WHAT FRANK IS LISTENING TO

PATRICK SKY – Patrick Sky – (Vanguard) – 1965

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Franko

I had not heard any music of Patrick Sky despite having read about him for many years.

Sky was another of the many folk singers thrown out by the great folk music explosion of the 1960s in the US.

He isn't well known today and, perhaps, is not that well know in casual folk music circles which is a pity because he stood off to one side of the other folkies because of his background.

From, http://thegreatrockbible.com/portfolio-item/patrick-sky-biography/, "Born Patrick Lynch, October 2, 1940 (most sources say 1943), in Live Oak Gardens, nr. Atlanta, Georgia, Patrick was a descendant of the Creek/Muskogee Indians; his grandmother taught him her tribe’s traditional songs. Equally inspired by the legend of WOODY GUTHRIE and satirical political comic Will Rogers (a part-Cherokee Indian), SKY broke away from his people’s base in LaFouche Swamp in Louisiana, firstly to honour his 2-year conscription in the Army, secondly to become a folk-music troubadour, having earlier learned how to play guitar, banjo and harmonica … Alongside fellow Native American BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (his girlfriend at the time), Patrick toured the coffeehouses and clubs of eastern America during the early half of the 60s, before finally settling into the Greenwich Village scene. With both parties signing to Vanguard Records, his eponymous PATRICK SKY (1965) album (coming as it did a year after Buffy’s debut) was unjustly lumped in with the post-DYLAN clique, much like RICHARD FARINA, DAVID BLUE, et al; these latter acts appeared with SKY on a `Singer-Songwriter Project’ LP for Elektra that year. His debut, meanwhile, consisted of several original compositions (two of them, `Many A Mile’ and `Love Will Endure’, duly borrowed by SAINTE-MARIE and The BLUES PROJECT respectively), while there was a competent mixture of covers and trad songs via TOM PAXTON (`Everytime’) and PETE LaFARGE (`The Ballad Of Ira Hayes’) and `Wreck Of The 97’.

What the short bio doesn't mention and what will have bearing later, and which is obvious from his birth name, is that Sky also had Irish ancestry, though how recent I do not know.

Sky became increasing disillusioned (with the music business apparently though his later music barbed satire is aimed at contemporary society as a whole) and increasingly political. Never a big seller his music became more marginal and he more or less retired in the mid 1970s before returning to the stage in 1984 with a program that mixed Irish traditional music played on the Uillean pipes with original folk songs and gently humorous stories. Sky has become a master craftsman in the making of Irish Uillean pipes and, keeping in line with his other tradition and culture, the Native American mouth-bow.

This album was his first and was released in 1965 and it is a throwback.

Things changed quickly in the 60s.

This would have been the "in" sound in 1962, 1963 or even early 1964 but by 1965 Dylan had plugged in and gone electric and The Byrds were taking "Mr Tambourine Man" into the Pop charts and practically inventing folk rock.

Sky's album was acoustic simplicity defined: he accompanies himself on guitar and harmonica with only the support of Ralph Rinzler’s mandolin on a couple of tracks. The songs are narratives and stories in the old traditions. You can hear the influence of Dylan in here but that's not surprising as he influenced a generation and he actually was a contemporary of Sky's in the Greenwich Village scene.

Does any of this detract from the music?

Hell no, the music is solid but it doesn't give him the instant career boost he would have had if it had come out a couple of years earlier.

He was around earlier but for whatever reason didn't record till now (1965).

It is interesting to note that his later music was more satirical, barbed (and bawdy) but Dave Van Ronk, here, on the liner notes refers to these aspects of Sky's personality and draws comparisons with Rabelais, Will Rogers Marquis de Sade and Bertolt Brecht.

None of that is overt on this set.

But what is clearly heard is the companion to the barbed satirist and that is the person who wears his heart on his sleeve. The romantic, perhaps disillusioned, and usually stubborn.

And, for me, in this age of cheap shot cynicism or plastic truth that is enough.

All songs by Sky unless indicated.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Many a Mile – a beautiful song which became a folk club staple and was covered by Buffy Sainte-Marie on her second album, "Many a Mile", also released in 1965
Hangin' Round – great Americana folk … with a nice humorous edge. You can hear Pokey Lafarge here.
Love Will Endure – The gentle love song. And a good one. Covered by The Blues Project on "Live at Town Hall" (1967).
Reuben – (Traditional) – Not the ship saga Reuben James but a train song with the obligatory harmonica train noise sounds.
Rattlesnake Mountain – (Traditional) – a good version of the tongue twister old standard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake_Mountain_(song)
Everytime – (Tom Paxton) – from Tom Paxton's "Ain't That News" album of 1965. A beautiful simple love ballad and one of Paxton's best songs.

Side Two

Come With Me Love – a good old school romantic love song.
Nectar of God – a powerful song much in the vein of Dylan's "Masters of War" or some Townes Van Zandt and John Prine
Separation Blues – More folk Americana … and, once again, humorous. A treat.
Ballad of Ira Hayes – (Peter LaFarge) – by LaFarge from his "Ira Hayes" And Other Ballads" (1962) album. The Johnny Cash version is iconic but this version is beautiful.
Words Without Music – (Stanley) – by Dayle Stanley from her "After the Snow" album from 1963. "Words Without Music" is music without words though as Sky says on the liner notes, with a "variation", because he never got the sheet music from the author.
Wreck of the 97 – (Dewey/Noell/Wittier) – the traditional country folk song dating back to the 1920s done by everybody including Woody Guthrie, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Johnny Cash. A great version!

And …

Simple but wonderful…. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where

Sounds

Full album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4knua_3fio

Hangin' Round

mp3 attached

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHjxZkAoAAg

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/patrick-sky-mw0000175777

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Sky_(album)

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Sky

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/patrick-sky-mn0000013254/biography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7al1306eAFI

Website

http://patricksky.com/

Trivia

—

Posted in Folk | Tagged 1965 | Leave a comment

JERRY REED – Sings Jim Croce – (RCA) – 1980

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Franko

Now, this is a treat for me as I love both Jerry Reed and Jim Croce.

Even if Jerry just does rudimentary versions of Jim's songs that would be enough to keep me entertained.

How this album came about I have no idea.

I don't know if Jerry knew Jim though they were contemporaries on different musical scenes.

If they were friends then Jerry took his time in releasing this "tribute". Jim Croce was killed in a plane crash in 1973 and Jerry recorded this album in 1980.

There is a "Thank You Jerry Reed, Ingrid Croce" from Jim's wife on the back sleeve but otherwise no indication of any familiarities..

Thirty minutes on the information highway reveals nothing.

Perhaps they played a show together, perhaps Jim's wife or Jerry's wife would know (Jerry died in 2008).

Country musicians covering folkies is no more unusual that folkies being turned on by country music sounds but a whole album?

