This album delivers quintessential 1968 folk rock, just like you'd picture it. The beautiful harmonies are particularly stunning and a highlight. Elegant and beautiful folk rock at its finest.
With covers like Dylan's “Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues” and “Mama, You've Been on My Mind,” Fred Neil's ‘Dolphin’ and “The Man of the Hour,” and Ian Tyson's “The Wind Blows Hard,” it's no surprise the songs are fantastic. Many are familiar tunes too. Excellent version of “The Wind Blows Hard” here.
Incidentally, the band disbanded the following year, 1969, after releasing their second album “Bridges,” which followed a similar direction. Ron Cornelius past away, August 18, 2021. Michael Stewart died in 2002.
Tracks
1. Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues (Bob Dylan) - 3:07
2. Mama, You Been On My Mind (Bob Dylan) - 1:38
3. Four Strong Winds (Ian Tyson) - 2:55
4. Summer Flower (Ron Cornelius, Joe Davis) - 2:21
5. Step By Step (Michael Stewart, John Chambers, Bob Jones) - 2:17
6. Dolphins (Fred Neil) - 3:20
7. Six Days On The Road (Earl Green, Carl Montgomery) - 2:06
8. Everybody's Talkin' (Fred Neil) - 2:15
9. Donald Duck (Michael Allen Stewart) - 1:57
10.Settin' The Woods On Fire (Fred Rose, Ed G. Nelson) - 1:53
11.New England Winter (Bob Kimmel) - 2:23
West
*Michael Stewart - Vocals, Guitars
*Ron Cornelius - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Joe Davis - Bass, Vocals
*Bob Claire - Keyboards, Cello, Guitar
*Jon Saegen - Harmonica
*Lloyd Perata - Drums
Thanks for WEST albums ! On the cover of this one they look like The Band ! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Marios!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Marios. Thanks for the new host as well. It's a lot faster.
ReplyDeleteOriginally from Crockett, California, although they frequently played in San Francisco in the late sixties. They were formed in 1967 by Cornelius, Sagen (who'd previously been an executive for Capitol Records) and John Stewart's brother Michael who'd enjoyed some success with The We Five. Very much in the mould of groups like Notes From The Underground they were more concerned with playing good time music and enjoying themselves than exploring new musical forms.
ReplyDeleteProduced by Bob Johnston and Neil Wilburn, their first album contains two Dylan covers, two Fred Neil songs (Everybody's Talkin and Dolphins), the classic Ian Tyson song Four Strong Winds, as well as Six Days On The Road (also covered by Taj Mahal and Street Noise) and Bobby Kimmel's New England Winter, the Stone Poneys song. The few originals were penned by M. Stewart (helped by We Five's Bob Jones on Step By Step) and Ron Cornelius.
The second album reputedly has good guitar work and excellent harmonies and both are very minor collectors' items.
Ron Cornelius will keep on working with Bob Johnston on records by Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. He also released a solo country rock album in the early seventies.
Compilation appearances include: Down Along The Cove on Rockbusters (LP).
(Fuzz, Acid & Flowers - Stephane Rebeschini)
Top post!! Many thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI don't see how to download anything now. Everything in sendnow!
ReplyDeleteTodd, if you click on send.now, it will start automatically, it depends on the browser ori the firewall you use, how long will it take.
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