Best of the Vanguard Years is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 2000.

Best of the Vanguard Years
Greatest hits album by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Released	October 31, 2000
Genre	Folk
Length	72:13
Label	Vanguard
Ramblin' Jack Elliott chronology
The Long Ride (1999) Best of the Vanguard Years (2000) The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957 (2004)

The 1964 Vanguard release Jack Elliott is included in its entirety. Seven tracks from Jack Elliott were also reissued on CD by Vanguard in 2007 on Vanguard Visionaries. More than half of the album includes songs that had not been previously released.

Bob Dylan appears playing harmonica as "Tedham Porterhouse".[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. wrote of the album "... even his older material never strikes the listener as out-of-date... For those who want to dig a little deeper into folk music's past, this is a fine selection; for those who aren't familiar with Rambin' Jack Elliott, this is a great place to begin one's acquaintance."[2]

Track listing

All songs Traditional unless otherwise noted.

1. "Roving Gambler" – 3:35
2. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" – 2:37
3. "Diamond Joe" – 2:58
4. "Guabi Guabi" (Traditional, Jack Elliott) – 4:43
5. "Sowing on the Mountain" – 2:15
6. "Roll on Buddy" – 2:01
7. "1913 Massacre" (Woody Guthrie) – 3:52
8. "House of the Rising Sun" – 3:27
9. "Shade of the Old Apple Tree" – 2:42
10. "Black Snake Moan" – 3:25
11. "Portland Town" (Derroll Adams) – 1:59
12. "More Pretty Girls Than One" – 2:14
13. "Danville Girl" – 2:53
14. "John Hardy" – 2:27
15. "Dark as a Dungeon" (Merle Travis) – 2:53
16. "Hard Ain't It Hard" (Guthrie) – 2:40
17. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (Bob Dylan) – 3:16
18. "I Got A Woman" – 2:33
19. "Railroad Bill" – 3:57
20. "I Never Will Marry" – 2:29
21. "At My Window" – 2:09
22. "Blue Eyed Elaine" – 2:18
23. "Wildwood Flower" (Carter) – 2:25
24. "Ranger's Command" (Guthrie) – 3:32
25. "Willie Moore" – 2:53

Personnel

• Ramblin' Jack Elliott – vocals, harmonica, guitar
• Bill Lee – bass
• Erik Darling – banjo
• John Hammond – mouth harp
• Eric Weissberg – bass
• John Herald – guitar
• Ian Tyson – guitar
• Monte Dunn – guitar
• Tedham Porterhouse (Bob Dylan) – mouth harp

References

External links

• Ramblin' Jack Elliott Discography
• Searchin' for a Gem