5 comments about Too Bad Jim.

1. R.L. Burnside wasn't discovered until late in life. How could this talent have been hidden so long? This is just great, gritty, no frills, blues. Almost hypnotic at times (ie. "When my First Wife...,). "Shake Em On Down", "Old Black Mattie" and "Going Down South" are just house-shaking good tunes. "Short Haired Woman" and "Death Bell Blues" conjures up images of R.L. sitting on his back porch on a hot, Mississippi summer evening. This is just great stuff. Unfortunately Fat Possum records would get the bright idea on future R.L. releases to bastardize his music with loops and other hip-hop sound effects. I guess they were trying to get a younger, more "hip" audience or something. But that's a whole other review. "Too Bad Jim" is hard to beat, but if you like this (how could you not like this?) also check out his live CD "Burnside on Burnside" which is also excellent.



2. Most likely this is RL at the top of his craft. He was always great, but on TooBadJim he was inspired, not that he didn't always have such moments, he was otherworldly, celestial. I am amazed that this wonderful man and player even existed, from the farms of Holly Springs, Miss., carefully honing his god givens in the denizens of Junior Kimbroughs'bar and lounge. This is really what music is supposed to be, clean, honest, and earned. This is the real thing. Bless Robert Palmer for recording these guys and showing the world what the scene was like in the deep south. They are all terrific in their own right, but rl burnside was the patriarch, their guiding light, student of the delta blues, a natural born world shaker. May he live on through toobadjim and everything else, his wisdom passed on to his family, friends and everybody who listens to his work. He really was "special".



3. This is unshaven, dusty, floor-board blues, something to drink a beer to under a spidery, greasy, yellowed light bulb. R. L.'s weathered voice rides through the gritty lyrics with as much wavering siltiness as his metal guitar slide. The back bass and beat are played straight-faced and without frills, raw and undiluted. Thankfully the producers chose to play it hands-off with this one; every hang-nail, every skitter and skip, and every raggedy edge is left intact, meaning that these blues sound exactly the way they are: authentic.
   
   For a live performance, however, this CD is remarkably short. Remarkably. Just as the performers are pulling you into their boot-tappin', head-shakin' world, the songs stop. If there weren't other, longer Burnside records out there, this would be a five-star album. As it is, though, its lamentably short time makes it a wonderful footnote to an already stellar and long-toned career.



4. Hard to believe this record came out over 10 years ago and now both the producer and the artist are dead. RIP, RL! You were the root, the blues walking and talking like a man. Anyone who doesn't own this record should purchase it immediately and play at maximum volume while making love to someone else's woman.



5. In his documentary "Deep Blues," eccentric producer Robert Palmer introduced us to a brand of blues that comes not from the Delta, but from the hill country region of northwest Mississippi. While it bears a vague resemblance to its lowlands cousin, Hill Country Blues is a whole 'nother critter altogether. It is, as Palmer describes in the liner notes of this CD, a "slashing, droning trance-blues," a "churning, jamming one-chord exercise in stamina and mass-hypnosis."

   Too many recordings these days suffer from excessive post-production, processed until they've been homogenized, sterilized, or just plain castrated, but this ain't slicked-up big city blues, Bubba. Uh Uh. Robert Palmer is a blues bloodhound; he knows where the Real Blues live, and on this CD records them in their element as they happen. The results are, in a word, profound.

   Burnside plays a wicked, ratty slide over the top of a hypnotic backbeat laid down by backup guitarist Kenny Brown, bassist Dwayne Burnside and drummer Calvin Jackson. Recorded live at a jukejoint owned by fellow bluesman Junior Kimbrough, "Too Bad Jim" is raw, nasty & compelling, coming through with all the fevered urgency of a jukejoint jam session.

   ".44 Pistol" is a raucous and swaggering counterstroke to the haunting cover of Lightnin' Hopkins "Death Bell Blues" which follows. Two other Hopkins tunes, "Short Haired Woman" and "Miss Glory B." get the Burnside treatment. "Fireman Ring The Bell" seems to borrow much from Bill Broonzy's "Rollin' & Tumblin'."

   This is Deep Blues as it should be heard, bare and honest without any fancy production tricks to spoil it. Just buy it.