Jerry clearly liked Jim Croce otherwise why do an album some seven years after the mans death. Jim's profile and popularity were not on a revival so there is no commercial reason to do it (if that is a motivation, and it often is). And, Jerry had already covered Jim before on his "Mind Your Love" album from 1975 where he had done "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" so he is well aware of him.

But the question remains, what does a good ol' boy, country guitar picker from Atlanta Georgia see in the urban folk of a son of Italian American migrants from South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?

The answer seems to be in outlooks on life.

Their musical personalities are not widely different and I suspect that's what Jerry Reed sees in Jim Croce's music.

Jerry's obvious main persona was a good ol' boy jokey country singer (which is a stereotype, albeit one encouraged by him) but he had a sensitive side which often comes out in his music. But, amid the bluff and bravado there is a guy who can be quite sensitive (and even maudlin in that country way) at times. Check out "A Thing called Love", "Patches", and covers like "Early Morning Rain" and "City Of New Orleans". Jim's persona, on the other hand, was from the big city urban folk school where you wear your heart on your sleeve, get wounded in the process and otherwise sensitive and pensive in that singer-songwriter way. Yet, amongst that he, very unlike others of his genre, has a swagger, a strut and a defiance in his music which is brims with good natured humorous arrogance. Check out "Jim", "Leroy Brown" and "Rapid Roy".

So, despite the different locales, country and urban, this is where the two met musically … the tough country boy with a sensitive side and the sensitive city boy with a tough side who tackle life and all of it's paths with humour.

For Jerry Reed to cover Jim Croce is an almost perfect partnership of musical personality to songwriter.

1980, though, was part of a dangerous time for country music. Nashville slickness reigned supreme, and there is some of that here. Strings (luckily by Bill Justis so they are tasteful) abound, slick chorused backing vocals crop up everywhere, the jagged edges have been rounded off, but we do have Jerry Reed's wonderful guitar playing which is inherently, and wonderfully, unpredictable and he is backed by a Nashville A-team who play to the producers demands.

And here the producer is Jerry (with Chip Young).

Still, hard core country lovers won't be convinced by some of the more quirky folk observational lyrics and blinkered folky singer-songwriters won't be happy about the country arrangements but there is plenty to like here if you like Jerry Reed or Jim Croce or, especially, if you like both.

For more detail on Reed check my comments. Some Jim albums to come in the future.

All songs by Jim Croce unless otherwise noted.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Workin' At The Carwash Blues – a very "street" song but big country towns have streets, and car washes, and dreams failed, and carwash blues.
One Less Set Of Footsteps – a great "kiss off" song and one that works perfectly in a country musical setting.
You Don't Mess Around With Jim – a brag of a song with Jim a city cousin to Jerry's "Amos Moses".
I Got A Name – (Norman Gimbel , Charles Fox) – a beautiful song and Jerry does it beautifully, country style … you can see him driving a truck singing his heart out with this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Got_a_Name_(song)
Time In A Bottle – schmaltz. It works as a singer-songwriter song but as a country song it becomes maudlin the only thing that saves it is Jerry's gruff voice.

Side Two

Age – Potentially maudlin but handled straight and it comes off well
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song – This beautiful song could have collapsed badly as a country song … and it starts to with strings and whatnot but Jerry's straight vocals and magnificent guitar picking save the day. And, of course, the song is magnificent.
The Hard Way Every Time – Nice but not memorable here.
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown – Jerry's second chop at this song. He did it on his "Mind Your Love" (1975) album. That version is perhaps slightly better.
Careful Man – some great Reed picking.

And …

It's hard to remain unbiased so I won't bother, I love this … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

1980 Age Country Singles #36

Album

1980 #56 Country

England

nothing

Sounds

One Less Set Of Footsteps

mp3 attached

You Don't Mess Around With Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noEeV6maKtA

I Got A Name

Live 1987

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ts0qwRBx4c

Time In A Bottle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-B_bBG7PDg

The Hard Way Every Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9EG_f0G2co

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7lh5V-6SzQ

Careful Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ujTz-DDBI

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-p0zn3PijY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNaN4aZJiZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g409IK0Dcg

Review

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Reed_Sings_Jim_Croce

Bio

http://jimcroce.com/

http://croces.com/

Website

http://www.jerryreed.nl/

Trivia

—

Postscript:

I contacted Jim's widow ms Ingrid Croce via the internet and asked her, "Did Jim Croce ever know or meet Jerry Reed?" in an effort to find out why he may have recorded an album of Jim's songs.

Her response was,

"I know that Jim Croce would have been very honored that Jerry Reed did an album of his songs.

I believe they met in Nashville and Jerry sent me a lovely plant after Jim passed.

Other than that, I really can’t say why?"

Posted in Country | Tagged 1980 | Leave a comment

COUNTRY JOE McDONALD – Childs Play – (Rag Baby Records) – 1983

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Franko

I like Country Joe McDonald.

He is like a more strident, less lyrical Arlo Guthrie.

He is also more experimental than Arlo.

Not that "experimental" is a necessity in folk, folk rock and Americana circles.

McDonald was a product of the 1960s California Berkeley University scene … and with that DNA there is a "anything goes" attitude.

Accordingly, Country Joe's music has rarely been "straight".

Not surprisingly, outside of the more open-minded mainstream music of the 60s, McDonald's career has been marginal. He has a devout small following, a career and a presence but you are not likely to hear him in on radio, read about him in music papers or see him on television.

On this album he uses something he calls ‘Sound Environments’ which is a technique of placing in each song some kind of context by the use of stereo sound effects. On “Not In A Chinese Restaurant” there is background chatter from people in a restaurant (and the odd bomb dropping) for example.

I'm not sure of the wisdom of this. The purpose is to create mood and on some songs it works but on others it merely intrudes and distracts from the merits of the song. Either way it probably kills any likelihood of commercial airplay, not that he would have received any anyway.

Other artists have introduced done this over the years and the use of the same has to be used judiciously.

I'm not sure when the music was recorded. There is a suggestion that Childs Play contained mostly out-takes from the Fantasy era. Certainly the sleeve indicates that the songs were "recorded over a period of time at Fantasy studios, Berkeley, California with some recording at Crystal Sound Studios. Los Angeles, California".

Perhaps the "sound environments "were added to the unreleased tracks recorded whilst Country Joe was at Fantasy records, roughly between 1975 – 1979?

There certainly is a feel that the songs come from different sessions … perhaps the "sound environments" were also used as practical tool to make everything sound more like a cohesive whole (which they do in part)

Check out my other comments for biographical detail on Country Joe.

Produced by Joe McDonald & Bruce Walford, Trevor Lawrence & Bill Belmont

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Not In A Chinese Restaurant – a good example of the sound effects interfering with a good song.
Power Plant Blues – this on the other hand is an electric blues song (with a topical theme) which isn't as good and where the sound effects don't intrude
Picks And Lasers – A story of miners, on Mars! WTF? And it goes for nine minutes! Actually the song has a nice bounce to it but it is more than a bit ridiculous. Martian workers you have nothing to lose but your chains!
Ice Pack – an instrumental with just acoustic guitar and bass. This is pleasant but sound like it could have been a backing track for a vocal that was never recorded.

