Dr Strangely Strange were a sort of Irish hippy folk band who strode the earth for a few years up to 1971. Best known for the inclusion of their track Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal (from their first album ''Kip Of The Serenes') on the Island records sampler 'Nice EnoughTo Eat'.
They were usually compared to The Incredible String Band, which was fair comment, though DSS were often a lot more fun. They started off acoustically but by the time of their second album, 'Heavy Petting' they had embraced electric instruments on some tracks, even eventually adding a drummer.
The original plan for 'Halcyon Days' was to issue the tracks they recorded for the BBC, but this fell through. Adrian Whittaker, whose baby this project very much is, was amazed to find instead, that there were nearly enough unissued, and in some cases previously unknown, tracks to fill an album, with the band (who still exist when they feel like getting together) adding three new songs recorded last year in their original style.
And this is what we have here. The delightful Going To Phoulapouca is highly representitive of their early sound, as is HMS Avenger, the tale of a 19th Century shipwreck narrated with humour and weirdness.
Their later, rockier, sound shows up in Sweet Red Rape and Horse Of A Different Hue, then latter featuring a Santana-style intro inspired by the time DSS supported them (!). The three new songs fit perfectly too, especialy The Invisible Kid, with it's clever lyrics. Adrian's sleevenotes give a full history of the band, and a guide to the many strange characters who populate their songs.
Anyone who liked them first time round will love this album, and hopefully a whole new generation of fans will discover it and work backwards.
by Grahame Hood
Tracks
1. Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (Ivan Pawle) - 4:15
2. Existence Now (Tim Goulding) - 3:50
3. Good Evening Mr. Woods (Speak of Tsao Tsao) (Ivan Pawle) - 4:15
4. Going to Poulaphouca (Tim Booth) - 2:52
5. Mirror Mirror (Ivan Pawle) - 4:12
6. Sweet Red Rape (Tim Booth) - 5:24
7. Horse Of A Different Hue (Tim Goulding) - 5:39
8. Lady Of the Glen (Ivan Pawle) - 3:54
9. HMS Avenge (Ivan Pawle) - 5:34
10.Halcyon Days (Ivan Pawle) - 4:06
11.The Invisible Kid (Tim Booth) - 3:01
12.Le Le Rockin Sound (Tim Goulding) - 2:33
13.Cock-A-Doodle-Doo (Kip Version) (Ivan Pawle) - 3:24
The story of Mick Mick Farren? If only that were true. But one of the most ferociously determined careers of the past four decades has twisted down far too many alleyways for a single disc to sum it up. There's nothing here from either the Ork days or the Stiff EP (although there is a live version of the killer "Screwed Up"), while the latter years of the re-formed Deviants and sundry Mick Farren spin-off projects are also absent. Look back at the two Total Energy comps that appeared during 2000-2001, and the same story was told with a lot more precision by either.
That said, what People Call You Crazy does, it does well. All three original Deviants albums are represented with undeniable highlights -- the Zappa-esque "Billy the Monster" and a superbly subversive rampage through "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" included. The solo Carnivorous Circus drops in that drooling rendition of "Mona" that makes every other version of the song sound anaemic, while Mick Farren's most commercial album ever, 1978's Vampires Stole My Lunch Money, delivers both "I Want a Drink" and "Half Price Drinks," by way of light relief.
Meanwhile, 1999's The Deviants Have Left the Planet turns in a seething version of Dylan's "It's Alright Ma," another of Mick Farren's most priceless cover versions. Neither does the album lack the sense of occasion that the best of Mick Farren's work takes for granted. Rocker, poet, and author, Mick Farren is to the underground all that Patti Smith could have been to the mainstream, a voice of furious dissent that's as likely to veer off into a screaming tone poem as cut loose with a sharp riff rocker.
