New Multitudes

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title: "New Multitudes" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2010s-concept-albums", "2012-collaborative-albums", "2012-debut-albums", "anders-parker-albums", "folk-rock-albums-by-american-artists", "jay-farrar-albums", "jim-james-albums", "rounder-records-albums", "will-johnson-(musician)-albums", "woody-guthrie-tribute-albums", "works-set-in-los-angeles"] description: "2012 Woody Guthrie tribute album" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Multitudes" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2012 Woody Guthrie tribute album ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	New Multitudes
type	Studio album
artist	Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, and Yim Yames
cover	New Multitudes.jpg
alt	A beige background with "Woody Guthrie" handwritten across it in several colors and widths. Along the left-hand side, a small band of brown has the album name written in grey and the performers in gold
released
recorded	2006 and 2009–2011
studio	Brooklyn, New York City and East St. Louis, Illinois, US
genre	Folk rock, alternative country
length
language	English
label	Rounder
producer	Farrar, Johnson, Parker, and Yames
misc	{{Extra chronology
artist	Jay Farrar
type	studio
prev_title	One Fast Move or I'm Gone
prev_year	2009
title	New Multitudes
year	2012
artist	Will Johnson
type	studio
prev_title	Molina and Johnson
prev_year	2009
title	New Multitudes
year	2012
next_title	Scorpion
next_year	2012
artist	Anders Parker
type	studio
prev_title	Cross Latitudes
prev_year	2010
title	New Multitudes
year	2012
next_title	There's a Blue Bird in My Heart
next_year	2014
artist	Yim Yames
type	studio
prev_title	Tribute To
prev_year	2009
title	New Multitudes
year	2012
next_title	Regions of Light and Sound of God
next_year	2013
::

| name = New Multitudes | type = Studio album | artist = Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, and Yim Yames | cover = New Multitudes.jpg | alt = A beige background with "Woody Guthrie" handwritten across it in several colors and widths. Along the left-hand side, a small band of brown has the album name written in grey and the performers in gold | released = | recorded = 2006 and 2009–2011 | venue = | studio = Brooklyn, New York City and East St. Louis, Illinois, US | genre = Folk rock, alternative country | length = | language = English | label = Rounder | producer = Farrar, Johnson, Parker, and Yames | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Jay Farrar | type = studio | prev_title = One Fast Move or I'm Gone | prev_year = 2009 | title = New Multitudes | year = 2012 | next_title = | next_year = | artist = Will Johnson | type = studio | prev_title = Molina and Johnson | prev_year = 2009 | title = New Multitudes | year = 2012 | next_title = Scorpion | next_year = 2012 | artist = Anders Parker | type = studio | prev_title = Cross Latitudes | prev_year = 2010 | title = New Multitudes | year = 2012 | next_title = There's a Blue Bird in My Heart | next_year = 2014 | artist = Yim Yames | type = studio | prev_title = Tribute To | prev_year = 2009 | title = New Multitudes | year = 2012 | next_title = Regions of Light and Sound of God | next_year = 2013

New Multitudes is a Woody Guthrie tribute album performed by Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, and Yim Yames to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Guthrie's birth, released through Rounder Records on February 28, 2012. The project was initiated by Woody's daughter Nora Guthrie to have Farrar add music to her father's lyrics—specifically, his earliest songwriting years in Los Angeles. Over the course of several years, he invited the others to collaborate and recorded at a variety of locations across the United States. Each artist wrote music to lyrics that inspired him and presented it to the collaborators for recording. The result is an album with diverse musical genres that has garnered positive reviews from critics for its varied styles and instrumentation. The quartet promoted the album with a small promotional tour that took them to record stores, radio programs, theaters, and folk festivals. The group has plans for releasing a second volume.

Development and recording

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/20040823_Jibjab_Copyright_Scans.pdf" caption="The [[Woody Guthrie]] foundation has preserved scraps of over 3,000 lyrics that Guthrie handwrote in notebooks and on scrap paper." alt="A hand-written title page reading "10 of Woody Guthrie's 25 Songs: Book One""] ::

New Multitudes is one of several tribute albums for American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie. Guthrie died in 1967 after an extended battle with Huntington's disease, but his abbreviated career helped to inspire innumerable musicians during his lifetime as well as in the 1960s folk revival movement. Farrar was initially invited to collaborate with Bragg on the Mermaid Avenue sessions in 1995, but felt uncomfortable working on the material with someone else. Warner Bros. Records wanted all of Son Volt to collaborate with Bragg, but after Farrar declined, he kept the idea in mind. In 2006, he approached Nora Guthrie about returning to her father's lyrics and she agreed.