5 comments about Jump, Jive an' Wail: The Essential.

1. This CD did not dissapoint me- It was classic Prima, some live cuts made it great- The music really gets your feet to swinging..



2. I have loved the sound of Louis Prima for years, just didn't know his name. Pandora helped me connect the two, and off to Amazon I went.
   
   WARNING: Listening to this CD may cause finger snapping and toe tapping.
   
   NOTE: These songs can be heard in the best Italian restaurants.



3. Louis Prima entertained millions of people with his nightclub engagements, concert tours and record albums; and he certainly wasn't a shy guy, either! This CD gives us a whopping 26 tracks of Louis doing what he did best.
   
   "Angelina/Zooma Zooma" is a live medley track with Louis singing of Angelina, a woman he loves. The musical arrangement is infectiously catchy and the male backup chorus enhances the number, too. Listen for Louis Prima singing with Keely Smith on "That Old Black Magic;" the percussion and brass are great; Louis and Keely make magic in my book! Moreover, there's "I've Got You Under My Skin;" this duet with Louis and Keely shines like gold in their competent hands. I really like "I've Got You Under My Skin!"
   
   "Pennies From Heaven" has a great arrangement that swings brightly; and "(Up A) Lazy River" swings gently--but it still sparkles as Louis delivers this with panache and all his heart and soul. "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" uses the piano well; and Louis sings this one to perfection. Love those backup vocalists, too! Listen also for a musical jam session that'll knock your socks off as the band totally lets loose on "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody!"
   
   "Just One Of Those Things" features Louis's vocals squarely in the spotlight and the piano starts the musical arrangement beautifully. Listen for Louis to scat a bit on "Just One Of Those Things," too. "Hello Dolly!" gets the royal treatment from Louis; he sings this wonderfully. Satchmo, watch out! SMILE "Cabaret" is another number that I love; and I predict that you will enjoy "Cabaret" very, very much.
   
   The liner notes have a great essay by James Ritz and the photos are really nicely presented. David McEowen did a perfect job remastering these tunes at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.
   
   If ever you feel depressed, put on a Louis Prima album. His zest for life and his electric performances can put a big broad grin on just about anyone who has a pulse! I highly recommend this CD for Louis Prima fans; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will treasure this CD for ages to come.
   
   Thank you, Louis! Great job, everyone!



4. This is great stuff. I can't stop listening to it. I'm going to wear out my mp3 player.



5. Exuberant entertainer, singer, actor, songwriter and trumpeter Louis Prima was known as King of the Swingers and his over-the-top personality must have been something to behold as a bandleader during the 40's and whilst appearing in Las Vegas during the following decade when he teamed with wife Keely Smith as a duo. This ultimate 50's Capitol collection retains Keely's straight vocal charm for their timeless re-styled renderings of THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC and I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN whilst OH MARIE, (UP A) LAZY RIVER and SING, SING, SING are album tracks sure to brighten the dullest day. However, perhaps Prima is mainly nowadays recalled for I WANNA BE LIKE YOU (THE MONKEY SONG) which he shared with Phil Harris in Disney's 1967 classic animated THE JUNGLE BOOK. Adding latter-day tracks HELLO DOLLY and CABARET to the mix was obviously intended as competition but even if they failed to equal Louis Armstrong's Hit Parade classics, Prima delivers them with full-thrust feel-good factor, while CIVILISATION (BONGO, BONGO, BONGO) is a welcome throwback to the late 40's.

2 comments about Papa Blues.

1. Every time a track from this CD comes up on the shuffle,
   it just makes me smile. Wow, he's good. Traditional and modern at the same time.



2. Papa John Creach does double duty on this album as a vocalist and solo violinist.

   On this album, he is working with the Bernie Pearl Blues Band, an excellent ensemble even if Papa John were not working with them.

   Papa John can do with a violin what Izhak Perlman can't.

   The CD is on the Bee Bump Records label - not exactly mainstream but it should be.

   The best cut is the "Bumble Bee Blues" but the entire album is one you will want to have - DEMAND to have - if you enjoy the blues.

4 comments about The Original Peacock Recordings.

