"Hand Sown…Home Grown / Silk Purse / Linda Ronstadt” by LINDA RONSTADT (2014 Beat Goes On 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...The Long Way Around..."

This stunning 21 July 2014 (UK released) 2CD set gives us Linda Ronstadt's three albums on Capitol Records between 1969 and 1972. There's a lot to get through so here's the details for Beat Goes on BGOCD 1156 (Barcode 5017261211569)...

Disc 1 (61:35 minutes):

1. Baby You've Been On My Mind

2. Silver Threads And Golden Needles

3. Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad

4. A Number And A Name

5. The Only Mama That'll Walk The Line

6. The Long Way Around

7. Break My Mind

8. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

9. It's About Time

10. We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock `n' Roll

11. The Dolphins

Tracks 1 to 11 are her debut solo album "Hand Sown...Home Grown" - released March 1969 in the USA on Capitol ST-208 and September 1969 in the UK on Capitol E-ST 208

12. Lovesick Blues

13. Are My Thoughts With You?

14. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

15. Nobody's

16. Louise

17. Long Long Time

18. Mental Revenge

19. I'm Leavin' It All Up To You

20. He Dark The Sun

21. Like Is Like A Mountain Railway

Tracks 12 to 21 are her 2nd album "Silk Purse" - released March 1970 in the USA on Capitol ST-407 and August 1970 on Capitol E-ST 407 in the UK

Disc 2 (31:47 minutes):

1. Rock Me On The Water

2. Crazy Arms

3. I Won't Be Hangin' Round

4. I Still Miss Someone

5. In My Reply

6. I Fall To Pieces

7. Ramblin' Round

8. Birds

9. Faithful

10. Rescue Me

Tracks 1 to 10 are her 3rd album "Linda Ronstadt" - released January 1972 in the USA on Capital SMAS-635 and April 1972 on Capitol EA-ST 635 in the UK

The outer card wrap is now a feature for Beat Goes On and gives the whole shebang a very classy feel. The chockers 24-page booklet features detailed histories by noted musicologist JOHN TOBLER with reproductions of the original liner notes, period photos and musician credits. The sound quality is truly superlative (Andrew Thompson 2014 remasters - tapes licensed from Universal) - incredibly clean and alive. Fans will love this.

The first two LPs have the feel of an artist trying to hit that sweet spot somewhere between Traditional Country and Country-Rock and not quite getting there. Her voice is fabulous on Randy Newman's "Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad" and Mickey Newbury's "Are My Thoughts With You" - the same on Paul Siebel's "Louise". She goes full fiddle country with the bitter Mel Tillis post relationship classic "Mental Revenge" and vocal Americana on "Life Is Like A Mountain Railway". The sound quality is superb throughout - vocal, Dobro and mandolin.

"Rock Me On The Water" opens her 1972 album and this Jackson Browne cover (from his "Saturate Before Use" 1972 debut album) is the first real sight of a template that would serve her for decades to come - covers of great Rock songs by quality songwriters known and unknown. I love the keyboard slink of "I Won't Be Hangin' Round" (an Eric Kaz song) and "In My Reply" is a rare take on a Livingston Taylor song (James Taylor's brother). The whole album is everything the first two should have been.

But better than that - her 3rd self-titled album is famous for being an early Country-Rock classic and for bringing together THE EAGLES who were at the time dispersed between the bands SHILOH and LONGBRANCH PENNYWHISTLE while doubling -up as Ronstadt's touring band. Randy Meisner, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon play and harmonize of six of the tracks and would release their debut album later that year with Ronstadt's blessings. Other notable contributions to the record are Herb Pedersen on Banjo and National Steel with Sneaky Pete on Steel Guitar. Three of the songs on Side 2 are `live' - the Hank Cochran classic "I Fall To Pieces", a truly beautiful cover of Neil Young's "Birds" and a boppin version of Fontella Bass's 1965 Checker Records Soul Classic "Rescue Me" (which finishes the album on a high).

I've really enjoyed re-hearing these records - and especially in such wonderful clarity and with liner notes by someone who knows what's what.

Yet another top quality remaster/reissue by Beat Goes On - and I can only hope they can get access to her Asylum Records catalogue and deliver it with the same sonic results.

This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is CLASSIC 1970s ROCK - an E-Book with over 260 entries and 2450 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). 