Side Two

One More Year Of Good Times – This is good old school Joe McDonald. Political folk with biting lyrics and simple arrangements. Excellent.
Vietnam Never Again – Lyrically this, also, is old style Country Joe. The instruments though (especially the electric guitar) have that late 70s/early 80s sound which can be a bit dated. This isn't dissimilar to what Neil Young was doing about the same time.
America My Home – another topical song and one that may be relevant to the US now … a song that illustrates that America is made up of people of many nations. (It seems like everyone but the Croatians get name checked)
Star Yeck: Voyage of the Good Ship Undersize – (Joe McDonald, Trevor Lawrence & Jay Graydon) – What the hell? This is amusing but it isn't music. A spoken satire (with funky backing music) using "Star Trek" as the basis ( the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" film was big news in 1979) … here the crew deal with intergalactic trash created by humans, andd an angry Space Garbage Monster. With Country Joe (Capt. James P. Jerk), actor Gary Goodrow (Mr. Spot and Lt. Ungawa), actor Howard Hesseman (Mr. Jeckoff, The Computer), actor Jim Cranna (Spitty) and Dr Don Rose (Space Garbage Monster)
Mi Corazon – a Spanish language funky rag. Not too bad.

And …

Very, very patchy and if you aren't into Country Joe you would have other words to describe the album … I like Country Joe so I'm keeping it for completeness.

Chart Action

Nothing no where.

Sounds

Power Plant Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylw5kp9VLZI

Picks And Lasers

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A0kX-kEuHQ

One More Year Of Good Times

mp3 attached

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHwh21TuJvs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk68D91hTXw

Country Joe & The Fish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDhLYJMPlYg

Review

—

Bio

http://www.countryjoe.com/cjmbio.htm

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/country-joe-mcdonald-p103837

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

Website

http://www.countryjoe.com/

Trivia

—

Posted in Folk | Tagged 1983 | Leave a comment

JOHN STEWART – Bombs Away Dream Babies – (RSO) – 1979

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Franko

From folkie to obscure singer songwriter, to pop hit maker and then back to obscure singer songwriter.

Maybe that wouldn't be so bad but the breakdown is, folkie (10 years), obscure singer songwriter (10 years), hit maker (2 years), obscure singer songwriter (30 years), give or take.

There wasn't much time at the top.

I may call Stewart obscure but I only mean that by reference to the mainstream. Don't get me wrong he always had a career, a following, an income.

He deserved more, and it would have been better if he had got more, for our sake as much as for his.

But for two years he shone … just this one album really.

And this is the album you find in all the op shops, the one that people say they have fond memories of, the one that appears everywhere.

It is far from Stewart's best but it is his most commercial and at the time (1979) he tapped into the tight, slick, west coast folk comes rock, comes country, comes pop sound … something perfected by Fleetwood Mac

The Fleetwood Mac reference is not an idle reference.

After signing with Robert Stigwood’s RSO records, Stewart befriended (long time fan) Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham co-produced this album (with Stewart) and called upon many of his L.A. friends (including Stevie Nicks) to come and help. There is a tension throughout the album between Buckingham's slick pop and the ragged, plain sounding honesty of Stewart's voice but it works beautifully if for no other reason than it distinguishes the album from Fleetwood Mac and from all the other soft rock soft cocks who were emulating Fleetwood Mac.

But don't get me wring this is slick stuff.

Lyrically, Stewart has moved his concerns to songs of lost or difficult love peppered by a few cynical songs about music industry all done to a smooth shuffle beat.

Just about every song sounds like a single that could be coming from a AM radio, in a convertible, roof down, cruising along a California road on a summer day 1979.

On this album Stewart sings rock (or perhaps soft rock bordering on folk rock or folk rock disco on some tunes) in his unabashedly masculine baritone (reminiscent at times of Johnny Cash).

The experiment paid off with good great chart placings for both the album and its singles. The follow up album, "Dream Babies Go Hollywood" (1980) with backing by Linda Ronstadt and contributions from Phil Everly was an attempt at the same (apparently) but it failed.

Nevertheless the success of this album, gave Stewart a boost to his career and sustained him (as a marginal artist with a faithful following) for the next couple of decades.

He kept writing and recording and for that we have to be thankful. There are undiscovered joys all over his albums

The guy is a legend and his body of work should be more highly valued

Check out my other entry for biographical detail.

All songs written by Stewart.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Gold – a great track which needs to be covered. It's very slick but there is bite is its lyric and the beat is irresistible. Stevie Nicks and others on backing vocals.
Lost Her in the Sun – a beautiful melancholy song of love lost with a touch of the Springsteen about it.
Runaway Fool of Love – slick
Somewhere Down the Line – this song harkens back to the 60s folk Stewart was familiar with. It is beautiful.
Midnight Wind – Stevie Nicks and others on backing vocals.

Side Two

Over the Hill – pure Fleetwood Mac and none too subtle.
The Spinnin' of the World – You can't keep a folkie down though. A gem of a song though from a differen era.
Comin' Out of Nowhere – a gentle gallop of a song with not much in the way of lyric and seems to be a statement of intent.
Heart of the Dream – another dig at the music industry and perhaps the act of chasing the dream.
Hand Your Heart to the Wind – the obligatory ballad tinged with doubt and regret with just Stewart on guitar and keyboards.

And …

Slick but more than meets the eye … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

1979 Midnight Wind The Billboard Hot 100 #28

1979 Gold The Billboard Hot 100 #5

1980 Lost Her In The Sun The Billboard Hot 100 #34

Album

1979 #10

England

Singles

1979 Gold #43

Album

—

Sounds

Gold

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS9yaMRjdF8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjhHcLpfr4

Lost Her in the Sun

Live later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAmOez4jZJI

mp3attached

Runaway Fool of Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_nOly4UxWs

Somewhere Down the Line

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwG8O_l8aw4

Midnight Wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlvZmpJvDc4

Over the Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXFI5vS_Bz8

The Spinnin' of the World

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE_y39XAOuo

Comin' Out of Nowhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFjYArTNMY

Heart of the Dream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjGkbw5X6T0

Hand Your Heart to the Wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5fhECdbsIk

Others

The Kingston trio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIW8T-sNU10

Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHitOz5mZ70

Playboy After Dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmpIiwgicWs

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/bombs-away-dream-babies-mw0000110130