1. all of these recrodings were made between 1952-1959, and they show why Clarence Gatemouth Brown was such an influence on so many gutiar players after him. He and T Bone Walker were the undisputed kings of Texas Blues. There is even a cut where he plays violin, which sounds a bit like old SugarCane Harris stuff. Great CD.



2. The Peacock Recordings are wonderful, to me, who came late (just in the last 15 years) to Gatemouth's army off fans. His fiddle sizzles, his guitar is immediately recognizable - a veritable signature style. It's hard to distinguish between these tunes and most of his recent releases. To say that is a curse to some but to my ears it means he has ploughed many many different rows and yet the Gate imprint is on every one. Fans or would-be buyers should also check out his "new world" (somebody else's term not mine) recordings with a Namibian drummer and Ry Cooder. Better yet, if you can find it, check out his "Making Music" album created with Roy Clark (yes, Hee Haw's Roy Clark, 5 or 10 times winner of artist of the year in circles around Nashville). A veritable how-to for about six or seven different kinds of blues-ish music. Buy this Peacock album, play it (or inflict it) on friends because they will only - ears open - love it. It is musicians like Gatemouth who make the blues so personal, so enduring, so powerful. A living history that I pray will be still accessible twenty, nay, 50 years from now.



3. T-Bone swings, B.B. swings, and Gatemouth swings. Rare blues violin performance shines. A1 sound quality. You must have one.



4. Although most tracks are guitar blues, the finest part of this compilation is, needless to say, "violin blues". It is a shame that this phenomenal blues violinist recorded only one violin blues song.

3 comments about Song of the Blackbird.

1. Whitmore released 2 records this year, "Song of the Blackbird" and "Hallways of Always". They are were our top 2 sellers of 2006, for a reason.



2. This guy has a wonderful voice. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend watching him live!



3. On his third release, William Elliott Whitmore continues to earn his reputation as one of the best voices in American music. This album expands his sound, adding more instrumentation, and at the same time sticks to its roots. Even "And Then The Rains Came", on which Will decides to rest his voice, evokes a feeling that makes it clear the song belongs on the record. The optimism seen in small doses on previous records shines through in songs like "Dry", "Take It On The Chin", and "Lee County Flood"; while Will's bluesy roots are evident in "One Man's Shame".
   
   This is, overall, a mighty fine record. Buy it. And if you have the opportunity, see him perform these songs live. His shows are even better.

5 comments about Burning Hell.

1. This is a great CD, John Lee always grooves it hard! I dig him a lot, he really inspires my playing and writing! Good stuff!



2. I picked this up because I was interested to hear how John Lee's music translated with an acoustic guitar. I own at least twenty of his CD's and they are all electric, even the live CD's of him playing solo. The acoustic sound really makes his slow blues songs that much more intimate. He also covers songs by Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Big Bill Broonzy on this one and its interesting to hear his take on these songs. While I wouldn't rate this as essential listening for the uninitiated, this CD is one that I would recommend to any fan of John Lee Hooker.



3. This album was recorded at the same April 1959 session that produced Hooker's more famous LP THE COUNTRY BLUES OF JOHN LEE HOOKER. For some reason it was unreleased until 1964 (UK only) and didn't see the light of day in the US until the early 90's. Which is odd because it is identical in style, sound and theme to the COUNTRY BLUES LP, featuring the same acoustic back porch feel.
   
   On the whole, a slightly lesser album than its more famous companion volume, but still a good one. If you like Hooker and/or acoustic blues, buy it.



4. Real Blues An American ICON Of The Blues A Perfect Album Hooker
   Rocks And He Has A Son John Lee Hooker Jr just Came Out With His Own Cd Off Of Kent Records Called "Blues With A Vengeance"



5. There is a great rhythm and feel to his playing, like he's sitting at the graveyard by his mother's gravestone or something. This guy is the real thing, the most soul of any bluesman of the 20th century. He has influenced countless musicians, and one can hear his trademark foot-beat all the way through. Great music.

5 comments about Live As I'll Ever Be.

