LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Chicago native Tom Paxton's name is spoken in the same breath as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Judy Collins. Emerging from the early-'60s Greenwich Village folk revival, Paxton stood out from the pack. Instead of recording traditional songs or Woody Guthrie numbers like most of his contemporaries, he set out to be a singer-songwriter. Soon prominent artists were covering his songs. By the time this collection was recorded at New York's The Bitter End in June 1970, Paxton had released six studio albums. An accessible folksinger -- personal, but not mired in introspection -- Paxton populates his songs with memorable characters, putting faces to social issues and affairs of the heart. Compleat's "Clarissa Jones," "The Hooker," and "Cindy's Crying" are all fine examples of Paxton's insight made flesh. Primarily a stage artist, Paxton was due for a live record by the early '70s. This gifted musician and lyricist also brought humor to his performances, disarming an audience in the midst of some pretty heavy material. Listen, for example, to the way Paxton finesses the protest double header of "Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues" into "Jimmy Newman," showing how seduction is often mightier than the soapbox. This Rhino Handmade edition of Compleat includes many performances left off the original release due to the sonic limitations of the LP or the inclusion of the songs on the recent Tom Paxton 6 -- it clearly wasn't for a lack of quality. The six tracks sequenced between the original Side 3 and Side 4 of the album package preserve the flow of the original concerts. The Compleat Tom Paxton (Compleater) is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING CLARISSA JONES (2:53) THE THINGS I NOTICE NOW (3:05) JENNIFER'S RABBIT/I GIVE YOU THE MORNING (5:09) INTRO TO THE MARVELOUS TOY (3:08) THE MARVELOUS TOY (2:32) LEAVING LONDON (3:40) ANGIE (3:33) ALL NIGHT LONG (2:32) BAYONET RAP (6:51) TALKING VIETNAM POTLUCK BLUES (3:24) JIMMY NEWMAN (2:43) OUTWARD BOUND (3:02) MORNING AGAIN (3:12) CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHERE I'M BOUND (3:53) MY LADY'S A WILD FLYING DOVE (3:14) NOW THAT I'VE TAKEN MY LIFE (3:21) ABOUT THE CHILDREN (3:12) BALLAD OF SPIRO AGNEW (0:43) MR. BLUE (2:52) WISH I HAD A TROUBADOUR (3:26) WHOSE GARDEN WAS THIS (2:58) SATURDAY NIGHT (3:31) UNCLE JACK (4:22) FOREST LAWN (4:10) ANNIE'S GOING TO SING HER SONG (3:08) ICARUS (3:54) EV'RY TIME (WHEN WE ARE GONE) (3:40) CINDY'S CRYING/HOOKER (7:25) RAMBLIN' BOY (4:07) THE LAST THING ON MY MIND (3:54)