"...For A Window
Thief..."
1941
was a good year for the birth of future singer-songwriter heroes – Bob Dylan,
Paul Simon, Guy Clark, Tim Hardin and in February of that WW II moment - Stuart
David Cohen of Providence, Rhode Island. This was a chap who when gigging with
Bob Dylan and Eric Anderson in the early 60ts in Greenwich Village in New York
(both in their early 20s) was advised to change his stage name because there
was already a Dave Cohen doing the rounds. Fixating on his eye-colour, our
hero, the young Jewish troubadour, became DAVID BLUE.
With
a voice akin to a deeper Leonard Cohen mumble, the romanticism of bugger-all LP
sales allied with rich lyrical tales of waste and woe and the never-ending
search for love (his loner personality gave him plenty of mental and physical
demons, drugs up the wazoo) – David Blue has been a cult figure for decades
now. Always bubbling under in US Sixties and Seventies Folk and Folk-Rock
circles as a singer-songwriter of real worth like say Mickey Newbury or Fred
Neil or Judee Sill or even Dory Previn – Blue and his self-titled debut album
had been issued by Elektra Records in August 1966 – itself egged on after Blue
had been featured for three tracks the year previous (August 1965) on a
four-artist LP called "The Singer-Songwriter Project" (put out by
Rhino in the 00s, there is an Elektra twofer CD Remaster set that deals with
both of these albums).
Then
signing to Reprise Records – Blue released two albums on Frankie's label -
"These 23 Days In September" in April 1968 and a December 1969 effort
called "Me" credited for that release to his real name S. David Cohen
(it is not featured here). "These 23 Days In September" saw his
genius for a hooky tune mature, and that is where this fab little '4 Classic
Albums On 2 CDs' offering comes a-dancing in. Giving us a further three whole
LPs on David Geffen's Asylum Records - home of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne,
Tom Waits, Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and in 1974 even Bob Dylan himself - there is
a lot to savour here.
With
no less than eight albums in his career across three huge record labels and a
slew of acting spots when he ditched music after 1976 – David Blue would never
reach the dizzying heights of his contemporaries. But with savvy folks like The
Eagles, Richie Havens and Neil Young covering/praising his songs – you know you
need to investigate what y’all missed first time around. Going back to the
those halcyon days, here are the digital details...
UK
released 12 June 2020 - "These 23 Days In September/Stories/Nice Baby And
The Angel/Cupid's Arrow" by DAVID BLUE on Morello Records QMRLL 96D
(Barcode 5013929899636) features Four Albums Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out
as follows:
CD1
(73:05 minutes):
1.
These 23 Days In September [Side 1]
2.
Ambitious Anna
3.
You Need A Change
4.
The Grand Hotel
5.
The Sailor's Lament
6.
You Will Come Back Again [Side 2]
7.
Scales For A Window Thief
8.
Slow And Easy
9.
The Fifth One
Tracks
1 to 9 are his second studio album "These 23 Days in September" –
released April 1968 in the USA on Reprise Records RS 6296 in Stereo (no UK
issue). Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER – it didn’t chart (WB in 2007 CD)
10.
Looking For A Friend [Side 1]
11.
Sister Rose
12.
Another One Like Me
13.
House Of Changing Faces
14.
Marianne [Side 2]
15.
Fire In The Morning
16.
Come On John
17.
The Blues (All Night Long)
Tracks
10 to 17 are his fourth studio album "Stories" – released November
1971 in the USA on Asylum SD 5052 and March 1972 in the UK on Asylum SYL 9001.
Produced by BOB RAFKIN, DAVID BLUE and HENRY LEWY – the album features Ry
Cooder on Slide Guitar, Chris Ethridge of The Flying Burrito Bros on Bass (Bob
Rafkin also), Rita Coolidge on Backing Vocals, Ralph Schuckett of Jo Mama, Todd
Rundgren's Utopia and Clarence Clemens And The Red Bank Rockers on Keyboards,
Milt Holland of The Surfmen and Captain Beefheart's Magic Band on Percussion,
John Barbata of Jefferson Airplane and Russ Kunkel of The Section on Drums with
Strings Arranged by Jack Nitzsche.
