UTAH PHILLIPS: Starlight on the Rails: A Songbook

Utah Phillips

Starlight on the Rails: A Songbook

© 2005 AK Press/Daemon Records (767691904726)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

The definitive, newly released 4-CD set of 61 original songs (each accompanied by a descriptive story) sung mostly by Utah, with certain songs by special guests Rosalie Sorrels, Kate Wolf, Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher, Mark Ross, Kendall Morse, Kuddie, and

tracks

1 The Telling Takes Me Home
2 Yuba City
3 All Used Up
4 Frisco Road
5 Queen of the Rails
6 Wabash Cannonball/Tolono
7 Weepy Doesn't Know
8 Funeral Train
9 Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia
10 Phoebe Snow
11 He Comes Like Rain
12 The Solider's Return
13 Touch Me
14 If I Could Be the Rain
15 Starlight on the Rails
16 Talking NPR Blues
17 John D. Lee
18 Dancers
19 Dog Canyon
20 Look for Me in Butte
21 Goodnight-Loving Trail
22 Daddy, What's a Train?
23 Fly Away
24 Kid's Liberation
25 Sing in the Spring
26 Eddie's Song
27 Shadow Maker
28 She'll Never Be Mine
29 Hood River, Roll On
30 Stupid's Song
31 Nevada Jane
32 Collie Wilkins (Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher)
33 Golden Mansions (Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher)
34 A Ragged Old Man (Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher)
35 Orphan Train (Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher)
36 The Miner's Lullaby (Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher)
37 Wolverine 14 Talking Blues (Rosalie Sorrels)
38 I Think of You (Rosalie Sorrels)
39 A Clearing in the Forest (Rosalie Sorrels)
40 Rock Salt & Nails (Rosalie Sorrels)
41 Twist and a Pound (Mark Ross)
42 Scott's Creek Bluff (Kuddie)
43 Ashes on the Sea (Kendall Morse)
44 The Faded Roses of December (Finest Kind)
45 Aces, Straights, & Flushes (Kate Wolf)
46 Going Away
47 Old Buddy, Goodnight
48 Jesse's Corrido
49 Pig Hollow
50 Enola Gay
51 Larimer Street
52 Walking Through Your Town in the Snow
53 Room for the Poor
54 Trooper's Lament
55 I Will Not Obey
56 Ain't It Fine
57 Killing Ground
58 Judas Ram
59 Yellow Ribbon
60 Rice & Beans
61 Hymn Song

notes

Utah Phillips has crafted a fascinating show out of his life. In the course of seventy years he has labored as a dishwasher, archivist, printer, and warehouseman; soldiered in the Korean War; lived as a tramp (he is still a Grand Duke of Hoboes), and for the past 36 years made his way telling stories and singing songs. He has the wit, humor, bite, and intelligence of a Mark Twain or a Will Rogers, and behind his "Everyman" appearance is a consummate artist. Peppered with one-liners and offhand philosophical commentary, Utah's revealing stories, about such spirited American characters as Charley Goodnight, Mother Jones, and Idaho Blackie, tell our true history and connect us to American traditions that are genuinely ours.
Utah Phillips is described as "a national treasure, a writer of haunting songs, a storyteller of hilarious presence and subtle depth, a union organizer, historian and scholar, a Celtic-Yiddish bard, a Pleistocene bon vivant, a post-modern ne'er-do-well, and a heck of an engineer." A 40-year member of the Industrial Workers of the World, he is the most entertaining labor troubadour of our time, leading his audience on an emotional rollercoaster with side-splitting storytelling and fire-breathing working class songs. According to one reviewer, "Phillips exemplifies some of the traits which Americans most value: an open and inquisitive mind, a daring heart, and a sharp but humorous tongue." The Boston Globe said, "Phillips above all is a consummate showman, a master of the theater...Phillips has a genius for making people laugh and care at the same time." He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the North American Folk Alliance, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Western Labor Heritage Foundation, and the Joe Hill Award from the Labor Heritage Foundation-AFL-CIO, among many others.