"In My Own Time" by KAREN DALTON (2006 Light In The Attic CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Any Way You Made It Was Just Fine…"

Some artists carry the weight of legend – voice, talent, mercurial – segueing immediately into drugs, heartbreak and destruction. They shone brightly for a while and then imploded – forgotten now – except by the few who were around the flames at the time. Karen Dalton is one of those artists. And this astonishing Light in The Attic Records reissue is determined to rectify that crappy oversight…

US released November 2006 – "In My Own Time" by KAREN DALTON on Light In The Attic Records LITA 022 (Barcode 826853002226) is a straightforward 10-track CD reissue of her second and last vinyl album and plays out as follows (34:35 minutes):

1. Something On Your Mind

2. When A Man Loves A Woman

3. In My Own Dream

4. Katie Cruel

5. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

6. In A Station [Side 2]

7. Take Me

8. Same Old Man

9. One Night Of Love

10. Are You Leaving For The Country

Tracks 1 to 10 are her 2nd and last studio album "In My Own Time" - originally released May 1971 on Paramount Records PAS 6008 in the USA and June 1971 in the UK on Paramount SPFL 271 (it didn't chart in either country). 

Guest musicians included pianists Richard Bell and John Simon, Steel Player Bill Keith with Amos Garrett and John Hall adding Guitars. The CD is housed in a gatefold card sleeve and having loved the Kris Kristofferson, Rodriguez and Michael Chapman reissues on LITA – the lavish booklet on this beauty is no different. It's a joy to look at featuring contributions from fans like Lenny Kaye, Nick Cave and Devendra Banhart.

The album’s short 10 tracks are entirely cover versions and give full reign to her utterly unique guttural voice and sloppy-as The Rolling Stones interpretations of them. Dalton had a Billie Holiday 'gargling gravel for breakfast' kind of beauty when she sang – like she was about to collapse any second – a sort of Bette Midler drunk at the microphone with laryngitis (you get the audio picture).

It opens with a Dino Valente original (not on his lone 1968 Epic LP) called "Something On Your Mind" – a ballad that aches in the loveliest of ways. And of course you're then that hit with that voice – wow! It's followed by Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" which you would think would work but it’s a tad forced and my least favourite take on here. Better is her cut of Paul Butterfield's "In My Own Dream" (from his 1968 LP of the same name) that takes the original and adds on sweet pedal steel languidness to it (very cool). We enter Americana banjo territory on the gorgeous Traditional of "Katie Cruel". It's the kind of song that raises chills (people have even featured in You Tube for just that reason) and LITA actually issued it as a limited edition 45" in the States. Side 1 ends with an upbeat version of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" - a Holland-Dozier-Holland classic - but it's good rather than being great.

Side 2 kicks off with a winner - "In A Station" - a Richard Manuel song from The Band's brilliant 1968 debut album "Music From Big Pink". It somehow makes the song warmer whilst still retaining that reminiscing-beauty it always had ("...wonder could you ever know me…"). She goes country with George Jones' "Take Me" – a fabulous smoocher – and again with that pedal-steel ache and a gripping vocal. We return to Banjo for "Same Old Man" while Joe Tate's "One Night Of Love" gets a bit of funky guitar and rolling piano. It ends on my all time fave – "Are You Leaving For The Country" by Robert Tucker – a song I've placed on CD-R compilations which have had people regularly ask – who the hell is this!

I love the way 'Light In The Attic' go the full-throated whole hog on their reissues – gorgeous fat booklets – original tapes remastered – and a pride in their release that oozes out of every nook and cranny. The album itself isn’t all genius by any means and five-star ravings are probably a little over the top – but (and this is the big but) – there is genuine magic on here and so much that screams out to be rediscovered (I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a UK pressing on Paramount Records across 45 years of collecting).

Her only other studio LP was her debut "It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best" on Capitol Records ST-271 in 1969. Harvey Brooks (featured bassist on Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" and Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew") produced the record - which also boasted liner notes by New York Village folk-hero Fred Neil - author of "Dolphins” and Midnight Cowboy's closing theme song "Everybody's Talkin’” sung in the film by Nilsson.

Karen Dalton died in 1993 after years of drug-related problems aged 55 – largely forgotten and massively under-appreciated. Well this superlative LITA reissue does her voice, talent and magic justice at last. Beautifully dishevelled and then some...

PS: A 2009 LITA reissue offers a 4-track bonus CD with alternate takes of Something On Your Mind, In My Own Dream. Katie Cruel and Are You Leaving for The Country

"Nice And Slow" by JESSE GREEN - 1976 Album (July 2014 UK Big Break Records (BBR) 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with 5 Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry…

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MORE THAN A FEELING 

1976

Your All-Genres Guide To 

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"…Flames Grow Higher…"

Despite the two big Disco singles from his debut album both hitting the UK charts in 1976 with respectable positions of 17 and 26 ("Nice And Slow" and "Flip") – the album itself didn't arrive into UK shops until early 1977 - by which time the momentum was gone and so had been a bit of a vinyl obscurity ever since. Not anymore.