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombs_Away_Dream_Babies

http://floweringtoilet.blogspot.com.au/2008/03/john-stewart-bombs-away-dream-babies.html

http://benedictroffmarsh.com/2015/04/28/folk-rock-james-taylor-john-stewart-al-stewart-merle-haggard/

http://bitemyfoot.org.uk/omaha/or21/or21_02.html

https://cooperstreetrelic.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/my-50-great-but-forgotten-and-sadly-ignored-albums-45-bombs-away-dream-babies/

http://www.swanshadow.com/2008/01/bombs-away-dream-babies.html

Bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart_(musician)

http://www.sonic.net/~roadman/bloodnotes/

http://bitemyfoot.org.uk/reviews/leigh98/leigh98.html

http://www.beautifulbotany.com/Latest/Latest-Stories-2008/Feb-John%20Stewart/John%20Stewart.htm

http://www.hiddenhistory.com/page1/storhom3.htm?http://www.hiddenhistory.com/page6/jstewone.htm

obituary

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jan/25/obituaries.mainsection

Website

http://bitemyfoot.org.uk/

Trivia

Musicians: Guitars – John Stewart, Lindsey Buckingham / Bass – Bryan Garofalo, Chris Whelan, David Jackson / Keyboards – Joey Carbone, Wayne Hunt / Drums – Michael Botts, Richard Shlosser, Gary Weisberg, Russ Kunkel / Background vocals – Stevie Nicks, Mary Torrey, Chris Whelan, Lindsey /Buckingham, Bryan Garofalo, Buffy Ford Stewart, Christine DeLisle, Mary Kay Place, Joey Harris, Croxey Adams, Dave Guard, Deborah Tompkins, Catherine Guard
The albums title comes from a suggestion by Dave Guard who was one of the founding members of Stewart folk group, The Kingston Trio.
The album gives "Special Thanks to Stevie Nicks for her magic and the use of her wall. Lindsey Buckingham for the endless hours, hot licks and encouragement; Herbert Worthington for diving in head first; Russ Kunkel (who was that guy anyway?); Buffy, the shelter from the storm; and Elvis, Dave and Lindsey for opening the door".
It was as a Presley-admiring teenager that Stewart formed a Pomona, California, rock group called John Stewart and the Furies.

Posted in Folk Rock, Singer Songwriter, Soft Rock | Tagged 1979 | Leave a comment

ROGER McGUINN & BAND – Roger McGuinn & Band – (Columbia) – 1975

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Franko

Check my other entries from background on McGuinn if you don't know who he is.

You should though!

This was McGuinn's third solo album after leaving (or disbanding) The Byrds.

It is titled "Roger McGuinn & Band"

McGuinn's two first solo albums (though not bad) were at the time met only mildly by both the critics and the public. The rational I suppose was to get in a producer, in this case John Boylan (Ricky Nelson, The Association, The Dillards, Pure Prairie League, Commander Cody) and a band he could work off, record an album and then tour to promote the same.

In a spurt of democratic fervour (well the American bicentenary was only a year away) McGuinn allowed everyone to have a say in the song writing and didn't twiddle any producers knobs.

Most of the rock pundits out there seem to suggest that this is the problem, as does McGuinn himself. He would later said: " "A band should be a benevolent dictatorship. Democracy is a great form of government, but it doesn't work in rock & roll."

Philosophical statement aside (and it sounds reasonable), he would know better than me but time passes and I suspect maybe he forgot about what commercial pressures the label brought down on him, as they do on all acts. They wanted a return on their investment. After the poor sales of his first two albums (#137 and #92) I'm not sure if he had that much bargaining power.

Ironically the front cover would give the impression that McGuinn is the man in control which is not the case on.

This is a record label trying to make money … don't let McGuinn produce again, ship in a producer, make him emulate the sounds of the day (whether he wants to or not), get him to get a band (who are technically proficient) but who haven't necessarily had time to "gel" or develop organically with the front man, have them all contribute new songs, re-record some old Byrds songs, and then pump out an album.

That's dangerous with an established group but foolhardy in a group newly formed and untested.

Sure, musicians do it all the time when they get session musicians in the studio the difference here is they are actively contributing to the songs.

The sound was slicked up a little and the beautiful raggedy edges are gone.

The market was right for this type of music in 1975 but there was already so many people doing it. People who had been inspired in the first place by the Byrds later country sounds.

It failed, in the market.

But contrary to popular wisdom the results aren't half bad.

The reason … Roger McGuinn.

McGuinn is a joy (his voice is expressive and emotive) and the band do play well, probably because they come from a similar country rock heritage.

They fall short of greatness but this is better than many of it's similar themed and styled competitors.

The lesson here is, that due to McGuinn, everything is going to be at the very least, good..

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Somebody Loves You – (Stephen A. Love, Allen L. Kemp ) – This is actually quite a good song. It is very 1970s country rock but quite good.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door – (Bob Dylan) – Dylan's magnificent (and well covered) alt country ballad fro the film "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid" from 1973. It's not the first time McGuinn has done Dylan. He knows and understands him. A great cover. Some slick chorusing but it all works.
Bull Dog – (Richard Bowden) – a good country rock stomper
Painted Lady – (Greg Attaway, David Lovelace) – Originally done by Cold Steel on their 1973 debut album this sounds like it could have been a Byrds song with nice country harmonies.
Lover of the Bayou – (Jacques Levy, Roger McGuinn) – from the Byrds self titled album from 1970. Perhaps not as good as the original version by McGuinn sound perfectly Dylanesque here.

Side Two

Lisa – (Roger McGuinn) – Country and country rocks fascination with Jamaican rhythms …. it would be fun with five pina coladas otherwise not.
Circle Song – (David Lovelace) – not memorable but not too bad.
So Long – (Richard Bowden) – so so
Easy Does It – (Roger McGuinn) – nice, but not memorable and moving into Jesse Colin Young territory.
Born to Rock and Roll – (Roger McGuinn) – from the Byrds self titled album from 1973. A rock n roll anthem and well done and more of a stomper than the original.

And …

Underrated and undervalued …. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

—

Album

1975 #1965

England

—

Sounds

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Live later with Gene Clark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6WUsN80g4I

mp3 attached

Bull Dog

mp3 attached

Lover of the Bayou

Live later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvcoxK53is0

Born to Rock and Roll – (Roger McGuinn) –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCjFVQ87M5I

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s6TSNwnYDw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Df39PjkwA

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/roger-mcguinn-amp-band-mw0000719114

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_McGuinn_%26_Band

http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/MCGUINNroger.htm

Bio

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

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roger-mcguinn-mn0000834466/biography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boylan_(record_producer)

Website

http://rogermcguinn.blogspot.com.au/

Trivia

Stephen A. Love (Stone Canyon Band) on bass guitar, and ex-Cold Steel members Richard Bowden on guitar, David Lovelace on keyboards and Greg Attaway on drums.
Cold Steel released one album which looks like a Sneaky Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Brothers) solo album (with his face and name on the front) but it's not it's a group project.

Posted in Country Rock, Folk Rock | Tagged 1975 | Leave a comment

COLOSSEUM – Colosseum – (Fontana) – 1969

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Franko

aka "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You".

Jazz-rock English style, or rather, as someone suggests somewhere, "rock jazz".

Either way I approach this with trepidation.

