It’s hardly a surprise that Borderline’s 1973 album Sweet Dreams and Quiet Desires, recorded at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York, has a rootsy Americana vibe. It’s a big surprise, though, that the album and its follow-up all but disappeared in the ensuing years, a situation now remedied by Real Gone’s two-fer of Sweet Dreams and The Second Album (RGM-0120). Borderline, a trio consisting of Jim Rooney and brothers Jon and David Gershen, enlisted some impressive help for its debut album. Ben Keith, fresh off work on Neil Young’s Harvest, brought his pedal steel. Billy Mundi, late of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, joined in on drums, and Will Lee played bass. David Sanborn contributed alto saxophone, John Simon tickled the ivories, and two members of The Band moonlighted: pianist Richard Manuel as “Dick Handle,” and organist Garth Hudson as “Campo Malaqua.”
Sweet Dreams isn’t quite country, it isn’t quite rock, it isn’t quite folk, it isn’t quite folk-rock or country-rock, either. Its best moments do recall some of the other great musical troubadours of the era, but Borderline’s blend of three talented singer-songwriters made sure the group’s sound was distinctive. “Don’t Know Where I’m Going” has an “Up on a Cripple Creek”/Band-esque vibe, though not solely because of Richard Manuel’s own contribution on piano! And Harvest-era Neil Young is recalled on “Please Help Me Forget,” while “Dragonfly” just might have carved out its own niche as country-jazz thanks to David Sanborn’s wailing sax. (Both Hudson and Manuel sat it on “Dragonfly,” too.) “As Long As It’s You and Me” begins in that haunting Band bag, but it soon veers off in unusual directions with tough electric guitar and a reappearance of Sanborn’s sax. The group’s timeless sound makes for an album that still sounds vibrant today. Though electric guitar (usually courtesy Jon Gershen) appears on a number of tracks in addition to “As Long As It’s You and Me,” the album’s sound is primarily acoustic and frequently laid-back. Ben Keith’s dobro and pedal steel lend the most impressive accents. Vocals are rough-hewn and occasionally ragged, but always in service of the song. Fiddle shows up on numerous cuts, including the sing-along traditionals “Handsome Molly” and “Clinch Mountain.” There are occasional, nasal Dylan-esque vocals, but it might have been impossible to avoid his influence, especially in Woodstock. The success of Sweet Dreams, released on the Avalanche label, might have been hampered by the lack of any clear-cut radio-friendly single. So it was back to the drawing board, and to Connecticut’s CRS Studios, for a second album.
The simply-titled The Second Album was delivered to United Artists Records for a 1974 release, but a change in management left the LP on the shelf and Borderline in the lurch. It finally was issued in 2001 on a remixed Japanese CD mastered from an acetate; Real Gone’s reissue marks its first appearance from the original master tapes as well as its first appearance in its original mix. Keith, Sanborn and Lee all returned for the second outing, lending the album a strong sense of continuation from the first. The group’s steadfast songcraft remained consistent as well.
The change of scenery, though, seemingly inspired the Borderline boys to craft a leaner, down-‘n-dirtier, funkier collection. There are still strong elements of country, but Second Album is often more of its time as a seventies pop-rock excursion. David Gershen also stepped up his songwriting to pen six of the album’s ten songs. When Ben Keith’s pedal steel shows up on the opening salvo of David’s “Sonny Boy,” it’s joined by a horn section including The Brecker Brothers. All players are in service to a grittier groove. Jon’s “No Uncertain Terms” is anchored by Stan Free’s piano and Sanborn’s saxophones, but it’s one of the strongest ballads on either LP. There’s a successful balance of the fuller band arrangements with more stripped-down material including the languid instrumental showcase “Ben’s Turn” for David Gershen, Ben Keith, Will Lee, Amos Garrett (electric guitar) and Chris Parker (drums). Jim Rooney is responsible for "Only the Best," a country weeper that will transport you to a smoke-filled barroom. The song features just the three band members, harmonizing and accompanying themselves on acoustic guitars. The only crime is that its solo-trio format, with no additional instrumentation, wasn't revisited elsewhere on the album.
Producer Gordon Anderson’s reissue is a top-notch package, remastered by Kevin Bartley at Capitol Studios with liner notes from Richie Unterberger. After The Second Album was shelved, the members of Borderline drifted apart, but this reissue allows a fleeting glimpse to be savored of what might have been.
by Joe Marchese
Tracks
1. Handsome Molly (Traditional) - 3:37
2. Marble Eyes - 3:20
3. Don't Know Where I'm Going - 3:43
4. Good Woman's Love (Jim Rooney) - 2:32
5. Please Help Me Forget - 3:27
6. The Distance - 2:46
7. Dragonfly (Jon Gershen) - 4:06
8. Sweet Dreams - 3:08
9. Clinch Mountain (Traditional) - 3:14
10.Marilla - 2:53
11.As Long As It's You And Me (Jon Gershen) - 4:47
12.Sonny Boy - 2:42
13.Sleepy Rider (David T. Gershen, Tony Brown) - 2:12
14.No Uncertain Terms (Jon Gershen) - 4:30
15.Beginning Of The End (Jim Rooney) - 3:41
16.Ben's Turn - 2:42
17.Song To Father - 2:44
18.Only The Best (Jim Rooney) - 3:44
19.In Some Old Book (Jon Gershen) - 3:41
20.Matter Of Trust - 2:36
21.Heaven's So Hard To Find - 5:32
All songs by David T. Gershen except where stated
Tracks 1-11 first released in 1973 as Sweet Dreams And Quiet Desires
Tracks 12-21 recorded in 1973, unreleased until 2001 as The Second Album
Borderline
*Jon Gershen : Vocals, Lead Electric, Acoustic Guitars
*David Gershen : Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
*Jim Rooney : Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
With
*Vassar Clements - Fiddle
*Jim Colegrove - Bass, Background Vocals
*Dick Handle (Richard Manuel) - Clavinet, Piano
*Nick Jameson - Guitar
*Ben Keith - Steel Guitar
*Ken Kosek - Fiddle
*Campo Malaqua (Garth Hudson) - Organ
*Billy Mundi - Drums, Percussion
*Dave Sanborn - Sax
*John Simon - Piano
*Will Lee - Bass (12-21)
*Chris Parker - Drums (Tracks 12-17, 19-21)
*Stan Free - Electric Piano, Organ (Tracks 14,17,19)
*Amos Garrett - Lead Guitar (Tracks 12-21)
*Michael Brecker - Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 12,17)
*Randy Brecker - Trumpet (Tracks 12,17)
*Barry Rogers - Trombone (Tracks 12,17)
