"Tom Rush/Take A Little Walk With Me" by TOM RUSH (2015 Beat Goes On 2CD Reissue - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Get Me My Travelling Shoes..."

When Tom Rush signed to Jack Holzman’s Folk-Rock label Elektra Records in 1965 to record his eponymous label debut (Disc 1) – New Hampshire’s finest vocalist and song-interpreter was already a three-album veteran. His privately pressed live LP “At The Unicorn” on Night Light Records cropped up in the summer of 1962 (recorded at The Unicorn Club in Boston, there was reputedly only 600 copies made) followed by “Blues Songs And Ballads” in 1963 and “Got A Mind To Ramble” in 1965 (both on Prestige, “Ramble” recorded 1963). And that’s where this gorgeous CD comes in...

UK released July 2015 – "Tom Rush/Take A Little Walk With Me" by TOM RUSH on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1192 (Barcode 5017261211927) is a 2CD set containing the first two of three albums Rush made for Elektra Records in the Sixties – "Tom Rush" from 1965 and "Take A Little Walk With Me" in 1966. I've reviewed the third LP 1968's "The Circle Game" separately. BGOCD 1192 breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (45:04 minutes):

1. Long John

2. If Your Man Gets Busted

3. Do-Re-Mi

4. Milk Cow Blues

5. The Cuckoo

6. Black Mountain Blues

7. Poor Man [Side 2]

8. Solid Gone

9. When She Wants Good Lovin’

10. I’d Like To Know

11. Jelly Roll Baker

12. Windy Bill

13. Panama Limited

Tracks 1 to 13 are his 3^rd album “Tom Rush” – released 1965 in the USA on Elektra Records EKL 288 (Mono) and EKS 7288 (Stereo). The Stereo mix is used. Produced by Paul A. Rothchild.

Disc 2 (35:59 minutes):

1. You Can’t Tell A Book By The Cover

2. Who Do You Love

3. Love’s Made A Fool Of You

4. Too Much Monkey Business

5. Money Honey

6. On The Road Again

7. Joshua Gone Barbados [Side 2]

8. Statesboro Blues

9. Turn Your Money Green

10. Sugar Babe

11. Galveston Flood

Tracks 1 to 11 are his 4^th album “Take A Little Walk With Me” – released June 1966 in the USA on Elektra Records EKL 308 (mono) and EKS 7308 (Stereo). The Stereo Mix is used. Produced by Mark Abrahamson.

There’s an outer card slipcase that lends the whole CD reissue a classy feel and a 16-page inlay with very detailed JOHN O’REGAN liner notes. The track-by-track breakdowns from the original American LP back cover liner notes is reproduced, there are those three black and white publicity photos of him in his jacket having a smoke by the railroad tracks and indepth discussion of his song choices and his ability to pick a tune and a songwriter. ANDREW THOMPSON has done new 2015 remasters at Sound Performance in London and he has clearly used the Rhino 2CD reissues of 2001 (Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot were the remaster engineers) – the audio on this beauty is gorgeous. Primarily well-recorded Folk – the Acoustic guitar, his deep tonal voice and the inclusion of John Sebastian’s Harmonica (from The Lovin’ Spoonful) on 6 of the 13 tracks – gives the music a huge feel and warmth.

The “Tom Rush” LP mixes pure Americana Folk with some Dixie, Hillbilly and Acoustic Blues – it’s a properly great mid-Sixties Folk-Rock album. As already mentioned John Sebastian features on six tunes with his distinctive Harmonica warbling – all covers - the songs are “Long John” (Traditional), “Milk Cow Blues” (Kokomo Arnold song), “Black Mountain Blues” (Bessie Smith cover), “Solid Gone” (Traditional), “When She Wants Good Lovin’” (Lieber/Stoller song done by The Coasters) and “Jelly Roll Baker” (Jelly Roll Morton cover). Felix Pappalardi of Mountain and Joe Walsh’s Barnstorm fame plays Guitarron on the Traditional “Solid Gone”, Woody Guthrie’s “Do-Re-Mi” and the Traditional “Windy Bill”. His other players included Bill Lee on Bass and Daddy Bones on Second Guitar – Rush plays Acoustic Guitar and of course takes Lead Vocal on all songs. The last song “Panama Limited” is him and his acoustic guitar only doing an 8 ½ minute slide mash-up of Bukka White Blues – a talking song about a freight train that goes so fast even the hobos don’t mess with it. It ends the album on a storytelling high (his guitar playing is clearly excellent too and this remaster really sells that).

If the largely Folky “Tom Rush” LP is excellent – in my mind the Folk Rock “Take A Little Walk With Me” album where Rush finally goes ‘electric’ (Side 1) like Dylan did – is fantastic stuff and again features an array of great covers and one original “On The Road Again”. The first thing that hits you about it is the improvement in Production – Mark Abrahamson channelling Al Kooper and Bruce Langhorne’s Electric Guitars with skill. Harvey Brooks supplies the Bass, Bobby Gregg plays Drums, and Roosevelt Gook tinkles the Piano with Rush once again on Vocals and Acoustic Guitar. It opens with Willie Dixon’s “You Can’t Tell A Book By The Cover” (a hit for Bo Diddley) which is good but things goes proper Rocking with his deep-voiced version of Diddley’s creepily brilliant “Who Do You Love”. This is not Folk – nor Blues – it could even be The Doors on their self-titled debut (wicked stuff). The stereo separation on Buddy Holly’s “Love’s Made A Fool Of You” is fantastic – a beautifully handled transfer. Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” allows the album to boogie a little – a fun choice – and again shocking electric guitars after all that Folk Acoustic on “Tom Rush”. Jess Stone’s “Money Honey” (a Drifters hit on Atlantic Records) is great fun but his own “On The Road Again” impresses much more and feels like a great driving Fred Neil song (a writer Rush admired).

Side 2 (the Folky Side) opens with Von Schmidt’s “Joshua Gone Barbados” which turned up on the “Forever Changing: The Golden Age Of Elektra Records...” 2006 Box Set as a representation of Tom Rush’s soft magic. And it’s easy to hear why it was singled out - a lovely lilting ballad that stays in your mind. Acoustic Blues shows up in Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues” and again the remaster is just amazing. My fave track on the whole LP is Eric Von Schmidt’s “Turn Your Money Green” which I’ve included on many 60ts CD compilations “...I’ve been down so long...it looks like up to me...”  It ends on the amazing “Galveston Flood” where Blues, Folk and Americana all mash into one powerhouse song.

Both of these albums are forgotten in the grand scheme of things and hard to find outside of the USA on original vinyl – and neither should be. A clever and smart reissue by Britain’s Beat Goes On – more baby please...

"For The Children" by LABI SIFFRE (2015 Edsel Expanded CD Reissue – Phil Kinrade Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…If You Have Faith…Then That's All You Need…"

Labi Siffre's 4th album "For The Children" was released in the UK on the Pye International label in late 1973. Its predecessor "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" contained the two huge hits "It Must Be Love" and the album title track "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" - so the LP charted reasonably well. "For The Children" didn't - it had no hit singles amongst its 10 quality tracks so failed to dent the Top 50. In fact “For The Children” has been difficult to find on vinyl for decades.

This UK released Friday 31 July 2015 Edsel CD reissue on EDSA 5042 (Barcode 740155504236) is essentially a re-run of the June 2006 EMI CD remaster that’s been deleted for years now. It even has the same lone bonus track – the then Previously Unreleased “So What” - and runs to exactly the same playing time of 53:08 minutes. What is upgraded is the 12-page booklet of old into a new 24-page version inside a rather lovely digipak – there are full lyrics (including the bonus track), a colour photo of Siffre playing live and a new ALAN ROBINSON interview with Siffre in 2015. Here are the finite details…

1. Somesay

2. Children Of Children

3. Entertainment Value

4. Odds And Ends

5. Prayer

6. Let's Pretend [Side 2]

7. Someday

8. If You Have Faith

9. For The Children

10. Give Love

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 4th album "For The Children" - released 1973 in the UK on Pye Records NSPL 28182 (no USA issue).

BONUS TRACK:

11. So What – first appeared on the June 2006 CD reissue – it’s a 4-act song that runs to 6:48 minutes

The original gatefold sleeve artwork makes up the first and last page on the booklet with the family snapshots collage that was the inside of the gatefold reproduced as the centre pages in the digipak. The CD itself is light blue in colour to reflect the original UK Pye Record label - a nice touch. There’s a photo of EMI Tape Boxes on Page 2 - while the interview from Pages 17 to 23 goes into some depth with the singer-songwriter about the album’s ruminations on the State Of The World in 1973. Personally I’ve always thought this album his lost masterpiece containing a level of song sophistication that even surpassed his more popular and well-known LP “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” from 1972.

Born in London in 1945 to a Belgian/Barbadian mum and Nigerian father, Labi had his demos sent to a music publisher in late 1969 which resulted in a publishing contract and the recording and release of his first album on Pye Records early in 1970 (Pye Records at that time was home to The Kinks and Status Quo). His style for the first 5 albums he did on Pye is more singer-songwriter than soulster, though the tracks themselves are often very soulful in their nature - sort of a ‘Bill Withers meets Gilbert O'Sullivan’ vibe. Many were just Labi, Acoustic Guitar and his high falsetto voice. He's often lumped in with the Easy Listening genre here in the UK that frankly does his superb song-writing talents a huge disservice. And like Gilbert O'Sullivan – Siffre is another 'soft' songwriter of the Seventies not given nearly enough credit for his brilliance in penning a truly touching tune, but beloved still by fans and those who like their singers to be on the side of Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor.

PHIL KINRADE at Alchemy Mastering has transferred the fabulous Audio remastering done by EMI in 2006 and the results are stupendous – each track beautifully clear, muscular and a real revelation.

SINGLES:

Two 45s were issued around the "For The Children" LP and using the “Labi Siffre” and “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” Edsel CD reissues – fans can sequence them as follows:

1. Give Love [10] b/w Last Night Tonight

UK released January 1973 on Pye International 7N.25602 (no US release)

The non-album B-side is available as a bonus track on the “Labi Siffre” CD

2. If You Have Faith [8] b/w Oh Me Oh My Mr. City Goodbye

UK released October 1973 on Pye International 7N.25629 (no US issue)

The non-album B-side is available as a bonus track on the “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” CD

All songs on "For The Children" are written by Siffre (including the extra track) and are uniformly excellent. Standouts would number the funky guitar strummer “Odds And Ends” (bass and pedal steel sound amazing). Side One ends with the gut-string acoustic ditty “Prayer” which lasts only two minutes but is truly lovely. Side 2 opens with the epic “Let’s Pretend” - nine and half minutes of building 12-string guitars - and it’s properly gorgeous. As the hopeful words float by - he sings of religious leaders dropping their rules - “…Let’s Pretend there’s a God of love…that he wants us to be…all of the good things we can be…let’s pretend…” It’s emotional stuff - passes the love test. The keyboard strut of the superb “For The Children” sounds amazing - full of punch and clever stereo tricks. But the album’s real masterpiece is the beautiful “If You Have Faith” - as lovely a song as the Seventies produced. Sure its sappy and maybe it’s even a tad naive in its beliefs - but it moves me to tears and more importantly has that rarest of qualities - it fills me with hope. The 4-act bonus track “So What” seems to be two songs run into one near seven-minute tune. “So What” comes first and feels like a recent recording - then about 2:27 minutes in - a separate “London Town” keyboard tune emerges (very 1975) - all of it keyboards. It’s very good.

Increasingly his songs are being name-checked and used by R'n'B soul boys of the last few years who have realised that Labi's songs offer a wealth of good source material - KAYNE WEST sampled "My Song" from "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" on his "I Wonder" track from 2007's “Graduation" - while both JAY-Z and EMINEM have famously sampled the stunning bass break that happens half way through "I Got The..." track on the "Remember My Song" LP from 1975. Siffre retired for a few years - but then returned in 1987 with "(Something Inside) So Strong" on China Records - a magnificent Anti-Apartheid anthem - and as moving a song as you're ever likely to hear.

So there you have it. I can’t help but feel that songs like the inspirational and moving "If You Have Faith”, the Hey Jude epic quality of "Let's Pretend" and the Piano-Funk of “For The Children” have languished in obscurity for far too long. I've treasured this Labi Siffre album (along with his others) for years on vinyl - and to finally hear it given this kind of sound quality is a joy. A 70s gem that’s ripe for rediscovery methinks.

Well done to Edsel for getting these reissues out there once again and in such classy presentation too...

The 31 July 2015 EDSEL Expanded CD Remasters for Labi Siffre are:

1. Labi Siffre (1970)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155503932) with 6 Bonus Tracks

2. The Singer And The Song (1971)

Edsel EDSA 5040 (Barcode 740155504038) with 8 Bonus Tracks

3. Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155504137) with 8 Bonus Tracks

4. For The Children (1973)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155504236) with 1 Bonus Track

5. The Last Songs (1998)

Edsel EDSA 5043 (Barcode 740155504335) no bonus tracks

His 5th album "Remember My Song" from March 1975 on EMI was reissued on CD in 2006 but for some undisclosed reason is not included in this 2015 reissue campaign.

There was one last album in the Seventies for EMI called "Happy?" released in November 1975 and its 10-tracks are available on CD albeit in a round about way. The EMI CD compilation called "The Music Of Labi Siffre" contains all but one song of the "Remember My Song" album and the full "Happy?" album (see separate review) – so you acquire that budget-priced CD to get the guts of both albums at a reasonable cost.

The 14 new tunes of “The Last Songs” was recorded live on Tour in 1998 and released on CD that year. It was reissued in 2006 and is once again in this 2015 Edsel campaign (no bonus tracks). It’s beautifully recorded and songs like "Sparrow In The Storm" and "Why Isn't Love Enough?" show Siffre has lost none of his singer-songwriter magic...

This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series. E-Books giving advice on "Exceptional CD Remasters" in different genres. Check out SOUNDS GOOD: Classic 1970s Rock...available to buy on Amazon and many other download sites...

"Crying Laughing Loving Lying" by LABI SIFFRE (July 2015 Edsel Expanded CD Reissue – Phil Kinrade Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...It Must Be Love..."

Back in June 2006 - EMI launched a 7-CD reissue campaign for Labi Siffre's 70s catalogue on Pye Records  – the five listed below, 1975's "Remember My Song" and a further “Best Of”. Those Abbey Road CD remasters (probably done by Nigel Reeves) had gorgeous sound, relevant bonus tracks (including Previously Unreleased) and came in jewel cases with 12-page booklets that were adequate rather than inspiring. But they’ve been deleted for some years now and some have even acquired a nasty price tag in some cases.

Well after some delays (these were supposed to show up in June 2015 and then 10 July 2015, they’re now released Friday 31 July 2015) – along comes Edsel of the UK with five upgraded CD reissues of those Seventies catalogue gems  (in digipaks this time) and having acquired the lot on the day of release - I’m thrilled to say that they’re 'all' beautifully done and have even filled in some important CD holes in Labi Siffre’s Discography.

The 2006 CD had 18 tracks and ran to 64:01 minutes (the 12-song album pumped up with 6 bonuses). Rejiggering the extras and adding on the stunning non-album 7" single "Watch Me" and the elusive B-side "To Find Love" which has never been on CD before (his most famous song “It Must Be Love" was the A-side) – this 2015 Edsel Reissue and CD Remaster runs to 68:56 minutes. It bumps up the track count to 20 and has new ALAN ROBINSON liner notes based on interviews with Labi Siffre in 2015. There’s a lot to get through - so here are details...

UK released Friday, 31 July 2015 (August 2015 in the USA) – "Crying Loving Laughing Lying" BY LABI SIFFRE on Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155504137) is an 'Expanded Edition CD' version in a card digipak and breaks down as follows (68:56 minutes):

1. Saved

2. Cannock Chase

3. Fool Me A Goodnight

4. It Must Be Love

5. Gimme Some More

6. Blue Lady

7. Love Oh Love Oh Love [Side 2]

8. Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying

9. Hotel Room Song

10. My Song

11. Till Forever

12. Come On Michael

Tracks 1 to 12 make up the album "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" – released October 1972 in the UK on Pye International Records NSPL 28163 (all songs are Siffre originals).

BONUS TRACKS:

13. To Find Love – the non-album B-side to his 4th UK 7" single "It Must Be Love" released November 1971 on Pye International 7N.25572 – first time on CD

14. Watch Me – the non-album A-side to his 6th UK 7" single "Watch Me" released July 1972 on Pye International 7N.25586. It's non-album B-side "Here I Am" is one of the bonus tracks on the debut album "Labi Siffre"

15. You Make It Easy

16. Good Old days

17. Pristine Verses

18. You’ll Let Me Know

19. Oh Me Oh My Mr. City Goodbye

20. For The Lovin'

Tracks 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 were album outtakes first issued on the 2006 EMI CD - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED at the time

Track 19 is the non-album B-side to "If You Have Faith" - a track off the 1973 album "For The Children". The UK 7" single was released October 1973 on Pye International Records 7N.25629

SINGLES:

Three 45s were issued around the album and using the "Labi Siffre" debut album CD reissue - can be sequenced in remastered form by fans as follows...

1. It Must Be Love [4] b/w To Find Love [13]

UK released November 1971 on Pye International 7N 25572

US released 1972 on Bell Records 183

2. Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying [8] b/w Why Did You Go, Why Did You Leave

UK released March 1972 on Pye International 7N.25576

US released 1972 on Bell Records 218

The non-album B-side is available as a bonus on the "Labi Siffre" CD Reissue

3. Watch Me [14] b/w Here We Are

UK released July 1972 on Pye National 7N.25586

USA released 1972 on Bell Records 298

The non-album B-side is available as a bonus on the "Labi Siffre" CD Reissue

The 2006 CD reissue had a 12-page booklet that reproduced the lyric insert of the album across two pages and short liner notes. Edsel’s impressive 32-page booklet upgrade not only gives you lyrics to every song, but lists the musicians beneath each and shows the lyrics for the bonus tracks for the first time. Inbetween that you get rare Euro Picture Sleeves for the big hits "It Must Be Love" and "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" as well as photos of the Pye Tape Boxes. Licensed from Siffre direct – the PHIL KINRADE Remasters done at Alchemy Mastering are truly gorgeous. I’d suggest that the rare B-side "To Find Love" sounds suspiciously like its been done off vinyl - but I'd emphasise that it stills sounds amazing. The clarity and depth of those rattling acoustic strings is incredible here - a massive improvement on the hiss and muddiness that went with previous budget label reissues.

Born in London in 1945 to a Belgian/Barbadian mum and Nigerian father, Labi had his demos sent to a music publisher in late 1969 which resulted in a publishing contract and the recording and release of his first album on Pye Records early in 1970 (Pye Records at that time was home to The Kinks and Status Quo). His style for the first 5 albums he did on Pye is more singer-songwriter than soulster, though the tracks themselves are often very soulful in their nature - sort of a Bill Withers meets Gilbert O'Sullivan vibe. Many were just Labi Siffre, an acoustic guitar and his high falsetto voice. He's often lumped in with easy-listening here in the UK which does his superb song-writing talents a huge disservice - and like Gilbert O'Sullivan - he is another 'soft' songwriter of the Seventies not given nearly enough credit for his brilliance in penning a truly touching tune, but beloved still by fans and those who like their singers to be on the side of Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor.

Increasingly his songs are being name-checked and used by R 'n' B soul boys of the last few years who have realized that Labi's songs offer a wealth of good source material. KAYNE WEST sampled "My Song" from "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" on his "I Wonder" track from 2007's "Graduation" - while both JAY-Z and EMINEM have famously sampled the stunning bass break that happens half way through "I Got The..." on "Remember My Song" from 1975.

His 3^rd studio album opens with the Acapella “Saved” and then goes into the jaunty “Cannock Chase” – beautiful clarity on both tracks. But it’s nuggets like the lovely "Fool Me A Goodnight", "Hotel Room Song" and "My Song" that have languished in obscurity for far too long. And again I can’t emphasise enough the fabulous remastering. I've treasured this album for years on vinyl and to finally hear it given this kind of sound quality is a joy. "It Must Be Love" and the beautiful title track "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" sound fab. I’ve always thought that the stand-alone “Watch Me” is his masterpiece from the period – a song that literally makes me weepy (I was in love with a girl at the time) and it’s presence here as a new bonus is a winner. Of the album outtakes “You Make It Easy” has a lovely melody – Siffre and an electric piano – its very demo-ish but full of feeling and has a Bacharach brass refrain during its pretty chorus.

Siffre retired for a few years but then returned in 1987 with "(Something Inside) So Strong" on China Records - a magnificent Anti-Apartheid anthem and as moving a song as you're ever likely to hear. His into-the-light website is fascinating also - packed with poetry, political observations and extremely active fan exchanges etc.

This is a gorgeous reissue and well done to Edsel for making “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” available again on CD – and in such sweet style...

The 31 July 2015 EDSEL Expanded CD Remasters for LABI SIFFRE are:

1. Labi Siffre (1970)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155503932) with 6 Bonus Tracks

2. The Singer And The Song (1971)

Edsel EDSA 5040 (Barcode 740155504038) with 8 Bonus Tracks

3. Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155504137) with 8 Bonus Tracks

4. For The Children (1973)

Edsel EDSA 5041 (Barcode 740155504236) with 1 Bonus Track

5. The Last Songs (1998)

Edsel EDSA 5043 (Barcode 740155504335) no bonus tracks

His 5th studio album “Remember My Song” from March 1975 on EMI was reissued on CD in 2006 too but for some undisclosed reason is not included in this 2015 reissue campaign. 

There was one last studio album in the Seventies for EMI called "Happy?" released in November 1975 and its 10-tracks are available on CD albeit in a round about way. The EMI CD compilation called "The Music Of Labi Siffre" contains all but one song of the "Remember My Song" album and the full “Happy?” album (see separate review) – so you acquire that budget-priced CD to get the guts of both records for a reasonable sum. 

The 14 new tunes of “The Last Songs” was recorded live on Tour in 1998 and released on CD that year. It was reissued in 2006 and is once again in this 2015 Edsel campaign (no bonus tracks). It’s beautifully recorded and songs like “Sparrow In The Storm” and “Why Isn’t Love Enough?” show Siffre has lost none of his singer-songwriter magic...

This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series. E-Books giving advice on "Exceptional CD Remasters" in different genres. Check out SOUNDS GOOD: Classic 1970s Rock...available to buy on Amazon and many other download sites...

"The Circle Game" by TOM RUSH [featuring Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor] (2008 Rhino Expanded CD – Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Someone To Love Today…"

Heavily steeped in the American Folk, Blues & Roots movements of the early to mid Sixties - TOM RUSH was already a 5-album veteran by the time he released "The Circle Game" in April 1968 at the age of 27. The bog-standard CD version of this lovely, but long-forgotten gem of an album has been available for almost 20 years now with a slip of paper as an insert and useless hissy sound.

Thankfully Rhino's May 2008 Reissue finally addresses that travesty by giving the album the sonic upgrade its long deserved - a Remastered 40th Anniversary Edition CD on Elektra/Rhino 8122-79978-5 (Barcode 081227997854) - complete with an upgraded booklet and 3 rare bonus tracks. The Elektra/Rhino 2008 CD remaster of “The Circle Game” by TOM RUSH breaks down as follows (52:12 minutes):

1. Tin Angel

2. Something In The Way She Moves

3. Urge For Going

4. Sunshine Sunshine

5. The Glory Of Love

6. Shadow Dream Song [Side 2]

7. The Circle Game

8. So Long

9. Rockport Sunday

10. No Regrets

11. (Coda)

Tracks 1-11 make up the album "The Circle Game" issued on Elektra EKL 4018 (Mono)/EKS 74018 (Stereo) in April 1968 in both the USA and UK. The Stereo mix is used.

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Something In The Way She Moves (UK Single Mix) - issued March 1968 in the UK on Elektra EKSN 45032. This A-side is a different mix to the album version – the album track "Rockport Sunday" was its B-side in the USA and UK.

13. Urge For Going (US Single Mix) - issued late 1967 in the USA on Elektra EKS-45607 - again different to the album version. "Sugar Babe" from the June 1966 Elektra Records LP "Take A Little Walk With Me" was its B-side.

14. The Circle Game (Take 1) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

The 8-page booklet has a new essay and interview with Rush by the respected reviewer PETER DOGGETT and is filled out with session details, trade paper reviews and pictures of US and UK singles. The album artwork is beneath the see-through tray and the CD itself reflects the colour of the original US vinyl album label - all nice touches - and typical of Rhino's attention to detail.

