I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound: The Best Of Tom Paxton
There are few music fans who are not familiar with a Tom Paxton song--whether they know it or not. Paxton emerged from the folk movement of the 1960s and went on to pen a remarkable body of work that has been covered by literally hundreds of singers. Indeed, the songs on this collection, culled from the seven albums he cut from his start on through 1971, include what are now unarguably American standards in the rarefied tradition of Stephen Foster andWoody Guthrie. His lyrical charm and simplicity of melody informs children's songs ("Going to the Zoo," "Marvelous Toy") and hilarious social satires ("What Did You Learn in School Today," "Forest Lawn"). His most memorable songs, though, are the romantic ballads such as the title track, "Ramblin' Boy," and his signature apologia "The Last Thing on My Mind." This album is a perfect Paxton primer, the only quibble being over the songs left off. The breadth of Paxton's early work surely merits a double CD.--John Sutton-Smith