"Woman, Woman/The New Gary Puckett And Union Gap Album/The Gary Puckett Album + Bonus Tracks" by GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP and GARY PUCKETT- January 1968 US Third Album and December 1969 US Fourth Album (February 1970 in the UK) plus October 1971 First Solo Album on Columbia Records – All in Stereo (April 2019 UK Beat Goes On Compilation – 3LPs onto 2CDs with 8 Bonus Non-LP 45-Single Sides from 1969 to 1972 – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Gary-Puckett-Union-Album/dp/B07NRFRVKD?crid=1BN471JGNTOPQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QOJtJ7hEFwJCd_DGYhhfhw.mXtwWdoQ6TNTbby9jS3xKgTkTnYWu2-_XrxY4Re3hhE&dib_tag=se&keywords=5017261213747&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1730650027&sprefix=5017261213747%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=66452ff95f3be7c275fa669a39de8915&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS:

Material ***

Presentation and Audio *****

"…Don't Run To His Arms…" 

What you get here is three on two – San Diego's Gary Puckett & The Union Gap for their third and fourth studio albums dating from January 1968 and December 1969  - and then his first solo LP from October 1971 as Gary Puckett (all three originally on Columbia Records in the USA - February 1970 in the UK on CBS Records for the second LP only). There are also straggler Non-LP 45-single sides (eight of them across both discs) that stretch from 1969 to 1972. It's a typically generous twofer from our reissue champs at BGO (Beat Goes On Records of the UK). But top Presentation and Remastered Audio is where the good new ends.

It won't take a genius to see that certain auction sites have at times over 300 of these three LPs separately selling at less than a dollar or even 50c. Don't get me wrong – they were beautifully produced and orchestrated – but they are also loaded down with some seriously wearing sub-Walker Brothers pap-Pop. 

Audio bells 'n' whistles or not – these albums have not dated well. You just wish that all this superb reissue effort had been in aid of a better cause. To the details…

UK released Friday, 19 April 2019 - "Woman, Woman/The New Gary Puckett And Union Gap Album/The Gary Puckett Album + Bonus Tracks" by GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP (First Two Albums) and GARY PUCKETT (Third Album) on Beat Goes On BGOCD1374 (Barcode 5017261213747) is a Compilation that Remasters Three Albums from 1968, 1969 and 1970 onto Two CDs and adds on Eight 45-Single Sides as Bonuses across both discs. It plays out as follows:

CD1 (70:09 minutes):
1. Woman, Woman [Side 1]
2. M'lady
3. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
4. Paindrops
5. Believe Me
6. I Want A New Day
7. You Better Sit Down Kids [Side 2]
8. Kentucky Woman
9. My Son
10. To Love Somebody
11. Don't Make Promises
Tracks 1 to 11 are their thirst studio album "Woman, Woman" by THE UNION GAP featuring GARY PUCKETT – released January 1968 in the USA on Columbia CL 2812 (Mono) and Columbia CS 9612 (Stereo) – the STEREO Mix is used (no UK variant). Produced by JERRY FULLER – it peaked at No. 22 on the US Billboard LP charts

12. Home [Side 1]
13. Stay Out of My World 
14. Lullaby
15. Hard Tomorrow
16. This Girl Is A Woman Now
17. My Son [Side 2]
18. Simple Man
19. Out in The Cold Again
20. Don't Give In To Him
21. His Other Woman
Tracks 12 to 21 are their fourth album "The New Gary Puckett And The Union Gap Album" – released December 1969 in the USA on Columbia CS 9935 and February 1970 in the UK on CBS Records S 63794 in Stereo only. Produced by DICK GLASSER – it peaked at No.50 on the US Billboard album charts (did not chart UK)

BONUS TRACKS
22. Could I (February 1969 US 45-single on Columbia 4-44788, Non-LP B-side of "Don't Give In To Him")

23. Let's Give Adam And Eve Another Chance
24. The Beggar (Tracks 23 and 24 are the Non-LP A&B-side of a February 1970 US 45-single on Columbia 4-45097)

CD2 (48:51 minutes):
1. Gentle Woman [Side 1]
2. Shimmering Eyes
3. Feeling Bad
4. Delta Lady
5. Angelica
6. Do You Really Have A Heart [Side 2]
7. Hello Morning
8. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
9. All That Matters
10. Keep The Customer Satisfied
11. If We Only Have Love
Tracks 1 to 11 are his debut Solo album "The Gary Puckett Album" – released October 1971 in the USA on Columbia C 30862 in Stereo (no UK issue). Produced by RICHARD PERRY and STEPHEN GOLDMAN – it peaked at No.196 on the Billboard Album charts

