John Hartford Albums Ranked

John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. His most successful song is “Gentle on My Mind”, which won three Grammy Awards and was listed in “BMI’s Top 100 Songs of the Century”. Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song.[3] He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang. Here are all of John Hartford’s albums ranked.

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10. Catalogue, 1981

“Catalogue is . . . well, it’s a rehash, re-recordings of a bunch of tunes from his RCA years, mostly. They’re too good to let fall out of sight, but some of them really do miss the RCA arrangements. On the t’other hand, tracks like “I Would Not Be Here” improve without all the sweetening covering over the words that are essential to the meandering logic of the song.”

9. Nobody Knows What You Do, 1976

“The band itself is pretty hot with a young Sam Bush on mandolin and Buddy Emmons who plays a mean steel guitar, the songs though just aren’t there with the exception of “In Tall Buildings” and some smokin’ instrumentals (“Sly Feel”, “John McLaughlin”). Too many goofy songs for me.”

8. Headin’ Down Into The Mystery Below, 1978

“There are no other proper musicians on this album – just a five-piece set of background singers who repeat back the ends of lines at him on a few of the tracks. The rest is all Hartford’s voice, singing about the river he loves, and his fingers playing the banjo, guitar, and fiddle, and his feet tapping out the rhythms on a plywood sheet. It may not sound like much, but the intimacy is immediate, both in terms of the lack of arrangement and the deep love for the river and its surroundings that’s obvious in Hartford’s voice.”

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7. The Love Album, 1968

“Third album from Mr. Hartford and his best one thus far. Pretty much a straight up singer-songwriter album in a country and folk style but with plenty of banjo. Lots of entertaining songs as well, it’s amazing how he was knocking out two albums a year during his time at RCA. That’s a lot of songs. A couple of my favorites are “The Six o’Clock Train…” and of course “Empty Afternoon of Summer Longing”.

6. Morning Bugle, 1972

“Hartford is a criminally underrated genius and this is one of the best albums ever made. Even prefer it a little bit to Aereoplane, thought it seems like that one gets more shine. I like his RCA years, but the nugrass stuff is where he really comes into his own. Many great albums in the catalog, but he was at his peak for just a few albums and this is the crown jewel.”

5. The Walls We Bounce Off Of, 1994

“Maybe not one of John Hartford’s best albums but it’s certainly one of his most unique. Just Hartford solo be it fiddle, banjo and foot tapping with plenty of his odd stories and songs. The phone even rings on “I Just Wanna Look in There” – one of the best songs. Some of this is a little silly but he’s still true talent.”

4. Gum Tree Canoe, 1987

“A little cheesier then peak Hartford with the band taking on a more folk / old time vibe like Pete Seeger fronting a super sharp bluegrass band. Still this album is hard not to like as every song is if nothing else entertaining. It did however get me thinking of performers at our Iowa State Fair.”

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3. Looks At Life, 1967

“Opening with the odd spoken piece “I Reckon”, John Hartford Looks at Life inaugurates the career of one the most distinctive discographies in bluegrass. Here Hartford takes a singer/songwriter approach to the style, with more of a beatnik vibe with a lot of eccentric touches around the edges that feel very appropriate in the context of the late ’60s. Alongside humorous numbers like “I Shoulda Wore My Birthday Suit” there’s some really nice moody ballads like “The Tall Tall Grass” and my personal favorite “Like Unto a Mockingbird”, which surely woulda made a great single. Yep, you gotta love this guy. Cool album cover too.”

2. Mark Twang, 1976

“John Hartford really is something else. He has a genuine approach to his music that is incredibly appreciated and obvious and I really like the humor he brings to the record. It’s the little things, like him dedicating a track to his friend’s new baby, or singing about leaving records in the sun that really add something else to the music.”

1. Aereo-Plain, 1971

“I love the sound of banjos and fiddles and guitars. Bluegrass is one of my favorite genres of music. It is relaxing and soothing to me. It takes me back to a simpler time of relaxing on front porches after church in the hot Tennessee sun or working hard during the week just to get by. It makes me want to go back to the “good days.” Other than the great atmosphere of this well-played album, I love the lyrics. To me, they are like an American South version of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society through with a looser feel and perhaps less political undertone. As other users have pointed out, the lineup here is outstanding and the music is simply awesome.”