who brought folk into the modern era around World War II, Cisco Houston seems to have less name recognition than either Woody Guthrie or Leadbelly. Not a songwriter himself, Houston did a great deal to promote the songs and legacy of Guthrie during the mid- to late-'50s, and a number of songs on this recording come from Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie. Houston also brings his smooth baritone to bear on a number of traditional songs, many of them with a political bent harking back to the Depression years. "Big Rock Candy Mountain" is a hobo song, a fantasy about a place where a bum can have everything that he or she desires. "Talking Dust Bowl" is a fun, apocalyptic little song about leaving one's home in a broken-down car, driving down a crooked mountain, and having an accident that "scatters wives and children all over the side [of] that mountain." He offers an amusing version of "Badman Ballad," a song similar in structure and content to "Cocaine Blues." Unlike "Cocaine Blues," though, Houston's narrator shoots and kills a deputy sheriff (not his woman) because he was feeling mean (not because he was on cocaine), and the overall tone is kept light and humorous. Most of these songs feature pretty straightforward arrangements, either with Houston on guitar or accompanied by a few friends. There are several tracks that have not been released before, including a fine version of "John Hardy." This collection of Houston material will be welcomed by old fans and is a good place to start for those wishing to learn more about the legendary folksinger.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, ComposerLyricist - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 1963 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Unknown, Composer - Cisco Houston, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Album review
Of the singers who brought folk into the modern era around World War II, Cisco Houston seems to have less name recognition than either Woody Guthrie or Leadbelly. Not a songwriter himself, Houston did a great deal to promote the songs and legacy of Guthrie during the mid- to late-'50s, and a number of songs on this recording come from Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie. Houston also brings his smooth baritone to bear on a number of traditional songs, many of them with a political bent harking back to the Depression years. "Big Rock Candy Mountain" is a hobo song, a fantasy about a place where a bum can have everything that he or she desires. "Talking Dust Bowl" is a fun, apocalyptic little song about leaving one's home in a broken-down car, driving down a crooked mountain, and having an accident that "scatters wives and children all over the side [of] that mountain." He offers an amusing version of "Badman Ballad," a song similar in structure and content to "Cocaine Blues." Unlike "Cocaine Blues," though, Houston's narrator shoots and kills a deputy sheriff (not his woman) because he was feeling mean (not because he was on cocaine), and the overall tone is kept light and humorous. Most of these songs feature pretty straightforward arrangements, either with Houston on guitar or accompanied by a few friends. There are several tracks that have not been released before, including a fine version of "John Hardy." This collection of Houston material will be welcomed by old fans and is a good place to start for those wishing to learn more about the legendary folksinger.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 24 track(s)
- Total length: 01:07:40
- Main artists: Cisco Houston
- Composer: Unknown
- Label: Vanguard Records
- Genre: Folk/Americana
© 2006 Vanguard Records ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.