DION – Wonder Where I’m Bound – (Columbia) – 1969

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Franko
I have commented on Dion in the past …
 
We all remember Dion for the white doo-wop and rock hits but there was a time when he made inroads into the charts playing singer-songwriter material.
 
allmusic: "Bridging the era between late-'50s rock and the British Invasion, Dion DiMucci (born July 18, 1939) was one of the top white rock singers of his time, blending the best elements of doo wop, teen idol, and R&B styles. Some revisionists have tried to cast him as a sort of early blue-eyed soul figure, although he was probably more aligned with pop/rock, at first as the lead singer of the Belmonts, and then as a solo star. Drug problems slowed him down in the mid-'60s, yet he made some surprisingly interesting progressions into blues-rock and folk-rock as the decade wore on, culminating in a successful comeback in the late '60s".
 
Back in "What Frank is listening to # 99"  I asked and answered (no, it's not a sign of lunacy):
 
So why Dion?
 
He was very street. In his early period he rarely wrote material. that came later in the late 60s and early 70s. And he wrote quite well. What he does bring top his early stuff with Dion and the Belmonts but more specifically in his early to mid 60s solo material is the sound of a kid from the Bronx. Specifically an Italian American kid but generally any poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Of all the teen vocalists from New York in the late 50s and early 60s only Bobby Darin and Dion transcended their material and brought individual voices to their music … Listening to it now it may not sound like much but at the time it was the sound of the street. And at its best his music beats with that sound. At least with a couple of wines with your eyes closed. It sounds like a wank but truly within the simple pop structure he has incorporated the cultures that made New York such a melting pot : Afro American R&B and doo wop, Jewish tin pan alley, early rock 'n' roll and Italian street corner singing. He also incorporated the vocalists he loved into his style … Skip James, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley … Later he would incorporate Greenwich Village folk, Bob Dylan and singer songwriter into his style.
 
Dion had success as a singer-songwriter but regardless of that success he was always best when singing about ordinary people from the street with ordinary concerns … he brought his "street" background with him and he was always very perceptive in his singing, whether it be through a song written by him or written by someone else. He could find the meaning in a song and communicate that to his audience, which is no mean feat.

This album is the follow up to his groundbreaking singer-songwriter comeback album from 1968 called "Dion". In that album Dion established himself as singer-songwriter come folkie singing in a beautiful voice about the world of 1968.

This album may be a follow up but it's also a record company cash-in as it contains material recorded prior to that breakthrough album from 1968. It's made up of the bits and pieces that Dion liked and liked to fool around with in the studio which were not released at the time. Accordingly, we have all of Dion's previously "hidden" musical personalities over the course of the album; Greenwich Village type folk music, Bob Dylan-ite, and urban acoustic blues singer. A lot of it is not very personal but the seeds are there and it's easy to see where the 1968 album came from.  

Greasers might not take to this and the counter-culture may hold his past against him but there is a lot of feeling in these grooves.

Vocal group The Wanderers do support on *

Tracks (best in italics)
  • I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound*- Tom Paxton – the great Tom Paxton song – a very 60s folk song, typical of the US folk boom. But then again Paxton was typical of the 60s folk boom.
  • It's All Over Now Baby Blue – Bob Dylan – the often covered Dylan song. A good version  but there are so many good versions to pick from. 
  • A Sunday Kind Of Love – Belle,Prima, Leonard, Rhodes –  A step back to the doo-wop of his youth. As per usual it is always pleasant but it doesn't fit in on this album.
  • Knowing I Won't Go Back There*- Dion – Dion turns his hand to writing in the folk style and it works.
  • 900 Miles – Guthrie – The Woody Guthrie standard. If you don't know who Woody Guthrie is you shouldn't be reading this blog perhaps.
  • Now* – Dion, Mastrangelo – a strange big beat pop song. As if the Righteous Brothers went folk. Great.
  • Southern Train – Trad – a very convincing rhythm and blues in the vein of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. To my ears it's more convincing than anything out of England at the same time … probably because the emphasis is on the blues rather than on the rhythm. On the other hand there was a truck load of authentic sounding, though fairly anonymous R&B bands in the 60s.
  • The Seventh Son – Willie Dixon – another convincing blues. It doesn't sound like the Dion of old but people will never make it beyond their pre-conceptions.
  • Farewell*- Bob Dylan – Dylan is always good – regardless of who sings him … and Dion "got" Dylan. Despite Dion's teen idol roots their musical influences were similar.
  • Wake Up Baby*- Dion – a good folk rock song from Dion.
  • Baby Please Don't Go – Williams – a slowed down "mood" blues very different to The Animals or Them more well known versions, and though not as high octane as those versions a great reading of the song
And …
 
Not a great album but a good one with a couple of great tracks ….. Dion comes across as a East Coast PF Sloan. The pop is turned up and the folk and blues is used as a backbeat. But hey he was an Italian-American white kid from New York City, he took what he liked from the music and inserted it into his musical palette. If you want authentic blues go listen to the Rolling Stones or Eric Clapton*. (* sarcasm obviously) .
I suggest you listen without prejudice (sorry George):
 

Sounds

I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u173u6zlkHM

It's All Over Now Baby Blue

Farewell

Baby Please Don't Go

Bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dion_DiMucci

a very good critical biography of Dion and rock 'n' roll by Dave Marsh. A must if you want to understand this aspect of "rock".

http://www.diondimucci.com/king_albums/dm_notes.html

 
Website
 
Trivia
  • I saw Dion live in 1995
(Originally posted: 20/11/2009)

 

 

 

 

About Franko

Hi, I'm just a person with a love of music, a lot of records and some spare time. My opinions are comments not reviews and are mine so don't be offended if I have slighted your favourite artist. I have listened to a lot of music and I don't pretend to be impartial. You can contact me on franklycollectible@gmail.com though I would rather you left a comment. I also sell music at http://www.franklycollectible.com Cheers
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