For someone who had a resistance to jazz, or at least certain forms of jazz because of the pretentious aspects to it (well, at least the pretentiousness of its audience) I didn't feel the same about the jazz-rock bands.

I like (a lot) the first Chicago (Transit Authority) album and the first two or three Blood Sweat and Tears albums and a few other bits and pieces but I had reservations.

I suspect that, because I was listening to those albums in the 80s, I could comfortably see, and accept, as a thing of the times, the naff aspects in the music. At the time of release I suspect their music would have been a little pretentious.

Of course when it come to pretentiousness music acts, the English leave everyone for dead … Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Billy Bragg, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Gorillaz etc

There is a reason why, almost, the entire "prog rock" (progressive rock) genre, the height of pretentious rock (google prog rock and pretentious), occurred only in England.

Granted "pretentious" is hard to define in music and harder to quantify but you know it when you see it. People split hairs over when ether act is pretentious or not but, inevitably, they are always, usually, talking about the same bands.

And, of course, just because you are pretentious doesn't mean you can't make great music.

So, having little knowledge about Colosseum apart from the fact that they were jazz rock, English, and had been around for years I turned to wikipedia.

The introductory paragraphs did not instil me with hope …

"Those Who Are About to Die Salute You – Morituri Te Salutant is the debut album by Colosseum, released in 1969 by Fontana. It is one of the pioneering albums of jazz fusion. The title is a translation of the Latin phrase morituri te salutant that according to popular belief (but not academic agreement), gladiators addressed to the emperor before the beginning of a gladiatorial match". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Those_Who_Are_About_to_Die_Salute_You

"were a pioneering English progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum_(band)

Latin writing, prog rock, jazz based improvisation, gladiators, emperors, …

Allmusic had this to say on them, "One of the most influential of the early British progressive rock bands, Colosseum fused an adventurous approach to rock with strong jazz and blues influences and classical keyboard accents; they earned a loyal and lasting following though they never scored a major breakthrough hit. Colosseum was founded in 1968 by saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, bassist Tony Reeves, and drummer Jon Hiseman; the three had previously worked with John Mayall, playing on his album Bare Wires, and Heckstall-Smith and Hiseman were formerly members of the Graham Bond Organisation. The first lineup was completed with the addition of Dave Greenslade on keyboards, Jim Roche on guitar and vocalist James Litherland, who took over on guitar when Roche soon departed".

Like a lot of English rock acts from the 1960s Colosseum have become rock dinosaurs and their history is rather convoluted.

They only recorded four albums (one a US only release) before breaking up in 1974 reforming in 1994, releasing three more albums and touring through to 2015.

This is their debut album and there is an early history of the band (by the drummer and founding member Hiseman) in the liner notes and it seems that these guys, at least, are authentic jazz (and blues) oriented musicians dating back to the early 1960s.

And, here on this album perhaps (I'm not expert on Colosseum), you hear their roots better than ever. On what I have read the "prog rock" lovers don't love this album because it is too jazz and too blues.

But that is exactly what make it appealing to me. That, and the fact that it isn't fully prog yet!

I really do dislike a lot of prog rock.

Here the jazz elements are turned down and the blues (and rock) elements are way out front. I was a little surprised as I thought the band were more jazz oriented (they were, later). Having said that this isn't slavish 12 bar blues, or "blues hammer" blues. There is a lot thrown into the mix … the aforementioned jazz, eastern, psych, classical and art.

This, is time and place music. And the time and place for mass acceptance probably isn't 2015 (or even 1969).

But, it can be played now, especially in a live setting, for an art house crowd, at a smallish venue.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Walking in the Park – (Bond) – recorded by Graham Bond and on his " There's a Bond Between Us" (1965) album, and re-released in 1970 as a single. This is a great jazz thumping version. http://www.allmusic.com/song/walking-in-the-park-mt0005861921
Plenty Hard Luck – (Greenslade/Heckstall-Smith/Hiseman/Litherland/Reeves) – a blues, jazzed up. Some crazy sax-o-mo-phone work going on.
Mandarin – (Reeves/Greenslade) – a instrumental blues rock number with psych and eastern influences thrown in. Apparently it is based on a Japanese "soft scale".
Debut – (Greenslade/Heckstall-Smith/Hiseman/Reeves) – another instrumental and apparently the first thing the band played together, hence the title.

Side Two

Beware the Ides of March – (Greenslade/Heckstall-Smith/Hiseman/Reeves) – an instrumental that starts out, apparently, as a variation on "A Whiter Shade of Pale" but is as the liner notes say a "manic version of a Bach chord sequence". (Procul Harum took their melody from Bach). The song eventually flies off … nice and without the Procul Harum syrup.
The Road She Walked Before – (Heckstall-Smith) – The keyboard and driving beat on this I like a lot
Backwater Blues – (Leadbelly) – The song is a standard. Leadbelly recorded it in 1940. This is pretty much standard late 60s electric blues. Perhaps a little ahead of the curve but only just. At 6 minutes it is a little too long for a slow blues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backwater_Blues
Those About to Die – (Greenslade/Heckstall-Smith/Hiseman/Reeves) – wow, from the opening you know this instrumental is going to be fun ( I think they refernce dave Brubeck's "Take Five" in there). It changes direction a couple of times but this is virtuoso playing and a hoot. Don't try dancing to it though.

And …

A little of this goes a long way and it's not really my cup off tea for repeated listening but some of this certainly goes off … tape some and sell.

Chart Action

—

England

Singles

—

Album

1969 #15

Sounds

Walking in the Park

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsoQo-1nU1o

Plenty Hard Luck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNrwUjaAiWc

Mandarin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHXeL55FNRM

Debut

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKdjcar9fr0

Beware the Ides of March

mp3 attached

The Road She Walked Before

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ojSDiSE0E

Backwater Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SZApNxPmDU

Those About to Die

Live (they go off)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvaC7avAFao

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tINlBYm5wjs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqbctUEvc4I

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/those-who-are-about-to-die-we-salute-you-mw0000044175

http://therockasteria.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/colosseum-those-who-are-about-to-die.html

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum_-(band)

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/colosseum-mn0000090945/biography

http://www.hit-channel.com/interviewjon-hiseman-colosseumtempestgraham-bondjack-bruce/78725

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Greenslade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Heckstall-Smith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Hiseman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Litherland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Reeve

Website

https://www.facebook.com/groups/190791594273657/

Trivia

Lineup -(and past and future bands: Dave Greenslade – -(The Beazers, Greenslade, Chris Farlowe, Geno Washington's Ram Jam Band) – vocals, organ / Dick Heskstall-Smith – -(Blues Incorporated, The Graham Bond Organization, Hamburg Blues Band , solo, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Manchild, Blues and Beyond) – sax / Jon Hiseman – -(The New Jazz Orchestra, The Graham Bond Organization, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Tempest, The United Jazz & Rock Ensemble, Colosseum II) – drums, percussion / James Litherland – -(Manchild, Mogul Thrash, Bandit) – vocals, guitar / Tony Reeves – -(Sound's Orchestral, The New Jazz Orchestra, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Mike Taylor Quartet, Curved Air, Greenslade, Big Chief, Blue Amba and The Warthogs) – bass
There was a Colosseum II formed in 1975 by drummer Jon Hiseman, naturally enough, as he was one of the main men behind the original Colosseum. It lasted some four album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum_II
Tony Reeves In late 1964 he suggested for Pye release, and played on, the instrumental UK hit Sounds Orchestral's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" -(#5UK, #10US).
Everyone refers to this album as "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You", the words on the front and back but the actual name of the album and what appears on the label of my copy, which is n original, refers to the album as "Colosseum". Being a self titled debut would be more in keeping with tradition.

