In 1998 Billy Bragg and Wilco released a collaborative album 'Mermaid Avenue'. It was an exciting prospect for any fan of either or even both. But the icing on the cake was the Woody Guthrie connection. American folk legend Woody Guthrie left behind more than a thousand sets of lyrics, after his death in 1967.... all complete but without any music. His daughter Nora Guthrie had approached Billy Bragg about the project and he got Wilco onboard and the rest is history. They even recorded a second volume a couple of years later, due to the success and acclaim of this album. They decided to add their own contemporary style of music to the lyrics, rather than try to emulate Guthrie's folk style.... and the results were fantastic. "California Stars" is from Wilco and has Jeff Tweedy in top form vocally. A risky project that they managed to pull off.... twice.
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