1. If I were to ask someone, in the year 2008, to name a male folk singer from the 1960's I would assume that if I were to get an answer to that question that the name would be Bob Dylan. And that would be a good and appropriate choice. One can endlessly dispute whether or not Dylan was (or wanted to be) the voice of the Generation of '68 but in terms of longevity and productivity he fits the bill as a known quality. However, there were a slew of other male folk singers who tried to find their niche in the folk milieu and who, like Dylan, today continue to produce work and to perform. The artist under review Chris Smithers is one such singer/songwriter.
   
   I do not know if Chris Smithers, like his contemporary Bob Dylan, started out wanting to be the king of the hill among male folk singers but he certainly had some things going for him. He plays that signature blue guitar for all it is worth of such covers as the Elmore James' classic Dust My Broom yet can turn it down several notches for a song like Killing The Blues and then goes softer on reflective songs like Small Revelations. Moreover he is as capable as a songwriter as any of writing of longing, lost love, thoughts of mortality and...being stupid in the world. Witness No Love Today on that last point. Then turn it up a notch with a bittersweet song like Caveman. Yes, Chris had the tool to go out and slay the dragons of the folk world. This is his five star work with the benefits and drawbacks any live performance. That work may not be well known outside the precincts of the graying folk world, but it should be.



2. What can I say but I love this album. I have not had the opportunity to see Chris play live but if I close my eyes I can imagine that he is in my living room playing for my family and I. This is a really good album with a wide selection of tracks that are found on other albums but the live nature of the recordings adds a little something in my mind. Great album.
   Gerry



3. I go to a series of house concerts put on by Dark-Thirty Productions in Lakeside, California. Most of the artists are excellent but are lesser-known acts that will play to an audience of 50 to 120. One of the acts was Chris Smither and I was told not to miss it. Well, I'd never heard of Smither but it turned out to be an outstanding concert and the house was jam-packed with 120 people.
   
   Smither is an engaging fellow. He's mild mannered, soft spoken. humorous in a droll sort of way and a rather pleasant person. Also, he's a one-man band. He's a really outstanding guitarist who is able to play both rhythm and lead at the same time plus he acts as a drum/bass by tapping on a board with a mic taped to it. Did I mention that he also sings at the same time? You can close your eyes while listening and easily imagine at least a trio on stage. His music is folksy, bluesy, funny at times and can be very sad. Altogether, I find his music somewhat depressing, but in a good way.
   
   I've been to three of Smither's house-concerts now and I'm scheduled to go to a fourth this spring. At the last concert, I purchased the "Live as I'll Ever Be" CD. It's excellent. I've never heard any of Smither's other recordings so I'm unable to compare. But, if you want to know what Chris Smither sounds like in a concert, this disc is truly outstanding.
   
   Gary Peterson



4. Smither is brilliant and easy to sip as 25-year-old bourbon. When he did a guest spot on my radio show I was astonished, but shouldn't have been, that he delivers a live performance as tight as a studio mix. (I had to mic his foot, too, to catch his one-man-band rhythm track.) This CD shows off his bluesy, slide guitar to good effect, but the great music is only a vehicle for the better lyrics, heart and humor. His conversation ranges from current politics to the classics, from poetry to philosophy, and he's as unpretentious a musician as I have ever had the pleasure to meet.
   
   Don't miss his new CD, either. Leave the Light On will let you know that he wasn't live as he'll ever be back in 2000, he just keeps getting better.



5. As almost any of the other reviewers will say, you haven't truly experienced the full genius of Chris Smither until you see him live, but "Live As I'll Ever Be" is very much what the title sounds like: an excellent live disc of the living, toe-tapping wonder with the blue guitar. With no intention of prejudice, one might ask in jest, "A middle-aged white guy playing the blues? It can't be!" But Chris Smither's brilliant lyricism and sturdy voice certainly extend beyond all boundaries. Song lyrics that strive for (and acheive) an ethereal sense of grounding glide between the harmonies of fingerpicking that defies comparison. Few recordings can delve as deeply into the psyche as Smither's "Cave Man" or his moving cover of Roland Salley's "Killing the Blues."
   Smither himself states it best in his song "Help Me Now": A one man band to the bone.

5 comments about First Issue: The Dinah Washington Story (The Original Recordings).

1. I'm new to this artist and found this collection wonderful! The sound quality is great and so is the variety of songs.



