“…Candles At The Feet Of The Compassionate Patron Saint Of
Youth…”
Pennsylvania
born folky musician/poet ERIC ANDERSEN has a recorded history that reads like
some tragi-comedy that really shouldn’t be that funny. After a seven-album run
between 1965 and 1970 (5 with Vanguard and 2 with Warner Bothers) – he signed
to Columbia Records and finally saw limited chart action with “Blue River” in
1972. It reached the unfairly low placing of 169. But then his record company
‘lost’ his follow-up LP (see story below). A virtual unknown outside of certain
circles even to this day – I can only hope that this stunning double CD reissue
alters that run of bad breaks because this is a doozy of a release – it really
is. Here are the longhaired tape-box mix-ups…
UK released
September 2014 – Beat Goes On BGOCD 1159 (Barcode 5017261211590) offers up two
albums onto 2CDs as follows:
Disc 1 (46:55
minutes):
1. Is It Really
Love After All
2. Pearl’s
Goodtime Blues
3. Wind And Sand
4. Faithful
5. Blue River
6. Florentine
7. Sheila
8. More Often
Than Not
9. Round The
Bend
Tracks 1 to 9
are his 8th solo album – “Blue River” was first released July 1972 in the USA
on Columbia Records KC 31062 and February 1973 in the UK on CBS Records S 65145
BONUS TRACKS:
10. More Often
Than Not (Outtake from the “Blue River” Sessions)
11. Round The
Bend (first issued on the 1999 Sony/Legacy CD reissue of “Blue River”)
Disc 2 (58:17
minutes):
1. Baby, I’m
Lonesome
2. Moonchild
River Song
3. Can’t Get You
Out Of My Life
4. Woman, She
Was Gentle
5. Time Run Like
A Freight Train
6. It’s Been A
Long Time
7. Wild Crow
Blues
8. Be True To
You
9. I Love To
Sing My Ballad, Mama (But They Only Wanna Hear Rock And Roll)
10. Dream To
Rimbaud
11. Make It Last
(Angel In The Wind)
12. Lie With Me
13. Soul Of My
Song
Tracks 1 to 13
are his ‘lost’ 9th album “Stages” - supposed to appear on Columbia Records in
1973. There’s a history to the album that needs explanation. Meant to be the
spiritual follow-up to “Blue River” – tracks were recorded in Nashville in late
1972 and early 1973 and the sessions went well – using pretty much the same
crew as the first album and the same delicate vibes and arrangements. But then
disaster struck. In Columbia’s transitional confusion - they lost all the tapes
(even the artwork) and Andersen was left stranded without career momentum and
no answers. Amazingly they remained ‘lost’ until a diligent lady at Columbia
called Amy Herot sent out a system-wide search only to be told in October 1989
that 40 boxes of tapes had been ‘found’ in the New York vaults. Columbia
brought in mastering geniuses DENNY PURCELL and GREGG CALBI to deal with Tracks
1 to 10 - the usable ‘vintage’ recordings on his lost masterpiece “Stages”.
Tracks 11, 12 and 13 were re-recorded by a virtual Country Rock supergroup in
late 1990 featuring RICK DANKO on Bass/Backing Vocals with GARTH HUDSON on
Accordion (both of course from THE BAND) with SHAWN COLVIN on Backing
Vocals. WILLIE NILE also played Guitar
on “Soul Of My Song”. The Sony/Legacy CD of “Stages: The Lost Album” finally
appeared in 1991 to widespread critical acclaim. Which brings us back to this Beat
Goes On set…
The 24-page
booklet has a superb essay on Andersen’s musical career/troubles/vindication by
noted writer JOHN O’REGAN and full session details. There are photos of him
with Baez and Dylan in 1975, Patti Smith in 1971 and even Shawn Colin and Rick
Danko at the 1990 re-recording sessions. There’s also an outer card slipcase –
it’s the usual classy affair from BGO. But best of all is a sparkling new
remaster from ANDREW THOMPSON – each album shining like a diamond. The audio
quality is beautiful – clarity and warmth.
Musically this
is singer-songwriter territory with a Country twist. “Blue River” is a lovely
album – very plaintive and soft on the ear. His Gram Parsons voice may not
appeal to everyone – but the melodies are classy and work their way into your
heart. The classy opener sets the pace and style – “Is It Really Love At All” –
sounding not unlike James Taylor’s “Mud Slide Slim…” album from 1971. Piano
introduces the perky “Pearl’s Goodtime Blues” feeling not unlike a “Stage Fright”
outtake by The Band. The gorgeous title track “Blue River” features a rare
backing vocal on the chorus from none other than JONI MITCHELL and another lady
song “Sheila” is just as pretty. It gets a little Leonard Cohen on “Come To My
Bedside, My Darlin’” with its bedroom lyrics and rolling acoustic guitar. He
ends with an accordion romp through the old Hank Williams nugget “Why Don’t You
Love Me?” sounding not unlike mid 90’s Steve Earle. The whole album feels like
a lost classic – and on re-hearing – it is.
It’s clear from
the 1991 results that 1973’s “Stages” would surely have broken the charts for
him. It opens with the plaintive “Baby, I’m Lonesome” with backing vocal from
his ex wife DEBBIE GREEN ANDERSEN (she’s also on the ending of “Can’t Get You
Out Of My Life”. The truly lovely “Moonchild River Song” features a delicate
backing vocal from DAN FOGELBERG that so compliments the country melody. But
then you’re hit the album’s undeniable masterpiece – the sublime eight and half
minutes of “Time Run Like A Freight Train” which is part Tim Buckley, part
James Taylor and part Nick Drake. It’s just gorgeous – acoustic guitars and
pretty melody searing their way into your heart (“..she asked for a symphony…I
only gave her a song…”). Special mention should go to GLEN SPREEN on Hammond B3
organ and DAN FOGELBERG adding so much to the layered vocals on the lovely
chorus (his explanation of the song titles this review).
“Wild Crow
Blues” is dedicated to his early Seventies pal and neighbour PATTI SMITH and it
features LEON RUSSELL on Electric Wurlitzer, EDDIE HINTON on Acoustic Guitar
and TROY SEALS (brother of Jim from Seals and Crofts) on Electric Guitar.
“Woman She Was Gentle” has a duet vocal with JOAN BAEZ. He evens goes a bit
Country Rock on “I Love To Sing My Ballad, Mama” but it’s the least convincing
of the tunes on here. It ends with the Folk of “Dream To Rimbaud” which
maintains an acoustic rhythm throughout punctured by eerie Pedal Steel from
veteran player WELDON MYRICK. The three new recordings are superb too – so
impressive - especially “Lie With Me” and “Soul Of My Song” with gorgeous work
from SHAWN COLVIN in complimenting his (by now) deeper 1990 vocals.
There’s a
photograph of Andersen with Tom Paxton and Phil Ochs circa 1964 on the last
page of the booklet – you can’t but think that all these heroes of Americana
are only now been fully appreciated.
A gorgeous
reissue – beautifully presented and sounding just amazing – well done to all at
BGO and a definite reissue of 2014 for me…
