Woody Guthrie
My Dusty Road [box set] - Rounder
FILTER Grade: 88%

With Woody Guthrie spinning in the background, class is in session. Long before Tom Morello’s “Arm the Homeless” and “Soul Power” guitar-plastered phrases became iconic political jibber-jabber, Woody Guthrie’s “This Machine Kills Fascists” signage was raising eyebrows amongst the State’s post-Depression common folk from coast to coast...only this troubadour did it traveling on foot and crashing on floors. The master tapes of this four-disc collection hadn’t been heard since they were initially re-recorded over half a decade ago. Now brought back to life from a Brooklyn basement, this box set—quite literally a suitcase—highlights four distinct sides of one of the most prolific icons of the pre-Dylan era, and introduces both unreleased and released tracks to a new generation in themed installments. History is back in session.