I've done Rivers a few times on this blog and I always look forward to his albums.
Read the other comments for bio and ravings but, in brief, I can say that it wasn't always like that.
I assumed he was a singles and covers act with a limited vocal range and with limited musical ambitions.
Well, he was a singles act for a while, did quite a lot of covers, and had a limited vocal range. But he was a supreme song stylist and he used his voice in more ways, with more ambition, with more smarts and skill, than many others with "better" voices. He was, also, in touch with, and affected by the times. There isn't much posturing here. This is heartfelt music.
Allmusic have this to say about the album, and I can't say it any better: "Not a concept album, but a song cycle depicting life in southern California in the late '60s, Realization is a fine cycle to catch a ride on. It's also a serious surprise — when psychedelia reared its head in 1967, the results were frequently disastrous for those performers who'd been specializing in straight-ahead rock & roll, and few had rocked harder or more straight-ahead than Johnny Rivers. Instead of jumping on a bandwagon that had nothing to do with where he was musically, he hijacked the sounds of psychedelic rock — much as the Temptations did at Motown — and took it where he was going. Acting as his own producer for the first time, Rivers opened up a slightly gentler side to his work that's equally valid and a lot more interesting, if not quite as exciting as his rock & roll classics". http://www.allmusic.com/album/realization-mw0000040595
Rivers co-songwriter, rhythm guitarist and, no doubt, kindred sprit (given they were friends) on this album was James Hendricks. Hendricks had a folk background having been in The Big Three with Tim Rose and a pre-Mamas and the Papas Cass Elliot. In between a stop start solo career he was also in The Mugwumps with Mama Cass, Zal Yanovsky and Denny Doherty before Mama Cass and Doherty went to The Mamas and the Papas and Yanovsky went to The Lovin Spoonful
Rivers was also backed by some fine session musicians: Bass, Guitar – Joe Osborne, Drums, Percussion – Hal Blaine, Guitar – James Burton, Rhythm Guitar – James Hendricks, Horns, Strings – Marty Paich, Keyboards – Larry Knectchel.
But Rivers is the auteur. He produced himself here (for the first time) and no doubt knew what he was looking for.
It is very 1968 ("realization" indeed) but it hasn't dated as much as some other albums from the same year.
Rivers had made steps away from his straight rock n roll but this album comes fully formed and, possibly, from someone you didn't expect.
Many of the 50s and early 60s rockers were trying to keep up with the times but not all succeeded. Those successful ones include Elvis who re-invented himself, Ricky Nelson who went country, Bobby Darin who abandoned his hit making sound, and Dion, perhaps the best comparison to Rivers, who embraced the spirit of the counter culture and put out music that was "heart on sleeve" type stuff.,
So why isn't Rivers more respected?
I suspect it's because of his pop background (though the Beatles transcended theirs), his love of music regardless of whether it was his or not (covers), and his ability to change, readily and successfully (too much success isn't trusted).
Oh, and he wasn't English. A truckload of rock criticism comes from England and Rivers never even charted there.
But, the proof is in the listening and this album is sublime and evocative and seduces you into enjoying it.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Hey Joe – (William Roberts) – Rivers' excellent slow, gently trippy cover of this song is more like the Tim Rose version from 1966 than the more well known Hendrix version from the same year though it seems that Hendrix got the song from Rose also). The song has quite a history. See the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Joe
- Look To Your Soul – (James Hendricks) – shades of Wichita Lineman (1968) …another song about finding yourself rather than "playing the game".
- The Way We Live – (Johnny Rivers) – shades of Dylan on the organ. This is a statement for tolerance ….low key and quite effective. I love songs that reference "material things" especially as I sit here with all my vinyl, books and crap around me.
- Summer Rain – (James Hendricks) – a real groove gets going on this …and the song even references Sgt Peppers by name .
- Whiter Shade Of Pale – (Gary Brooke, Keith Reid) – as good as the well known Procol Harum (1967) original. Seriously, you may prefer the original but this version holds up.
- Brother Where Are You – (Oscar Brown Jr.) – Written and performed by jazz vocalist Oscar Brown Jr on his "Mr Oscar Brown Jr Goes To Washington" album from 1965. This is a beautiful slow, pensive song. Rivers does the song well.
- Something Strange – (James Hendricks, Johnny Rivers) – strings are added but there is little schmaltz. This is a very late 60s rumination.
- What's The Difference – (Scott McKenzie) – A great song originally done in 1967 by the underrated Scott McKenzie (of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" fame). A beautiful song about leaving.
- Going Back To Big Sur – (Johnny Rivers) – if you are Californian and you want to "get away from it all", Big Sur seemed to be the place to go …especially if you have some cash. Having been to Big Sur I have no problem with that – it's spectacular. Rivers wears his heart on his sleeve and it's convincing.
- Positively 4th Street – (Bob Dylan) – a brilliant interpretation of Dylan's wonderful song from 1965 (perhaps the first cover of the song). Rivers is at full power as an song interpreter here though Rivers natural nasal helps to bring memories of Dylan's natural nasal. Wonderful. Dylan has said in his book "Chronicles: Volume One" that he preferred Johnny Rivers' version of "Positively 4th Street" to his own recording of the song.
And …
Excellent …. I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1968 Look To Your Soul The Billboard Hot 100 #49
1968 Summer Rain The Billboard Hot 100 #14
Album
1968 #5
England
—
Sounds
http://recordlective.com/Johnny_Rivers/Realization/aebf1e70-d1ba-351d-afca-e3c5bd6d1ba9/
Summer Rain
Live 1973
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfvbtbmJyoU
Positively 4th Street
Mp3 attached (sorry about the crackle)
Johnny Rivers – Positvely 4th Street
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAc0FKyBgks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MXxfftWnHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5R-_ZUf0wY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x63P5dcoTM
Review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/realization-mw0000040595
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/johnny-rivers-realization-revisited
http://thesethingstoo.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/albums-of-magic-and-beauty-3.html
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Rivers
Website
http://www.johnnyrivers.com/jr/
Trivia
- Rivers moved to Nashville in the late 1950s, where he teamed up with another young hopeful singer (and future country music star), Roger Miller. They wrote songs together and made a little money singing demonstration tracks for Elvis and Johnny Cash.
