The Works (Jonatha Brooke album)

The Works, Jonatha Brooke's seventh solo release, is a full-length album of previously unheard lyrics by Woody Guthrie, set to original music written and performed by Brooke.[1] Brooke was invited by Guthrie's daughter Nora to sift through the private archives and hunt through Guthrie's unreleased material for possible adaptations.[2] Brooke said she was "smitten" with Guthrie's work and going through it was like "going to church."[3] She liked his poetic love songs like "My Sweet and Bitter Bowl" and spiritual deeper tunes like "My Battle"[3] and loved Guthrie's "full spectrum of craziness" as she described his writings.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Robert Christgau	(A-)[5]
PopMatters	[6]

The Works
Studio album by Jonatha Brooke
Released	August 29, 2008
Genre	folk-rock
Label	Bad Dog Records
Producer	Jonatha Brooke, Bob Clearmountain
Jonatha Brooke chronology
Careful What You Wish For (2007) The Works (2008)

Track listing

All songs written by Woody Guthrie (lyrics) and Jonatha Brooke (music), except where indicated.

1. "My Sweet and Bitter Bowl"
2. "You'd Oughta Be Satisfied Now"
3. "All You Gotta Do Is Touch Me"
4. "My Flowers Grow Green"
5. "Madonna on the Curb"
6. "There's More True Lovers Than One"
7. "Sweetest Angel"
8. "My Battle"
9. "Little Bird" (lyrics by Jonatha Brooke)
10. "Taste of Danger" (lyrics by Jonatha Brooke)
11. "New Star"
12. "Coney Island Intro"
13. "King of My Love"

Album credits

• Jonatha Brooke – vocals, guitar
• Steve Gadd – drums
• Greg Leisz – steel guitar
• Christian McBride – bass guitar
• Joe Sample – keyboard

Additional musicians

• Eric Bazilian – vocals on "There's More True Lovers Than One"
• Keb Mo – vocals on "All you Gotta Do Is Touch Me"
• Glen Phillips – vocals on "Sweetest Angel"
• Derek Trucks – slide guitar on "New Star"

See also

• Woody Guthrie Foundation
• Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue, (1998/2012)
• The Klezmatics - Wonderwheel, (2006)
• Jay Farrar - New Multitudes, (2012)

References

1. Linda Laban (August 26, 2008). "'The Works' mostly works". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
2. "The outlook -- Things to do and places to go". Boston Globe. November 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
3. "Jonatha Brooke: Rediscovering Woody Guthrie". National Public Radio (interview) Weekend Edition Sunday. November 16, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
4. Jeff Tamarkin. "Allmusic review". Retrieved 2020-01-13.
5. Robert Christgau. "Robert Christgau review". Retrieved 2020-01-13.
6. Micheal Metivier (2008-10-20). "Popmatters review". Popmatters. Retrieved 2020-01-13.