This album starts strong, and ends like a beatnik dream, with Jack teasing into a trip he and Woody Guthrie took to California in about 1954 or 5, the last time he saw Woody before heading off to change the face of folk music in England and Europe over the next 5 or 6 years... I've had a bit of a start on hearing this album as it was released over here in Europe a few days earlier, and it's been listened to over and over (along with Kristofferson's newest gem, of course)... back to "I Stand Alone", though, I believe I'd read somewhere Jacks daughter (documentary daughter) or someone asked him if he could think of any songs he hadn't played in a good while, and this album was born out've just that, despite a couple regulars ("rake and ramblin' boy", to be sure)... it's good to hear Jack singin' regulars from his much earlier works like "Mr Garfield" (which, incidentally, he nails!!) and "Call me a Dog"/"Honey where you been so long", etc, etc... This is no 'South Coast', it's no "Kerouacs Last Dream", no "Young Brigham", or "Friends of Mine"... its "I Stand Alone" and that it does, alongside those classics in it's own special way.... Jacks vocals and wisdom through and through give a new, deeper meaning and feeling and almost humor to "Arthritis Blues" (the man's got a new hip, if I'm correct) and when he sings "... blue... i'm coming too" it takes on a new meaning as well.... Jack Elliott really ages like wine, and this album shows just that! I reviewed my alltime favorite of his albums (Kerouacs Last Dream) and didn't think I'd throw another on that level but, with where Jack is in life a few months shy of 75, and the various influences and disciple-sorts that show up to pay their respects and, most importantly, dwarfing the prior two reasons, is just the through and through outstanding quality of this album! Spike here gives it 5 stars and if there were six stars I'd ask for seven.... Now, if you're new to Ramblin Jack Elliott, you may not understand why 2 or 3 of the songs are so short ...hell, maybe none of us do but Jack fans will know it's just Jack... I've been a Jack groupie whenever I can get an excuse to for the past decade or so (12, 15 shows) and to see Jack live, also, can explain his eccentric habits.... pony's, gettin' old, bacon and beans, beat visions, memories, dogs, dogs, more dogs.. trains and the blues from an old man in Hong Kong, just wishin' to get back home --- Jack covers 'em all and more, and, as always, Jack Elliott makes 'em his own....