reviews

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  • Give me time and I might think of a title...
    author: Donald Albertson

    Utah wrote so many songs with memorable lines that there's no point in trying to list them all but there have always been a few that stuck with me. Things like "The backs of his hands were like road maps, the lines on his face were the same." and "We looked into the ash, helpless with longing, and rage." Even with some exposure to his songs, I wasn't prepared for the power and humor in some of the ones that are new to me and I certainly wasn't prepared for some of the anecdotes in his intros to these. Who would ever think of such a thing as a Truman Cactus and I don't think I'll ever get over his dismissal of how country music got mixed up with tin pan alley until they put out songs where One side of a record would be "I'm rough, I'm tough, I strut my stuff Don't take no guff I drive a truck " And the other side would say "That little woman destroyed my life and I'm gonna shoot her or me or drink myself..." It was good to see Springsteen and Seeger leading the crowd in Woody's "This land is your land...". I wish that Utah could have been there to sing something. Odetta missed that too. More's the pity.

  • Im Going Away
    author: Cheryl Trudel

    This song has the rich, deep and passionate lyrical flare that Utah Phillips is so well known for--a tribute to American Folk music

  • Rich in history
    author: Ben Atteberry

    Utah Phillips tells his stories in the tradition of the travelling bards, using music and allegory. We have all suffered an inestimable loss with his passing.

  • great piece of music and thoughts
    author: Martin Dworak

    It's a really wonderful CD and it's really cheering up to know that there are people all around the world who keep their eyes open and are not afraid to tell you about the things they see.

  • author: WD Arnold

    What a wonderful album.

  • Starlight on the Rails
    author: Laurel Paulson-Pierce

    This would be a great addition to any collection and a great way to support Utah, who is no longer able to tour due to health problems. These songs need to be heard by as many people as possible. A portrait of a nation from the past, but so applicable to the present!

  • The getting of wisdom.
    author: Ian "Dykie" Dunn

    This CD is a cornerstone of my folk music collection. I reckon it's worthwhile to seek out common sense and wisdom as they don't teach it in schools. This is a gem.

  • The definitive collection of a great writer.
    author: Peter Clark

    The idea of a sung song book is great. We knew some of thses songs from hearing them by Fred Holstein, Bonnie Koloc and others, including Utah, but it is a revelation hearing all of them, along with the stories behind them.

  • great, Utah You are my elder Thank You
    author: Small Potatoes Music

    I like how Utah sets up each song before playing it. I enjoyed hearing other artist's performing some Utah favorites.Tell Mark Ross I'm looking for him in Butte, Mt.

  • Awesome!
    author: Sonya McKinery

    We had a tape of Uath's music bought in'79 and it was lost a few years ago when we moved to Oregon from Pa. We are just tickled to now have this delightful CD playing again!

  • Don't think twice! Buy today and enjoy it for years.
    author: Mandie

    By the time I longed to hear the stories of my own grandparents' lives, it was too late. These might not be the exact tales of my ancestors, but they capture something bigger than the individual. This four CD set is a must have for anyone who knows that there is much to be gained from listening to one's elders. The music makes the stories easy to learn and remember, and Utah's explanations add even deeper meaning. Even if you already have some of the songs included in this set on other albums, this is more than worth your investment. You won't find history like this in your average textbook. I wish every school kid in America would listen to this songbook. Wonderfully performed and recorded by Utah and friends, Starlight on the Rails will be treasured for years. Don't hesitate to add it to your collection!

  • This one is a definete keeper!
    author: David Payne

    Just recieved the discs and felt the need to say something. I first heard Utah through my love of Ani DiFranco's music. They've done two together. I finally broke down and bought this set. Fantastic stories and music. I am a musician myself and am always on the lookout for songs that i can relate to. Each of these is something that touches me in a special way. Utah is a true working class man. For those of us in the 'bluecollar' work force, this is a must have. A great many of these songs will find it's way into my current selections of songs that i perform. To those that have never heard Utah, BUY THIS SET. I can't recommend it high enough. I am going to buy all of his other cds as well. Thanks CDBaby for making them available.

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