Posted in Blues Rock, Jazz Rock Fusion, Prog Rock and Art Rock | Tagged 1969 | Leave a comment

JESSE COLIN YOUNG – Light Shine – (Warner Brothers) – 1974

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Franko

I've commented on Jesse Colin Young a few times in the past. I have an affection for him. This is an affection that's grown, mainly, from one record, "Elephant Mountain", an album he did with his band The Youngbloods in 1969.

Damn.

Such was (is) the compulsion that every time I find a Youngblood's album, or a Jesse Colin Young solo album, I didn't have I would buy them despite the fact that they have always provided diminishing returns.

That's not to say they are bad just not up to "Elephant Mountain".

On either side of that great album there is a lot of great work and interesting work.

It's hard to put on a finger on why Jesse Colin Young never had a more successful solo career (and where is the revival … he has the hipster moustache!)

I suppose it's partially because this music is home music or maybe driving music.

Even in more laid back times (like the 60s and early 70s) there was a significant percentage of the population who refused to lie down and take it all in.

You can't really imagine this being played at a nightclub (not even in the 70s at its most rustic). Likewise you can't really hear this at a coffee shop, well maybe one in California that serves Jesse's coffee brand (yes, he has a coffee plantation in Hawaii, "Jesse's Kona Coffee") with some vegan food to go with it.

This is a pity because there are some seriously relaxing vibes in his music. And, Jesse, a product of his times is not adverse to sliding a message in. Sometimes the message is blunt but more often than not it is gentle and enveloped in the good vibes of the music. It's as if he was slipping you a mickey … here are the good vibes and if you like them you can only accept them if you accept this message.

The message isn't a bad one.

It is of its time and it is one that, perhaps, could be useful today. The technology of 2015 is different to that of 1974 but how we interact with it is the same … we consume, we spend, we use, we rush, we work to earn so we can consume, and happiness is in our consumption.

Jesse's message, which is not overt but clear in the vibe (and made clearer if you draw from his other albums of the time) is, slow down, take it easy, stop, take the time to enjoy the world and let your "light shine".

It's not sexy rock and pop music for night clubs but you could see him playing at the local pub or coffee shop.

And it is perfect for chilling out at home.

Jesse was riding a high in the mid-70s he was doing well. His last album from 1973 "Song for Juli" was his solo breakthrough and had gone to #51. He capitalised on that with this album of more of the same but he also extended himself. This album is a little more experimental. The first side is a song "suite" of three interlinked songs which is quite jazzy without it becoming clinically dull like a lot of dull white guitar pop jazz of the 1970s. What stands out is the playing. His band had been with him a while and they are tight.

It is a slippery slope from here to soft rock, middle of the road singer songwriters, hack balladeers, or uninspired mundane rock and pop but Jesse Colin Young consistently proves himself smart, talented and quirky enough to keep himself from sliding into those areas of no return.

Check my other comments for biographical details.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

California Suite: (the following three songs)

California Child – a jaunt, it must have been quite a time running free through California in the mid-70s with a chick on your arm.
Grey Day – a particularly tasty jazzy interlude.
Light Shine – The title song repeated from the Youngbloods' "Good and Dusty" album from 1971 done as a sort of torch song. The song cycle seems to me to be the cycle of a day from a jaunt, through greyness, to night and then a jaunt (and hope) revived at the end again. It is all very Van Morrison, and just as good in many ways.

Side Two

Pretty And The Fair – a melancholy song in some ways and quite errr pretty
Barbardos – the 70s fascination with the Caribbean … and why not. I wouldn't mind being there now. Where's my pina colada?
Motorcycle Blues – a gentle humorous rant and rave over the two wheeled mode of transport.
The Cuckoo – (trad) – This is an old English folk song that was particularly popular during the American folk revival of the 1960s and was done by everyone. Arranged by Jesse this version moves miles away from the folk versions he must have heard as a folkie in the early 60s. This is more like Shawn Phillips. But it works up quite a gentle, other worldly frenzy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo_(song)
Susan – I assume an ode to his wife Suzi Young (who also provides harmonies on this album), and quite a beautiful song it is.

And …

Very good … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

—

Album

1974 #37

England

nothing

Sounds

California Suite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swByAflIJXI

Barbardos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_2FOMAIsfo

Susan

mp3 attached

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iT4Zow4ryo

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/light-shine-mw0000043041

http://sixsongs.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/light-light-shinejesse-colin-young.html

Bio

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

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jesse-colin-youngs-mn0000331846

http://www.hearnet.com/features/artist/0507_jessecolinyoung.shtml

http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/rs190-jesse-colin-young/

Website

http://www.jessecolinyoung.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jessecolinyoung

Trivia

Jerry Corbitt, guitarist in The Youngbloods, provides harmonies on the album
Produced by Jesse Colin Young.

Posted in Folk Rock, Singer Songwriter | Tagged 1974 | Leave a comment

PETER ROWAN – Medicine Trail – (Flying Fish) – 1980

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Franko

I have commented on Rowan's evocative debut album on this blog.

Check that entry for background on his truly interesting career in music and some other bits and pieces on his style of country music.

I said this in relation to his debut album, "This album is Rowan's solo debut and in some ways he takes a step back … but not into straight bluegrass. He could have gone any number of ways but here he has contemporary country rock sounds but with a overlay of music past … a little straight country, some yodelling, a bit of Tex Mex, bluegrass".

This is his third solo album and he doesn't deviate much from his debut. And, why would you if the formula worked so well?

Where he does play with the formula is by adding even more musical memories to the mix ..there is some country white gospel, Hawaiian, and folk. Only touches but enough to make the whole mix as much a Americana album as a country album … with an emphasis on the American south west.

You can almost taste the dust.

The magnificent Flaco Jimenez on accordion, bluegrass legends Ricky Skaggs, David Grisman, Jerry Douglas and Mike Auldridge play session, and Maria Muldaur and country vocal group The Whites provide backing vocals. There is a lot of country and roots music talent here.

But, talent or not this music sinks or survives on the strengths of its songs. The songs sound authentic and that would be enough to keep any country fan happy but what I find interesting is that Rowan injects contemporary lyrics in among the traditional sounds (much like John Hartford does).

