このアルバムは1970年9月5日に録音を開始したが、10月4日にジャニスが薬物の過剰摂取で急死したことにより、未完成となったことは良く知られている。所有するアルバムの歌詞カードには、ジャニスが死の当日に録音する予定だったBuried Alive In The Bluesが載っていない。この曲がずっと気になっていたので、ネットで調べたところジャニスの作詞が見つかった。邦題は「生きながらブルースに葬られ」である。
All caught up in a landslide, bad luck pressing in from all sides Just got knocked off of my easy ride, Buried alive in the blues すべてが地滑りに巻き込まれ 周りから不運が押し寄せてくる 誘惑からは振り落とされ 生きながらブルースに葬られてしまった
1. Move Over 2. Cry Baby 3. A Woman Left Lonely 4. Half Moon 5. Buried Alive In The Blues 6. My Baby 7. Me And Bobby McGee 8. Mercedes Benz 9. Trust Me 10. Get It While You Can 11. Tell Mama 12. Little Girl Blue 13. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) 14. Cry Baby
Janis Joplin - vocals, guitar on "Me and Bobby McGee" Richard Bell - piano Ken Pearson - organ John Till - electric guitar Brad Campbell - bass guitar Clark Pierson - drums Bobby Womack - acoustic guitar on "Trust Me" Bobbye Hall - conga, percussion Phil Badella, John Cooke, Vince Mitchell - backing vocals Sandra Crouch - tambourine
Recorded in September 5 - October 1, 1970. Recorded on July 4, 1970 in Calgary during the Canadian Festival Express Tour (tracks 11 - 14).
1. Oh Susannah 2. Clementine 3. Tom Dula 4. Gallows Pole 5. Get A Job 6. Travel On 7. High Flyin' Bird 8. Jesus' Chariot (She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain) 9. This Land Is Your Land 10. Wayfarin' Stranger 11. God Save The Queen
Neil Young - vocals, guitar Billy Talbot - bass, vocals Ralph Molina - drums, vocals Frank "Poncho" Sampedro - guitar, vocals Dan Greco - orchestral cymbals, tambourine Americana Choir - vocals Pegi Young - vocals (track 9) Stephen Stills - vocals (track 9)
1. Oh Susannah This song written by Stephen Foster was originally performed on September 11, 1847. The Americana version was arranged with a new melody by Tim Rose and was originally performed by "The Big Three" in 1963, and updated by "Tim Rose and the Thorns" in 1964. This band did a lot of arrangements of folk songs that were changed to be rock and roll songs and called folk-rock. Tim Rose was one of the pioneers of folk-rock. Much of the music of Americana is based on this idea.
Stephen Fosterが書いたこの曲は、1847年9月11日に上演された。Americanaバージョンは、ティム・ローズによる新しいメロディーをアレンジ。1963年に「ビッグスリー」によって最初に演奏され、1964年に「ティム・ローズとThorns」がアップデート。このバンドは、多くのフォークソングをアレンジし、ロックンロール風に書き換え、フォークロックと呼ばれた。ティム・ローズはフォークロックのパイオニアの一人。Americanaの音楽の多くはこのアイデアに基づいている。
2. Clementine This American folk ballad is believed to be based on "Down by the River We'd a Malden" by H.S. Thompson 1863. However, it is usually credited to Percy Montrose. 1884 or Barker Bradford from about the same period. The Americana arrangement extends the folk process, using many of the original words and a new melody. The song tells the story of either a bereaved lover recalling his lost sweetheart, or a father missing his lost daughter. In both cases the daughter has drowned in an accident. The song is now famous as an American children's song. The verse about Clementine's sister has been omitted from most children's versions. This verse has different meanings depending on whether the point of view of the singer is taken as the lover or the father.
1863年のH.S. Thompsonによる"Down by the River We'd a Malden"に基づくと考えられている。しかし、普通はPercy Montroseとクレジット。1884年、もしくはBarker Bradfordと同時期(注:この意味は不明)。Americanaのアレンジは、元の多くの言葉と新しいメロディーを使って、フォークへと拡張。この歌は、亡くなった恋人を思い出したり、父親が亡くなった娘を失ったことを物語っている。いずれも娘は溺死。アメリカの童謡として有名だが、子供向けバージョンでは、クレメンタインの妹の部分は省略。この歌詞は、歌手の視点が恋人か父親であるかによって意味が異なる。
3. Tom Dula This folk song, writer unknown, is based on the 1866 murder of a woman named Laura Foster, who was stabbed to death with a knife in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Tom Dula, a confederate soldier returned from the war and Laura Foster's lover, was convicted of her murder and hanged May 1 1868. Grayson, mentioned in the song, was instrumental in supplying information to the posse that eventually found Dula. Dula had another lover, prior to his leaving for the war, named Anne Melton. It was her comments that led to the discovery of Foster's body. She was charged with murder but was acquitted based on Dula's word. Dula's last statement on the gallows was "Gentlemen, do you see this hand? I didn't harm a hair on the girl's head." Anne Melton died insane a few years later. The Americana arrangement is from "The Squires" with a new melody and the original lyrics.
4. Gallows Pole This centuries-old folk song, writer unknown, probably originates in Finland. It is about a woman condemned to die and telling the hangman to wait because someone was coming to rescue her with either money (gold) or information proving her innocence. The folk process enhanced this over the years and it has had many interpretations. The Americana arrangement, which assumes the condemned is a man, is based on Odetta's interpretation, now an enduring American folk classic.
