Odetta - My Eyes Have Seen (1959)

Odetta was one of the strongest voices in the folk revival and the civil rights movement. While it might be hard for a post-millennium roots fan to understand, Odetta — in her heyday — was the kind of folk artist who drove purists crazy. With her resonate vocals and her choice of material, she seemed like the perfect link between older performers like Leadbelly and the folk movement of the late '50s. At the same time, Odetta had studied music in college and had no intention of being hemmed in by what a small group of white men thought about tradition. Released in 1959, "My Eyes Have Seen" was the first album that revealed her split nature. "My Eyes Have Seen" is a nice portrait of a performer bucking conformity as she stretches her artistic legs a bit.

Tracklist:

1) "Poor Little Jesus" – 1:54
2) "Bald Headed Woman" – 2:20
3) "Motherless Children" – 2:10
4) "I Know Where I'm Going" – 2:00
5) "The Foggy Dew" (Canon Charles O’Neill) – 5:29
6) "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain/Water Boy" (Avery Robinson) – 6:54
7) "Ox-Driver Song" – 2:35
8) "Down on Me" – 2:55
9) "Saro Jane" – 2:45
10) "Three Pigs" – 1:18
11) "No More Cane on the Brazos" – 3:38
12) "Jumpin' Judy" – 2:26
13) "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Julia Ward Howe) – 3:52

Total Time: 40:16 Min

NO MIRROR PLEASE