"Back To Front" by GILBERT O’SULLIVAN (2012 Salvo Records 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry of his 2nd LP from 1972 on Mam Records...

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"…Looking Back Over The Years…Never Wishing To Hide The Tears…"

"Back To Front" is the 2nd release in a full-on reissue campaign for Irish singer-songwriter Raymond Gilbert O'Sullivan (his debut album "Himself" was relaunched in November 2011 and is reviewed separately). With fantastic new sound, three bonus tracks, quality packaging and a none-too steep price - legions of his fans worldwide will be thrilled to see that his MAM Records catalogue is finally receiving a thorough going-over (and its artist-approved too). Here are the alone again details… 

UK released Monday 20 February 2012 (21 Feb 2012 in the USA) - "Back To Front" by GILBERT O’SULLIVAN on Salvo SALVOXCD002 (Barcode 698458050229) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and plays out as follows (45:01 minutes):

1. Intro

2. I Hope You’ll Stay 

3. In My Hole

4. Clair

5. That’s Love

6. Can I Go With You

7. But I’m Not/Outtro

8. I’m In Love With You [Side 2]

9. Who Was It 

10. What Could Be Nicer (Mum The Kettle’s Boiling)

11. Out Of The Question 

12. The Golden Rule

13. I’m Leaving

14. Outro

Tracks 1 to 14 are his second studio album "Back To Front" – released October 1972 in the UK on Mam Records MAM-SS 502 and December 1972 on Mam Records MAM 5 in the USA. It peaked at Number 48 in America - but hit the coveted Number 1 spot in England.

BONUS TRACKS: 

15. Along Again (Naturally)

16. Save It

17. Ooh Wakka Do Wakka Day

Tracks 15 and 16 are the A&B sides of a 7" single released February 1972 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 66 and June 1972 in the USA on Mam Records 3619 (both were non-album tracks at the time). “Along Again (Naturally)” peaked at Number 3 in the UK - but spent 15 weeks on the American charts – six of which were at Number 1. Also - outside of a very rare Japanese CD albums box set issued in the early Nineties with a 3" CD single of both tracks as a bonus – it's the first time the rare B-side "Save It" has been on CD anywhere else. 

Track 17 is "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day" – the A-side of a 7" single released May 1972 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 78 (again a non-album track in the UK at the time of release – it’s B-side is the album cut "But I'm Not"). 

Other 7" singles – "Clair" and "What Could Be Nicer" were issued as the A&B-side of a 45 in the UK in October 1972 on Mam Records MAM 84 (it reached Number 1) and "Out Of The Question" was also issued as an A-side 45, but in the USA-only on Mam 3628 in April 1973. This CD will allow fans to sequence all the above. 

The original UK LP had a matt single sleeve with two gatefold inserts – a black and white poster of Gilbert (now placed across the inside of the CD digipak) and a gatefold lyric sheet (also fully replicated in the second half of booklet). There's a 'Gilbert O'Sullivan – A Singer And His Songs' logo sticker on the front of the card digipak which will undoubtedly accompany all of these expanded reissues. The 20-page booklet is gorgeous - tastefully laid out lyrics to all the songs (including the bonuses), photos from his own archives, trade adverts and a detailed paragraph on each song with reminiscences from Gilbert on the album's creation. There's glossy photos in here I’ve never seen. Even the CD is a pictured one and the card digipak matches the same matt feel of the original vinyl album sleeve – a nice touch and great attention to detail. But the really big news for fans is the SOUND…

Remastered from original master tapes – the sound quality is a vast improvement on what went before (compilations and expensive Japanese imports). While "Himself" from 1971 is a little hissy in places – "Back To Front" from 1972 is incredibly clean and there's superlative clarity on all the instruments. You can now hear Big Jim Sullivan's wonderfully expressive acoustic guitar work on "Alone Again (Naturally)" and his rocking slide on the lesser-heard Side 2 opener "I'm In Love With You". 

Four decades ago I was busy discovering girls in Dublin and Gilbert's "Can I Go With You" (a phrase teenagers used at the time) was a key track (what great memories). I’d also forgotten how snappy the brass work on "In My Hole" is (very Burt Bacharach) - while the almost vaudeville "But I'm Not" sounds like a really good late Sixties Beatles ditty. There's treated vocals on the clever lyrics of "The Golden Rule" and "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day" may have a silly title (for which he was derided) - but it's a cracking single and a genuine bonus on here (chap in Bradford and all). 

But somehow this release belongs to 'that' 1972 song - "Alone Again (Naturally)". Now February 2012 - it’s beautiful melody and poignant words are 40 years old – yet it still touches a soul willing to listen (lyrics from it title this review). In fact what strikes you most re-listening to this entire CD - is the endurance of the songs. 

This is a lovely reissue – and Salvo are to be praised for handling it so well...

"Himself" by GILBERT O’SULLIVAN (2011 Salvo Records 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry of his 1971 Debut LP on Mam Records...