Ten minutes of "Dogpoet" and isolated blasts elsewhere all lift the listener out of the seat with their ferocity -- a talent that too few other performers have ever dared employ, and the reason, perhaps, why there are so many vast gaps in Mick Farren's recorded time scale. People were usually too scared to sign him. It's the memory of that fear that makes this collection so enjoyable -- and so infuriating as well. There've been Mick Mick Farren compilations in the past; no doubt there'll be more in the future. But not one of them tells the story, no matter how adamant this set's subtitle sounds. This is just the highlights of a couple of chapters -- the full tale would take up a box set. So where is it?
by Dave Thompson
Tracks
1. Slum Lord (Sid Bishop, Mick Farren) - 2:21
2. I Want A Drink (Mick Farren, Larry Wallis) - 1:47
3. The Junior Narco Rangers (If We Gotta Get Raleigh from Chicago, We're ...) (Paul Rudolph) - 0:29
4. Aztec Calendar (Andy Colguhoun, Mick Farren) - 4:25
5. Billy the Monster (Paul Rudolph) - 3:27
6. Garbage (Sid Bishop, Mick Farren, Russell Hunter) - 5:38
7. Half Price Drinks (Mick Farren, Larry Wallis) - 3:36
8. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow (Al Frazier, John Harris, Carl White, Turner Wilson, Jr.) - 2:34
9. But Charlie It's Still Moving (Mick Farren) - 1:02
10.People Call You Crazy (Andy Colguhoun, Mick Farren) - 2:52
11.Who Needs the Egg? (Peter Daltrey, Eddy Pumer) - 3:17
12.It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Bob Dylan) - 4:52
13.Rambling B(l)ack Transit Blues (Deviants) - 5:17
14.Somewhere to Go (Mick Farren, Russell Hunter, Duncan Sanderson) - 7:23
15.I'm Coming Home (Sid Bishop, Mick Farren, Russell Hunter) - 5:58
16.Drunk in the Morning (Mick Farren, Larry Wallis) - 4:09
17.Mona (The Whole Trip) (Ellis McDaniels) - 7:30
18.Dogpoet (Mick Farren) - 9:41
19.Screwed Up (Mick Farren) - 2:15
Fantastic German folk-, psych- and krautrock-album, originally released on Bellaphon/Bacillus in 1972. Midnight Circus'sole album was recorded at the famous Dierks Studio with Peter Hauke producing. Midnight Circus hailed from the surroundings of Cologne and it seems as if the idea behind Midnight Circus, a duo accompanied by session musicians, was to emulate the cosmic folk of f.i. Bröselmaschine or Witthüser & Westrupp, but with English vocals for more international appeal. It was a successful attempt, but also a touch rockier and strongly influenced by Dieter Dierks involvement in the sessions.
The atmospheric tracks, featuring mellotron and flute, also recall The Moody Blues and early King Crimson (Freeman Brothers in 'The Crack In The Cosmic Egg'). These recordings, remastered from the master tape, include two bonus tracks taken off Midnight Circus' 1971 released 7-inch 'Coloured Is Gay' b/w 'Get It' and a latter song 'Seagull' from the vaults of the band's archive.
Tracks
1. The Light - 05:52
2. I Had A Dream - 03:29
3. November Church - 08:53
4. Mr. Clown - 02:58
5. Indian Impression - 02:17
6. Disappointed Love - 03:53
7. Meditation - 05:22
8. Coloured Is Gay - 03:03
9. Get It - 03:07
Words and Music by Christian Bollmann, Torsten Schmidt
The group Man evolved from the Bystanders, a mid-'60s Welsh combo whose blend of Beatlesque harmonies and blue-eyed soul yielded a number of well-received singles, most notably the progressive and poppy "Royal Blue Summer Sunshine Day." That side was indicative of the direction they would take after changing their name to Man. Perhaps due to the eponymous moniker, this album has long been mistaken as a debut effort. However, prior to this title, they had already released a pair of LPs, Revelation (1969) and the somewhat more centered and ambitious follow-up 2 Ozs. of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (1969). By the time of this platter, Clive John (organ/piano/electric guitar/harpsichord/vocals), Deke Leonard (guitar/vocals), Martin Ace (acoustic guitar/bass guitar/vocals), Terry Williams (percussion/drums), Roger Leonard (acoustic guitar/piano/electric guitar/steel guitar/vocals), and Micky Jones (acoustic guitar/electric guitar/vocals) had settled into what most enthusiasts consider to be a seminal aggregate.
