John Wesley Harding's New Deal came out on Tuesday, February 13th, 1996 and has since been firmly established as a way of life. Well, for Wes, anyway. If you haven't heard it yet, you should go buy it now. Go ahead. Don't worry. We'll be here when you get back.
Still not sure? Or do you have it already, and want to find out more about it? Well, are you ever in the right place.
The folks at Rhino have compiled a lovely booklet that describes the history of JWH's career and the story behind the making of the new album. You can find the text here, as well as some enlightening lists that Wes provided for the back cover of the project.
The lyrics: Those of you who do have the album may have noted the conspicious absence of lyrics. Wes has never been fond of printing his lyrics on the records, but he does realize the demand. So he and the folks at the RSPCJWH printed up a book with the lyrics for members, and gave me permission to put 'em up.
During the promotional swing for the album, Wes stopped in at the studios of KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, and they've put the resulting performance into RealAudio format for all to enjoy. Just go to the home page, click on "Morning Becomes Eclectic", and entertainment is just a quick search away!
For those who are interested in the original New Deal (that thing in the 1930s that Franklin Delano Roosevelt came up with to keep people from starving), here are some resources:
- New Deal Network
- A page on Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal
- Library of Congress collection on the WPA Writers' Project (part of their Voices of the 30s project)
If you're curious, I suggest you pick up a good book like Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States and read up on the subject. If you'd like some more pointers, or if you'd like to get in touch with some people who were there, feel free to drop me a line.
Copyright (c) 1996, 1997 Rose Ellen Auerbach/Sometime Yesterday Productions