Though THE IMMORTAL WOODY GUTHRIE: GOLDEN CLASSICS PART TWO is light on liner notes and recording information, the music is inarguably wonderful. Focusing on lesser-known but worthy entries in Guthrie's large oeuvre, THE IMMORTAL is perhaps not the best starting point for complete novices, but folks familiar with some of Guthrie's classic recordings will find much that's unfamiliar but essential here.
Opening with a trio of Guthrie's duets with Cisco Houston, including a spirited rendition of the standard "John Henry," THE IMMORTAL continues with "House of the Rising Sun, Number 5," one of Guthrie's best variants on that chestnut and the one that Bob Dylan copied faithfully on his first album. At nine tracks, the only complaint that one can level against this excellent collection is that it's too short.
