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"... That's The Bag I'm In..."
Anyone wanting to explore the short but
stunning career of Ohio's greatest known/unknown Folk Hero FRED NEIL will
probably be alarmed at the sheer array of CD titles afforded him and their
equally uninviting price tags.
Almost everything about Neil invites the word
'cult' which is usually followed by 'oh my God' and 'how did I live without
this', then the inevitable mumbling of the moniker 'genius' followed by the
world-weary admission of 'I missed a trick here man – what a putz'. But what do
you buy and why? I’d like to suggest two (this nugget being one of them). To
the other first...
The cavernous-voiced Fred Neil began his album
career with two storming Americana/Folk Rock LPs on Elektra Records in 1964 and
1965. "Tear Down The Walls" was a duet set with pal and fellow
guitarist and singer Vince Martin who in turn would have a solo LP on Capitol
Records in June 1969 (see my review for “If The Jasmine Don’t Get You...The Bay
Breeze Will” on Barcode 5013929443921 – a January 2006 Rev-Ola CD reissue).
That tandem effort was followed by the fabtastic "Bleecker And
MacDougal" - a huge one in Fred Neil's catalogue – his first solo album
proper titled after the famous street in Greenwich Village where he busked and
played gigs with Bob Dylan and Karen Dalton (there is a photo of all three at
the microphone on the A-side of the foldout inlay – now there's an unplugged
gig I wouldn't mind seeing!). It also contained his most famous song outside of
"Dolphins" - the gorgeous "Everybody's Talkin'" made a
worldwide smash by Harry Nilsson when it was used to play out that greyhound
bus sequence in the Jon Voight/Dustin Hoffman movie "Midnight
Cowboy". In fact such was the success of the film and the song, that
Elektra repackaged "Bleecker And MacDougal" in January 1970 after a
song on the LP called "Little Bit Of Rain" and reissued it on Elektra
EKS-74073 in Stereo only (its different artwork and "Little Bit Of
Rain" title is shown on the flipside of the foldout inlay).
Soon to become a legendary Producer at Elektra
with Paul Butterfield and The Doors, PAUL ROTHCHILD twiddled the knobs on
"Bleecker and MacDougal" whilst both albums benefitted from and
featured The Lovin' Spoonful main-man John Sebastian on Harmonica and future
Cream Producer and Mountain rocker Felix Pappalardi on varying guitars
(Pappalardi produced "Disraeli Gears" for Cream). Rhino reissued and
remastered both of these rare and desirable albums onto 1CD in October 2001 as
part of their '2 Classic Elektra Albums' CD Reissue Series (cut and paste the
following Barcode 081227356323 to locate the disc and read my gushing gussets
review).
Which brings us here - to door number two - the
second and final part of his musical career that played out on Capitol Records
(USA). Neil signed to the EMI label and recorded the self-titled "Fred
Neil" in late 1966 - issued January 1967 - and a barebones recorded
live-to-two-track follow-up album called "Sessions" issued in
February 1968. And that's where this jumping little beauty comes a-swirling in
- containing as it does both of those Capitol records in their STEREO entirety.
Here are the CD details...
UK and EUROPE released 5 August 2003 (reissued
15 October 2012) - "Do You Ever Think Of Me?" by FRED NEIL on Rev-Ola
CR REV 47 (Barcode 5013929434721) is a 17-Track CD Compilation of Sixties
Capitol Records Remasters that plays out as follows (80:12 minutes):
1. The Dolphins [Side 1]
2. I've Got A Secret (Didn't We Shake Sugaree)
3. That's The Bag I'm In
4. Ba-De-Da
5. Faretheewell (Fred's Tune)
6. Everybody's Talkin' [Side 2]
7. Everything Happens
8. Sweet Cocaine
9. Green Rocky Road
10. Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga
Tracks 1 to 10 are his third album "Fred
Neil" - released January 1967 in the USA on Capitol Records T 2665 (Mono)
and Capitol ST 2665 (Stereo) - the STEREO MIX is used for this CD. Produced by
NICK VENET. On the success of the John Schlesinger Directed movie
"Midnight Cowboy" (issued into theatres May 1969) and the use of the
Fred Neil cover version song "Everybody's Talkin'" in its closing
credits, Capitol reissued the "Fred Neil" album as "Everybody's
Talkin' (Theme From Midnight Cowboy)" with the same ten tracks but in
Stereo only on Capitol Records ST 294.
11. Felicity [Side 1]
12. Please Send Me Someone To Love
13. Merry-Go-Round
14. Look Over Yonder
15. Fools Are A Long Time Comin' [Side 2]
16. Looks Like Rain
17. Roll On Rosie
Tracks 11 to 17 are his fourth studio album
"Sessions" - released January 1968 in the USA on Capitol Records T
2862 (Mono) and Capitol ST 2862 (Stereo) - the STEREO MIX is used for this CD.
Produced by NICK VENET and recorded in October 1967 - musicians included Bruce
Langhorn, Cyrus Faryar, Peter O. Child and Eric Glen Hord all on Acoustic
Guitars with James E. Bond, Jr. on Bass (Fred Neil played Twelve-String Guitar
and did all Vocals)
JOE FOSTER did the new 2003 liner notes on the
six-leaf double-sided foldout inlay. It pictures the two Elektra Albums, the
two on Capitol and his live set that finished out his three-album deal with
Capitol Records - "Other Side Of This Life" (his only album issued in
the UK, June 1971). The info comes hard and fast and like so much about this
deep-voiced giant of US Folk is laced with fascinating tales of the man who was
famous amongst contemporaries but unrecognised by most everyone else (until
1969 really). An enigma to the end, Neil famously quit music and fame in 1971
to spend the next thirty years of his life defending and championing the study
of water life - especially Dolphins in the warm waters of his beloved Florida.