To write his own batch of songs, Farrar looked through several of the over 3,000 handwritten lyrics that Guthrie's estate has preserved before incidentally focusing on his California period. The connection to Guthrie's Los Angeles years was accidental—Farrar simply chose lyrics that he found compelling and Nora pointed out that they came from a relatively brief period of her father's life when he lived in Los Angeles. He also made a conscious decision to write instrumentation in a style more similar to Guthrie's than other tribute projects, such as The Klezmatics' klezmer-based Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah and Wonder Wheel. Farrar had never listened to the Bragg and Wilco material to ensure that his songwriting would not be influenced by it.

Immediately before going to the Archives in autumn 2006, Farrar invited his Gob Iron collaborator Anders Parker to come with him and look over potential material and the two returned several times over a period of months gathering lyrics for composition before recording together starting on July 14, 2007. As they found lyrics that interested them, they had reproductions mailed to their homes from the Archives to work on the material at their leisure. The duo finished recording several songs throughout the year but did not have enough material to complete the album. The recordings were also made without a budget or record contract for release.

Nora Guthrie played some of the 2009 recordings for Yames and Farrar invited him to join the duo after discovering that he had visited the Archives as well. Yames wrote the tune for "Hoping Machine" and suggested that fellow Monsters of Folk collaborator Johnson accompany them. Farrar mailed Johnson some lyrics and he composed "Chorine My Sheba Queen" that afternoon, while Yames was attracted to the lyrics of "Empty Bed Blues" while recovering from an injury. Once the entire quartet had composed songs, they entered studios in Brooklyn and East St. Louis throughout 2009 and 2010, recording songs with live vocals in one or two takes, crowding around a single microphone. The group attempted to have the recordings ready for a 2011 release, but had to finish the album too late in the year.

Farrar has characterized the songwriting process for this album as easier than his typical work composing new lyrics as it allowed him to be less self-conscious.

Tour

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/The_Fillmore.jpg" caption="The New Multitudes Tour began at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium." alt="A corner view of The Fillmore, displaying the venue's sign"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/New_Multitudes_at_Webster_Hall.jpg" caption="The brief promotional tour to accompany the album found the ''New Multitudes'' performers playing Webster Hall in New York City (from left to right: Anders Parker, Will Johnson [drumming], Jay Farrar, and Yim Yames)." alt="New Multitudes onstage with red lighting"] ::

The quartet toured the United States to support the album, playing all of the groups' Guthrie compositions as well as some solo work. Bobby Bare, Jr. and Sarah Jaffe opened for them. Early in the tour, the group discussed reconvening for further dates, but decided to cap their initial outing with the Newport Folk Festival.

The performers also released a four-track 10" single "Let's Multiply" exclusive for Record Store Day.

Members

• Jay Farrar – lead guitar, vocals
• Will Johnson – drums, rhythm guitar, vocals
• Anders Parker – drums, rhythm guitar, vocals
• Yim Yames – bass guitar, vocals

Dates

::data[format=table title="New Multitudes tour dates"]

Date	City	Country	Venue	January 25, 2012	March 6, 2012	March 7, 2012	March 8, 2012	March 9, 2012	March 10, 2012	March 12, 2012	March 13, 2012	March 14, 2012	March 16, 2012	July 29, 2012
Glasgow	United Kingdom	Celtic Connections at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
San Francisco	United States	The Fillmore
Los Angeles	Music Box Theater
Amoeba Music in Los Angeles
Santa Monica	KCRW Studios (Morning Becomes Eclectic)
Portland	Crystal Ballroom
Seattle	Showbox at the Market
Alexandria	The Birchmere
Philadelphia	Union Transfer
New York City	Webster Hall
Boston	Paradise Rock Club
Newport	Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park
::

Additionally, Parker performed some of the New Multitudes material at the initial benefit concert SwitchPoint hosted by IntraHealth International in Saxapahaw, North Carolina on April 20.

Response

The tour was well-received, with The New York Times critic Nate Chinen describing their Webster Hall performance as familiar, but with a unique confluence of styles from each lyricist, from Yames' "hazy magnetism" to Parker's "straightforward folk-rock earnestness." *The Philadelphia Inquirer*s review by Sam Adams praised the performers by concluding that "all four musicians are worthy of following in Guthrie's footsteps, each in his own distinctive way."

