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Fellow Workers

Ani DiFranco - Fellow Workers Audio CD

A fair review of the Ani DiFranco "Fellow Workers" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ani DiFranco reviews here, or go back to the Ani DiFranco tabs.

Band: Ani DiFranco
Title: Fellow Workers
Rating:

Release Date: 1999-05-18
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Joe Hill [Instrumental] 2: Stupid's Song 3: Most Dangerous Woman 4: Stupid's Pledge 5: Direct Action 6: Pie in the Sky 7: Shoot or Stab Them 8: Lawrence 9: Bread and Roses 10: Why Come? 11: Unless You Are Free 12: I Will Not Obey 13: Long Memory 14: Silence That Is Me 15: Joe Hill 16: Saw-Playing Musician 17: Dump the Bosses 18: Internationale

Songs to foment Revolution!
I share it with budding young revolutionaries to spark interest in the history of the workers movements. I love this CD. If you dig 'The Internationale' I recomend this purchase!.

Ode of an Old Wobblie
Looking it over I believe that the comments can be applied to this CD as well, obviously noting the differences in format. This review was originally written as a commentary on Utah Phillip's Songbook- Starlight on the Trial issued in 2005. Utah has been consistent throughout his career in both the kind of songs he writes and sings about. He has also maintained his same basic political philosophy so my comments about our political differences also apply. Nevertheless, treasure any CD of his you can get your hands on.

The political consciousness developed in my youth coincided with an expansion of my musical tastes under the influence of the great blues and folk revivals of the 1960's. Unfortunately my exposure to the blues greats was mainly on records as many of them had been forgotten, retired or were dead. Not so with the folk revival this was created mainly by those who were close contemporaries. Alas, they too are now mainly forgotten, retired or dead. It therefore is with special pleasure that I review Utah Phillips Songbook while he is very much alive.

Many of the folksingers of the 1960 have attempted to use their music to become troubadours for social change. The most famous example, the early Bob Dylan, can be fairly described as the voice of his generation at that time. However, he fairly quickly moved on to other concepts of himself and his music. Bob Dylan's work became more informed by the influences of Rimbaud and Verlaine and the French Symbolists of the late 1800's and thus moved away to a more urban, sophisticated vision. From the start and consistently throughout his long career Utah has acted as a medium giving voice to the troubles of ordinary people and the simpler ethos of a more rural, Western-oriented gone by day in the American experience. He evokes in song the spirit of the people Walt Whitman paid homage to in poetic form and John Dos Passos and John Steinbeck gave in prose. He sits conformably in that very fast company. Utah Phillips can justly claim the title of a people's troubadour.

A word about politics. Generally, one rates music without reference to politics. However, Utah has introduced the political element by the way he structured the Songbook. Each song is introduced by him as to its significance heavily weighted to his political experiences, observations and vision. Thus, political comment is fairly in play here. Utah is a long time anarchist and unrepentant supporter of the Wobblies (International Workers of the World, hereafter IWW). Every militant cherishes the memory of the class battles led by the IWW like the famous Lawrence strike of 1912 and honors the heroes of those battles like Big Bill Haywood and Vincent St. John and the militants they recruited to the cause of the working class in the first part of the 20th century. They paved the way for the later successful organization drives of the 1930's.

Nevertheless, while Utah and I would both most definitely agree that some old-fashioned class struggle by working people in today's one-sided class war would be a very good thing we as definitely differ on the way to insure a permanent victory for working people in order to create a decent society. In short, Utah's prescriptions of good moral character, increased self-knowledge and the creation of small intentional communities are not enough. Under modern conditions it is necessary to take and safeguard political power against those who would quite consciously deny that victory. History has been cruel in some of the bitter lessons working people have had to endure for not dealing with the question of taking state power to protect their interests. But, enough said. I am more than willing to forgive the old curmudgeon his anarchist sins if he'll sing `I Remember Loving You' the next time he tours the Boston area.
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In A Wobbly's Living Room
It was for that reason that I bought this CD--at a Utah show--and it is on that basis that I review it. I come to you not as a member of Ani's Army, but as an appreciative listener to Utah Phillips for maybe fifteen years. For anyone who has seen Utah live ("and it comes to us highly recommended"), most of the usual cast of Labor characters can be found here: Stupid, Herb Edwards, Mother Jones, and of course Joe Hill. Indeed what is mostly captured on Fellow Workers is classic, colorful Wobbly Utah. On that basis alone, this CD is worth the time; collected here are many of the tales and simple songs that make up his off-kilter Union repertoire. THAT is what makes it a good listen, perhaps even a necessary listen, as Utah regales us with the stories of "those extraordinary lives that can never be lived again. "

So what does Ani DiFranco bring? Aurally speaking, a band and production chops. Wisely she keeps that as a backdrop to Utah's words. Except for a few instrumental pieces, the band simply gives Utah a sort of funky, acoustic groove to rap over. This is the capturing of a live show (in New Orleans), and Ani has mostly downplayed studio trickery to keep the intimate, living room feel of the concert. But, of course, what Ani really brings is her Army. And the real purpose is to introduce Ani's followers to a man who is now an elder statesman of Direct Action. I already knew about Utah, and I already knew how to sing "Pie in the Sky. " For me, and for fans of Utah, this album works because Utah is up front and in good form; it's an "Essential Recording" for Utah, if not necessarily Ani. For the Army. . . welcome to the history we were never taught. Take a seat and pay attention.

Big fan, but this CD sucks
Utah sounds tired, and the joke aren't funny, the music is weak, and Ani is just a back up singer. I'm a big fan of Utah Philips, and a fan of Ani DiFranco, and I love their initial collaboration "The Past Didn't go Anywhere", but this CD sucks.

quit whining and listen...
first of all, it is a 13 dollar c. i just got through reading all of these reviews on this album and i must say we have a lot of whining here, a waste of money,too much talking, not enough ani, blah blah blah. d. get over it. go sell it to a music store that buys c. d's. i am sure they would give you at least 4-5 bucks for it, so your only out like 8 or 9 dollars. i am sure you have spent more at mcdonalds. or on a pair of nikes. now what i percieve this collaboration to be is ed-u-cation-al. do u know what that is? this c. d. is a well established musician helping another well established musician get a point across. realize the importance of labor unions and pay homage to the past labor heroes who gave us what we have now, labor laws, if it weren't for them we would be working as soon as we could walk. quit worrying about how many times you heard ani and concentrate on what the artists are trying to teach you. in order to understand you must first examine, so try to examine these two brilliant musicians so you may better understand them and their messages.

You can see a complete list of all Ani DiFranco discography, or go back to the Ani DiFranco tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.