This Review Along With Hundreds of Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

CLASSIC 1970s ROCK and POP - Exceptional CD Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Allow Me To Present Myself To You…"

Dubliners and Irish people of a certain age (as well as admirers from many other countries) will look at the sleeve of this early Seventies album by Waterford born singer-songwriter Raymond Gilbert O'Sullivan with huge affection – the music and lyrics having wedged themselves into their hearts. And at last – in 2011 - we finally get to see Gilbert's MAM Records catalogue receive a decent reissue campaign – and it’s artist-approved too. Here are the pudding bowl details...

UK released Monday 7 November 2011 (15 Nov 2011 in the USA) – "Himself" by GILBERT O’SULLIVAN on Salvo SALVOXCD1001 (Barcode 698458050120) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and plays out as follows (63:19 minutes):

1. Intro

2. January Git

3. Bye-Bye

4. Permissive Twit

5. Matrimony

6. Independent Air

7. Nothing Rhymed

8. Too Much Attention [Side 2]

9. Susan Van Heusen

10. If I Don’t Get You (Back Again)

11. Thunder And Lightning

12. Houdini Said

13. Doing The Best That I Can

14. Outro

Tracks 1 to 14 are his 'UK' debut album "Himself" – released August 1971 on Mam Records MAM-SS 501. The American LP variant "Gilbert O’Sullivan Himself" on Mam/London MAM-4 was released a year later with a different cover and track list on Side 2. "Susan Van Heusen" and "Doing The Best I Can" from the UK LP were replaced with two hits singles - "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "We Will". Famously "Alone Again (Naturally)" went to Number 1 in the USA and stayed there for 6 weeks in July 1972. The "Himself" album itself reached Number 5 and 9 on the UK and US LP charts respectively.

BONUS TRACKS:

15. Disappear

16. What Can I Do – Tracks 15 and 16 are Previously Unreleased 'Original Demo' versions of his first 2 singles on CBS Records from 1967 and 1968 (credited as GILBERT)

17. Mr. Moody's Garden – the non-album B-side to the UK 7" single "I Wish I Could Cry" – released August 1971 on Columbia Records DB 8779

18. Everybody Knows – the non-album B-side to the UK 7" single "Nothing Rhymed" – released October 1970 on Mam Records MAM 3 (his 1st 45 on the label)

19. Underneath The Blanket Go – a non-album track issued as a UK 7" single A-Side on Mam Records MAM 13 in February 1971 with the "Himself" album track "Doing The Best I Can" as its B-side

20. We Will

21. I Didn’t Know What To Do – Tracks 20 and 21 are the A&B-sides of a non-album UK 7" single released July 1971 on Mam Records MAM 30

22. No Matter How I Try – a non-album UK 7" single released November 1971 on Mam Records MAM 53. Its B-side was the "Himself" album track "If I Don't Get You (Back Again)"

The original UK LP had a laminated gatefold sleeve with an inner lyric bag – both it and the 'car collage' inner gatefold shot are faithfully reproduced in high quality on the card digipak. There's a 'Gilbert O'Sullivan – A Singer And His Songs' logo sticker on the front which will undoubtedly accompany all of these expanded reissues. The 20-page booklet is gorgeous - tastefully laid out lyrics to all the songs (including the bonuses), photos from his own archives, trade adverts and a detailed paragraph on each single with reminiscences from Gilbert on the album's creation. There's glossy photos in here I’ve never seen. Even the CD is a pictured one. But the really big news for fans is the SOUND…

Remastered from original master tapes – the sound quality is a vast improvement on what went before (compilations and expensive Japanese imports). The album it has to be said is 'hissy' in many places and that's been accentuated a bit – but then so has the clarity of all the instruments. The sound quality for instance on the 2 singles "We Will" and the joyful "No Matter How I Try" is superlative (and without hiss). The "Intro" snippet (lyrics above) leads into the witty "January Git" and the sound improvement is very obvious. The jaunty "Matrimony" and "Houdini Said" are firm fan favourites and the Drum and flute combo in "Too Much Attention" has even been used by Dance DJs for a few years now. I also love the lesser-heard "Independent Air" track with its slinky beginning and big brassy finish.

But the album belongs to the song that made him – a tune that made the public sit up and take notice. "Nothing Rhymed" is an extraordinary melody. Even now – more than 4 decades after the event – the lyrics are sung back to him word-for-word at concerts by the audience – and unfortunately their poignant message is still relevant too "…will I glance at my screen and see real human beings…starve to death in front of my eyes…"

This is a lovely reissue really – and properly well done. He would of course wisely move on from the terrible 'pudding bowl' image of 1970 and 1971 to the success of his 2nd album "Back To Front" and the wonderful "Along Again (Naturally)" in 1972 (the next reissue in this series). But this is where his songwriting career started and Salvo are to be praised for handling it so well...

PS: Salvo of the UK continued their reissue campaign with his 2nd LP "Back To Front" from 1972, his 3^rd album "I'm A Writer, Not A Fighter" from 1973 and his 4^th Mam Records LP “A Stranger In My Own Back Yard” from 1974. They also went beyond into the CBS years of the 80ts. All are ‘Expanded’ Edition CD Remasters with Bonus Tracks and Repro Packaging (see my detailed online reviews for his 2nd, 3rd and 4^th LPs).