MARK LINDSAY – Arizona – (CBS) – 1970 | WHAT FRANK IS LISTENING TO

This is probably the first Lindsay album I owned. I heard this before I heard any of his lead vocals for “Paul Revere and the Raiders”. Having said that I wasn’t totally convinced by the album and it has sat in a “maybe keep” pile for 25 years. Fark, that’s a long time, but unless you are culling music it’s not too hard to lose track of LPs.

That’s my defence.

The intervening years, in my ears, have been kind to this album. I always liked it’s 70s Elvis-like big adult pop but thought of it as a lesser album in the genre. But, the more “adult pop” of the era I heard the more I realised that Lindsay’s, solo work, though not perfect, was certainly above the average.

What made Lindsay do a solo album, I don’t know. Lead singers often feel the need to express themselves outside of their band though that normally involves writing one’s own material. Lindsay writes only one tune here, and he could have pitched that up for any Raiders album. I suspect, though, that he was looking for a market for himself given the Raiders sales were dwindling. And, ultimately, he did have some success though it was short lived. Of course, he never turned his back on the Raiders either. So, more power to him.

I have always like “adult pop” because of Elvis’ frequent departures into it in the 70s. In fact that was the first Elvis I heard back in the 70s. Generally, though, “adult pop”, for those who of us who loved rock n roll made us cringe in the 70s, wince in the 80s, became tolerable in the 90s, and then affectionately listenable in the 00s.

I’m not sure if it amounts to a genre but there are certain stylistic differences to “adult pop” that distinguish it to the “traditional pop” of Sinatra, Martin, Bennett etc. Usually the singers are former rock and pop singers in their late 30s or early 40s, the backing is with small rock combos augmented by horns and such though not full swing orchestras, the songs chosen are by rock writers or younger contemporary writers, mannerisms, affectations and vocal stylistics are ones developed post rock roll, and the songs themselves are more confessional, questioning or world weary which is something the trad pop singers didn’t embrace until they were in their mid to late 40s.

The song inspirations were pure pop with Lennon-McCartney, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Webb tunes at one end and Henry Mancini, Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer at the other with Bacharch-David and Rod McKuen bridging them.

In a lot of ways adult pop is cool, hip, “swing” music for the rock n roll generation. Where it falls down is in the fact that it didn’t have the depth of talent or scope of the similar music created by the trad pop singers.

It did though have many high points, which are sadly undervalued. Elvis, Scott Walker, Bill Medley, Neil Diamond, Lou Christie, Tom Jones, Nilsson, Glen Campbell and others did some great work here.

So, if you find this album for a couple of bucks, put in on, make a gin and tonic, get comfortable and relax. You wont be confronted but the time will pass pleasantly and if you are so minded you could probably find a message in the music, or, at the very least, some pointed observations of middle age made by men not hip with the teenyboppers.

Tracks (best in italics)

Arizona – (Young) – originally done by Family Dogg (which had the great Albert Hammond as vocalist) this is a great, albeit quietly bombastic (if that is possible) song, about a man trying to convince a hippie chick called Arizona to cast off her hippie ways and hook up with him. An excellent mid-life crisis song.
Something – (Harrison) – a big Vegas version of this song that sounds incredibly like a Elvis arrangement, though Elvis didn’t record the song till 1973. The song lends itself to this treatment.
Sunday Morin’ Comin’ Down – (Kristofferson) – Kristofferson’s masterpiece done definitively by him and by Johnny Cash. Lindsay’s version is pop and not dirty, drunken or down and out, but with such a good song it doesn’t matter
Love’s Been Good to Me – (McKuen) – One of Rod McKuen’s best songs sung well by Lindsay.
Small Town Woman – (Fuller) – written by Jerry Fuller, the album’s producer, a nice piece of country pop.
First Hymn from Grand Terrace – (Webb) – typical Webb …beautiful though not as good as Richard Harris’ original from his “The Yard Went on Forever” album from 1968.
Miss America – (Kelly) – quite a smart song about love and regret for a girl, or rather a nation, Miss America. “Do you Miss America”, get it?
The Name of My Sorrow – (Webb) – more well written Jimmy Webb. Originally done by Richard Harris in 1968 on his superb “A Tramp Shining” album.
Leaving on a Jet Plane – (Denver) – one of John Denver’s best songs. Well done but not enough regret.
I’ll Never fall in Love Again – (Bacharach, David) – Dionne Warwick’s #6 hit from 1970.
Man from Houston – (Lindsay) – a nice slice of country pop penned by Lindsay. Take away the strings and it could fit well on a country rock album. A nice track.

And …

Where’s my gin and tonic …. This is the best Lindsay solo album I have heard so far and has more than it’s fair share of beautiful songs. I’m keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

1970 Arizona #10 Hot 100

1970 Miss America #44 Hot 100

Album

1970 #36

England

Singles

Album

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Sounds

Arizona