Search - Various Artists :: Generations of Folk, Vol. 4: The Troubadours

The subtitle of volume 4 of Vanguard's Generations of Folk series is "The Troubadours," but here's an alternate suggestion: "Artists Who Didn't Fit on Any Other Anthology." This haphazardly compiled collection features the likes of Don McLean ("American Pie"), Cat Stevens ("Wild World"), Richie Havens ("Here Comes the Sun"), and Rick Nelson ("Garden Party"). Then there are middle-of-the-road types such as Stephen Bishop and Michael Johnson, the more left-field likes of Paul Kelly and Peter Case, and even a movie star (Keith Carradine) thrown in for good measure. The problem with this 12-track anthology is that there doesn't seem to be a unifying theme, unless guys with guitars qualifies. If you're dying to have several singer-songwriter hits on one disc, consider The Troubadours, but most folks are better advised to mosey on down the road and find themselves a more finely honed collection, such as one of Rhino's Troubadours of the Folk Era collections. --Steven Stolder