CD2
(73:51 minutes):
1.
Outlaw Man [Side 1]
2.
Lady O' Lady
3.
Truth To You
4.
On Sunday, Any Sunday
5.
Darlin' Jenny
6.
Dancing Girl [Side 2]
7.
Yesterday's Lady
8.
Nice Baby And The Angel
9.
Troubadour Song
10.
Train To Anaheim
Tracks
1 to 10 are his fifth studio album "Nice Baby And The Angel" –
released April 1973 in the USA on Asylum SD 5066 and June 1973 in the UK on
Asylum SYL 9009. Produced by GRAHAM NASH – String Arrangements by Graham Nash –
Jennifer Warren Backing Vocals on "Lady O' Lady", Dave Mason of
Traffic and David Lindley on Guitars, Chris Ethridge of The Flying Burrito Bros
on Bass, Backing Vocals by Dave Mason of Traffic, Glenn Frey of Eagles and
Graham Nash of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Drums by John
Barbata of Jefferson Airplane.
11.
Run, Run, Run [Side 1]
12.
The Ballad Of Jennifer Lee
13.
Tom's Song
14.
I Feel Bad
15.
Cordelia
16.
Maria, Maria [Side 2]
17.
Cupid's Arrow
18.
Primeval Tune
19.
She's Got You
Tracks
11 to 19 are his seventh studio album "Cupid's Arrow" – released June
1976 in the USA on Asylum 7E-1077 (no UK release). Features Levon Helm of The
Band on Drums, David Lindley on Guitar and Violin, Barry Goldberg on Keyboards
(also Produced the LP) with Auburn Burrell of The Classics IV and Jesse Ed
Davis on Guitars.
Produced
by Lee Simmonds, this isn't a Deluxe Edition by any means so those expecting
30-page booklets can look elsewhere. But the 8-page inlay for QMRLL 96D does
provide a brief two-page history of David Blue's career by SPENCER LEIGH
(authoring a Bob Dylan tome that touches on Blue's association with him in New
York), the LP credits for all four platters and that's about it. Photos from
the original LP artwork are here too and Leigh's dense explanation of what
happened is both informational, highly entertaining and ultimately (especially
given what happened to Blue later in life) - sad. And with four rare albums for
just above a tenner on digital – bloody good value for money. The Audio is care
of ALAN WILSON with the Remasters done at Western Star Studios (Warner Brothers
licenses for Cherry Red) and it all sounds great to me. To the music...
Afforded
the luxury of a gatefold sleeve, the 1968 LP "These 23 Days In
September" is a sparse affair musically - acoustic guitars and voice - all
songs penned by DB. The title track opens with tales of humour spent, girly
discontent politely spoken. The Gabriel Mekler Production values are gorgeous
(he did Steppenwolf) - while DB tries to do his best Leonard Cohen vocal
impression on the poppy "Ambitious Anna". Tunes like "You Need A
Change" introduces Pedal Steel Guitar (doesn't say who) while a strummed
zither helps "The Grand Hotel" and piano/keyboards lead the doom in
"The Sailor's Lament" - men gone to the bottom of time. The Folk-Rock
strum continues on "You Will Come Back Again", a good tune even if
his vocals fall a tad flat. We then get nearly six minutes of "Scales For
A Window Thief" - a wind that blows into sails of the past pushing them
forward into a nothing horizon. "Slow And Easy" could be James Taylor
(pretty) while the finisher "The Fifth One" even has a fuzzed-up
guitar hoping to stroke that burgeoning Psych-based pop songs market (the first
four women were al right but the fifth is just right). Amazing sound for the
album, but for me, its strictly three-to-four star material unlike...
Things
improve immediately with "Stories" from 1971 - his first platter for
Asylum Records. The label provided him with some heavy-hitter musical company -
Ry Cooder on Slide Guitar, Milton Holland on Percussion, Bass by Chris Ethridge
and Backing Vocals from Rita Coolidge with Strings arranged by Jack Nitzsche
(to name but a few). "Looking For A Friend" feels epic - like a
really good Fred Neil song - his voice better than in 1968. "Sister
Rose" only compounds the feeling that Leonard Cohen had something to worry
about in David Blue - a never been warm song - except in your love - a Holy
Cross sent from Montreal to act as a protector. The radio played Soul by the
garden wall in "Another One Like Me" - as lovely as Seventies ballad
as you've ever heard - soulful organ floating over the acoustic picking - only
to have Ry Cooder slide in like a pro on the National Steel to seal the deal
(gorgeous audio too).
