At Last, Okemah!

WINSTON THOMAS: A SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
It's hard to believe that Winston Thomas released so many albums in such a short time. Even HARDER to believe is that there are volumes of unreleased material still in the vaults. More albums have recently been released, but these are the ones that were available at the time that Winston embarked on his journey:

King of the Midwestern Blues - *** - Some might think it was pretentious for Winston to call his very first album "King of the Midwestern Blues," particularly considering there's only one blues song on the entire record. But the music shows promise - this set of songs (mostly traditonal, mostly obscure) shows that Winston instinctively grasped the way to make these ancient songs sound both authentic AND modern and relevant. The lone original, "Amazing Grace (Train Song)" sounds almost like a manifesto in hindsight: "I want to be the hobo who / has no scars on his face / who jumps out from the moving train / lands with amazing grace." Probably Winston's LEAST essential recording, but also not just for completists.

From His Brain Grew a Red Red Rose - **** - While Winston still hadn't quite come into his own yet, he's a lot closer here - though every song is listed as "traditional," Winston actually wrote half of them himself. The originals sound right at home among the ancient ballads about roses growing from brains, lovers turning into swans, talking birds who appear to murderers (which happens in three songs in this collection) and voyeuristic elves. But the true miracle of this recording - and it is a miracle - is that it never, ever sounds boring, despite the fact that "The Ballad of Sir Amadis de Gaul" is more than twenty minutes long. Rumor has it that Winston had enough more verses to that particular song written that he was able to make it last over an hour at his early gigs, but no recordings have surfaced to prove it.

Singin', Ramblin', Waitin', Working,' and Wanderin - ***** - What can be said about this album, Winston's first album of original folk songs, that hasn't been said? Poke around online and you can find essays swearing that it was intended as a folk opera, or that each song is based on a different Shakespeare play. Surely everyone already knows by now that different covers of "Doorbell Ditching at the Pearly Gates" once topped the modern rock, country and gospel charts simultaneously. In any case, it's a stone classic from "Doorbell" to the haunting "Bells of St. Julian's," and, though it initially attracted little notice outside of Winston's native Chicago, it has slowly become the album that opened a million coffee shops and sold a million acoustic guitars. Miguel, who by this time Winston's roadie, said it best: "It's funny, sad, strange and beautiful."

Live Where The Gate of Horn Folk Club Used to Be - ***** - Winston may have intended to go to Okemah to be annointed, but others say it had already happened in Chicago the night this set was recorded. Announced only hours before the show, nearly 300 people showed up at the corner where the legendary folk club once sat, and the recording captures their enthusiasm. If there could only be one album to distill the essence of who Winston was as a writer, a performer, and a person, this is probably it. It contains many of the best of the originals Winston had written so far, plus some of his best traditional arrangements, and some uproarious stage banter that shows the depth of his connection to his hometown audience. Especially interesting is to hear the police arrive, attempt to stop the show, and end up singing along - a quintessential Winston moment.

Sacco and Vanzetti Must Not Die - *** - An album culled from songs recorded in a burst of studio activity - at the time, Winston was said to be recording several songs per day, and those released so far are just the tip of the iceberg. These were the first tracks from these sessions to be released, but they're certainly not the best. While Winston sings these ballads about the late Italian anarchists, most of which were written by Woody Guthrie, with great conviction, the album sorely lacks the humor and uplifting spirit that makes Winston's best work such a joy. Not to mention the fact that, according to Miguel Sanchez, Winston genuinely didn't seem to realize that Sacco and Vanzetti had been dead for years. It was shortly before this was released that Winston claimed to have been visited by Guthrie's spirit while breaking into the Old Town School of Folk Music. People began to wonder if Thomas was, in fact, out of his mind - something they wouldn't have wondered if Thomas and Sanchez had picked a different set of songs from the "Chicago sessions" to release as an album. Still, if anyone ELSE had recorded this album, it would be a career-making landmark. As it is, it's just a set of Winston doing other's people's songs from another era.

Winston Thomas and Friends at the Old Town School - ***** - Any fears that Winston had lost it were laid to rest by this wonderful set. To make up for the break-in, the Old Town School asked Winston to play two benefit concerts. They raised a fortune and led to the creation of one of the finest folk albums ever recorded. Additional Chicago musicians sit in on every song, rounding out the sometimes-stark sound of his solo recordings, and the between-song-banter among them is a lot of fun. The newly-released expanded edition containing both concerts in their entirety features several originals that had not yet been recorded, great versions of some of Winston's "hits," and a handful dynamite covers and traditionals. No song (except for "Doorbell Ditching") was played at each show, and the atmosphere is informal and, at times, hilarious. Also noted for featuring Winston's only known duet with his roadie and closest confidant, Miguel Sanchez, who would, of course, soon find fame in his own right as "Ramblin' Miguel." That's him singing backup on "Diamond Joe." Some speculate that Winston wanted this band to become permanant (true) and that it may have been a first step to him "going electric" (dream on).