Loads of admirers have covered his tunes, there are details from Nick Venet who
produced both records and on it goes to his sad demise in July 2001 – thirty
years on and no new music (Foster gives websites too worth visiting).
There is literally no Audio credit except that
Rev-ola have licensed the tapes from EMI - but whatever way you dig this - the
audio is gorgeous - truly lovely - especially on that very Tim Buckley-sounding
"Sessions" album – loose and trippy like Buckley doing "Song To
The Siren". Both records are full of original beguiling tunes and the
second album - a wildly underrated platter in my book – despite the fact that
many feel it was a slap-dash effort due to the way in which it was recorded
(most are Take 1). To the songs...
The first thing that hits you when you play
"Fred Neil" is the VOICE - a huge expressive deep-lunged thing not
dissimilar to Tim Buckley at his deep-vocal-dancing best when he was over on
Elektra and Straight Records between 1966 and 1970. All songs are FN originals
and the gorgeous opener "Dolphins" sets the tone – swirling lead
guitars courtesy of Peter 'Super Fingers' Childs and John Forsha while Cyrus
Faryar and Bill Mundi bring up the rhythm section rear. Contemplating war and a
world that seems destined to screw itself over no matter what, Neil tells us
he's been searching for Dolphins in the sea, but then wonders when he thinks of
a certain lady – do you ever think of me? Neil whistles the opening to
"I've Got A Secret..." - lovely guitar solo too. Out comes the
Harmonica for "Ba-De-Da" - tired of city life to the extent that he
just mumbles the song's zippity doo-dah title. Far better is the shimmering
beauty of "Faretheewell (Fred's Tune)" - a slow love song that feels
like its actually trembling in front of you as he says goodbye in the drizzling
rain - all around his heart - an aching pain.
Side 2 of "Fred Neil" opens with a
song that he'd recorded in 1966 that would change his life - "Everybody's
Talkin'". Even now its a stunner - I'm going where the sun keeps shining -
where the weather suits my clothes - skipping over the ocean like a stone -
gorgeous Remaster quality as the acoustic guitars ping and shake. Though I
would have to be truthful in saying that when Nilsson speeded up its pace for
his "Midnight Cowboy" versions and added his equally expressive vocal
turns - it became something altogether bigger than both of them. It's probably
one of my favourite songs evah! "Everything Happens" is good without
ever being great - nice audio too. Truer to his reflective personality, the
same thing is going to happen again, whistling the blues, cops called by some
snake, just can't win on "That's The Bag I'm In". Almost jaunty
country blues, "Cocaine" runs around his heart and brain -
bittersweet but smart enough to know that its making his very soul sick. I love
"Green Rocky Road" - that Fred Neil languid vibe - rolling acoustic
guitars as Mary stumbles by the wall and Fred asks "...who do you
love?" The album ends on 8:13 minutes of "Cynicrustpetefredjohn
Raga" - an acoustic instruments freak out that can be seen as genius or
obvious filler (or both).
For me the second album "Sessions"
from February 1968 is a winner too – albeit one that is completely forgotten
now. The simple-acoustic opener "Felicity" is apparently Take 5 and
at 2:12 minutes represents one of the album’s shorter cuts. Somewhere the sun
will shine, the melody returning again as a Dobro comes sexily in when you
least expect it. He follows that with the LP's only cover version – Percy
Mayfield's old R&B hit "Please Send Me Someone To Love". A huge
double-bass note gives the BIG voice its lead in – like Danny Thompson playing
with John Martyn – if it’s not asking too much – love it and gorgeous audio as
the boys play an acoustic blinder.
There follows a three-song-smash for me.
"Merry-Go-Round" is 5:51 minutes of swirling acoustic guitars lazily
floating out of your speakers - his shaking vocals beautifully controlled as
the players pick out complimentary notes and fills (sometimes I often think of
Steve Hackett's acoustic work with Genesis in the early Seventies). "Look
Over Yonder" stretches to 8:32 minutes and is even quieter - a gorgeous
vibe as he moans the opening words - its Van Morrison unplugged and inspired -
the sun won't go down - whippoorwill wind - stunning stuff. "Fools Are A
Long Time Comin'" weighs in at 5:15 minutes - idiots in the backyard -
looking glass telling you lies as the guitars twang and ping. It rolls to a
finish with two more Buckley-like work-outs - 7:16 minutes of "Looks Like
Rain" and 8:26 minutes of "Roll On Rosie" - an acoustic romper
that reminds me of the magic Bruce Langhorn created on Bob Dylan's "Main Title
Theme (Billy)" to the 1973 "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid"
soundtrack - an instrumental many have used for weddings because of its
evocative beauty as the bride walks towards her future (Langhorn plays lead
acoustic guitar on this Fred Neil album). You can be my woman Rosie, because
I'm gonna be your man. Amen...
For sure this CD has been deleted a while now
and is in itself pushing the thirty-quid mark regularly. But alongside that
Rhino reissue of 2001 - "Do You Ever Think Of Me?" by FRED NEIL on Rev-Ola CR REV 47 of 2003 is so worth the punt. I know
with all the legend that surrounds Fred Neil - some are disappointed when they
hear the albums - but not me. I worship this stuff and him and that's most
definitely the bag I'm in (baby)...
