| Release Date | 11/12/2026 |
| Format | 4CD |
| Label | CONCORD |
| Catalogue Number | 7279095 |
The Mermaid Avenue series is one of the most successful and unusual folk-rock collaborations of the last few decades. At its core, the project took previously unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics and set them to entirely new music composed and performed by Billy Bragg and Wilco. Celebrated for honoring Guthrie's spirit while creating something entirely new, the Mermaid Avenue recordings remain a landmark achievement in folk and Americana music. The releases comprise:
Mermaid Avenue
The first volume is generally considered the centerpiece of the series. It blends Bragg's folk and political sensibilities with Wilco's emerging alt-country sound. Songs like "California Stars," "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key," and "Ingrid Bergman" became modern folk standards. The album earned a GRAMMY nomination and received widespread critical acclaim.
Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
The second volume drew from the same recording sessions and archives. It tends to be more eclectic and experimental, showing a broader range of Guthrie's writing—from political observations to surreal humor and intimate personal reflections.
Mermaid Avenue Vol. III
New standalone format, broken out from The Complete Sessions (2012). Released for Guthrie's centennial, this collection assembled Volumes I and II, added a third volume of previously unreleased recordings, and included the documentary film Man in the Sand, which chronicles the collaboration.
Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions (Expanded)
New format for 2926 including unreleased content. All three volumes combined with additional bonus material, including demos, alternate versions and live cuts.
The acclaimed Mermaid Avenue series returns in an expanded edition, uniting Billy Bragg and Wilco's celebrated interpretations of previously unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics. Featuring all three volumes alongside previously unreleased material including rare demos, alternate takes, and live recordings, this definitive collection highlights one of modern folk-rock's most inspired collaborations. Includes new liner notes by Bob Mehr and deluxe packaging.
Tracklist
Disc 1 – Mermaid Avenue
Walt Whitman's Niece
California Stars
Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key
Birds and Ships
Hoodoo Voodoo
She Came Along to Me
At My Window Sad and Lonely
Ingrid Bergman
Christ for President
I Guess I Planted
One by One
Eisler on the Go
Hesitating Beauty
Another Man's Done Gone
The Unwelcome Guest
Disc 2 – Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
Airline to Heaven
My Flying Saucer
Feed of Man
Hot Rod Hotel
I Was Born
Secret of the Sea
Stetson Kennedy
Remember the Mountain Bed
Blood of the Lamb
Aginst Th' Law
All You Fascists
Joe DiMaggio Done It Again
Meanest Man
Black Wind Blowing
Someday Some Morning Sometime
Disc 3 - Mermaid Avenue Vol. III
Bugeye Jim
When the Roses Bloom Again
Gotta Work
My Thirty Thousand
Ought to Be Satisfied Now
Listening to the Wind That Blows
Go Down to the Water
Chain of Broken Hearts
Jailcell Blues
Don't You Marry
Give Me a Nail
The Jolly Banker
Union Prayer
Be Kind to the Boy on the Road
Ain'ta Gonna Grieve
Tea Bag Blues
I'm Out to Get
Disc 4 - Alternatives & Demos
California Stars (Live)
Against Th’ Law (Alternate Version)*
All You Fascists (Alternate Version)*
I Guess I Planted (Alternate Version)*
She Came Along To Me (Alternate Version)*
Hesitating Beauty (Solo Version)*
Joe DiMaggio Done It Again (Demo)*
Psalm (Demo)*
Hot Rod Hotel (Demo)*
Christ For President (Solo Version)*
Give Me A Nail (Demo)*
Long & Hard (Demo)*
I Was Born (Demo)*
At My Window Sad And Lonely (Solo Version)
Birds And Ships (Demo)*
The Unwelcome Guest (Demo)*
Airline To Heaven (Solo Version)
Hesitating Beauty (Woody Guthrie Demo)*
*Previously unreleased.