BONUS TRACKS: 
12. No One Really Knows (January 1971 US 45-single on Columbia 4-45303, Non-LP B-side to "Keep The Customer Satisfied")

13. Life Has Its Little Ups And Downs (April 1971 US 45-single on Columbia 4-45358, Non-LP A-side, B-side was "Shimmering Eyes" from "The Gary Puckett Album" LP)

14. I Can't Hold On (November 1971 US 45-single on Columbia 4-45509, Non-LP A-side, B-side was "Hello Morning" from "The Gary Puckett Album" LP)

15. Leavin' In The Morning
16. Bless This Child (Tracks 15 and 16 are the Non-LP A&B-sides of an August 1972 US 45-single on Columbia 4-45678)

The now ubiquitous card slipcase lends these BGO compilations a classy look and long-time liner-notes associate to Beat Goes On Records (of England) JOHN O'REGAN does a gamely job in the 16-page booklet that reproduces front and cover artwork that the band Union Gap are fab and groovy (named after a small town in Washington State). Puckett and his Crew had hits galore in the States and these three albums charted albeit in lesser numbers each time. But they were/and/are best remembered for their monster hit 'Young Girl' – the band's second 45 issued February 1968. Credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett – Columbia 4-44450 was a Pop Sensation (very Phil Spector in ways) and rocketed to No.2 in their native USA. 'Young Girl' ploughed to No.1 in the UK and several other countries around the world too. 

I mention this because their first two albums are captured on another Beat Goes On compilation (BGOCD827 from 2008) – it is 827 that features 'Young Girl'. The group then seemed (like so many acts of the time) to forever-after chase the same type of hit – same wording – same aching over-the-top melodrama. This compilation covers the post-mortem and musically it is hard work. What cannot be denied however is the stunning AUDIO on offer here – licensed from Sony – ANDREW THOMPSON once again doing the absolute business by his Remasters. Fans are going to love this (all Stereo). To the tunes…

The "Woman, Woman" LP is awash with then-contemporary cover versions – Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell for "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", Jerry Fuller and The Fullers with their "Paindrops", Sono Bono and his "You Better Sit Down Kids", Neil Diamond and his "Kentucky Woman", The Bee Gees on "To Love Somebody" while Tim Hardin closes out Side 2 with "Don't Make Promises". The problem is Puckett did not have the writing chops of say Neil Diamond whose sound is the nearest comparison in 1968. And then there is the mawkish delivery and at times cringeworthy lyrics. When he sings "…bring your sunshine smile to drive my paindrops away…" – oh God! Or how about "…yes I lied and then you cried…" – purr-lease. The red-was-his-hair and green-was-his-eyes of "My Son" is just awful and at times laughable. Much of the second LP is the same. 

"The Gary Puckett Album" opens with two awful saccharine ballads worst of which is the sincere-insincerity of "Shimmering Eyes" where our Gary does all these crying women a favour by letting them down. At least Puckett uses the following two tracks to decent effect – the hallelujah upbeat of "Feeling Bad" (a Gary Wright song from his days with Spooky Tooth) complimented by a good cover of the Leon Russell/Joe Cocker shimmy-shaker "Delta Lady". Melodrama soon returns in his half Gene Pitney half Scott Walker take on the Barry Mann and Cynthis Weil song "Angelica" (the cold winds came, then I spoke her name – lyrics like that). Schlock rears its ugly head with Puckett’s take on a Paul Williams "Do You Really Have A Heart" – sunny-day bop and brass comes in the shape of "Hello Morning". 

And on it goes with stuff like the Bacharach/David standard "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" (movies and parties making our lad sad) and onward to a half-decent bopping stab at a Simon & Garfunkel winner - "Keep The Customer Satisfied" from their 1970 magnum-opus "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Best amongst the five Bonus 45-sides are the what's going down bop of "I Can't Hold On" and the quiet Acoustic Kris Kristofferson vibe in "Leavin' In The Morning" (Gary has gotta be on his way again – see ya) but too often his songs sound like poor-man's Tom Jones.

If you are a Gary Puckett & The Union Gap fan then the fantastic audio and presentation will make BGOCD1374 an essential purchase – but for everyone else, I strongly urge a listen first…