2. Born Ruth Jones on August 29, 1924 in rural Tuscaloosa, Alabama, she moved to Chicago at an early age and, after winning an amateur contest in 1939, took the name Dinah Washington in the early Forties when she joined Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra.
   
   In 1944/45 she recorded on the Keynote label and made what was then known as the Harlem Hit Parade with Salty Papa Blues (# 10) and Evil Gal Blues (# 9) under the billing "Sextet with Dinah Washington" (the sextet was trumpeter Joe Morris, Rudy Rutherford on clarinet, Milt Buckner on piano, drummer Fred Radcliffe, Vernon King on bass and Arnette Cobbs on tenor sax).
   
   After a two year absence from the charts, she returned on Mercury in 1948 with The Rudy Martin Trio and the classic Fats Waller composition Ain't Misbehavin (# 6 on the Most Played Juke Box Race Records charts) - unfortunately not in this set.
   
   Thereafter Dinah was seldom off any charts (1957 being the sole exception) right through to the year of her death at age 39 (December 14, 1963), during which time she had just over 60 hits.
   
   In this compilation you get 23 of them, including a cover of a pure Country song, the Hank Snow classic I Don't Hurt Anymore which went to # 3 R&B in 1954 (she also took Hank Williams Cold, Cold Heart to # 3 R&B in 1951 but, alas, that too is missing).
   
   All of her biggest Mercury pop crossovers are here, however, including I Wanna Be Loved (# 5 R&B/# 22 pop in 1950 with the Teddy Stewart orchestra), What A Difference A Day Makes (# 4 R&B/# 8 pop), and Unforgettable (# 15 R&B/# 17 pop) - both in 1959, the 1960 duets with Brook Benton, Baby (You've Got What It Takes) and A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love) which both went to # 1 R&B and nos. 5 and 7 respectively on the Billboard Pop Hot 100, my all-time favorite, the sad This Bitter Earth which peaked at # 1 R&B/# 24 Hot 100 in August 1960, Love Walked In (# 16 R&B/# 30 Hot 100 in November 1960), and 1961's lilting September In The Rain (# 5 R&B/# 23 Hot 100).
   
   After four more lower region pop hits in 1960/61, Dinah moved to Roulette Records in 1962 and that year added six Hot 100 entries, although only one made the Pop Top 40, and none scored on the R&B charts as her voice had lost much of its quality by this time.
   
   Dinah Washington is, simply put, one of the all-time greats, and this was acknowledged by the R&R Hall Of Fame, which inducted her in 1993 in the "early influence" category, the U.S. Postal Service who honored her that same year with a stamp (depicted on the CD cover), and the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2003. Inside this package you also get a wonderful booklet written by the noted music historian Chris Albertson which highlights her career and details of each of the 46 selections.



3. Dinah Washington was known as "The Queen of the Blues", but she was also equally adept at singing jazz, R&B and pop. She recorded a lot of music during her relatively short life, and this 2 CD set features 2 and a half hours of some of her best work. There is one unlisted bonus track at the end, which is Dinah telling a joke about a talking dog.



4. this is a personal go-to collection of dinah washington recordings. they cover the gamut of her career from gutsy bluesy early stuffs to commercialized arrangements for standards that were redeemed by her uniqe style and phrasing.
   
   i'm sure that if a person reads the other reviews, they'll get biographical info, more detailed analyses of her phrasings and the arrangements and breakdowns of the studios that recorded her. all i know is what i feel. and this woman's voice makes me feel so good! i love the pop stuff, i love when she swings it, i love when she holds back and i love it most when her phrasing is so relaxed that it's like she's talking to the listener, especially on 'mad about the boy'.
   
   and i love that corny joke at the end!



5. How can there be people who do not own these recordings. How can people live without Dinah. She was special. From the first blues sides she cut with the men from Hamp's band in the forties, to her last effort, there is a deeply African American blues and church based depth to her, but something personal, so totally real, so totally of her own,bitter sometimes, sweet rarely, moving always to her singing.
   
