After taking an album off as a songwriter with the all-covers collection Playin' Favourites in 1973, Don McLean returned to providing most of the compositions on his fifth LP Homeless Brother in 1974. It was an ambitious work, which he signaled by a sleeve note on the back cover in which he described "the vision of this album...growing within...." That vision, or concept, seemed to be embodied in the title and corresponding album cover, a painting of a hobo inside a boxcar. And, indeed, in song after song, notably the title track, which found McLean being accompanied by his mentor, Pete Seeger, on background vocals, there were references to hoboes and hoboing. ~ William Ruhlmann
01 Winter has me in its grip - 3:19 02 La la love you - 3:46 03 Homeless brother - 4:21 04 Sunshine life for me (sail away raymond) - 1:49 05 The legend of andrew mccrew - 6:05 06 Wonderful baby - 2:03 07 You have lived - 3:41 08 Great big man - 3:15 09 Tangled (like a spider in her hair) - 3:38 10 Crying in the chapel - 2:19 11 Did you know - 4:06