Maybe it's because he was largely an urban cowboy but his tales are peopled by contemporary (1980) people with contemporary problems. It's not overt but it is there. Ponies are still "saddled" and trails are still "rode" though sometimes only in dreams and memories.

What remains, though, is pure Americana.

All tracks composed by Peter Rowan, except where indicated. And, produced by him.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Riding High in Texas – Any album that has a song that starts off with an accordion can't be bad. Excellent. This is a gentle Tex Mex song, more gentle than say something Doug Sahm ( or Flaco Jimenez himself, who provides accordion here) would do but still beautifully evocative.
My Foolish Pride – a country song about love breaking down. How many of these are there? This is (another) good one.
River of Stone – More accordion in a melancholy song about the narrator and an old drifter.
Revelation – a country gospel which is perfectly authentic despite references to Bhudda as well as Jesus.
Living on the Line – whoa, almost late 70s country soft rock like The Doobie Brothers or The Eagles at their mellowest

Side Two

Medicine Trail – Country rock in the style of later Neil Young with Crazy Horse. Perhaps the label thought this would be the most marketable song on the album and named the album after it. It has some interesting lyrics but isn't as interesting as some of the other tunes that have preceded it on this album.
Blues Come Bother Me – a blues in the country blues style of Jimmie Rodgers, complete with a gentle yodel. Beautiful.
Dreaming I Love You – a country song of love and yearning as only country can do them. Very much in the style of Jerry Garcia's "Old and in the Way" (which Rowan was a member of)
Maui Mama – a touch of Hawaiian …naturally enough in country music.
Prairie Lullabye – (Jimmie Rodgers / George Brown) – a cover of the Jimmie Rodgers classic from 1932. Melancholy and perfectly done by Rowan.

And …

Another winner … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where

Sounds

Riding High in Texas

mp3 attached

River of Stone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiNLEUmW-ns

Dreaming I Love You

Mp3 attached

Prairie Lullabye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCG1nfv9DaA

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlMUDPqLKZQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWyaRmi0O7g

Review

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_Trail

Bio

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

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-rowan-mn0000322339/biography

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3430400054.html

http://grapewrath.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/peter-rowan.html

Website

http://www.peter-rowan.com/

Trivia

Tony Gilkyson plays guitar on this album. He is the son of songwriter and folk musician Terry Gilkyson ("The Easy Riders") and later was in Lone Justice and X.

Posted in Alt Country, Americana, Country | Tagged 1980 | Leave a comment

NICK LOWE – Pinker and Prouder Than Previous – (Demon) – 1988

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Franko

This is generally considered to be Nick's worst album (or one of the worst).

That doesn't mean it's bad it just mean's it's not up to the standards of what Nick Lowe fans expect. Having said that there are those who think the album is underappreciated

I'm a Nick Lowe fan, not a huge fan (in the sycophant style) but a big enough fan to have quite a bit of his work and always looking for more.

Check out my other comment for background on Nick.

Nick was riding on a high in the mid 1980s (critically and even commercially). As a producer he had kicked some solid goals (Paul Carrack, John Hiatt, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Men They Couldn't Hang, Elvis Costello) and his solo albums had been critically well received and sold well, not well enough to chart high, but well enough to give him an audience, in the US as well as in the UK.

Nick had gone into more Americana roots rock (though with English themes) on his previous two albums "Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit" (1984) and "The Rose of England" (1985) and here he did much the same.

The album, though, seems to be a bit of a mish mash. It was recorded in Austin, Texas (Spring 1986), London ( throughout 1986 and 1987) and in Wales in 1987. Lowe produces himself (with an assist from Colin Fairley) and indulges himself. Iin Austin he gets friend Jimmie Vaughan from The Fabulous Thunderbirds to join him, on the John Hiatt track he gets Hiatt to come along, and on "Wishing Well" he has "The Men They Couldn't Hang" who he had just produced, to assist him. On one track, "Lovers Jamboree", he gets long time friend Dave Edmunds to produce.

But mish mash or not Lowe is his own man. Here we have his usual servings of spicy pub rock 'n' roll and smooth pop with dollops of roadhouse R&B, late night Americana balladeering, and sprinkles of country and Cajun. There is even a dash of reggae (something I don't encourage normally).

All of this is done without a hint of self-consciousness or effort. Nick has never tried to pretend he is American (even when wearing his cowboy outfit). He loves the music, the culture and the sounds and is happy to take from them the emotions and the rhythms and place them over, and on, his tales of England.

I enjoy his tales and observations on the contemporary world but here they are lacking as it seems that he has gone for generic songs about love and loss (across all tempos of music). There is nothing wrong with that of course but I just like the humour and observations of his other writing which he would normally mix in with material like this.

Nick could do this in his sleep but even average Nick is worthwhile.

All songs written by Nick Lowe, except as indicated:

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

(You're My) Wildest Dream – a touch of Cajun this has a down home rough almost demo feel to it which works in favour of the song.
Crying In My Sleep – a country pop ballad with just a touch of humour to off set the sad subject matter of the song. This one is strangely under-produced. Good song though.
Big Hair – a cute song in the " I Knew the Bride" mould.
Love Gets Strange – (John Hiatt) – The John Hiatt tune. Don Dixon did a well known (?) version in 1989 but I prefer this version.
I Got The Love – a ballad with an ominous organ.

Side Two

Black Lincoln Continental – (Graham Parker) – The Graham Parker tune from his "Steady Nerves" album (1985). It sounds like a Graham Parker song. Lowe probably does it a little less stridently and better.
Cry It Out – reggae beats! Wtf. Only Jimmy Buffett could get away with this on a roots type album and even then I would have reservations. It's a pretty enough song and reggae influences had permeated the mainstream in the English charts but …
Lovers Jamboree – (Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack) – Now this is good funky old time rootsy rock, southern Louisiana style.
Geisha Girl – (Lawton Williams) – A #4 C&W hit for Hank Locklin in 1957. The song is a time capsule song and Lowe does it's innocence justice. Beautiful in its own way.
Wishing Well – Lowe's version of an old school mid tempo country pop tune. Not too bad.
Big Big Love – (Ray Carroll, Wynn Stewart) – Wynn Stewart's #18 US C&W hit from 1961. More country pop and Lowe does it big and with the chorus it sounds more than a little like The Kinks song "Complicated Life" from their alt-country-ish masterpiece "Muswell Hillbillies" (1971).