   In these recordings we see a great range of Dinah. She's doing R & B (TV is the thing this year), Torch songs, she singing Jazz and even playing vibes with ace Jazz Musicians, she is cutting through oceans of strings on What a Difference a Day Makes, she is all over. There are so many shining gems on this record, there is so much lost that music is so categorized that you cannot have a Diva like Dinah today who the Jazzbos call their own, whom the blues singers must tip their hats to, who provides the slow song to make your move for the dancers, and who is a star even for the squares listening to MOR--does that exist any more middle of the road radio?

   I'm convinced that when John Hammond first produced Aretha Franklin as a Jazz-Blues artist before Jerry Wexler took her to soul, that Hammond thought he was trying to create a Dinah Washington.

   I do not think a single artist has come along since she left us to fill those voids. No one with all that soul!

5 comments about Blues, Rags & Hollers.

1. Who would have thought that three young white boys from the North Country could sing and play Delta blues and not sound like either a feeble imitation or a parody? This album is a masterful achievement for guys who were so young when it was first recorded, and didn't have the benefit of any first-hand contact with bluesmen as they grew up. After all, Tony Joe White and Mose Allison, two premier white guys who "sing black", for example, were born and raised in the same milieu where the blues originated.
   I don't agree with a previous reviewer who alluded to "earnest white guys trying very, very hard to sound black." Dave Ray managed to bury his Minnesota accent completely, and he didn't make it sound like a struggle. Koerner's singing doesn't come across quite as "black" - more like, say, Jerry Reed singing "When You're Hot, You're Hot". But then I don't think he tried to duplicate either the black blues singers' style, or Ray's, to the nth degree. And I loved his lyrics and ebullient delivery on "Good Time Charlie." Glover's harmonica is a key element, also.
   What great young talents they were. What a superb album. The blues are not my favorite genre, but once in a while I'll definitely get into "Blues, Rags and Hollers."



2. Who knew that three guys this cool were hanging around Minneapolis in the early 1960s? Back when Bob Dylan was but a skinny (and short-tenured) frosh at the U of M, Koerner, Ray and Glover were already lighting up the West Bank and Dinkytown with their eclectic blues, rags and hollers. The threesome were a blast of fresh air in a musical milieu that mostly resembled the inner-sleeve album photo (crew-cutted, horn-rimmed guy wearing headphones), helping the Twin Cities turn the page into what has been a tumultuous and productive scene ever since.
   Having said that, "Blues, Rags and Hollers" is far from a perfect album. Live observers have noted that the threesome appeared each to be tapping their feet to their own tempos at times, and much of the music is enthusiastically sloppy in this way. However, such enthusiasm is their strong suit: the opening straight-vocal cut, "Linin' Track," begins the festivities with a bang and sets the tone throughout. Other standout tracks include "Bugger Burns," the Robert Johnson classic "Dust My Broom," and "Good Time Charlie."
   Individually, I love Spider John's manic phrasing, the late Dave Ray's soulfulness and Glover's impeccable harmonica chops. What makes me cringe is when they sound, on occasion, like earnest white boys trying very, very hard to be black. On a couple of the cuts, the singer affects an oddball accent that would likely set John Lee Hooker spinning in his grave. However, given the fact that they so wonderfully found their own voices over the courses of their lengthy careers, and given their profound, positive influence on local music, such transgressions are easily forgiven.



3. 16 years after discovering this album in my father's basement this is still my absolute favorite blues album. For years I anticipated the CD release of the album, which is great and includes 4 tracks not on my Electra vinyl release, but it just doesn't compare to the Vinyl. Calling this album a classic doesn't do it justice. Listen and enjoy.



4. I saw these guys perform when I was in grad school in Madison Wisconsin in the early 60's and at a coffee house in Milwaukee. They were great then and today their stuff holds up. Authentic, unembellished sexuality and wit; great twelve string from Ray.