In addition to their exceptional improvisational skills, Man would display a more aggressive sound. The opening track, "Romain," instantly gels into driving blues behind Leonard's woozy steel guitar interjections. "Country Girl" is reminiscent of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, complete with a distinct West Coast county-rock lilt. Both of the extended pieces, "Would the Christians Wait Five Minutes?...The Lions Are Having a Draw" and "Alchemist" are pastiches of well-developed instrumentals, although at times they come off as somewhat dated. There is plenty of inspired interaction, however, especially on the latter song as they unleash some definitive heavy metal licks that could easily be mistaken for seminal Black Sabbath. "Daughter of the Fireplace" is another highlight as a compact and attitude-heavy rocker. [Interested parties should note that Repertoire's CD reissue of Man (2003) augments the original five cuts with the 45 rpm edits/mixes of "Daughter of the Fireplace" -- which has been amended from five-minutes-and-19-seconds to just under three minutes -- and "Country Girl [Single Version].
by Lindsay Planer
Tracks
1. Romain (Martin Ace, Clive John, Micky Jones, Deke Leonard, Terry Williams) - 6:12
2. Country Girl (Martin Ace, Deke Leonard) - 3:08
3. Would The Christians Wait Five Minutes?/The Lions Are Having A Draw (Martin Ace, Micky Jones) - 12:56
4. Daughter Of The Fireplace (Deke Leonard) - 5:18
5. Alchemist (Martin Ace, Clive John, Micky Jones, Deke Leonard, Terry Williams) - 20:42
6. Daughter Of The Fireplace (Single Version) (Deke Leonard) - 3:01
7. Country Girl (First Version) (Martin Ace, Deke Leonard) 3:05 Man
*Micky Jones - Guitars, Vocals
*Deke Leonard - Guitars, Piano, Vocals
*Terry Williams - Drums, Percussion
*Martin Ace - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*Clive John - Organ, Piano, Guitar, Harpsichord, Vocals
The incipient incarnation of Atomic Rooster -- with Vincent Crane (organ/vocals), Nick Graham (vocals/bass), and Carl Palmer (drums) -- was together just long enough to document its debut, Atomic Roooster (1970) -- (note: the extra O is intentional). Prior to the last-minute addition of Graham -- the only bassist Atomic Rooster ever had -- the band emerged from the remnants of the then recently defunct Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The material was primarily courtesy of Crane and consisted of heavier sides. His versatility is evident throughout the impressive array of styles ranging from the folk-inspired pastoral "Winter" to the bluesy horn arrangement heard on "Broken Wings."
This directly contrasts driving rockers such as the album's edgy opener, "Friday 13th," or the aggressive "S.L.Y." "Decline and Fall" is a jazz-infused number boasting some exceptional if not incendiary instrumental interaction, most notably from Crane and Palmer. Lyrically, Crane reveals his penchant for dark imagery, including the fatalistic "What is the point of going on?" chorus that runs through the aforementioned "Winter" or the sexually snide "And So to Bed." Support was bolstered by strong live appearances, positive word-of-mouth, and a few significant BBC Radio sessions -- all of which resulted in Atomic Roooster making a respectable showing at number 49 on the U.K. LP charts.
