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In truth there was a time when you couldn't give away Emitt Rhodes albums here in the UK - but something of a rediscovery of his music has taken place in the last two decades that has brought his LPs out of the bargain bins and into the eBay lists.
Hailing from
Hawthorne (a suburb in Los Angeles) - Rhodes first came to prominence with the
US sixties group THE MERRY-GO-ROUND who made one self-titled album for A&M
Records in 1967.A&M issued a wad of singles to promote the new signing -
but neither they nor the album bothered the charts (these releases are quite
sought after now). Rhodes then went solo and that’s where this long-overdue 2CD
career overhaul comes storming in. Here are the Mirrors and American Dreams…
Released
initially in the USA in May 2009 as a 2CD set (belatedly released in the UK
January 2010) – "The Emitt Rhodes Recordings (1969-1973)" by EMITT RHODES on Hip-O Select
B0012926-02 (Barcode 602527042732) is a worldwide limited edition of 5000 that
contains 4 full albums and one rare non-album 7" single. It breaks down as
follows:
Disc 1 (66:13
minutes):
1. Mother Earth
2. Pardon Me
3. Textile
Factory
4. Someone Died
5. Come Ride,
Come Ride
6. Let’s All Sing
7. Holly Park
8. Saturday Night
9. You’re A Very
Lovely Woman
10. Mary Will You
Take My Hand
11. The Man He
Was
12. In The Days
Of The Old
13. ‘Til The Day
After
Tracks 1 to 13
are the album "The American Dream" recorded in 1969 but released
after his debut album (14 to 25 below) in April 1971 in the USA on A&M
SP-4254 and May 1971 in the UK on A&M AMLS 64254
14. With My Face
On The Door
15. Somebody Made
For Me
16. She’s Such A
Beauty
17. Long Time No
See
18. Lullabye
19. Fresh As A
Daisy
20. Live Till You
Die
21. Promises I’ve
Made
22. You Take The
Dark Out Of The Night
23. You Should Be
Ashamed
24. Ever Find
Yourself Running
25. You Must Have
Tracks 14 to 25
are the album "Emitt Rhodes" first issued December 1970 in the USA on
ABC/Dunhill DS 50089 and February 1971 on Probe Records SPBA 6256 in the UK
Disc 2 (70:06
minutes):
1. Birthday Lady
2. Better Side Of
Life
3. My Love Is
Strong
4. Side We Seldom
Show
5. Mirror
6. Really Wanted
You
7. Medley: Bubble
Gum The Blues/I’m A Cruiser
8. Love Will
Stone You
9. Golden Child
Of God
10. Take You Far
Away
Tracks 1 to 10
are the album "Mirror" issued on ABC/Dunhill DSX 50111 in the USA in
November 1971 and December 1971 n the UK on Probe Records SPBA 6262
11. Warm Self
Sacrifice
12. See No Evil
13. Drawn To You
14. Blue Horizon
15. Shoot The
Moon
16. Only Lovers
Decide
17. Trust Once
More
18. Nights Are
Lonely
19. Bad Man
20. In Desperate
Need
21. Those That
Die
22. Farewell To
Paradise
Tracks 11 to 22
are the album "Farewell To Paradise" issued September 1972 on Probe
Records SPBA 6266 in the UK and on ABC/Dunhill DSX 50122 in the USA.
Track 23 is
"Tame The Lion", a non-album A-side. In the UK it was on Probe
Records PRO 565 and in the USA on A&M 4315, both issued in 1972.
"Golden Child Of God" - an album track off "Mirror" - is
its B-side in both countries.
The 3-way fold
out card digipak houses a 16-page booklet with an appreciation of the man and
his music by SCOTT SCHNIDER. There's also a pictorial album-by-album breakdown
with relevant production and instrument credits. It's remastered by PETE DOELL
at Universal Mastering and sounds fantastic - and given that most of these
tracks are self-recorded by Rhodes himself - it's amazing how good they sound.
Equally impressive is his musicianship on every track - so proficient, so
talented.
Vocally Rhodes is
a cross between Nilsson on "Nilsson Schmilsson", Todd Rundgren on
"Something/Anything?" and Ron Mael of Sparks on "Kimono My
House". But there is also the Beach Boys and Dennis Wilson vibe too. With
all these cool influences bounding around, his songs and their arrangements
have aroused a lot of interest in those who like their Seventies tunes melodic
and layered. His first album is probably his most popular and fans will be glad
to see it represented here in its entirety. Also - and impressively - most of
the songs on here are entirely written, played, arranged and produced by Emitt
Rhodes (how every Prince).
Another nice
touch is that the 1st issue of "The American Dream" album had the
track "Saturday Night" on it - which was replaced with "You're A
Very Lovely Woman" when it was reissued later in a different sleeve -
Hip-O has included both tracks so you can sequence either version. And while I
like his debut - for me his song writing improved immeasurably on
"Mirror". I especially love "Better Side Of Life" and "Really
Wanted You" (lyrics above) - very Dennis Wilson - and in a really good
way.
To sum up - and
as other reviewers have pointed out - this is a superb reissue and luckily for
us it's been given a January 2010 UK release for just under twelve quid (rare
for Hip-O sets). It's not all fab of course - but when he was good - he was
sit-up-and-take-notice good. Recommended...
