I Saw a Sign: 1940-1947 Recordings

Smithsonian Folkways has done such a splendid job in curating Woody Guthrie's legacy via a superbly presented and award-winning set of archive releases that it seems almost disloyal to recommend a collection of his long out-of-copyright recordings on another label. Yet many of Smithsonian's high-end releases have retailed at a high price: one collection even came in an expensive replica of a hobo's suitcase. By contrast, as a cheap and cheerful budget collection offering value for money, this two-disc set of 51 songs is hard to beat. Guthrie wrote literally hundreds of songs but most of the seminal compositions from his most prolific decade are here. From ‘This Land is Your Land’ and ‘Pastures of Plenty’ to ‘Vigilante Man’ and ‘Grand Coulee Dam’, every single one of these songs is indispensable, a vital historical link in a proud vernacular tradition that seamlessly connects the pre-war world portrayed by John Steinbeck (who once wrote that Guthrie defined ‘the American spirit’) to contemporary disciples such as Dylan and Springsteen.