On almost the eve of Elvis' birthday I have up this album up for comment … on the basis of a tribute song.
If you are a regular reader of these posts then you will have encountered Gary Lewis before. This, however, is the least typical Gary Lewis album if for nothing else than it is a "Gary Lewis" album rather than a "Gary Lewis & The Playboys" album, and that alone speaks volumes about the changes.
In the past I have said on a number of occasions: ""Most of his albums were 1/2 originals( some written by him) and 1/2 covers of recent(ish) hits. Regardless, whether original or cover, Lewis seemed to have hit after hit. I suspect cause the records are well recorded, tightly played pop rock with a consistent musical personality throughout all …… Gary California
This all applies with one difference … Gary Lewis has changed (or "updated" is more apt) his sound and his image.
He hadn't been doing well in the charts after prior to being discharged from the army a year earlier in 1968 (after serving in Vietnam
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no "Playboys" backing band – he is a "solo artist" backed by a band who are all "newbies" to him – Arnold Rosenthal (bass), Billy Boatman (drums), Charley Carey (guitar). Accordingly there is less reliance on session musicians and his new band mates also assist with song writing duties.
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no production by Snuff Garrett or arrangements by Leon Russell.
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no clean cut Gary Lewis – longer hair, sideburns, updated "threads" – he looks positively counter culture.
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The album's title "I'm on the Right Road Now" is meant to be its credo. There is a blurb on the back referring to Gary Gary
He proves he could cut the mustard and at worst he proves he has learnt something off his father Jerry, namely impersonations. There is an updating of sound and style but Lewis hasn't made a clean break with his musical past as that would be disingenuous, if you accept that your musical influences are part of your musical personality. He still wears his "tastes" on his sleeve despite a couple of left field tracks.
There is not one bad song here. That's not to suggest that the album is great but it's as credible as anything else coming from the same paddock. What is most noticeable is Lewis' brand of pop rock has been ditched for something much more 1969. That is not to say this is psychedelic, jazz fusion, protest, acid blues or underground. The music is still poppy rock though Lewis has added a bit of chug a lug rock a la Creedence Clearwater Revival. And, for the most part, as per usual, the songs are half covers and half originals (mostly written by Lewis in collaboration with one or more of his band mates).
Oh, and a couple of the tracks are memorable.
The Tracks (the best in italics)
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Something Is Wrong – Rosenthal – a big mid-tempo cabaret type song like Mark Lindsay or the late 60s Bee Gees would have sung. Nothing wrong with that. It's actually quite easy on the ears.
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Times Are A Changin' – Rosenthal, Boatman – not the Dylan song but a bouncy country folk with a "social" lyric. There's clearly a nod to the Lovin Spoonful … and there's nothing wrong with that either.
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I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night – Lewis, Rosenthal, Boatman – an Elvis tribute song. Of course it's magnificent. Well actually it isn't but it is "heart on the sleeve" type stuff. I assume Lewis went and saw Elvis' electric return to live engagements in Vegas in 1969 which by all accounts, even by otherwise reserved rock critics, was akin to some sort of religious experience. Dylan saw Elvis around the same time and wrote: "Went to see the Gypsy". Lewis is obviously not as obscure in his song title or in his lyrics … which by the way are magnificent (of course … ha ha).
The song called,” I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night," was written and recorded by Gary Lewis in the early seventies. In his own words Gary Las Vegas Gary Las Vegas Champaign
Two problems wrong with that statement … firstly there were hundreds of Elvis tribute songs written about Elvis prior to 1969, and secondly, this track was on an album that came out in 1969 or 1970 so Gary may have seen Elvis in 1971/72 but he also saw him beforehand. I dare say he saw him in Vegas at the MGM Grand in 1969 or perhaps he is talking about seeing him on TV in the "68 Comeback Special".
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I'm Ready If Your Willin' – Lewis,Rosenthal,Marcinko,Boatman – A slight rip off of the old rock and R&B songs "I'm Ready" and "Back Door Man" ? For some reason they have slowed down the tempo though.
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Three Cheers –Lewis, Rosenthal- a flashback to the Lewis of old with more than a nod to the Beatles and also a touch of the Kinks from "The Village Green Preservation Society" type era ("Village Green" was an influential underground hit in the US whereas it sold less than nothing in England which was odd given its "Englishness") … otherwise it is obviously quite autobiographical and quite a haunting song.
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Great Balls Of Fire -Hammer, Blackwell – I don't know who "Hammer" is but Otis Blackwell wrote this and Jerry Lee Lewis made it famous. This is an out and out rock song and Lewis does it slower than Lewis (or the great Elvis version) but adds a bit of the Creedence Clearwater Revival chug a lug and it works.
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I'm On The
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I'm Gonna Shoot The Moon – Lewis, Rosenthal, Boatman – interesting lyrics (late 60s style) but …
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Co-Op Farm – Rosenthal – very, very Rolling Stones circa "Let it Bleed" ….and a send up of late 60s counter culture lifestyles. One of the aforementioned songs out of left field.
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Orangutan – Rosenthal – very Kinks like … thematically anyway. "Apeman" by the Kinks came out in 1970 so any simian similarity is coincidental probably but this is still very Ray Davies.
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Silly Girl – Rosenthal – back to old style Lewis …
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Roll Over Rover – Rosenthal, Boatman – I'm not sure what's up here …"Roll Over Rover"?
And …
The album was different and the public reacted accordingly. The album bombed as did the singles ( "I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night", "I'm On The Right Road Now"). Lewis was too associated with his earlier image though ironically the clean pop sound he had helped to create was all over the charts – The Archies, Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Co all had Top 10s circa 1970.
This, accordingly, was Lewis' last album … but it is by no means embarrassing. It's actually endearing in some ways. It's probably in the Top 5 Lewis albums. I'm keeping it.
Sounds
I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night
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Three Cheers
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I'm On The Right Road Now
Orangutan
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Other:
Beatles
Take Care of My Baby
Website
Bio
Other Comments
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(originally posted: 06/01/2010)
