In a year that has already seen David Bowie, John Prine, and Shel Silverstein get tribute albums, it’s only appropriate that another music great, one Graham Nash, get one as well. Fleet Foxes’ Will Robin Pecknold, Will Oldham, Vetiver, and The Raconteurs’ Brendan Benson apparently thought so too as they are among the musicians that have contributed their talents to the forthcoming, (((folkYEAH!)))-presented Nash tribute album.
Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners features 11 unique spins on Nash’s 1971 solo debut Songs For Beginners. For example, Oldham, using his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy moniker, tackled “Simple Man” (preview here), while Pecknold re-did “Be Yourself”. Other contributors to the album include Alela Diane, Sleepy Sun, Port O’Brien, Papercuts, and Graham’s own daughter, Nile Nash
There is also a five-track bonus EP, which features Two Gallant’s Tyson Vogel, Johnathan Rice, and Citay.
The album will be available next Tuesday, May 25th via Grass Roots Records, in collaboration with Nile Nash and Britt Govea of (((folkYEAH!))). It will be available in CD, digitial, and limited edition 180 gram vinyl formats. Click here to order.
Graham, Nile, the artists, and Grass Roots Records will donate a portion of the proceeds from the record to Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow. Through the use of music, acrobatics, games, and production this circus and performing arts camp in the Mendocino woods of northern California teaches children and adults tools for building self-esteem, community, conflict resolution, communication, and plain old merriment.
Find both a teaser trailer and the complete tracklist below.
Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners Tracklist:
01. Port O’Brien/Papercuts – Military Madness
02. Brendan Benson – Better Days
03. Nile Nash – Wounded Bird
04. Vetiver – Used to Be a King
05. Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) – Be Yourself
06. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Simple Man (Hombre Sencillo)
07. Moore Brothers – Man in the Mirror
08. Alela Diane – There’s Only One
09. Mariee Sioux (with Greg Weeks of Espers) – Sleep Song
10. Sleepy Sun – Chicago
11. Various/Nile Nash – We Can Change the World (Reprise)
Bonus EP:
01. Tyson Vogel (of Two Gallants) – Hey You (Looking At The Moon)
02. Johnathan Rice – On The Line
03. Jonathan Wilson + special guests – And So It Goes (Music Gets You High)
04. Bart Davenport – Better Days
05. Citay – Military Madness