The album was a tribute to the work of Woody Guthrie, a country and folk musician who died two years earlier.

The tracks were meant to retain the spirit of Guthrie's recordings so the songs were only adjusted to complement McDonald's own style.

[7] Reviewing the album for Rolling Stone in 1970, Gary Von Tersch said, "Admittedly, this is a low-key, non-fiery record, but it has a certain honesty.

And it also lets you hear what a truly fine vocalist Joe is — he handles such diverse songs as 'Tom Joad,' 'Talkin' Dust Bowl' and 'Roll On Columbia' with ease and just the proper amount of fervor.

In homage to his inspiration, McDonald performed "Woman At Home", a Guthrie track that was previously unreleased at the time.