A Classic Then and Now
5
By almaginnes
I grew up on Tom Paxton's music and finding this album on iTunes has made me a very happy camper indeed. While some of Paxton's material might seem a bit dated, most of these songs sound the eternal struggle of the individual struggling to hang onto some measure of freedom in a society that increasingly devalues the individual. And Paxton leavens his message with a fine sense of humor, such as in "What Did You Learn In School Today?" Recommended for anyone who cares where American music has been or where it's going.
Give this one a chance
5
By Deep River Blues
The album review on this one is misleading - there are probably two or three songs on this classic album that have aged badly, but the rest is pure gold. I used to have it on vinyl and have missed it ever since I had to let it go. It's a little sad how relevant many of these songs are to what's happening in 2009...
Digression on ITunes Judgment
3
By daddy frank
The album review states, "nothing grows old faster than topical material." This is such a worn and inaccurate cliche. If a song expresses a thought or feeling tied exclusively to some abberation in collective behavior (like Phil Och's "The Thresher" or Bob Dylan's "Talking Bear Mountain Boat Disaster"), then the material might grow stale, but if the thought or feeling is tied to a recurring theme with only shifting details (like Och's "Bracero" or Dylan's "Hattie Carroll") the relevancy remains. Paxton's "Daily News" might be guilty of the former (although the paper is still a yellow rag---just not as bad as The New York Post), but the rest of the album does not fall into a narrow abnormality of events. The full throated voicing so popular with the college kids in the fifties and sixties might contribute to what makes the album feel dated. I agree with the rest of ITunes evaluation.
