*** Rosalie Sorrels, Utah Phillips

THE LONG MEMORY

(Red House Records)

Veteran folksingers Sorrels and Phillips create a loving tribute to labor music (with an emphasis on factory workers and miners) in this exquisitely performed collection of songs, stories, and poetry. The lyrics are unabashedly lefty, bordering on the anarchistic, with each singer assuming the solo spotlight for 20 minutes. The material ranges from contemporary acoustic folk fare (penned by the likes of Si Kahn and Phillips) to folk ditties by that all-purpose singer "Unknown" who resides in the "Public Domain." One of the high points is a song by Malvina Reynolds, who's best remembered for the way her "Ticky Tacky" attacked mindless conformity. Sorrels turns her "Bury Me in My Overalls" into a grimly whimsical masterpiece that conveys an enlightened acceptance of mortality. Equally winning is Phillips doing her own "All Used Up," a wry look at personal and planetary entropy. Although they've had their share of serious medical problems lately, both singers are again touring and recording with renewed spirit -- and with voices that sound stronger than ever.

-- Norman Weinstein