By the time the platter was picked up by Elektra Records in North America, the personnel had already changed with John Cann (guitar/vocals) replacing Graham. In an interesting move, they decided that Cann should also overdub guitar parts to "S.L.Y." and "Before Tomorrow," as well as provide a new vocal to "Friday 13th." The transformation didn't end there, either, as the original running order was also significantly altered. Parties interested in hearing both should locate the 2004 reissue, as the supplementary selections feature the U.S. version(s), plus a pair of uniformly excellent selections broadcast on BBC Radio -- "Friday 13th" and "Seven Lonely Streets" (aka "Seven Streets") from Atomic Rooster's follow-up LP, Death Walks Behind You (1970). Of further historical note is that the live-in-the-studio BBC recordings were documented less than a week before the departure of Palmer, effectively ending the first lineup.
by Lindsay Planer
Tracks
1. Friday The 13th - 3:31
2. And So To Bed - 4:09
3. Winter - 6:53
4. Decline And Fall (Vincent Crane, Nick Graham, Carl Palmer) - 5:45
5. Banstead (Vincent Crane, Nick Graham, Carl Palmer) - 3:29
6. S.L.Y. - 4:43
7. Broken Wings (John Mayall) - 5:47
8. Before Tomorrow - 5:52
9. Friday The 13th - 3:28
10.Before Tomorrow - 5:47
11.S.L.Y. - 4:53
All songs by Vincent Crane except where noted
Bonus Tracks 9-12 US Versions
The Atomic Rooster
*Vincent Crane - Hammond Organ, Backing Vocals, Piano
*Nick Graham - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals, Flute, Guitar
*Carl Palmer - Drums, Percussion, Congas, Glockenspiel
*John Du Cann - Guitar, Vocals (Tracks 9-11)
Artie Kaplan was born , brought up and officially educated in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a small businessman with a surpassing love for music Early Artie learned that the wide world was full of interests, different from what he was officially taught; that a man had to educate himself, a process in which he is still madly engaged.
Turning to jazz, his youthful great heroes were Stan Kenton, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. He travelled round the country playing with Territory Bands, and with every other kind of band he could get into, playing every style of music put before him, always learning, trying everything.
He {has played in the Music Business for twelve years, assisting other artists, getting ideas but learning to keep them to himself, taking part in hundreds of hit records. He has been writing for ten years, and now he regards composition seriously, which means devoting himself to it whenever he can get a free hour or two.
Artie venerates music, thinks almost everybody working in it has something to offer the public, and especially admires the musicians working with him. Arnie Lawrence on alto sax and Burt Collins on trumpet, he trunks are "marvellous". Vinnie Bell to him is a wonderful guitar player, Bobby Mann is another who will be heard from more, and Chris Dedrick, young, only 24, is someone to watch.
CD Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Confessions Of A Male Chauvinist Pig (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 11:06
2. Bensonhurst Blues (Artie Kaplan, Artie Kornfeld) - 3:24
3. Harmony (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 3:33
4. God Fearin' Man (Artie Kaplan) - 3:34
5. Stay, Don΄T Go (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 3:18
6. Music Is Sweet Music In My Soul (Artie Kaplan, David White Tricker, Len Barry) - 3:15
7. The American Dream (Artie Kaplan, Nat Simon) - 7:10
Musicians
*Arthur Kaplan - Vocals
*Richard Davis - Guitar, Bass
*Mel Lewis - Drums
*Bert Collins - Trumpet
*Chris Dedrick - Horn
*Gordon Edwards - Bass,
*Vincent Bell - Guitar
*Paul Griffin - Piano
*Arnie Lawrence - Sax Alto
*Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums
Despite the widespread if somewhat under-publicized popularity of many of his songs, it's hard to know just what to expect from John D. Loudermilk's own recordings. One of the most original songwriters in 1960s Nashville, Loudermilk penned a number of hits that have been recorded by artists ranging from Nina Simone and Norah Jones ("Turn Me On") to William Bell ("Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"), from Johnny Cash ("Bad News") to the Flying Burrito Brothers ("Break My Mind"), and from Paul Revere and the Raiders ("Indian Reservation") to practically every delinquent garage band on the planet ("Tobacco Road"). Loudermilk himself recorded many of these and released them some forty years ago on albums with titles like The Open Mind of John D. Loudermilk, John D. Loudermilk Sings a Bizarre Collection of the Most Unusual Songs, and Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse.