Some might moan that the album's original MONO mix should have been included as well as the STEREO version - I'd take that as a valid point - but two of the bonus tracks are a real find and collectors I'm sure would prefer them.

In an odd sort of way, "The Circle Game" isn't remembered so much for Rush himself, but for the astonishing singer-songwriters he introduced to the world via the record - JONI MITCHELL, JACKSON BROWNE and JAMES TAYLOR - all three unsigned at the time. With these enormous talents providing the bulk of the songs and two cracking originals of his own, this unassuming little folk album practically kick-started the entire Californian singer-songwriter movement. The album's title is one of Joni's best compositions "The Circle Game" which she eventually put out on her 3rd album "Ladies Of The Canyon" in 1970 (lyrics from it title this review). The other two covers are "Tin Angel" which turned up on her 2nd LP "Clouds" in 1969 and "Urge For Going” - as beautiful a song as she has ever written and for me one of the real beauties on this record. Her own version didn't find its way onto vinyl until 1972, when it turned up as a B-side of "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio". Its CD debut is on the wonderful "Hits" set from 1996 - a HDCD remaster in truly beautiful sound quality. When you hear just how touching her original is - it's easy to see why Rush nabbed the song as fast as he could.

James Taylor's two tracks fare less well. First up is "Something In The Way She Moves" which Rush unwisely speeds it up with funky brass fills ruining the beauty of the song - it's dated and awful. A few months later, Taylor left for London, signed to The Beatles Apple label and released his debut LP "James Taylor" in 1968 with his softer version of the song on it. It was such a lovely tune, several artists covered it almost immediately - best of which is MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT's version on the "Second Spring" album from 1970. However, Taylor aced all of them - including his own original - by re-recording the song for his first hits set in 1976 - the white covered "Greatest Hits" - it's the definitive version of a beautiful song. The 2nd Taylor track is "Sunshine Sunshine" - a far better jaunty love song complete with strings and 60's upbeat message.

Before the album was released in April - Elektra tried “No Regrets” as a 45 in the USA in January 1968 (Elektra EKSN 45025) with “Shadow Dream Song” as its flipside – but it unfairly sank without a trace despite his beautiful tune now being revered as a Sixties love-song classic. I’ve always lovely “Rockport Sunday” – an instrumental that reflects its title – the kind of mellow acoustic vibe tune you’d play chilling out on a Sunday morning at home with a coffee in hand looking out at the sunny day to come.

Jackson Browne's voice and sound is immediately evident in the chorus of "Shadow Dream Song" - a good song - and a pointer to what was to come years later in 1974's sublime "Late For The Sky".

The other two covers are "The Glory Of Love" made famous by Benny Goodman in 1936 with The Five Keys doing a number 1 doo-wop version of it in 1951 - Rush's version is more uptempo and only ok in my books, while "So Long" is an old Charlie Rich song from his days at Sun Records. But then - for me - comes the lethal double whammy of his own two compositions - the gorgeous instrumental "Rockport Sunday" and the classic and magical "No Regrets" (made a huge hit by The Walker Brothers in 1975). To hear them both in this improved sound quality is a genuine blast. The less-than-a-minute string curio that is "(Coda)" is just that - a curio tagged onto the end of the record. Two of the bonus tracks, "Urge For Going" and "The Circle Game", are sparse bare acoustic versions and beautiful for it - a real treat for fans.

Soundwise the improvement is enormous - it's still a little hissy on a lot of the tracks, but the clarity of the instruments and the depth of his huge deep voice are so much more to the fore now - a muscular and fabulous remaster by Rhino's tape-masters BILL INGLOT and DAN HERSCH.

To sum up - flawed in places for sure, but the good stuff is breathtaking - and this remastered reissue finally brings that out. A job well done and an album you need to investigate...

PS: see also my review for the two albums that preceded "The Circle Game" - 1965's "Tom Rush" and 1966's "Take A Walk With Me" now both reissued and remastered by Beat Goes On of the UK in 2015...

This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series. E-Books giving advice on "Exceptional CD Remasters" in different genres. Check out SOUNDS GOOD: 1960s and 1970s Volume 2...available to buy on Amazon and many other download sites...