I know at least one friend, actually only one, who would salivate over the sleeve of this record.
A man, a backpack, and a mountain.
I’m sure, on the sleeve alone, he would have plonked down $1, as I did, for this LP.
Have you ever thought how a record sleeve can sell what’s inside?
You would never think this a Motorhead LP sleeve, if you know what I mean.
Accordingly I assumed the music would be rustic and country-ish.
And it is.
Bingo.
But sometimes there is diamond and sometimes there is rust.
Jim Post was apparently a folkie though this album has more in common with the rustic country singer songwriter movement of the early 70s
Post (born October 28, 1939 in Houston, Texas but lives in Galena, Illinois) can trace his musical career back to the mid 60s. He joined a folk pop band The Rum Runners before moving into pop rock. In 1968, with his wife Cathy, under the band name of "Friend and Lover", he had a Top 10 hit in the US when his pop song "Reach out of the Darkness" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, peaking at number 10.having a top 10 hit with.
He also a playwright and actor and has made a career out of playing a singing, musical Mark Twain.
The singer songwriter genre I can listen to a lot – but there is a breaking point. The point is reached when the sounds or lyrics aren’t just going anywhere new or interesting.
And, I fear, that is the problem here. Lyrically the songs aren’t adventurous. The theme about escaping from contemporary chaos and the rat race (hence the cover) is compelling enough but there are no new twists or insight. I’m not sure if it is the songs (all written by Post) bu themselves, or the delivery, which doesn’t help. I say that because Post sings in a high voice which is both interesting and humorous, at times. I ‘m not convinced that Post’s voice is right for this material (I’m being polite).
This is a pity as there are some half decent songs here and there are fragments of a good album though Post seems to be following and hopping onto (in obvious ways) other (then popular) styles and singers. Think John Denver …but not at his peak.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Look over Yonder – a good up-tempo number.
- Once You Were a Rock – suitably pretentious and solemn.
- Ride, Rita, Ride – a song about losing one’s innocence to an older(?) woman. I assume her name is Rita and I assume she likes to, err ride? Fark me, where were all these older women, when I was younger?
- High up on the Ridge – Musically this is not too bad and it has to be one of the best songs about a father’s incestuous relationship with his daughter which is ruined when she runs off with a neighbour. Oh, she also takes her son, err brother with her. I bet you can’t find any better songs on the same subject matter. Full points for originality but the lack of condemnation (on the father daughter relationship) makes me uneasy.
- Colorado Exile – a song about escaping from contemporary living and retreating to the country and solitude. Well if Bon Iver can do it why cant Jim Post? A good song – with suitably dramatic viola and cello.
- Turn Around (Bambu Lou) – silly, with a purposeless tempo shift half way through
- Louella Rainwater – slight but I love cello and violas.
- Simple Life- a attempt at John Denver’s themes. Comes out as just corny.
- Dancing in the Wind – Here Jim is trying to do Pete Seeger and traditional mountain folk ….duff
- I Love You – simple enough
- One More Day – another ode to Colorado.
And …
It’s not bad but it’s not that good. Tape a couple and sell.
Chart Action
zip
Sounds
Look over Yonder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMnjWPjxpas
Colorado Exile
mp3 attached
Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6VZ-uTVlwY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABxAXK4aEos
Review
http://driftwoodsingers.blogspot.com.au/2008/03/my-jim-post-post.html
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_and_Lover
Website
http://www.jimpost.com/
Trivia
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