"…Sets Me Free Without A Warning…Wonder Why..."
It's hard for me to be
rational about Joe Walsh's "Barnstorm" - I've adored it for over 45 years and this brill-sounding American CD reissue has only made matters worse.
First things first though -
this Hip-O Select/Geffen CD re-issue on B0006229-02 (No Barcode) has had a troubled
existence. It was first released in January 2006 to howls of derision because
someone had used the wrong master tapes (laden with unbearable amounts of hiss)
and even left gaps between the songs on Side One where certain tracks segue
into each other.
Mistakes were admitted - it was withdrawn and it re-appeared in
November 2006. To complicate things further - there are in fact 5 variants of
the album on CD - the American 1980s crappy MCA issue, the wonderful silver
disc version by Mobile Fidelity in 1990 (now rare and pricey), a 24-bit
remaster issued in Japan in December 2004 as a mini-album repro - with a
further 2011 reissue of that in Japan on the SHM-CD format - and then this -
the Hip-O Select USA November 2006 issue. I've the Mobile CD, the 2004 Japanese
one and this - and to my ears - the HIP-O SELECT version remastered by three-times Grammy winner GAVIN LURSSEN out does them all…
1. Here We Go
2. Midnight Visitor
3. One And One
4. Giant Behemoth
5. Mother Says
6. Birdcall Morning [Side 2]
7. Home
8. I’ll Tell The World
9. Turn To Stone
10. Comin’ Down
Having left THE JAMES GANG
behind after 3 great albums - Walsh recruited KENNY PASSARELLI and JOE VITALE
to record his solo debut in March of 1972. It was finally released in the USA
on Dunhill DSX 50130 in October 1972 with its British counterpart released
November 1972 on Probe SPBA 6268 (later reissued in 1974 on ABC). It was
afforded the luxury of a gatefold sleeve, which is reproduced on both sides of
the gatefold inlay in colour (the inside of the UK sleeve was in black and
white). There's no new liner notes though - nor any juicy bonus tracks nor
outtakes - which is a damn shame - a missed opportunity there.
SOUND:
GAVIN LURSSEN has remastered
the album – he's an engineer who did exceptional work on the two STEPHEN BISHOP
Hip-O Select titles "Careless" and "Bish" and the stunning
2 CD "Gold" set for Universal by THE CRUSADERS (see separate reviews
for them all). Originally produced and engineered by BILL SZYMCZYK,
"Barnstorm" was always a ‘sloppy’ album in feel (in stark contrast to
say "So What" from 1974) and was always going to be a difficult album
to remaster well - but LURSSEN has done a fantastic job. The instruments are
live and in your face. There is still hiss on some of the tracks, but in the
main it's minimal. Some love the rough feel of the recordings; it drives others
crazy; personally I find there's charm in them that's missing in the more
polished later albums. Walsh and his guitar have a sound and this album
exemplifies that - warts and all.
The production difference for
instance when you go from the slightly hissy "Giant Bohemoth" to the
all-out riffs of "Mother Says" is marked. MS rocks like a monster now
and even in the centre passage where all the instruments crescendo and threaten
to get out of hand, this remaster holds it all together - YOU HEAR IT ALL - the
drums, the wonderful keyboard flourishes - even the men giggling like loons at
the end when it fades out. Superb stuff.
But then comes the gem I've
been waiting for - "Birdcall Morning" - I'm lost man - I go to pieces
at hearing this. After 30 years it finally sounds a fresh as a new sixpence - a
beautiful song now given beautiful sound. I've A/B'd this with the Japanese
issue and it's just brighter - fuller somehow - wonderful. "Turn To
Stone" is the original version and is just HUGE in sound - a little `too'
rough I would say for most tastes. The album ends with the lovely acoustic
ditty "Comin' Down" - the strings rattling around the speakers with
the harmonica playing it out.
A little know fact about one
of the album tracks is worth mentioning. Alana Gordon and Allan Jacobs of the
obscure American band THE MAGICIANS wrote "I'll Tell The World (About
You)". Allan "Jake" Jacobs later went on to be JAKE and THE
FAMILY JEWELS. The Magicians made 4 excellent 7” singles on US Columbia in the
mid Sixties that unfortunately each sank without trace (never got an album out
either) and they quickly disbanded. The group’s last single "Lady
Fingers" had help in its production from BILL SZYMCZYK - and as Szymczyk produced
"Barnstorm" - it was probably he who introduced the lovely “I’ll Tell
The World” to Walsh. The US Sundazed label have a wonderful anthology CD of the
band's work called "An Invitation To Cry" which has the original of
this beautiful song on it - well worth checking out. Someone has posted a video
of their original version on You Tube - in fact and it wouldn't surprise me in
the least if this long forgotten Sixties gem turns up in a hip 'n' happening
advert somewhere near us soon - it's that good.
To sum up - the remaster on
this lesser known 1972 gem is an absolute joy. "Barnstorm" is the
kind of album you need to get into your life - and this Hip-O Select Remaster
is to my ears the best version of it yet. It's been deleted years now and typically garnished a rather nasty price tag - as much as £40 on occasion - but if you can find one - I urge you to seek it out.
Joe Walsh once ran for
President of The United States of America. On the strength of this album - I
could never understand why he didn't get the job…
PS: (March 2009 footnote) The
Japanese-only 2004 24-bit CD Remasters of Joe Walsh's first 3 albums
"Barnstorm", "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get" and
"So What" complete with vinyl LP repro sleeves and inners have now
become hugely expensive collector's items. Someone in Japan seems to have
noticed this, because the 3 are being 'reissued' on 22 April 2009 in Japan again
but on the new SHM-CD format (Super High Materials) - but this time along with
the missing 4th title - the live set "You Can't Argue With A Sick
Mind". They are available for pre-order from the 2 excellent Japanese
mail-order sites "cdjapan" and "mundojapan".
PPS: (October 2009 footnote)
see also review for "So What" the SHM-CD
PPPS: check out his 2012 live
video with DARYL HALL on “Daryl’s House” where they covered “Funk 49”, “Life’s
Been Good” and a stunning version of a forgotten Hall solo track called
“Somebody Like You” (see YouTube)
PPPPS (how many Ps can you
have, Feb 2016 footnote): For GAVIN LURSSEN REMASTERS see also my reviews for “Driving Wheel” by Little
Milton, “Gold” by The Crusaders, “Careless” and “Bish” by Stephen Bishop, “Occasional
Rain” by Terry Callier and “All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison
This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is CLASSIC 1970s ROCK - an E-Book with over 245 entries and 2100 e-Pages - purchase on Amazon and search any artist or song (click the link below). Huge amounts of info taken directly from the discs (no cut and paste crap).