And …

Patchy but still good in parts … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where

Sounds

(You're My) Wildest Dream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMhwCD73FNY

Crying In My Sleep

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrM2WAn3_jk

Big Hair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbC3Sod1Zk

Love Gets Strange

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2nEqD5fgs4

Cry It Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg5kxPCV_vw

Lovers Jamboree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlJECqqWRNQ

Wishing Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WakO6yMad-I

Big Big Love

mp3 attached

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3jiCi7aFZE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SURKvkjVjaY

Review

http://kleaveburg.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/nick-lowe-pinker-and-prouder-than.html

http://www.allmusic.com/album/pinker-and-prouder-than-previous-mw0000195095

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinker_and_Prouder_Than_Previous

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-06-26/entertainment/8801100711_1_nick-lowe-graham-parker-columbia

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/nick-lowe-mn0000866841/biography

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

Website

http://www.nicklowe.net/

Trivia

The was playing on what is here: http://www.discogs.com/Nick-Lowe-Pinker-And-Prouder-Than-Previous/release/655085

Posted in Rockabilly and Rock n Roll, Roots Rock | Tagged 1988 | Leave a comment

JACKIE DeSHANNON – Put a Little Love in Your Heart – (Imperial) – 1969

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Franko

Check out my other blog entry for background on the talented Jackie DeShannon.

This chick could do anything.

She could write, play, sing, perform and was easy on the eye and yet big time success in the music industry had eluded her since the early 1960s. There was a hiccup (a major one) in 1965 when she recorded Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love", which led to regular appearances on television and went to # 7 on the US charts. She decided, though, to concentrate on song writing whilst still continued putting out albums and singles.

1969 proved to be the year when everything came together.

Her recording of "What the World Needs Now Is Love" was being used in the 1969 box office hit film "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" and she wrote recorded and released as a single, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart".

It went to #4 in the charts in the US and was a hit around the world (#1 South Africa, #12 Canada)

Much has been written about the song. It was a hit then and has been covered many times since. As Jackie has said, "A lot of people still know that song. It came out at a time when we were all trying to make things better in this world. Everybody was sort of pulling together. I believe around that time I put together a show. I did the Copa in New York and some other major places. I did quite a lot of touring with that song. I went to a lot of places where I would just ask people off the street, or if I was doing a show and I was early, I would ask someone that was setting up tables, "Have you ever heard the song 'Put a Little Love In Your Heart'?" And they'd always say, 'Oh, yeah.' I think it's been recorded by over 60 artists. Mahalia Jackson did a great job on it. Annie Lennox and Al Green weren't too bad either. I'm thrilled with everyone that recorded the song. It was in a Smart Balance commercial for the last two years. Someone called me and told me it was done on American Idol. It's definitely the gift that keeps on giving".

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/playingmysong/jackie_deshannon_-_put_a_little_love_in_your_heart_/

But, what is clear is that the song was just one song on the album. This is borne out by the fact that all the songs (most of) are written by DeShannon in collaboration with Randy Myers (her younger brother) and Jimmy Holiday. This was a collaborative effort. Jackie goes on to say about the song, "I was just writing for this album that was up and coming, and that was one of the songs. My brother Randy was playing this little riff and I said, "Gee, I really like that riff, that's great." All of a sudden, "Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand, put a little love in your heart," came just like that. I owe some of that to my mom, because she was always saying that people should put a little love in their heart when things are not so good. I'd like to say it was very difficult, but it was one of those songs you wait a lifetime to write".

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/playingmysong/jackie_deshannon_-_put_a_little_love_in_your_heart_/

A lot of music is about timer and place, And 1969 was the right time to be singing about peace and love if you were a white female vocalist with a bit of soul and funk in your style.

The producers, I suspect, wanted an album akin to Dusty Springfield or Petula Clark who were doing well with their (English, though recorded in the US) versions of white southern soul or perhaps something sassier with the equally successful country soul of Southern belles Bobbie Gentry and Jeannie C Riley.

But, Jackie DeShannon's musical tastes were a lot broader than that. This girl from Kentucky had been in California since the early 60s and had brought her Kentucky stylings there but had been exposed to surf music, British invasion, Hollywood pop, folk rock and just about everything else. She couldn't serve up an album straight which is perhaps a blessing and a curse. The blessing is we can see her scope and ambition, the curse is that sometimes a producer can give you a cohesive whole. I prefer the former but easy dollars come in with the latter.

In any event this may have been a moot point. Jackie again, "You have to remember that I, being a woman at that time, did not have the kind of leverage that young women today have. They go in, they own their publishing, they're the producer, they're the writer, they're everything. In those days, I would go in with producers and they would agree with me before we got in the studio about the vision of the song. Then we would get in the studio and they'd change it all around and if you said anything, you were being difficult. Now the more difficult you are, the more they respect you. But it was hard to get that respect. I was producing demos all the time, but when I went in the studio with many, many different producers, a lot of things fell apart because it wasn't my vision. Having a hit certainly helped in the short term, but you have to remember, there's a heckuva lot of songwriters around and a lot of politics. A lot of different things that the public probably isn't even aware of that go on with getting songs in this movie, and getting songs in that television show. It's not just Oh, let's sit down and pick the best thing".

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/playingmysong/jackie_deshannon_-_put_a_little_love_in_your_heart_/

And here I think the producers won out. The album is straight southern soul which DeShannon can pull off but I don't think here heart is in every song. The production is a little thin sometimes also. Some of the quirky DeShannon should have been allowed through (there is nothing of the singer songwriter she had already touched on and would be recording within the year) and she should have been given to someone like Chips Moman for production (which they were trying to emulate).

The single did well but the album tanked.

The album is produced by Vitale & McWhorter Enterprises which is a production company formed by the partnership of George Vitale and Dargin McWhorter.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Put A Little Love In Your Heart – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – A great song. Of its times but undeniably catchy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Put_a_Little_Love_in_Your_Heart
You Are The Real Thing – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – slight.
River Of Love – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – This is a little better though there doesn't seem to be an emotional peak to it which it may need.
Keep Me In Mind – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday) – This has a nice beat
Mama's Song – (Buddy Buie, James Cobb) – Buie and Cobb were from the group "Classics IV" (known mainly fror the song "Spooky", 1968) who did quite a bit of songwriting for others on the side.
Movin' – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – another one with a good beat

Side Two

You Can Come To Me – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday) – A mid tempo big ballad with a touch of cabaret which is quite good.
You Have A Way With Me – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday) – a funky intro leads into a soul-ish song about love and longing. Not too bad.
I Let Go Completely – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday) – a soul ballad.
Always Together – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday) – This one is good and goes a little off the path with a touch of country soul in the mix.
Love Will Find A Way – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – The follow up single to "Put a Little Love in Your Heart". Horns and strings and another "happy" message. It makes sense but it's not half as good.
Live – (Irvin Hunt, Sam Russell) – I believe this was first recorded by DeShannon. Sam Russell was the younger brother of Dargin McWhorter who co produced this album. A little different to the rest having been written by a couple of other people. Not too bad.

And …

The results are patchy here. The great songs (and there aren't many) are great and the so so songs are, err so so. …. a missed opportunity. Still, it's Jackie, I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

1969 Put A Little Love In Your Heart #4 Billboard Hot 100

1969 Put A Little Love In Your Heart #2 Adult Contemporary

1969 Love Will Find A Way #40 Billboard Hot 100

Album

1969 #81

England

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Sounds

Put A Little Love In Your Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMj7UcjPZ0U