Ramblin' Jack Elliot
Friends of Mine
Hightone Records

Like the title suggests, Ramblin' Jack and some friends (Guy Clark, John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker, to name a few) sing some songs. It's more country than anything, but there are a few tracks that make this more than a country album.

First, let's start with the bad news. He does the Joe Ely tune "Me And Billy The Kid" with Peter Rowan on guitar, mandolin and vocal. It's a song I don't mind from Joe, but the spoken word over music thing doesn't work for me here. He also does the Grateful Dead's "Friend Of The Devil" with Bob Weir. It's not completely horrid, but the ‘Dead did it much better.

On a neutral note (no pun intended), I liked the lyrics to the song "Bleeker Street Blues." It's a letter, of sorts, to a very ill friend. I like what it says, but once again he does that spoken word thing.

There are two tracks I really like. One is "Louise," with Tom Waits. Mainly because it's Tom Waits. Tom's vocals aren't as caustic on this song as on most of his other works. Even if they were, it's Tom Waits. ‘Nuff said.

"Rex's Blues" is my favorite song on the CD. On this Townes Van Zandt song, Ramblin' Jack is joined by Nanci Griffith and Emmylou Harris. Once again, his voice is nothing pleasing, but the girls more than make up for it.

I'm not blown away by this CD. Buy it only if you have to have every album Tom Waits has ever appeared on, or if you really like interesting mixes of artists. Otherwise, forget it.

-Kate Rice

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