5. Get A Job A song about a man who has not been able to find work, and is assumed lazy and a liar by his woman. "Get A Job" is included in Americana because it is a genuine folk song with all of the true characteristics. This song was written by Richard Lewis of The Silhouettes, although credit is shared with the whole group because they did the vocal arrangement. The hit recording performed by "The Silhouettes" was released in 1957. The Americana version follows the original arrangement.
仕事を見つけることができず、彼女から怠惰で嘘つきとされる男の歌。"Get A Job"は本物のフォークソングであり、Americanaに取り入れた。R&Bグループ"The Silhouettes"のRichard Lewisによって書かれたが、ボーカルのアレンジにより、グループの曲としてクレジットされている。ヒット曲「ザ・シルエッツ」は1957年にリリース。Americanaバージョンはオリジナルに従っている。
6. Travel On "Gotta Travel On," adapted by Paul Clayton and others from a British folk tune, was recorded by Billy Grammer in 1958. His version is an American classic. The song tells of a man who has to keep moving for a variety of reasons, all common with American life. The Americana arrangement is based on Billy Grammer's version with some lyric changes.
Paul Claytonらがイギリスのフォークチューンからアレンジした"Gotta Travel On"は、1958年にBilly Grammerによって録音。彼のバージョンはアメリカのクラシックである。この曲は、さまざまな理由で動き続けなければならない男を物語っていて、すべてアメリカの生活に共通している。Americanaのアレンジは、いくつかの歌詞の変更を加えたBilly Grammerのバージョンに基づいている。
7. High Flyin' Bird Written by Billy Edd Wheeler, this is a folk song performed by "The Company" in 1964. Stephen Stills was the lead singer. The song is about freedom, life and death. The Americana arrangement is based on "The Squires" 1964 version.
Billy Edd Wheelerの作品で、1964年に"The Company"によって演奏された。Stephen Stillsがリードボーカル。自由、そして生と死についての歌。Americanaのアレンジは、1964年バージョンの"The Squires"に基づいている。
8. Jesus' Chariot (She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain) Written in the 1800s based on an old Negro spiritual, this song refers to the second coming of Jesus and "she" is the chariot Jesus is coming on. Some interpret this as the end of the world. Others have said that "she" refers to union organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones going to promote formation of labor unions in the Appalachian coal mining camps. The Americana arrangement continues the folk process with a new melody, a new title and a combination of lyric sources.
9. This Land Is Your Land This folk song was written by Woody Guthrie in the 1940s to a pre-existing melody as a response to "God Bless America" which Guthrie was tired of hearing. The lyrics Guthrie sang varied over time, but the lyrics sung in the Americana version were in the original manuscript of the song.
10. Wayfarin' Stranger This 19th century folk song is about a soul traveling through life, perhaps envisioning the end approaching. The Americana arrangement is influenced by the Burl Ives 1944 recording, with the same words and melody.
11. God Save The Queen Written in the 18th century with possible melodic roots in the 17th century, this anthem has been sung throughout the British Commonwealth and may have been sung in North America before the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence in 1776, which rejected British sovereignty. The Americana arrangement draws from the original melody and changes some melody and lyrics in the folk process, also adding lyrics at the same melody taken from "My Country 'Tis of Thee," in recognition of the War of Independence and America's transition to freedom.
18世紀に書かれ、17世紀にメロディックなルーツの可能性があるこの国歌は、イギリス連邦全体で歌われた。1776年のアメリカ独立宣言が、イギリスの主権を拒否する前に北アメリカで歌われた可能性がある。Americanaのアレンジは、元のメロディーを引き出しながら、メロディーと歌詞を変更。また、独立戦争とアメリカの自由への変遷を意識して、"My Country 'Tis of Thee"から得たメロディーに歌詞を追加している。
アルバムタイトルには引用符が付いて『"Love And Theft"』(愛と盗み)。つまり、書物などからの引用を暗示している。2001年9月11日、全米発売。同時多発テロとは無関係だが、『浅草博徒一代』(佐賀純一著)から借用した表現が見られる箇所が、6曲もあることはよく知られている。文庫版のあとがきで、佐賀氏は「ボブ・ディランという偉大な歌手が新しい命を吹き入れてくれたことを、私は心から感謝している」と書いている。英訳はJohn Besterで、書名はConfessions of a Yakuza(あるヤクザの告白)。ディランはYakuzaという言葉を知っていて、興味を持ち読み始めたのだろう。
そして、気になる表現をもとに曲作りに取り掛かった。それだけではない、1曲目はイギリスの童謡Tweedledum and Tweedledeeをヒントにしている。8曲目Moonlightには、It takes a thief to catch a thief(蛇の道は蛇)、For whom dose the bell toll(誰がために鐘は鳴る)のセンテンス。格言とヘミングウェイの小説から引用。最終曲Sugar Babyの歌詞の最後には、ソングライターGene Austinの作品Lonesome Roadからのパクリが出てくる。"Love And Theft"は"Lyric And Theft"でもあるのだ。
1. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum 2. Mississippi 3. Summer Days 4. Bye And Bye 5. Lonesome Day Blues 6. Floater (Too Much To Ask) 7. High Water (For Charley Patton) 8. Moonlight 9. Honest With Me 10. Po' Boy 11. Cry A While 12. Sugar Baby
Limited edition bonus disc 1. I Was Young When I Left Home / recorded on December 22, 1961. 2. The Times They Are a-Changin' (alternate version) / recorded on October 23, 1963.
Bob Dylan - vocals, guitar, piano Larry Campbell - guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin Tony Garnier - bass guitar David Kemper - drums Augie Meyers - accordion, Hammond B3 organ, Vox organ Clay Meyers - bongos Charlie Sexton - guitar