Published on Mar 16, 1999
Tracing one’s lineage is not some new fad or a passing fancy; it
is something that has interested mankind for the longest time. Some
people supposedly can tell a lot about their ancestors in their
last names. I know a few people whose family tree does not fork,
but that’s another story altogether.
For folk musician Tom Russell, the tracing of his ancestry has
led to
The Man From God Knows Where, which could be called the
Tommy of Celtic-influenced folk. Lining up a solid cast of
musicians and vocalists, Russell traces through music the path of
his ancestors from England and Norway, ghosts whose journeys
eventually have rested with Russell – and who will travel on
through his children.
I don’t pretend to have understood the whole story told in the
music; while the music featured on
The Man From God Knows Where is beautiful, the story takes a
little brainpower to totally comprehend. I don’t feel I’ve spent
enough time with the disc to accurately relay the story.
But even if you don’t feel like applying both lobes to the
story, Russell and his friends create a wonderful palate of music
that mixes in the thrills of Celtic music (both Irish and
Norweigan) with folk. The end result is something real special. You
can recognize the shifting of movements with the repetition of the
title track and of “Wayfarin’ Stranger” (usually sung by Iris
DeMent).
One surprise inclusion on
The Man From God Knows Where is the voice of Walt Whitman.
Think back to your literature classes – remember
Leaves Of Grass? Yes, that Walt Whitman; his voice –
recorded on an early Thomas Edison phonograph – is heard on the
second version of the title track. It’s a haunting inclusion, but
one that I found fascinating. Not bad, seeing that I never finished
Leaves Of Grass.
Dave Van Ronk’s rowdy version of “The Outcast” is a high note of
this album, as are the tracks featuring Dolores Keane and Kari
Bremmes (“The Old Rugged Cross,” “Anna Olsen’s Letter Home”).
Sondre Bratland’s delivery of “Eg er framand” helps to link the
past with the present in a hauntingly beautiful way.
But Russell is not always out to sing about the good times on
The Man From God Knows Where. He’s not afraid to talk about
the darker times in his family’s history (“Chickasaw County Jail,”
“Throwin’ Horseshoes At The Moon”). Russell – who could easily be
the modern day Johnny Cash – embraces both good and bad, as it
makes up the history that he now is and that he will be passing on
to future generations.
The album’s close – reprises of “The Outcast” and “Wayfarin’
Stranger”, concluded with “Love Abides” – leaves the listener with
a feeling of hope, that despite all the heartaches and hardships
felt over two centuries and two continents, hope never took a back
seat to fear or despair, and the clouds of life are finally
breaking up to reveal the dawn of a new day.
Russell is presently touring in support of
The Man From God Knows Where; this is the type of album that
could easily translate into a successful musical. (Hey they did it
with
Tommy; why wouldn’t this work, albeit on a smaller scale?)
Russell is to be applauded for the work he has done on
The Man From God Knows Where. Not only does he embrace the
whole history of his lineage, he helps us to understand the plights
that many families – possibly even our own – have faced over the
years.