Previously unrecorded lyrics by Woody Guthrie are given new life (and new music) by British punk folkie Billy Bragg and American rockers Wilco. Though Guthrie himself was an advocate of musical simplicity, one can't help but imagine he'd be pleased with the textured full-band arrangements and the quieter solo tunes. In this disc and its follow-up, Volume 2, Bragg and Wilco honor Guthrie's talent and time without denying their own. (TR)

Thomas Rogers