Tom Paxton is an American folk artist, who began his career in 1962, and has toured as recently as 2019. He’s won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and created modern folk standards that have been covered by a number of artists. This album, Ramblin’ Boy (1964), is Paxton’s debut studio album, and was was produced by Paul Rothschild and released on Elektra Records. A few songs on this album are frequently covered by artists still to this day, according to what I can find on Wikipedia, at least. I’m excited to give this one a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“A Job of Work” starts out with some really pleasant, bright and folksy acoustic guitars introducing the soundscape. Paxton’s vocals have a super nice nearly conversational tone with a bit of a country twang underlying them. This tune sounds like a super tasty classic folk tune, and I’m excited for the rest of the album. Great track.
Oh wow, “A Rumblin’ In the Land” oozes a bluegrass sound with the banjo and the low, intricate acoustic guitar work in the background while Paxton delivers a nice, baritone vocal line that sounds straight out of Appalachia. The guitar work and the banjo have some super great flavor and weight behind the playing, which complement the vocals very nicely. Great tune.
“When Morning Breaks” has an extremely gentle, light weight feeling coming off the heels of the previous track. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. There’s almost a sort of European folk flavor to the tune, while the song discusses wartime that possibly alludes to the war in Vietnam, while having lyrics that seem applicable to nearly any time. Really sweet time.
“Daily News” takes on a really interesting flavor that seems to be something of a social commentary on the politics of the 1960s, with a blues inflected folk soundscape created by just two guitars and Paxton’s vocals. There’s almost even a bit of ragtime sound to the soundscape too. Really sweet track.
Oh wow, “What Did You Learn In School Today?” I really dig the guitar lines that sort of have a pleasant skipping feeling to them with the child-like whimsy in the presentation of the tune. Oh wow, I really dig the acoustic bass (possibly the guitarron), which gently bops the tune along from the background. Really sweet tune.
“The Last Thing On My Mind” is a super sweet sound with the lone folk guitar and the pleasant vocals from Paxton that remind me a lot of Tim Hardin, who would release his debut album two years after this album was released. The gentleness of the guitar and vocal approach combine for a really sweet soundscape. Really pleasant tune.
Oh wow, “Harper” jumps back into the thick of things with a fast-paced bluegrass soundscape created by the banjo, guitar, and guitarron at times as well, with most of the jamming done between the banjo and guitar while the guitarron bops the tune forward with low, muddied plucks that add a nice warmness to the soundscape. I really dig the vocal performance from Paxton, there’s an interesting mixture of Appalachian and European inflections in his voice that create a nice folksy sound for the bluegrass tune. Great track.
“Fare Thee Well, Cisco” has more delicate guitar playing that has a rambling folksy sound, as though it’s traveling along without any destination in mind. Oh wow, the harmonica brings a lot of great flavor to the soundscape that reminds me a lot of Bob Dylan, while the warm and smooth vocal delivery of Paxton’s vocals add to the richness in this folk tune. Great tune.
Oh wow, “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” has some super tasty guitar work at the beginning, which feels like a very natural progression off of the heels of the previous tune, wherein there was a bit more of a meandering feeling to the guitar work, whereas this one feels as though it’s nearly seeking a purpose in the playing, which is accompanied by some classically folksy vocals. Really sweet track.
“High Sheriff of Hazard” is super interesting, as it brings in the banjo once again, but has more of an English or Irish folk tune with the vocal performance of Paxton. There’s a very rustic feeling in the tone of the acoustic guitar as well, which almost has a feeling as though you’re meandering the hills of Ireland or something. Great track.
“My Lady’s a Wild, Flying Dove” has a super delicate folk guitar, the delicate bopping sound of the guitarron in the background, while Paxton’s vocal performance producing a folksy serenade that’s incredibly pleasant to listen to. Really sweet tune.
“Standing On the Edge of Town” has a classic folk sound that reminds me of Woody Guthrie while two acoustic guitars play a super tasty folky melody that seems to diverge and converge again and again as the tune continues on. Great track.
“I’m Bound for the Mountains and the Sea” is super interesting with an almost solemn quality to it, with Paxton seemingly found a destination to travel to while having to say goodbye to those he was traveling with, which is echoed by the super sweet lines from the guitar(s), with the guitarron gently bopping the tune forward again. Really pleasant tune.
Oh wow, “Goin’ to the Zoo” switches up the mood with a super playful feeling between the banjo and guitar, which almost create a sound as though it’s a folksy children’s song. I’m really digging this tune with the tasty playing from the guitar and banjo. Really sweet track.
“Ramblin’ Boy” has a bit of a feeling of reminiscence to the soundscape, with some super pleasant playing from the different guitars that are gently bopped along by the guitarron. Oh wow, the delicate playing for the guitar and vocal delivery have such a relaxing feeling that’s nice to wind down the album with. Honestly the playing almost reminds me of slower, more heartfelt tunes by Elvis Presley to some degree. Great track and really pleasant way to finish up the album.
Wow, this album had a ton of dynamic range between songs while still keeping a natural progression and flow throughout. The mix of flavors of bluegrass and different types of folk music created a really pleasant sound, which became what sounded to be an early iteration of the singer/songwriter genre at times. If you dig folk music at all, or the singer/songwriter genre at all, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A