Billy Bragg and Wilco to Release Expanded Box Set of Woody Guthrie Project Mermaid Avenue, Share an Unreleased Recording: Stream

In the late ’90s, Nora Guthrie, daughter of legendary singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, discovered a large trove of her father’s unpublished lyrics. She then reached out to Billy Bragg to fully realize the incomplete songs. Bragg subsequently brought Wilco into the fold, and together they recorded Mermaid Avenue, which dropped in 1998. In the years since, recordings that didn’t make the original 15-song tracklist have surfaced via a variety of additional volumes and packages. Today, Craft Recordings announced the most complete archive of the collaboration yet, an expanded edition of Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions (out December 11th). Along with the announcement, Craft shared “Aginst Th’ Law (Alternate Version),” which was previously unreleased. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions catalogs the three original volumes as well as bonus material like alternate versions, live cuts, and demos. The new edition also includes 16 previously unreleased recordings. Come December 11th, the deluxe package will be available both digitally and in two physical formats: a 7xLP + 7-inch box set and a 4xCD box set. Both sets are available for pre-order now. Buy Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sess...