One of the benefits (with a an equal and opposite drawback) of the digital age is that old, forgotten and lost records are being rediscovered and re-released. Frequently with great fanfare proclaiming masterpieces. I have no problem with the idea that there is deserving and great music that gets lost, and that is after all part of the reason I started to write this blog in the first place. I am therefore a sucker for stories of opportunity lost, contractual disputes preventing album releases and buried treasure deep within the vaults.
It seems that the pace of these events is getting faster and faster and I fall prey and buy the latest buried treasure. Over the last ten years or so albums that I have bought that fall into this category include Irma Thomas' and Bettye Lavette's Muscle Shoals Sessions (crimes they were not released at the time), Jim Ford's Harlan County, Rodrigues Cold Fact, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue (I think no one at the time could believe Dennis could even sing let alone produce the best album by a Beach Boy) and Gene Clarke's No Other. All albums that are now at the top of my best of for all time.
The avatars of what is great do not always get it right and sometimes there was a reason that the public did not go for something the first time round. IT WAS SHITE! I have a few of those in my collection as well - but they will remain my secret!
However I am pleased to report that Bob Carpenter's Silent Passage - is worth the hype. It is a FUCKING GREAT ALBUM. The whole album really hangs together as more than a sum of its parts (as all albums should do but seldom do anymore).
Standout tracks for me include Down Along the Border, Silent Passage, Morning Train and Miracle Man.
A little bit Gordon Lightfoot and a little bit Lee Clayton - thoughtful lyrics and sympathetic acoustic arrangements, supported on some tracks by the likes of Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat, LA's best session Rhythym Section (Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar) and Anne Murray and Emmylou even turn up on backing vocals.
Not released after it was originally recorded it took 10 years before the album was released. Even then when it was released it was on a small boutique label and so did not get wide distribution. So now another boutique label has picked up the baton and it is released again with good reviews and the full back story splashed across the music press.
I am pleased it was as this may be my record of the year. Highly recommended by those who like the 1970's singer songwriter music out of California.
It seems that the pace of these events is getting faster and faster and I fall prey and buy the latest buried treasure. Over the last ten years or so albums that I have bought that fall into this category include Irma Thomas' and Bettye Lavette's Muscle Shoals Sessions (crimes they were not released at the time), Jim Ford's Harlan County, Rodrigues Cold Fact, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue (I think no one at the time could believe Dennis could even sing let alone produce the best album by a Beach Boy) and Gene Clarke's No Other. All albums that are now at the top of my best of for all time.
The avatars of what is great do not always get it right and sometimes there was a reason that the public did not go for something the first time round. IT WAS SHITE! I have a few of those in my collection as well - but they will remain my secret!
However I am pleased to report that Bob Carpenter's Silent Passage - is worth the hype. It is a FUCKING GREAT ALBUM. The whole album really hangs together as more than a sum of its parts (as all albums should do but seldom do anymore). Standout tracks for me include Down Along the Border, Silent Passage, Morning Train and Miracle Man.
A little bit Gordon Lightfoot and a little bit Lee Clayton - thoughtful lyrics and sympathetic acoustic arrangements, supported on some tracks by the likes of Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat, LA's best session Rhythym Section (Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar) and Anne Murray and Emmylou even turn up on backing vocals.
Not released after it was originally recorded it took 10 years before the album was released. Even then when it was released it was on a small boutique label and so did not get wide distribution. So now another boutique label has picked up the baton and it is released again with good reviews and the full back story splashed across the music press.
I am pleased it was as this may be my record of the year. Highly recommended by those who like the 1970's singer songwriter music out of California.
No comments:
Post a Comment