Sure, there was an element of novelty-song humor to some of Loudermilk's work, but much of what's collected on this disc -- a fantastic-sounding reissue of Open Mind and almost all of Most Unusual Songs, plus some other numbers of note, twenty-seven songs in all -- reveals Loudermilk to have been a witty, pop-conscious songsmith who at his best transcended novelty and exhibited, yes, an open mind during years of uncertainty and peril. While some of what's here might seem uncomfortably obvious today, the social consciousness, the regard for life of all stripes, is often remarkable. Even if having the white male in an interracial relationship call his companion "Brown Girl" overdoes it just a bit, that Loudermilk addressed such a situation nearly 40 years ago is admirable. (It's more tactful, but considerably less rockin', than the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar".) Although the apparently authentic chanting in "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian" might be cringe-inducing to the modern listener, the sentiment is hard to argue with and the performance is effectively ominous. And to contemplate the ethical problem of shooting a bird in "The Little Grave", especially in the context of a country-pop album, is a risk few songwriters then and now would be willing to take.
That Loudermilk tempers some of his commentary with humor doesn't serve to weaken it. The first track here, a musical rip-off of "Hi-Heel Sneakers" called "Goin' to Hell on a Sled", makes use of funny voices, all of the opinion that, yes, that's where the world is going if war is rampant, weed isn't just what grows in the cracks on the sidewalk, and prayer isn't allowed in schools. "The Jones'", the ones so many of us strive to keep up with, are seen as ever-present to the point that they control all forms of media. Often the humor is used to demonstrate the resilience of the characters in Loudermilk's story-songs, which typically involve various down-on-their-luck folks who manage to see the silver lining in their predicament. The drifter in "Interstate 40", a "happy son of a gun", says, "The government's given me Interstate 40 / And the good lord's give me a thumb". Ma Baker, owner of a little acre of land which she adamantly refuses to sell to the Tennessee Valley Authority, winds up with a little island where "she can float / And catch big bass from her motorboat / And when the wind ain't a-blowin' too strong / She can water-ski". And of course the singer of "Bad News" -- he who causes trouble everywhere he goes -- can at least say he's a hit with the little girls.
While the lyrical content of even the less interesting songs is above average, it's easy to miss because Loudermilk wasn't as innovative or clever in the musical department. A song like "No Playing in the Snow Today", which cautions against making contact with potentially radioactive snow, has a sickly-sweet melody, cloying background vocals, and syrupy swathes of strings, which detract from the lyrics by making the song sound utterly ordinary. At least "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian" sports a bluesy guitar figure to counteract the obviousness of the tom-toms. In fact, it may come as something of a surprise to have to reconcile the very authentic blues feel of some of these recordings, especially "Tobacco Road" and the moan Loudermilk lets slip during the fadeout of "Interstate 40", with the photo of the bespectacled, totally Squares-ville man in the booklet. One thing's for certain: the man had impressive range, and a thorough command of rural idioms.
For the pop-music fan familiar with the hit versions of his songs, The Open Mind of John D. Loudermilk is a fine place to get acquainted with the songwriter's own recorded efforts. In terms of availability, it'll probably be easier to find than Bear Family's earlier reissues, and at seventy consistently-high-quality minutes, it's a bargain. Entertaining listening for a ride on the 21st-Century sled, too.
