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"...Reach Out To The Other Side..."
BREAD albums used to sit in
our racks in Reckless Records in Soho for months on end – poo-pooed by hairy
badge-laden yet discerning buyers as Los Angelinos Soft Rock or worse –
lovey-dovey schlock (yew).
But then you were also aware
of those nice love songs Bread did – tunes that used to populate the charts in
the early Seventies. Hell you might even have snogged to one or two of them and
become animated in the trouser area (not by David Gates you understand). So
years later and miles away from 'the pubic-years' - most curious types would
opt for the monster 1977 compilation LP "The Sound Of Bread" on
Elektra K 52062 as a one-stop (when none of your mates was looking mind).
Sporting one of the most boring and lazy corporate sleeves ever to disgrace a
Woolworths shelf on a Saturday - "The Sound Of Bread" nonetheless had
all the hits anyone would want emanating from its Butterfly Elektra Records
label. And played tune-after-tune you could 'so' hear why this nondescript
looking album caught the imagination of the public - it was such a lovely
listen and became an unexpected No. 1 in Blighty in a year when Punk and New
Wave was busy gobbing at this kind of music. Which brings us to this rather
dinky 2017 mini box set reissue...
Sporting dapper-looking mini
LP repro sleeves – Rhino's "The Elektra Years" allows us to dig a
little deeper into their six forgotten albums from 1969 to 1977 before both
David Gates and James Griffin went solo after the first 1973 break-up. A nice
touch is that the CD labels reflect the original colouring and designs - Red
Elektra for the 1969 debut and the Butterfly label variant for each thereafter.
Five have their lyric inserts reproduced and although “Manna” doesn’t have its
original die-cut triple gatefold artwork – both "Baby I'm-A Want You"
and "Lost Without Your Love" do have their gatefolds. A couple of key
singles are missing namely the re-recording of the gorgeous "It Don't
Matter To Me" - a US No. 10 hit in October 1970. A far better version than
the original 1969 LP cut – it's an omission for sure. But outside of that -
what we have here is a rather pleasant piece of musical toast and jam. Here are
the crusty details...
UK released 27 October 2017
(3 November 2017 in the USA) - "The Elektra Years: The Complete Albums
Box" by BREAD on Elektra/Rhino 081227933869 (Barcode 081227933869) is a
6CD Mini Box Set with Six Studio Albums from 1969 to 1977 (all in Stereo and
minus any bonus tracks). It plays out as follows:
Disc 1 - "Bread" -
36:07 minutes:
1. Dismal Day [Side 1]
2. London Bridge
3. Could I
4. Look At Me
5. The Last Time
6. Any Way You Want Me
7. Move Over [Side 2]
8. Don't Shut Me Out
9. You Can't Measure The
Cost
10. Family Doctor
11. It Doesn't Matter To Me
12. Friends And Lovers
Tracks 1 to 12 are their
debut album "Bread" - released August 1969 in the USA in Stereo on
Elektra Records EKS 740144 and November 1969 in the UK with the same catalogue
number (reissued November 1971 in the UK on Elektra K 42029). It peaked at No.
127 on the US LP charts (didn't chart UK)
BREAD was:
DAVID GATES - Lead Vocals,
Guitars, Bass, Organ, Piano, RMI Electric Piano, Moog, Violin, Viola and Various
Percussion
JAMES GRIFFIN - Lead Vocals,
Guitars and Various Percussion
ROBB ROYER - Vocals, Guitar,
Bass, RMI Electric Piano, Piano, Flute, Recorder and Various Percussion
Disc 2 - "On The
Waters" – 37:29 minutes:
1. Why Do You Keep Me
Waiting [Side 1]
2. Make It With You
3. Blue Satin Pillow
4. Look What You've Done
5. I Am That I Am
6. Been Too Long On The Road
7. I Want You With Me [Side
2]
8. Coming Apart
9. Easy Love
10. In The Afterglow
11. Call On Me
12. The Other Side Of Life
Tracks 1 to 12 are their
second studio album "On The Waters" - released July 1970 in the USA
on Elektra Records EKS 74076 and September 1970 in the UK on Elektra 2469 003.
It peaked at No. 12 in the USA - No. 34 in the UK. Same line-up as "Bread"
with MIKE BOTTS added.
Disc 3 - "Manna" -
36:13 minutes:
1. Let Your Love Go [Side 1]
2. Take Comfort
3. Too Much Love
4. If
5. Be Kind To Me
6. He's A Good Lad
7. She Was My Lady [Side 2]
8. Live In Your Love
9. What A Change
10. I Say Again
11. Come Again
12. Truckin'
Tracks 1 to 12 are their
third studio album "Manna" - released March 1971 in the USA on
Elektra Records EKS 74086 and July 1971 in the UK on Elektra Records EKX 74086
(reissued 1972 in the UK on Elektra K 52001). It peaked at No. 21 in the USA -
didn't chart UK. Same band line-up as "On The Waters"
Disc 4 - "Baby I'm-A
Want You" - 34:51 minutes:
1. Mother Freedom [Side 1]
2. Baby I'm-A Want You
3. Down On My Knees
4. Everything I Own
5. Nobody Like You
6. Diary
7. Dream Lady [Side 2]
8. Daughter
9. Games Of Magic
10. This Isn't What The
Governmeant
11. Just Like Yesterday
12. I Don't Love You
Tracks 1 to 12 are their 4th
studio album "Baby I'm-A Want You" - released February 1972 in the
USA on Elektra Records 75015 and March 1972 in the UK on Elektra Records K
42100. It peaked at No. 3 in the USA and No. 9 in the UK.
Disc 5 - "Guitar
Man" - 43:15 minutes:
1. Welcome To The Music
[Side 1]
2. The Guitar Man
3. Make It By Yourself
4. Aubrey
5. Fancy Dancer
6. Sweet Surrender
7. Tecolote [Side 2]
8. Let Me Go
9. Yours For Life
10. Picture In Your Mind
11. Don't Tell Me No
12. Don't Even Know Her Name
Tracks 1 to 12 are their
fifth studio album "Guitar Man" - released November 1972 in the USA
on Elektra Records EKS-75047 and November 1972 in the UK on Elektra Records K
52004. It peaked at No. 18 in the USA - didn't chart UK. First LP to feature
LARRY KNECHTEL who replaced ROYER
Disc 6 - "Lost Without
Your Love" - 36:21 minutes:
1. Hooked On You [Side 1]
2. She's The Only One
3. Lost Without Your Love
4. Change Of Heart
5. Belonging
6. Fly Away
7. Lay Your Money Down [Side
2]
8. The Chosen One
9. Today's The First Day
10. Hold Tight
11. Our Lady Of Sorrow
Tracks 1 to 11 are their
sixth and final studio album "Lost Without Your Love" - released
January 1977 in the USA on Elektra Records 7E-1094 and January 1977 in the UK
on Elektra Records K 52044. It peaked at No. 26 in the USA and No.17 in the UK
There is no booklet nor
mastering credits but the Audio is superb throughout so these must be the Rhino
Remasters of old. Outside of the obvious hits like "Make It With
You", "If", "Guitar Man" and "Baby I'm-A Want
You" (proper tunes one and all) - it's those album cuts that interest me.
Great guitar work on "Call On Me" from "On The Waters" and
the ethereal slightly trippy vibe achieved on "I Am That I Am" where
Bread gets all mystical. There's amazing punch on "Could I" and
beautiful Acoustic guitar-pings coming off "Look At Me" (both from
the debut LP) and you hear Gates the hitmaker already peering through. Elektra
tried "Move Over" in early 1970 as a US and UK 7" single but its
flanged guitars and treated chorus didn't catch the public's ear ("Friends
And Lovers" might have been a better choice).
By the time you get to
1971's "Manna" and 1972's "Baby I'm-A Want You" - Bread are
a bona fide hit-single making machine. While I never liked the heavy-handed
"Let Your Love Go" (the lead-off 45 from "Manna" still made
No. 28 in the USA) - "Too Much Love" could easily have tapped into
that America audience. The lovely "If" was a deserved No. 4 hit and
the audio on it and tracks like "Take Comfort" and "She Was My
Lady" is beautifully done. "Manna" album sleeper is the
piano-pretty "Come Again" - a typically sweet melody from Gates
although the strings threaten to over egg the 'tears welling up inside'.
Can't say "Mother
Freedom" floats my boater but the title track to the "Baby I'm-A Want
You" album sounds fabulous here (and still such a tune) while the boppin'
David Gates and James Griffin countrified "Down On My Knees" could
easily have come of the more Pop side to "Desperado" by the Eagles.
Although its been mucked about with by too many cover versions over the years -
"Everything I Own" is still a great David Gates song - as is the
truly lovely "Diary" - both sounding dapper and spangly-new here. The
anti-establishment "This Isn't Want The Governmeant" and the
unusually acidic "I Don't Love You" now feel a little clunky despite
some cool harp blowing and harmony vocals in the latter – whilst "Games Of
Magic" might just be the album's sleeper.
Their second album in 1972
"Guitar Man" saw the departure of Robb Royer and the arrival of Larry
Knechtel and opens with a band already used to jets and Carnegie Hall. The
rollicking "Welcome To The Band" soon gives way to a far-better
winner – the album’s title track – a No. 11 hit Stateside while it made a
respectable No. 16 in England a couple of months prior to the LP’s release. The
smoochy "Aubrey" provided them with a No. 11 hit in America while
"Sweet Surrender" managed No. 15. But even with these Summer-easy
tunes (the jaunty "Yours For Life" could easily have been another
hit) – Bread were no longer making the Top Ten and beyond and the end seemed on
the cards. Both Gates and Griffin went solo with two albums each only to reform
in late 1976 for 1977's well-received "Never Let Her Go" (and again
the audio rocks on this one too).
For sure you could say that
a 15-track 'Hits Set' is all anyone really needs for BREAD – but having
revisited this six-pack of albums – I find enough in-between the cracks to be
more than pleasantly surprised. David & Co I’m-A Want You indeed (oh
dear)...
