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"...Classical Gas..."
First up, I've picked up
this 2CD set in October 2022, and despite claims of issues by other purchasers
with the mastering on Track 1 of Disc 1, I don't detect any such thing on my
copy - no gaps - so these new variants must be replacements. The audio on this
2CD set is clean, full and really good. I just wish the content across five
whole albums were worth it.
I'm old enough (64) to
remember these US and UK platters in secondhand stores back in the day as
always being dirt cheap for a reason - few wanted them. But what I will say in
2022 is that this twofer from England's Beat Goes On (BGO) sounds beautiful in
places and presents these five studio albums (all originally on Warner Brothers
between 1968 and 1971) in their very best light to date. Let's get to the
details for the moment...
UK released Friday, 24 June
2022 - "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record/The Mason Williams Ear
Show/Music by Mason Williams/Hand Made/Sharepickers" by MASON WILLIAMS on
Beat Goes On BGOCD1481 (Barcode 5017261214812) offers 5 Studio LPs from 1968 to
1971 Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:
CD1 (80:16 minutes):
1. Overture [Side 1]
2. All The Time
3. Dylan Thomas
4. Wanderlove
5. She's Gone Away
6. Here I Am
7. Classical Gas * [Side 2]
8. Long Time Blues
9. Baroque-A-Nova
10. The Prince's Panties
11. Life Song
12. Sunflower
Tracks 1 to 12 are his
(music) debut album "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" - released
February 1968 (charted Top 2000 in May 1968) in the USA on Warner Brothers WS
1729 in Stereo (also WS 1729 in the UK). Produced by MIKE POST - it peaked at
No. 14 on the US Billboard Rock LP charts (didn't chart UK).
* = The original version of
the hit single "Classical Gas" - he re-recorded it for the "Hand
Made" albums of 1970 - different take
13. Road Song [Side 1]
14. Baroque-A-Nova
15. Whistle (Hear)
16. The Last Great Waltz
17. One Minute Commercial
18. $13 Stella [Side 2]
19. Love Are Wine
20. Cinderella-Rockefella
21. Generatah-Oscillatah
22. Saturday Night At The
World
Tracks 13 to 22 are his
second studio album "The Mason Williams Ear Show" - released November
1968 (charted December 1968) in the USA on Warner Brothers WS 1766 (W 1766 Mono
and WS 1766 Stereo in the UK). Produced by DICK GLASSER - it peaked at No. 164
in the USA (didn't chart UK). $13 Stella refers to the brand name of his old
guitar bought for that amount and featured on the cover artwork.
23. Greensleeves [Side 1]
24. Bucko's Memoirs
25. La Chanson De Claudine
26. Come To Me
27. Cowboy Buckaroo
28. The Brother's Theme
[Side 2]
29. J. Edgar Swoop
Tracks 23 to 29 see Notes on
CD2
CD2 (78:23 minutes):
1. Sunflower
2. A Major Thang
3. A Gift Of Song
Tracks 23 to 29 on CD1 and
Tracks 1 to 3 on CD2 are his third studio album "Music By Mason
Williams" - released March 1969 (charted May 1969) in the USA on Warner
Brothers WS 1788 in Stereo (no UK issue). Produced by MASON WILLIAMS - it
peaked at No. 44 on the US Billboard LP charts
4. Jose's Piece [Side 1]
5. Find A Reason To Believe
6. Saturday Night At The
World (Re-Record)
7. I've Heard That Tear
Stained Monologue You Do There By The Door Before You Go
8. All The Time
9. Classical Gas (Re-Record)
[Side 2] *
10. The Tomato Vendetta
11. Manha De Carnival
12. It's Over
13. The Exciting Accident
Tracks 4 to 13 are his
fourth studio album "Hand Made" - released March 1970 in the USA on
Warner Brothers WS 1838 in Stereo (UK the same). Produced by BOB and DICK
GLASSER - It didn't chart in either country.
* The version of "Classical
Gas" on this album is a re-record, not the hit single – see CD1 Track 7
14. Here I Am Again [Side 1]
15. Largo De Luxe
16. (I'm A) Yo-Yo Man
17. A Little Bit Of Time
18. Linda Crest Lament
19. Little Beggar
Man/Hamilton County [Side 2]
20. Poor Little Robin
21. Godsend
22. Train Ride In G
23. Orange Blossom Special
Tracks 14 to 23 are his
fifth studio album "Sharepickers" - released October 1971 in the USA
on Warner Brothers WS 1941 and Warner Brothers K 46120 in the UK. Produced by
MASON WILLIAMS - it didn't chart in either country.
The 28-page booklet (housed
in an outer card slipcase) is substantial - repro'ing all the album artwork and
musician credits and from Page 16 onward is bolstered up with typically
in-depth liner notes from Mojo and Record Collector contributor CHARLES WARING.
Our Charles does a valiant job in convincing us (and maybe even himself) that
Mason Williams LPs are overlooked, but they were cheap back in the day for a
reason - they mostly aren't any good. His moment of glory came with
"Classical Gas" - an acoustic-lead instrumental that caught the
public's imagination and he seemed to be playing catch up to it every day
afterward.
The music across all of
these LPs is a sort of unclassifiable mixture of acoustic ditties, easy
listening, Sunshine Pop, Country-Pop interspersed with awkward humour that
rarely amounts to a tune (he wrote comedy for The Smother Brothers). For sure
there are moments - his tribute to Jose Feliciano in "Jose's Piece"
is lovely - another instrumental dedicated to Claudine Longe in the shape of
"La Chanson De Claudine" on the "Music..." LP - but they are
few and far between. It all feels like someone desperate to be Jimmy Webb or
Gordon Lightfoot without the capability of writing a song that moves you like
they both could on even their worst day.
What is good news is
gorgeous Audio courtesy of ANDREW THOMPSON. A lot of these tracks begin with
and feature Spanish Acoustic Guitar throughout, and BGO's resident Audio
Engineer has done a truly lovely job transferring the Warner Brothers tapes -
none too much hiss (if any) and plenty of body when needed. Musician Guests
included Guitarist James Burton, singer Jennifer Warren, Country Music legends
Sons Of The Pioneers, songwriters Rick Cunha and John Hartford, Drummers Hal
Blaine and Milt Holland, Bassist Larry Knechtel, Steve La Fever of the famous
Wrecking Crew Rhythm Section, plus Alvin Casey, The Clinger Sisters, Bill
Cunningham and many more. I just wish the music were better.
Fans will absolutely have to
own it for the superb audio and classy presentation, but the curious should nab
a listen first...
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