In a typically superb-sounding CD reissue and remaster by BBR of the UK (Big Break Records) – this CD update also boasts those desirable American 12" Disco Versions as part of its extended bonuses. Here are the big-collared details…

UK released July 2014 – "Nice And Slow" by JESSE GREEN on Big Break Records CDBBR 0274 (Barcode 5013929057432) is an ‘Expanded Edition’ CD Remaster with Five Bonus Tracks and breaks down as follows (62:27 minutes):

1. Nice And Slow [Side 1]

2. You Came You Saw You Conquered

3. The Greatest Love

4. Don't Knock My Love

5. You're A Miracle

6. Highwaves Of The Sea

7. Flip [Side 2]

8. You Are The Star

9. Let's Get It On

10. Easy

11. Don't Let Me Down

12. Nice And Slow (Instrumental)  

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Nice And Slow" – originally released in Canada on Red Bus Tempo Records LRBTS-1 in 1976 – subsequently released in the UK on EMI Records EMC 3164 in February 1977.

BONUS TRACKS:

13. Flip (Alternate Version)

14. Don't Knock My Love (Alternate Version)

15. Don't Let Me Down (Alternate Version)

16. Nice And Slow (12" Disco Version)

17. Flip (12" Disco Version)

This release will allow fans to sequence the following 7"s:

1. Nice And Slow (Vocal) b/w Nice And Slow (Instrumental) – July 1976 USA 7" on Scepter SCE 12424 and UK 7" on EMI Records EMI 2492.

2. Flip b/w Highwaves Of The Sea – October 1976 Canada 7" single on Red Bus Tempo Records RBT 100 and December 1976 UK 7” single on EMI Records EMI 2564. It was released in early 1977 in the USA on United Artists UA-XW955-Y.

The 16-page booklet has photos of those rare Scepter, Red Bus Tempo and United Artists sevens as well as foreign picture sleeves and great liner notes by Stephen Schnee (a California music journalist). But the big news as ever is the great sound quality – another top remaster by Wayne A. Dickson of BBR.

Originally a Vocalist with the 60's Jamaican band The Pioneers – Jesse Green toured with Jimmy Cliff as a Drummer in the early Seventies before he latched onto the Disco fever of 1975 and 1976 for his solo debut. Outside of the two hits are nice smoochers like "Highwaves Of The Sea" while "Let's Get It On" could have been another seven-inch fast-paced stepper. And "Don't Let Me Down" is the Disco hit that never was. But the album belongs to the title track. Personally I dig the ‘Instrumental’ more with its Shaft high-hat intro and shuffling brass – it’s surely gonna get more spins than its Vocal A. And it has spiffing Audio now.

Not all genius by any means - but the good stuff is great – and that top muscular sound quality will ensure that fans need to own this…

PS: Big Break Records (BBR) CD Remasters I've reviewed to 2015:

1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)

2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)

3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)

4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)

5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)

6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)

7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)

8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE GANG (1983)

10. I Hope We Get To Love On Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)

11.  I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]

12. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)

13. Love Is The Message - MFSB (1973)

14. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)

15. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)

16. For The First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)

17. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)

18. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)

19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)

20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)

21. Down To Love Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)

22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)

23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)

24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)

25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)

26. Love For What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)

27. Live: Stompin' At The Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)

28. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION (1977)

29. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR (1975)

30. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)

31. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)

32. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)

33. Switch - SWITCH (1978)

34. Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)

35. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS (1971)

36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (1983)

"Southwest /Sandman" by HERB PEDERSEN (June 2014 Beat Goes On Reissue - 2LPs Remastered Onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD 
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters

As well as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Pop - It Also Focuses On

Folk, Folk Rock, Country Rock, Reggae, Punk and New Wave

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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 that makes available two obscure albums by Pedersen for the first time since their US 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 5017261 211514) offers 2LPs from 1976 and 1977 Remastered onto 1CD and breaks down as follows (63:17 minutes):

1. Paperback Writer

2. Rock And Roll Cajun

3. If I can Sing A Song

4. Our Baby’s Gone

5. Harvest Home

6. The Hey Boys

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

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

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.

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. However if you are a fan – the sound quality is truly gorgeous – remastered to perfection.

“Rock & Roll Cajun” rocks it out but his cover of The Beatles classic “Paperback Writer” is not a wise choice. Both Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt provide lovely backing vocals on the mid tempo “Our Baby’s Gone” while “The Hey Boys” is a faithful Dillards cover. Larry Carlton and Mike (Hill Street Blues) Post add guitars and keyboards to “Jesus Once Again” and “Younger Days”. The ballads work best – “Is That Any Way To Love You” and “My Little Man” (about his kids).

Another quality reissue from Beat Goes On with superb presentation and genuinely gorgeous sound...