Nearly three-quarters of a century after Woody Guthrie pressed “record” in his Brooklyn apartment, 35 of those intimate reels are stepping into the spotlight. Woody At Home – Volumes 1 & 2 lands August 14 via Shamus Records (the new imprint of TRO Essex Music Group, Guthrie’s longtime publisher), offering 22 never-before-heard recordings—including 13 songs the folk icon captured nowhere else—and three revealing spoken-word tracks.
A Living-Room Window into Woody’s World
Recorded on a single-mic reel-to-reel in early 1951-52 at 49 Murdock Court, Beach Haven, the tapes catch Guthrie at his most unguarded: doors opening, toddlers babbling, guitar strings squeaking. They feature fresh verses for “This Land Is Your Land,” early drafts of classics like “Pastures of Plenty” and “Jesus Christ,” and long-rumored originals such as “I’m a Child Ta Fight,” an unflinching anti-fascist anthem shared today as the project’s first single. Hear it on YouTube and pre-save the album.
Restoration without the Gloss
GRᴀᴍᴍʏ-winner Steve Rosenthal and GRᴀᴍᴍʏ-nominee Jessica Thompson transferred the brittle Ampex tapes using period machines, then applied state-of-the-art de-mixing and restoration tools—not to polish Woody, but to peel away decades of hiss and hum. “These aren’t studio takes,” Rosenthal notes, “they’re highlights from Woody’s audio sketchbooks—raw, human, and vital.” Co-producer Kathryn Ostien adds, “This is 100 percent Woody, heard clearly for the first time. It’s brilliant.”
Early Praise
The collection has already sparked headlines across the musical press:
The New York Times hails it as a “treasure trove.”
The Washington Post calls the release “historically significant.”
Features have appeared in Pitchfork, Smithsonian Magazine, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Stereogum, People, and more.
Why It Matters Now
Guthrie’s granddaughter Anna Canoni, president of Woody Guthrie Publications, believes the timing is perfect. “It feels like he’s in the room, working through songs about love, loss, racism, injustice, greed—and, yes, fascism. Seventy-plus years on, every word still hits home.”
Track Lists
Volume 1
This Land Is Your Land (Home Tape)
The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done
Howie, I’d Like To Talk To Yuh (spoken)
Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)
Great Ship
Pastures of Plenty
Jesus Christ
I’m a Child Ta Fight
Innocent Man
I’ve Got to Know
Backdoor Bum and the Big Landlord
Volume 2
I Just Want to Tell You Fellers (spoken)
Peace Call
Ain’t Afraid to Die
Buoy Bells from Trenton
Einstein Theme Song (+ spoken)
One Little Thing an Atom Can’t Do
Forsaken Lover
My Id & My Ego
Lifebelt Washed Up
Funny Mountain
You Better Git Ready
About Woody Guthrie
Born July 14, 1912, Guthrie wrote more than 3,000 songs that shaped American folk music and social consciousness. His work has earned him honors from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to GRᴀᴍᴍʏ Lifetime Achievement. As author John Steinbeck once said, “He sings the songs of a people… there is the will of a people to endure and fight oppression. I think we call this the American spirit.”
Release Details
Woody At Home – Volumes 1 & 2 arrives August 14, 2025 on one CD, double-LP, digital download, and all major streaming platforms via Shamus Records. The package includes unpublished family photos, original lyric sheets, and extensive liner notes by Kathryn Ostien detailing the transfer and restoration process.
For more information, visit WoodyAtHome.com or WoodyGuthrie.org.