"House
Of Changing Faces" begins mellow and thoughtful - before going into over
six minutes of acoustic anger on a sometimes clown making movies in some drugs
hellhole where DB wanted to die (it's brilliant in a Mickey Newbury way).
"Marianne" is an accordion-pretty waltz ala Tom Waits (the legendary
Pete Jolly on Accordion). Blue loves that lady in the loft of her favourite
lover - comforting her burning eyes filled with fear for the future. Elegant
Jack Nitzsche strings accompany a lone piano for "Fire In The
Morning" - a feeling weak breakfast song in a cold restaurant. But even
better is "Come On John" - an impressive tale of a hungry man who
can't help but run to liquid on spoons that he knows will do for him. And with
its hooky electric guitar chorus parts - could have been a successful 45. The
overlooked/excellent "Stories" album closes with six minutes on a
singer that touched him - a fellow traveller on the road singing "The
Blues (All Night Long)" - Ry Cooder once again blinding on the Slide. I'm
so pleased with the Audio - fantastic - and I'd forgotten how sweet the whole
record is.
Disc
2 goes into the Country Rock of "Nice Baby And The Angel" (1973) -
produced to buggery by none other than Graham Nash of The Hollies and Americana
superstars - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The Eagles famously took the
album's opener "Outlaw Man" and put it on their second album
"Desperado" - the Royalties for which undoubtedly kept our skint hero
in a hot lunches for a few years (Graham Nash can be heard harmonising). Jennifer
Warren provides lovely backing vocals on the mandolin pretty "Lady O'
Lady" - a used-to-be-a-rambler song where she takes the wayward braggart
in hand. Massive production values too for "On Sunday, Any Sunday" -
his vocals purposely echoed into the background as the perfectly captured
squeaking acoustic strings rattle around your speaker stack. He goes for the
Pop Country Rock market with the kicking "Darlin' Jenny" - a high up
on this hill looking for tomorrow tale of looking for gold (I think its Dave
Mason of Traffic playing the electric guitar parts).
Terry
Adams provides the lone Cello on "Yesterdays Lady" - a softly sweet
ballad about leaving - gorgeous words and audio. The title song "Nice Baby
And The Angel" talks of sharing space with a woman with a twinkle in her
eyes (she ain't eyeing the door). "Troubadour Song" sees our man
light a smoke and wait for the train - on to a cheap hotel and poor food -
waiting alone for a future to show up. It ends with what feels like The
Waterboys transported back to 1973 and mated with The Eagles - waiting in
London Town with the rain pouring down - sick to his soul - lady up and gone on
the "Train To Anaheim".
By
the time we reach 1976 (their was an album in 1975 that isn't featured here
called "Comin' Back For More" also on Asylum) - Pedal Steel Country
Rock dominates tunes like the down-home cowboy song "The Ballad Of
Jennifer Lee". But Rawk like "Tom's Song" and "I Feel
Bad" comes on like bad Ringo Starr and hasn't aged at all well. The ballad
"Cupid's Arrow" just about saves what for me is a so-so album after the
highs of "Stories" and "Nice Baby And The Angel".
"...It's
all over now, David Blue!" Bob Dylan reputedly joked to the young buck in
1961 as he changed his name from S. David Cohen. Another legend is that Blue was
playing back the guitar melody to Bob as The Zim penned the lyrics to
"Blowing In The Wind" right in front of him – a song that would
change the world. And on the same spot as he had seen Lightning Hopkins play in
the Sixties in Washington Square Park (a moment that inspired him to write) –
the Jewish singer-songwriter (free of drugs and happily married) suffered a
stroke while jogging in December 1982 and died at the criminally young age of
42.
I
know its not all five-star material, but this 2020 David Blue release still feels huge to
me. Morello Records have pulled off a wee bit of a coup here. Remember the
window thief like this and well done to all involved...
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