At Night All Cats are Gray - ***** - Some have said that by recording at such a furious pace, without necessarily planning for which song would go on which album, that Winston was sacrificing quality for quantity. But this collection of originals (plus a few old murder ballads) shows that it couldn't have been MUCH of a sacrifice. Perhaps not as revelatory (or as much fun) as "Singin....," "At Night All Cats Are Grey" shows Winston's darker, spookier side - some have nicknamed this album "The Winston Thomas Halloween Special." True, this album seems to be about death (wheras his other albums are generally about life), but the songs are first-rate, particularly those in which Winston contemplates his own mortality, and the sound (utilizing musicians from the Old Town School) is endlessly revelatory - you hear something new every time you dare to listen.

Winston Thomas Sings for Children - **** - Perhaps to balance out the darkness of "Cats," this set of songs from the famous "Chicago sessions" was released on the same day. It's a fascinating album, particularly because it's sort of odd to hear what songs Winston thought children would want to hear. No one is entirely sure whether Winston or Miguel selected the songs for the album, but, really, who decided to put "Her Little Ball o' Yarn" on a children's album? Surely they both knew that that song was NOT about yarn. And didn't they think children might be frightened by the awful cover? Still, the original songs are great, particularly "The Three Bean Casserole War," which is really Winston at his best.

Stealin' - * - They call this album "Stealin" because that's what it was - stolen. Few besides conspiracy theorists believed that Winston Thomas was once known as Harvey Grossman, a Chicago hipster who led a band called Rock-Maninoff and the Rippers, until this pirated demo recording surfaced - this is unmistakably Winston's voice, surrounded by buzzing bass, fuzzy guitar, and a whole lot of rocket ship noises. The songs generally lack verses, choruses, meter, or rhyme scheme. Some bands could pull this off, but Rock-Maninoff wasn't one of them. However, this DOES contain a strange version of "Doorbell Ditching" with totally different (but still good) lyrics that show that "Harvey" really did have it in him. "Harvey's" girlfriend has said that when he became "Winston," he became a whole different person. This recording (which she herself is thought to have leaked) should confirm it.