Reception

Critical reception

| MC = 81/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = All About Jazz | rev2Score = | rev3 = American Songwriter | rev3Score = | rev4 = The A.V. Club | rev4Score= A− | rev5 = Los Angeles Times | rev5Score = | rev6 = Mojo | rev6score = | rev7 = musicOMH | rev7Score = | rev8 = The New Zealand Herald | rev8Score = | rev9 = PopMatters | rev9Score = 8/10 | rev10 = Rolling Stone | rev10Score =

The album has received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 13 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". MusicOMH's Max Raymond has praised the album as being "engrossing" due to the emotional depth of the lyrics as well as the warm and relaxed sound of the studio recording. Will Hermes of Rolling Stone gave the album a mixed review, praising the vocal harmonies. The diversity in sound was highlighted by AbsolutePunk's Gregory Robson, Jason Schneider of Exclaim! and *The A.V. Club*s Chris Martins, ranging from electric blues to psychedelia as well as the atypical lyrics from Guthrie—focusing on the city of Los Angeles rather than his communist-leaning politics and Dustbowl tragedy narratives. *American Songwriter*s Evan Schlansky noted the same apolitical tone of the lyrics, but qualified that with Yames' delivery on "My Revolutionary Mind". He praised the album's diversity as a strength, allowing each vocalist an opportunity to display his unique talents. Writing for Los Angeles Times, Randy Lewis agrees that the songwriting diversity is a strength, comparing individual tracks with R.E.M., The Velvet Underground, Richard Thompson, and John Mellencamp. Graham Reid of The New Zealand Herald also notes similarities to R.E.M., fellow Guthrie admirer Bob Dylan, The Byrds, and Eagles. The PopMatters review by Jeff Strowe points out the blues influences in the album, adding to its emotional depth. About.com's Kim Ruehl has criticized the diversity and complexity of the album as contrary to the simplicity of Guthrie's actual recordings, concluding that "If this weren't presented so staunchly as being at least part 'Woody Guthrie album,' it might be a little easier to swallow." Doug Collette of All About Jazz also reviewed the deluxe edition bonus disc, comparing it favorably to the proper album as well as the previous Farrar–Parker collaboration Gob Iron. The album topped American publication Billboard's Heatseekers.

Sales and chart performance

::data[format=table title="Sales chart performance for ''New Multitudes''"]

Chart (2012)	Peak	Dutch Alternative Albums (MegaCharts)
23
::

Track listing

All lyrics written by Woody Guthrie, all lead vocals by co-writer.

1. "Hoping Machine" (Farrar) – 4:52
2. "Fly High" (Parker) – 3:45
3. "My Revolutionary Mind" (Yames) – 4:43
4. "VD City" (Johnson) – 4:05
5. "Old L.A." (Parker) – 3:03
6. "Talking Empty Bed Blues" (Yames) – 4:09
7. "Chorine My Sheba Queen" (Johnson) – 4:50
8. "Careless Reckless Love" (Farrar) – 5:01
9. "Angel's Blues" (Parker) – 4:38
10. "No Fear" (Johnson) – 3:36
11. "Changing World" (Yames) – 3:48
12. "New Multitudes" (Farrar) – 2:47

Limited edition bonus disc All music written and performed by Farrar and Parker.

1. "Around New York" – 0:51
2. "Jake Walk Blues" – 1:59
3. "Whereabouts Can I Hide" – 2:51
4. "Old Kokaine" – 3:04
5. "I Was a Goner" – 3:42
6. "San Antone Meat House" – 3:59
7. "Dopefiend Robber" – 4:41
8. "World's On Fire" – 3:12
9. "When I Get Home" – 3:51
10. "Atom Dance" – 2:34
11. "Your Smile Cured Me" – 2:41

Personnel

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Jay_Farrar_(freeloosedirt).jpg" caption="''New Multitudes'' was originally a Farrar solo project and the third volume in the ''[[Mermaid Avenue]]'' series begun by [[Billy Bragg]] and [[Wilco" alt="Jay Farrar singing into a microphone"] ::

• Woody Guthrie – artwork, lyrics
• Jay Farrar – vocals, guitar, composition, production
• Will Johnson – vocals, guitar, saw on "Chorine My Sheba Queen", composition, production
• Anders Parker – vocals, guitar, composition, production
• Yim Yames – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, composition, production

Technical

• John Agnello – mixing
• Larissa Collins – art direction, package design
• Mike Martin – engineering
• Matt Pence – mixing
• Kevin Ratterman – mixing
• Brad Sarno – mastering
• Mark Spencer – mixing
• Anna Webber – photography

