Mermaid Avenue Vol. II

Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
Studio album by
Billy Bragg and Wilco
Released 30 May 2000
Recorded Boston, Chicago, and Dublin
Genre
Length 49:47
Label Elektra
Producer Wilco, Billy Bragg, Grant Showbiz
Billy Bragg chronology
Reaching to the Converted
(1999) 		Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
(2000) 		England, Half-English
(2001)
Wilco chronology
Summerteeth
(1999) 		Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
(2000) 		Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
(2002)
Billy Bragg & Wilco chronology
Mermaid Avenue
(1998) 		Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
(2000) 		Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions
(2012)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 82/100
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic
Chicago Sun-Times
Christgau's Consumer Guide A−
Entertainment Weekly B+
The Guardian
Pitchfork 6.3/10
Q
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin 7/10

Mermaid Avenue Vol. II is a 2000 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by British singer Billy Bragg and American band Wilco. It continues the project originally conceived by Guthrie's daughter, Nora Guthrie which resulted in the release of Mermaid Avenue in 1998. Both volumes were collected in a 2012 box set along with volume three as Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions.

Track 9 "Blood of the Lamb" is Woody's overhaul of an 1878 gospel music standard "Are You Washed in the Blood?" written by Elisha A. Hoffman.

Man in the Sand, a documentary about the collaboration between Bragg and Wilco, was released in 1999.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Woody Guthrie

No. Title Music Length
1. "Airline to Heaven" (Words: 1939; Music: 1997) Jay Bennett/Jeff Tweedy 4:50
2. "My Flying Saucer" (Words: 1950; Music: 1995) Billy Bragg 1:45
3. "Feed of Man" (Music: 1998) Tweedy 4:08
4. "Hot Rod Hotel" (Words: 1949; Music: 1996) Bragg 3:17
5. "I Was Born" (Words: 1950; Music: 1996) Bragg 1:50
6. "Secret of the Sea" (Words: 1939; Music: 1999) Bennett/Tweedy 2:42
7. "Stetson Kennedy" (Words: 1950; Music: 1997) Bragg 2:39
8. "Remember the Mountain Bed" (Words: 1944; Music: 1999) Tweedy/Bennett 6:26
9. "Blood of the Lamb" (Words: 1955; Music: 1997) Bennett/Tweedy 4:16
10. "Aginst th' Law" (Words: 1947; Music: 1995) Bragg 3:03
11. "All You Fascists" (Words: 1942; Music: 1997) Bragg 2:43
12. "Joe DiMaggio Done It Again" (Words: 1949; Music: 1995) Bragg 2:31
13. "Meanest Man" (Words: 1945; Music: 1997) Bragg 3:46
14. "Black Wind Blowing" (Music: 1997) Bragg 3:00
15. "Someday Some Morning Sometime" (Words: 1948; Music: 2000) Tweedy 2:53

Personnel

  • Billy Bragg – vocal, guitar, resonator guitar
  • Jay Bennett – guitar, backing vocal, slide guitar, shaker, saw, 12 string guitar, B3 organ, Leslie pedals, Farfisa organ, mandolin, piano, tambourine, electric sitar, soloing, nylon string guitar, banjo, harmonica, drums, upright bass, Delayaphone, bells
  • Ken Coomer – drums, tape box, tambourine, percussion, backing vocal, hollering, kick drum, gas heater
  • John Stirratt – bass, backing vocal, claps, upright bass, baritone guitar
  • Jeff Tweedy – vocal, guitar, clapping, Mellotron, cabasa, 12 string guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, Wurlitzer

Additional musicians

  • Mike Henry – backing vocal on "My Flying Saucer"
  • Natalie Merchant – guest lead vocal on "I Was Born"
  • Leroy Bach – piano on "Remember The Mountain Bed"
  • Corey Harris – guest lead vocal and acoustic guitar on "Against Th' Law"
  • Eliza Carthy – violin on "Joe DiMaggio Has Done It Again"

Charts

Chart performance for Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) 45
UK Albums (OCC) 61
US Billboard 200 88

See also