by Tom Useted
Tracks
1. Goin' To Hell On A Sled - 2:04
2. The Jones' - 3:17
3. War Babies - 2:41
4. Peace Of Heart - 2:29
5. Sidewalks - 2:33
6. To Ann - 1:43
7. More Than He'll Have To Give - 2:19
8. Poor Little Pretty Girl - 2:24
9. Nassau Town - 2:03
10.Geraldine - 1:35
11.Laura - 2:43
12.Brown Girl - 4:12
13.To Hell With Love - 2:43
14.Ma Baker's Little Acre - 2:26
15.No Playing In The Snow Today - 3:37
16.Bad News - 2:59
17.The Little Grave - 2:16
18.Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues (Gordon Lightfoot) - 3:49
19.I'm Looking For A World - 1:58
20.The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian - 3:33
21.Interstate 40 - 2:27
22.Where Have They Gone - 1:50
23.The Little Bird - 1:59
24.Tobacco Road - 2:55
25.Bubble, Please Break - 2:13
26.It's My Time - 2:38
27.That Ain't All - 1:52
All songs by John D. Loudermilk except where noted
Musicians
*John D. Loudermilk - Voclas, Sitar, Guitars, Organ, Bass
*Henry Strzelecki - Bass
*Forest Borders - Organ
*Jimmy Isbell - Drums
*Billy Sanford - Flat Top, Electric Guitars
*Norris Wilson - Voice
*Pete Sayers - Voice
*Boyce Hawkins - Piano
*Norris Wilson - Voice
*Don Gant - Voice
*Buzz Carson - Voice
*Bergen White - Voice
*Jerry Carrigan - Drums
*Norbert Putnam - Bass
*David Briggs - Piano
*Rick Powell - Piano
*Jerry Kennedy - Guitar
*Joseph Tanner - Guitar
*James Colvard - Guitar
*Floyd Crame - Piano
*James Stewart - Organ
*Charlie McCoy - Harmonica
*Norro Wilson - Harpsichord
*Ray Stevens - Organ
*Byron Bach, Brenton Banks, George Binkley, Howard Carpenter - Strings
*Lillian Hunt, Pamela Goldsmith, Martin Kathan - Strings
*Anita Kerr, Dorothy Ann Dillard, Luis Nunley, Bill Wright - Vocals
*Gordon Stoker, Raymond Walker, Hoyt Hawikins, Neal Matthews - Vocals
McGuinn, Clark & Hillman were one of a series of post-Byrds linkups between the original members that fizzled after a lot of initial promise. They were greeted with great enthusiasm in the rock press in early 1977, but -- as with the self-titled Byrds reunion album on Asylum four years earlier -- never lived up to the promise of the talents involved. Possibly it was too much to expect that they would succeed, given the shakiness of some of the personalities involved (specifically, Gene Clark, arguably the most talented songwriter of the three, who pulled out early on) and the music environment of the time, which had just sworn itself off of prog rock, burned itself out on punk rock, and worn out a fixation on disco. Absent a trio willing to make a committed effort by all three parties, which never fully happened after the debut album, they were always a day late and a dollar short in terms of getting much more than sympathetic enthusiasm from the press and attracting the loyalty of unreformed early-'70s hippies (the audience that would hang on Crosby, Stills & Nash's periodic reunions).
What this double-CD set reminds listeners, however, is that there was some very fine, if not brilliant or groundbreaking, music generated by these guys, at least on their first two albums, when they were still more or less a trio. No, the songs -- with the exception of Clark's contributions -- weren't the finest ever written, but they were mostly catchy and had good hooks; though why is it that one feels that, say, Chris Hillman's "Stopping Traffic" would have worked better as an acoustic number by the trio? The set ends with a pair of acoustic Roger McGuinn demos that are almost worth the price of admission by themselves -- if the group could have sounded as simple and adorned in its official releases as McGuinn sounds here, it might just have had a commercial future, even as a duo. Given the on-again, off-again availability of the group's catalog on CD since the early '90s, the quality of this set is excellent, from the artwork and packaging to the sound quality, which is a significant improvement on the original LPs. They still don't sound much like the Byrds, but Byrds completists should definitely own this double-CD set, and fans of the actual trio will discover a lot that is worthwhile as well.
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
Disc 1
McGuinn, Clark And Hillman 1979
1. Long, Long Time (Chris Hillman, Ramsey, Rick Roberts) - 3:09
2. Little Mamma (Gene Clark) - 4:21
3. Don't Write Her Off (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 3:21
4. Surrender To Me (Rick Vito) - 3:40
5. Backstage Pass (Gene Clark) - 4:29
6. Stopping Traffic (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:20
7. Feelin' Higher (Gene Clark, Jim Messina) - 5:25
8. