Monday, May 16, 2022

Paul Williams - Just An Old Fashioned Love Song (1970-71 us, wonderful jazzy smooth ballads)



Here Williams came into his own, writing the bulk of his material single-handedly. Just an Old Fashioned Love Song boasts "We've Only Just Begun" -- one of his signature compositions -- and finds him in wistful, melancholic form. The uncluttered arrangements, and the fact that Williams has learned to use his voice for emotional effect, make his second album a comparative success. 

While it's not really right to assess him in singer/songwriterly terms (he never played piano, guitar, or indeed any instrument, and is more accurately termed an easy listening tunesmith), Just an Old Fashioned Love Song is a worthy addition to the genre. "Waking Up Alone," "A Perfect Love," and "Gone Forever" form a touching triptych of moving, and surprisingly subtle, love-gone-wrong songs. Each adequately displays Williams' growth as both a performer and composer. 
by Charles Donovan
Tracks
1. Waking Up Alone - 3:41
2. I Never Had It So Good (Paul Williams, Roger Nichols) - 4:36
3. We've Only Just Begun (Paul Williams, Roger Nichols) - 3:25
4. That's Enough For Me - 5:20
5. A Perfect Love - 2:27
6. An Old Fashioned Love Song - 3:12
7. Let Me Be The One (Paul Williams, Roger Nichols) - 3:00
8. Simple Man (Graham Nash) - 2:14
9. When I Was All Alone - 3:53
10.My Love And I - 3:34
11.Gone Forever - 4:11
Lyrics and Music by Paul Williams except where noted 

Musicians
*Paul Williams - Vocals
*Craig Doerge - Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano 
*Leland Sklar - Bass Guitar 
*Russ Kunkel - Drums, Congas, Tambourine 
*David Spinozza - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
*Michael Utley - Organ 
*Bobbye Hall Porter - Congas , Percussion 
*Tom Scott - Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet 
*Gene Cipriano - Oboe , Tenor Saxophone , Woodwinds 
*Paul Shure - First Violin 
*Marv Limonick - Second Violin 
*Milt Thomas - Viola 
*Edgar Lustgarten - Cello 
*Joe Mondragon - Bass Guitar , Double Bass 
*Dick Hyde - Tuba 
*Jack Conrad - Bass 
*Rick Marotta - Drums 
*Teddy Boy Friesen, Daffy Jackson, The Hobbit - Kazoo 
*Bob Brookmeyer - Trombone 
*Al Aarons - Trumpet 

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