"My Way" by PAUL JONES – December 1966 UK Debut Solo Album [ex Manfred Mann] on HMV Records in Mono and Stereo (Stereo Mix Only Is Used For This CD) – Inside "Original Album Series" by MANFRED MANN and PAUL JONES (August 2014 UK Parlophone/Warner Brothers 5CD Capacity Wallet With Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves and Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...High Time..."

 

There's a lot of Sixties British Bippity Boppity Pop on offer here and much of it remastered in great Stereo too. Which brings us to the last Mini LP Sleeve in this Card Capacity Wallet of Five - Lead Singer to the Mann – Paul Jones and his late 1966 debut album "My Way". 

 

His debut is a far cry from the Rhythm 'n' Blues of the Manfred albums (those looking for Mod Music should avoid big time) - Jones making a bid here for the Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach led Male Vocalists marketplace and failing more times than is comfortable. To the high times with Lady Godiva...

 

UK/EU released August 2014 - "Original Album Series" by MANFRED MANN and PAUL JONES on Parlophone/Warner Brothers 2564628529 is a 5CD Card Capacity Wallet of Stereo and Mono Remasters in Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves for Albums released between 1964 and 1967. Paul Jones' debut solo LP "My Way" is CD5 and plays out as follows...

 

CD5 "My Way" (33:45 minutes):

1. My Way [Side 1]

2. Lady Godiva

3. It Is Coming Closer

4. I Can't Hold On Much Longer

5. Baby Tomorrow

6. You've Got Too Much Going For You, Girl

7. Very, Very Funny [Side 2]

8. High Time

9. She Needs Company

10. When My Little Girl Is Smiling

11. Wait 'Til Morning Comes

12. I Can't Break The News To Myself

Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut solo album "My Way" – released December 1966 in the UK on HMV Records CLP 3586 (Mono) and CSD 3586 (Stereo) – no US version - the STEREO MIX is used for this CD.

 

After three albums fronting the Manfred organization, it was time for Lead Singer, Harmonica Blower and Songwriter Paul Jones to give it a bit of welly of his own. Truth be told though, "My Way" is a very dated so-Sixties effort rather than some undiscovered barnstormer. But if you're a fan, the STEREO Remaster is amazing - full of power and presence if not a little harsh in the separation of instruments (the way it was recorded back in the day).

 

With Arrangements by Mike Leander and Geoff Love – "My Way" opens with strings and huge vocals, Paul declaring that this time it's me (without a doubt), but it feels like a poor man's Scott Walker melodrama without any of the allure. A left speaker old Johanna opens the how's-your-father "Lady Godiva" - a song that has naff and dodgy lyrics about miniskirts and breezes and guys with their eyes on stalks. "It Is Coming Again" isn't a whole lot better, but again with amazing clean Stereo audio. Treated Acoustic guitar opens the very Poppy "Baby Tomorrow" - his vocal over to the right - his lady making him wait for a future that isn't going to come (the Brass makes it sound so Tom Jones over on Decca). We get a Phil Spector big production sound for "You've Got Too Much Going For You, Girl" - a half decent cut that you suspect Dusty Springfield would have made Soulful. 

 

Side 2 opens with "Very, Very Funny" - more Brass in the right and Piano in the left speaker separation - a tune that thinks it's groovier than it actually is. "High Time" is pure 60ts Pop where Jones goes for a dancer but maybe if it was The Monkees or Them - you might give it the time of day. His own "She Needs Company" has a tale of girls going home at the end of the night - dressed sharp while their beau is a working lad without spondulicks to his name. Yet there they are whispering in cafes - age and class differences out the window in a cloud of Sweet Afton smoke laced with Latte chocolate flakes.

 

"When My Little Girl Is Smiling" is an obvious cover version that is all too quickly forgotten - far better is "Wait 'Til Morning Comes" - our lad not so dumb - not wanting to be an easy touch for his sassy lady in tow. Fabulous Remaster on this one too. It ends with "I Can't Break The News To Myself" - Paul miserable from January to December since he lost his gal (on the strength of this album, you might have bigger fears at hand).

Despite the great so-clean Remastered Audio (an in Stereo too), Paul Jones' "My Way" is a difficult album to like (2 stars out of five for me), an LP that hasn't dated at all well on any front and one that will make you reach for your Them, Kinks or Pretty Things Deluxe Edition CDs to get your R&B faith back in tact. 

 

But if you have to own it - this 5CD set is the place to nab a copy for probably less than two quid...