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"…If I Can Sing A Song…"
In Country Rock - Herb Pedersen - is not
exactly a legendary name – one that rolls off the tongue of every aficionado. I
can just about remember seeing a Banjo
credit to him on The Doobie Brothers "Minute By Minute" album from 1978 as I
scoured the inner sleeve for sessionmen I knew – and nothing else.
Yet he's
turned up on Linda Ronstadt albums from back in the day and even contributes to
CDs by supremo guitarist Sonny Landreth in the Naughties. Quietly in the
background you might say...
Which brings us to this beautifully remastered 2014
Beat Goes On CD Compilation (BGO of the UK) that makes available two obscure albums by Pedersen for the
first time since their US vinyl LP release in the Seventies (1976 and 1977). Here are the plucky fingerpicking
details…
UK released June 2014 – "Southwest /Sandman" by
HERB PEDERSEN on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1151 (Barcode 5017261211514) offers 2LPs from 1976 and 1977 Remastered onto 1CD (presented in a card slipcase and with new liner notes) that breaks down as follows (63:17 minutes):
1. Paperback Writer [Side 1]
2. Rock And Roll Cajun
3. If I Can Sing A Song
4. Our Baby's Gone
5. Harvest Home
6. The Hey Boys [Side 2]
7. Jesus Once Again
8. Younger Days
9. Can't You Hear Me Callin'
10. Wait A Minute
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Southwest" –
released in 1976 in the USA on Epic Records PE 34225
11. Sandman [Side 1]
12. When She Makes Love To Me
13. Cara Is Gone
14. Is That Any Way To Love
15. Fair And Tender Ladies
16. Tennessee Sal [Side 2]
17. About Love Again
18. Bring Back The Smile
19. My Little Man
20. If I Lose
Tracks 11 to 20 are the album "Sandman" –
released 1977 in the USA on Epic Records PE 34933
The CD is housed in a pretty card slipcase and
the 24-page booklet is packed with info, photos, lyrics and in-depth liner notes
by noted writer JOHN TOBLER. The Audio is a gorgeous ANDREW THOMPSON Remaster
in High Def from real tapes. Production values then were top-notch for this kind of album and the Remaster only amplifies that.
The musical style is solo Ozark Mountain
Daredevils (Randy Chowning or Steve Cash)
- fiddles, banjos, country themes and melodies. Some of it works – a lot
of it is terribly dated and seriously cheesy if I'm completely honest. However if you are a fan – the
sound quality is truly gorgeous – remastered to perfection. To the chunes...
"Rock & Roll Cajun" rocks it out, but despite the sessionman presence of both David Lindley on Fiddle and Manassas mainman Al Perkins on Steel Guitar, Pedersen's cover of The Beatles classic "Paperback Writer" is not a wise choice and smacks of easy crowd-pleasing filler. Both
Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt provide lovely backing vocals on the mid
tempo "Our Baby's Gone" (other session players include David Lindley on Zither, Al Perkins on Steel Guitar and Leland Sklar on Bass) - while "The Hey Boys" is a faithful Dillards cover. Mike Post (of Hill Street Blues fame) arranges the strings on "Harvest Home" while Larry Carlton and Mike (Hill Street Blues) Post add guitars and keyboards to "Jesus Once Again" and "Younger Days". On the second album, the ballads work best – "Is That Any Way
To Love" and "My Little Man" (about his kids).
Another quality reissue compilation for Country & Country Rock fans from England's Beat Goes On (BGO) with superb
presentation and genuinely gorgeous sound...