5. Blues masters at a tender age, before most white people, and some black, had a clue as to the raw power and beauty of the blues. These three cats blew it all away! It is truly a wonder that their intense style and mellow personalities didn't come to the attention of a wider audience. Oh well, those who were fortunate enough to be present as they pounded out the Rags and Hollers can attest to the infectious, addicting craziness that was always with these three characters. This classic album, in every sense, defined what an entire generation of future blues lovers could find only by listening to the original blues masters. Three white guys from Minneapolis, in the early sixties, sounding like Leadbelly! Remarkable! Spider John's odd numbered guitar strings, Snaker Ray's silken voice, Little Sun Glover's harp that still brings tears of joy after all these years. I can't think of a better introduction, to the blues, for this current and future generations to hone their eardrums and musical tastes on. This album never grows old...thanks John, David, and Tony!!!! Keep on linin' that track fellas

4 comments about Tear Down the Walls/Bleecker & MacDougal.

1. Fred Neil was definitely one of the more unique figures in the Greenwich Village folk scene. In an era when the worlds of folk and rock were anathema to each other, he turned up with his twelve-string guitar after having committed the heresy of writing a hit rock song (Roy Orbison's "Candy Man," of which Neil's own version is included here), and became as much a mainstay of the scene as anyone.
   
   The second half of this collection shows why. It features some great guitar and harmonica licks alongside Neil's stirring baritone, even working in the occasional electric guitar when folk rock hadn't quite hit the mainstream. Neil's biggest contribution to that genre, "Everybody's Talkin'," was several years away, but already his contribution to the folk revival was just as important as that evocative cover photo showing him on the title corner suggests. It's a four-star album, at least.
   
   The problem with this collection is its first half. Vince Martin's vocals never get any less irritating throughout the album, and then there are the songs themselves. For the most part, the originals sound like the sort of stereotypical folksinging that was parodied so effectively in the movie "A Mighty Wind." The catch is, those songs were supposed to be so bad they were good, while these are meant sincerely. There is a fine line between the sincere and the silly, and an even finer line between poignant and depressing, and most of these songs are quite a way beyond both of those lines. Neil was fresh from his Brill Building stint at the time, and it shows. He still had a lot to learn about his new style, and most of his lyrics here sound like the insincere musings of someone who is trying much too hard to be the New Dylan. The one exception is the title track - "Tear Down the Walls" - but it's been done better elsewhere (notably Judy Collins' live version from a year or so after this one).
   
   Bleecker & MacDougal is now avaiable on its own on CD. Buy that copy, and leave Tear Down the Walls in the obscurity it deserves.



2. Fred Neil was the King of the East Village coffee shop, pass-the-hat folksingers in the very early sixties and this 2cd set shows why. Much of his origins and late life are shrouded in rumour and mystery.
   
   Sinatra, Johnny Cash, even Jim Morrison had great baritone voices, but Fred Neil's Sound was really something else. Neil had the most spectacularly deep resonant baritone voice, a voice that would sound wonderful reading the phone book! Everyone idolized him, everyone imitated him, everyone covered his songs: Roy Orbison, The Jefferson Airplane, the Youngbloods, Harry Nilsson, Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Judy Henske, John Sebastian, Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Rush, Roger McGuinn. An unknown, awestruck, social climbing Bob Dylan used to play backup harmonica for Fred Neil and his ringing 12 string in the Village years before these albums. (Dylan mentions this in bio pic "No Direction Home") Fred was one of the main influences on David Crosby, Steven Stills (Crosby, Stills and Nash were going to call themselves "Sons of Neil" before Neil talked them out of it!).
   Neil was a Brill Building song writer, like Carol King, for years before venturing out on his own.
   
   The albums burst with early sixtes (there were TWO sixties!) folkie seriousness and energy. There is much more energy and precision here than "The Many Side of Fred Neil" which is also worth having.
   The first album with Vince Martin is very closely sung duets of incredible precision, Martin singing tenor, with amazing parasing so they often sound like one singer (until Neil hits a deep, rich low note). Standouts are "I Know you Rider" "Tear down the Walls" "Linin Track".
   
   A line from "Toy Balloon" so impressed Jefferson Airplane's Paul Kantner & Grace Slick that it found it's way into "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil", in fact "PoohNeil" is a combination of Winnie the Pooh and the gentle Fred Neil. See also "House at Pooneil Corner".
   
   Yes, "Red Flowers" and "Tear Down the Walls" are a protest songs that aren't sure what they are protesting about, and "Dade County Jail" is embarassingly silly but just listen to the Voice and ignore the lyrics there. (That was the early sixites - optimism and often silly protest.) But the others song are masterpieces.
   