Additional musicians

• Buck Carter
• Jimmy Griffin
• Creston Lea
• Konrad Meissner

References

References

1. To fresh melodies of Guthrie would surely have smiled upon, the four adorn every lyric with fine guitar weaves of rollicking dance, rugged grind or Paris, Texas haunt. [Mar 2012, p.97]
2. Ruehl, Kim. "Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames – 'New Multitudes'". [[About.com]].
3. Deming, Mark. "New Multitudes Overview".
4. (April 12, 2012). "Record Store Day 2012 Releases". [[Amoeba Music]].
5. Carucci, John. (April 6, 2012). "New Multitudes honor Woody Guthrie with new album". [[Huffington Post]] (original: [[Associated Press]]).
6. Robson, Gregory. (February 28, 2012). "Farrar/Johnson/Parker/Yames- New Multitudes".
7. Schlansky, Evan. (January 4, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Yim Yames' Woody Guthrie Album New Multitudes Due in February".
8. Schlansky, Evan. (March 28, 2012). "New Multitudes Interview: Anders Parker".
9. Schlansky, Evan. (March 28, 2012). "New Multitudes Interview: Jay Farrar".
10. Schlansky, Evan. (March 28, 2012). "New Multitudes Interview: Will Johnson".
11. Schlansky, Evan. (March 28, 2012). "New Multitudes Interview: Jim James".
12. Schlansky, Evan. (February 28, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames: New Multitudes".
13. Hyden, Steven. (January 12, 2012). "Jim James corrals other songwriters for Woody Guthrie-inspired album, New Multitudes". [[The A.V. Club]].
14. Martins, Chris. (February 28, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames: New Multitudes". [[The A.V. Club]].
15. Parker, Anders. (February 27, 2012). "Heart of Art: Burlington musician Anders Parker brings Woody Guthrie lyrics to life". [[The Gannett Company]].
16. Morse, Steve. (February 25, 2012). "Album Review". [[The New York Times Company]].
17. Gallo, Phil. (March 9, 2012). "Jay Farrar Tackles Woody Guthrie in 'New Multitudes'". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
18. Christensen, Kurt. (March 19, 2012). "New Multitudes (Jay Farrar, Yim Yames, Anders Parker, Will Johnson) played Webster Hall (pics, set list)". [[Brooklyn Vegan]].
19. Schneider, Jason. (March 6, 2012). "Farrar-Johnson-Parker-Yames New Multitudes: A Woody Guthrie Tribute".
20. Michaels, Sean. (September 18, 2009). "Jay Farrar continues Woody Guthrie album series". [[The Guardian]].
21. Collette, Doug. (April 6, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames: New Multitudes (2012)".
22. (March 5, 2012). "New Multitudes feat. Jim James, Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker & More on KCRW". [[KCRW]].
23. (March 8, 2012). "Jay Farrar Live at KCRW on Morning Becomes Eclectic 03.08.12". [[KCRW]].
24. Kot, Greg. (April 13, 2012). "Woody Guthrie's music welcomes new multitudes". [[Tribune Company]].
25. Lewis, Randy. (February 28, 2012). "Album review: Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames' 'New Multitudes'". [[Tribune Company]].
26. (March 19, 2012). "SwitchPoint, the Intersection of Great Ideas and Real Impact: IntraHealth Brings Global Innovators and Industry Leaders to Saxapahaw on April 20". [[MarketWatch]].
27. "New Multitudes Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic".
28. Raymond, Max. "Farrar, Johnson, Parker & Yames – New Multitudes". [[MusicOMH]].
29. Tedder, Michael. (January 13, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Yim Yames to Salute Woody Guthrie". [[NBC]].
30. (February 27, 2012). "From Jim James, a New Take on Woody Guthrie's 'Empty Bed Blues'". [[NPR]].
31. Farber, Jim. (March 9, 2012). "'The New Multitudes': Jay Farrar, Jim James and Others Add New Music to Rare Woody Guthrie Lyrics". Daily News, L.P..
32. Chinen, Nate. (March 15, 2012). "Mining the Words of Woody Guthrie". [[The New York Times]].
33. Reid, Graham. (March 26, 2012). "Album review: Farrar/Yames/Parker/Johnson, New Multitudes". [[APN News & Media]].
34. Adams, Sam. (March 15, 2012). "Folk-rockers revive Woody Guthrie at Union Transfer". [[Philadelphia Media Network]].
35. Strowe, Jeff. (March 13, 2012). "Jay Farrar, Anders Parker, Will Johnson, and Yim Yames: New Multitudes".
36. Swiatecki, Chad. (February 16, 2012). "Jay Farrar and Jim James Discover Woody Guthrie's California in New Album". [[Wenner Media]].
37. Hermes, Will. (February 28, 2012). "New Multitudes | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone". [[Wenner Media]].
38. Danton, Eric R.. (March 9, 2012). "Jay Farrar's Woody Guthrie Album: I Knew Wilco Comparisons Were Inevitable". [[Spinner.com]].
39. Youssef, Andrew. (March 8, 2012). "New Multitudes, Sarah Jaffe @ Mayan Theater, Los Angeles 3/7/12". [[Stereogum]].
40. "Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker And Yim Yames – New Multitudes". [[MegaCharts]].

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