As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits such as "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy," "Pretty Flamingo," and many, many others, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. Artists such as Arthur Lee have cited him as a primary influence, and for that fact alone, he should be recognized. After leaving Mann in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege.
This, though, his solo debut, is another step altogether. Always one of the more literate rockers of his era, Jones spends most of his time on this album making fun of stardom and all that goes with it. Hotel rooms, groupies, and the general grind of it all is the subject matter here, and it's all quite a bit of fun. As far as the music goes, much of it is more laid-back than anything Jones did with Manfred Mann, with a lot of country leanings.
Thomas Jefferson Kaye's production is a bit heavy-handed -- which is not much of a suprise. But in the end, it is an interesting record, sounding very much like a roots-oriented David Bowie record, slashing the tires of a car named "stardom."
by Matthew Greenwald
1. Life After Death (Paul Jones) - 3:21
2. Motel Blues (Loudon Wainwright III) - 4:00
3. And You Say I'm Too Dependent On My Mind (Paul Jones) - 6:01
4. Construction Worker's Song (Paul Jones) - 5:30
5. Song (For Stan Stunning And The Noodle Queen) (Paul Jones) - 3:40
6. The Pod That Came Back (Paul Jones) - 4:13
7. The Mighty Ship (Artie Resnick, Pat Poor) - 3:40
8. Who Are The Masters (Kris Resnick, Paul Jones, Rupert Holmes) - 3:32
9. Strangely Human Sound (Kris Resnick, Rupert Holmes) - 3:47
Musicians
*Paul Jones - Vocals
*Joy Askew - Vocals
*Roy Babbington - Bass
*Bobby Bloom - Vocals
*Gary Boyle - Guitar
*Buzz Brauner - Oboe
*Charlie Brown - Guitar
*Garnett Brown - Trombone
*Selwart Clark - Viola
*Bert Collins - Trumpet
*Don Corrado - French Horn
*Richard Crooks - Percussion, Vocals
*Joe Grimaldi - Tenor Sax
*Jim Herd - Viola
*Artie Kaplan - Baritone Sax
*Thomas Jefferson Kaye - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Nisar Ahmad "George" Khan - Alto Sax
*Kenneth Kosek - Fiddle, Acoustic Guitar
*Martin Kupersmith - Acoustic Guitar
*Weird Harold Liberman - Trumpet
*Dave Macrae - Keyboards
*Gene Mcdaniels - Vocals
*Roy O'temro - Drums
*Graham Preskett - Violin
*Robert Rizzo - Bass
*Vicki Sue Robinson - Vocals
*Kenith Vance - Vocals
*Joanne Vent - Vocals
*Ted Wender - Piano
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Was never a big Paul Jones fan, but I love this, thanks!
ReplyDeleteOne of my very faves. Got it because I'm a longtime Jones fan, despite his Georgie Fame-like affection for wandering into genres he ought not to. Here he plays the intellectual role imposed on him by the UK pop media in 1964, without being super-irritating. Start out with tracks 7-9 in a series and see how you feel.
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