	King of the Midwestern Blues - *** - Some might think it was pretentious for Winston to call his very first album "King of the Midwestern Blues," particularly considering there's only one blues song on the entire record. But the music shows promise - this set of songs (mostly traditonal, mostly obscure) shows that Winston instinctively grasped the way to make these ancient songs sound both authentic AND modern and relevant. The lone original, "Amazing Grace (Train Song)" sounds almost like a manifesto in hindsight: "I want to be the hobo who / has no scars on his face / who jumps out from the moving train / lands with amazing grace." Probably Winston's LEAST essential recording, but also not just for completists.
	From His Brain Grew a Red Red Rose - **** - While Winston still hadn't quite come into his own yet, he's a lot closer here - though every song is listed as "traditional," Winston actually wrote half of them himself. The originals sound right at home among the ancient ballads about roses growing from brains, lovers turning into swans, talking birds who appear to murderers (which happens in three songs in this collection) and voyeuristic elves. But the true miracle of this recording - and it is a miracle - is that it never, ever sounds boring, despite the fact that "The Ballad of Sir Amadis de Gaul" is more than twenty minutes long. Rumor has it that Winston had enough more verses to that particular song written that he was able to make it last over an hour at his early gigs, but no recordings have surfaced to prove it.
	Singin', Ramblin', Waitin', Working,' and Wanderin - ***** - What can be said about this album, Winston's first album of original folk songs, that hasn't been said? Poke around online and you can find essays swearing that it was intended as a folk opera, or that each song is based on a different Shakespeare play. Surely everyone already knows by now that different covers of "Doorbell Ditching at the Pearly Gates" once topped the modern rock, country and gospel charts simultaneously. In any case, it's a stone classic from "Doorbell" to the haunting "Bells of St. Julian's," and, though it initially attracted little notice outside of Winston's native Chicago, it has slowly become the album that opened a million coffee shops and sold a million acoustic guitars. Miguel, who by this time Winston's roadie, said it best: "It's funny, sad, strange and beautiful."
	Live Where The Gate of Horn Folk Club Used to Be - ***** - Winston may have intended to go to Okemah to be annointed, but others say it had already happened in Chicago the night this set was recorded. Announced only hours before the show, nearly 300 people showed up at the corner where the legendary folk club once sat, and the recording captures their enthusiasm. If there could only be one album to distill the essence of who Winston was as a writer, a performer, and a person, this is probably it. It contains many of the best of the originals Winston had written so far, plus some of his best traditional arrangements, and some uproarious stage banter that shows the depth of his connection to his hometown audience. Especially interesting is to hear the police arrive, attempt to stop the show, and end up singing along - a quintessential Winston moment.
	Sacco and Vanzetti Must Not Die - *** - An album culled from songs recorded in a burst of studio activity - at the time, Winston was said to be recording several songs per day, and those released so far are just the tip of the iceberg. These were the first tracks from these sessions to be released, but they're certainly not the best. While Winston sings these ballads about the late Italian anarchists, most of which were written by Woody Guthrie, with great conviction, the album sorely lacks the humor and uplifting spirit that makes Winston's best work such a joy. Not to mention the fact that, according to Miguel Sanchez, Winston genuinely didn't seem to realize that Sacco and Vanzetti had been dead for years. It was shortly before this was released that Winston claimed to have been visited by Guthrie's spirit while breaking into the Old Town School of Folk Music. People began to wonder if Thomas was, in fact, out of his mind - something they wouldn't have wondered if Thomas and Sanchez had picked a different set of songs from the "Chicago sessions" to release as an album. Still, if anyone ELSE had recorded this album, it would be a career-making landmark. As it is, it's just a set of Winston doing other's people's songs from another era.
	Winston Thomas and Friends at the Old Town School - ***** - Any fears that Winston had lost it were laid to rest by this wonderful set. To make up for the break-in, the Old Town School asked Winston to play two benefit concerts. They raised a fortune and led to the creation of one of the finest folk albums ever recorded. Additional Chicago musicians sit in on every song, rounding out the sometimes-stark sound of his solo recordings, and the between-song-banter among them is a lot of fun. The newly-released expanded edition containing both concerts in their entirety features several originals that had not yet been recorded, great versions of some of Winston's "hits," and a handful dynamite covers and traditionals. No song (except for "Doorbell Ditching") was played at each show, and the atmosphere is informal and, at times, hilarious. Also noted for featuring Winston's only known duet with his roadie and closest confidant, Miguel Sanchez, who would, of course, soon find fame in his own right as "Ramblin' Miguel." That's him singing backup on "Diamond Joe." Some speculate that Winston wanted this band to become permanant (true) and that it may have been a first step to him "going electric" (dream on).
	At Night All Cats are Gray - ***** - Some have said that by recording at such a furious pace, without necessarily planning for which song would go on which album, that Winston was sacrificing quality for quantity. But this collection of originals (plus a few old murder ballads) shows that it couldn't have been MUCH of a sacrifice. Perhaps not as revelatory (or as much fun) as "Singin....," "At Night All Cats Are Grey" shows Winston's darker, spookier side - some have nicknamed this album "The Winston Thomas Halloween Special." True, this album seems to be about death (wheras his other albums are generally about life), but the songs are first-rate, particularly those in which Winston contemplates his own mortality, and the sound (utilizing musicians from the Old Town School) is endlessly revelatory - you hear something new every time you dare to listen.
	Winston Thomas Sings for Children - **** - Perhaps to balance out the darkness of "Cats," this set of songs from the famous "Chicago sessions" was released on the same day. It's a fascinating album, particularly because it's sort of odd to hear what songs Winston thought children would want to hear. No one is entirely sure whether Winston or Miguel selected the songs for the album, but, really, who decided to put "Her Little Ball o' Yarn" on a children's album? Surely they both knew that that song was NOT about yarn. And didn't they think children might be frightened by the awful cover? Still, the original songs are great, particularly "The Three Bean Casserole War," which is really Winston at his best.
	Stealin' - * - They call this album "Stealin" because that's what it was - stolen. Few besides conspiracy theorists believed that Winston Thomas was once known as Harvey Grossman, a Chicago hipster who led a band called Rock-Maninoff and the Rippers, until this pirated demo recording surfaced - this is unmistakably Winston's voice, surrounded by buzzing bass, fuzzy guitar, and a whole lot of rocket ship noises. The songs generally lack verses, choruses, meter, or rhyme scheme. Some bands could pull this off, but Rock-Maninoff wasn't one of them. However, this DOES contain a strange version of "Doorbell Ditching" with totally different (but still good) lyrics that show that "Harvey" really did have it in him. "Harvey's" girlfriend has said that when he became "Winston," he became a whole different person. This recording (which she herself is thought to have leaked) should confirm it.