   The second album, Bleeker & MacDougal, gets even better, more bluesy. It is a Neil solo with includes his second most famous song "Other Side of This Life" which was covered by Jefferson Airplane and nearly everyone else. (His most famous is "Everybody's Takin at Me", a hit for Harry Nilsson, and the story on Neil's life. Not included here). "Blues on the Ceiling" has a deep world weary quality to it. "A little bit of Rain" is deeply melancholy. "Sweet Mama" is upbeat with ringing 12 string overtones. When he sings the word "home" on "Bleeker & MacDougal" his voice sets up bass standing waves all over the room! The famous line about dating golddigging women with a "Handful of Gimmie (and a mouthful of much obliged)" found it's way into Tom Rush's "Drop-Down Mama" from the same era. (I don't know if it was Fred Neil's first or not). "Yonder Come the Blues" (dressed in high-heeled shoes)! Not a bad cut on the bluesy second album.
   
   Fred hated the music industry and its commercialism. He dropped out and didn't record for the last 30 years of his life or so, living frugally of the proceeds from "Everybody's Talking at Me", despite offers from Rock Giants to record duets again. Now his incredible talent is forgotten by nearly all but "a small band of admirers (many of them stars in their own right)".
   
   The shy reclusive Fred Neil was the singer's singer. Just listen and let The Voice wash over you. Like deep rich chocolate. he represents the skill and purity of folk, with occational bluesy jazzy tone.
   
   This album is the best example extant of his talent. (Lost somewhere is rumoured a tape of a young Bob Dylan and Fred Neil jamming).
   
   Excellent sound on this import.



3. For anyone who has encountered the work of Fred Neil, nothing more need be said: here's one of our finest singers & songwriters, stretching his creative wings & preparing for full flight. There's truly a timeless quality to his work, a dark richness & depth which speaks to any generation. His own reluctance to take the limelight led to popular neglect of his impressive work & legacy, which continues to this day. But he's definitely not be be overlooked!
   
   I would like to say a few words about the underrated Vince Martin. Today's more cynical view might find the sweetness of his voice & outlook a bit cloying & insincere; but I think the lack is in the contemporary listener. That's easy to understand: how can anyone who wasn't alive in those days really believe that grown men could be so earnest, without a trace of post-modern irony & glibness? But it's important not to forget that sort of open-hearted optimism, especially in these dreary times. In any case, Martin's voice provides a fine counterpoint to Neil's deeper, world-weary tones; and Martin is no slouch as a songwriter himself.
   
   As for the second half of the CD, it's Fred Neil's show all the way, and it's a rich, soulful ride in the company of a quiet master. Follow it up with the 2-disc collection "The Many Sides of Fred Neil," and you'll understand why he was such an influence on an entire generation of singer-songwriters. Excellent, detailed liner notes & vintage photographs add much to the picture of this reclusive creator. Most highly recommended!



4. This is a beautifully packaged CD. It comes in a nice slip case, and is beautifully mastered. I owned the original vinyl albums and feel that the original recordings have been well served here. Not only are there new liner notes, but the original liner notes of both albums are included as well. Vince Martin's voice is an acquired taste, but Fred's songwriting in his first album "Tear Down the Walls" is still excellent. I particularly enjoyed Fred's compositions "I'm a Drifter", "Weary Blues", "Wild Child in a World of Trouble", "Dade County Jail", and the traditional "Morning Dew". The remaining tracks are from one of the truly great folk albums "Bleecker & MacDougal". There is a uniformity of quality on this album, but highlights include "Blues on the Ceiling", "Little Bit of Rain", "Other Side to This Life", "The Water is Wide", "Yonder Comes the Blues", "Candy Man", and "Handful of Gimmie". Fred is at his best when he plays his blues, his twelve string guitar weaving a tapestry of tonal textures, and his "whiskey and cigarettes" bass voice delivering the lyrics of his thoughtful compositions. Fred Neil was unappreciated in his time by the general public, but he had plenty of admirers like Bob Dylan. If you take the time to listen to his compositions, you will find a reclusive man sharing his innermost emotions & thoughts through his music.