My Eyes Have Seen

My Eyes Have Seen is a studio album by American folk singer Odetta, first released in July 1959.[1][2] It is the first record by Odetta to be released by Vanguard Records.

My Eyes Have Seen
Original LP cover
Studio album by Odetta
Released	July 1959[1][2]
Genre	Folk, blues
Length	40:16
Label	Vanguard
Odetta chronology
At the Gate of Horn (1957) My Eyes Have Seen (1959) Ballad For Americans and Other American Ballads (1960)
Alternative Cover
The CD re-issue of My Eyes Have Seen

Milt Okun arranged and conducted a choir on a portion of the songs, notably "Motherless Children", "Ox-Driver Song" and the title piece.

My Eyes Have Seen was re-released on CD in 1994.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

In his review for Allmusic, critic Ronnie D. Lankford wrote of the album, "While it might be hard for a post-millennium roots fan to understand, Odetta—in her heyday—was the kind of folk artist who drove purists crazy.... My Eyes Have Seen is a nice portrait of a performer bucking conformity as she stretches her artistic legs a bit.."[3]

Track listing

All songs Traditional unless otherwise noted.

1. "Poor Little Jesus" – 1:54
2. "Bald Headed Woman" – 2:20
3. "Motherless Children" – 2:10
4. "I Know Where I'm Going" – 2:00
5. "The Foggy Dew" (Canon Charles O’Neill) – 5:29
6. "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain/Water Boy" (Avery Robinson) – 6:54
7. "Ox-Driver Song" – 2:35
8. "Down on Me" – 2:55
9. "Saro Jane" – 2:45
10. "Three Pigs" – 1:18
11. "No More Cane on the Brazos" – 3:38
12. "Jumpin' Judy" – 2:26
13. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Julia Ward Howe) – 3:52

Personnel

• Odetta Holmes – vocals, guitar
• Bill Lee – bass

References

1. "12 New Vanguard LP's" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. 18 July 1959. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
2. "My Eyes Have Seen". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. 27 July 1959. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
3. Lankford, Ronnie D. "My Eyes Have Seen > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 11, 2016.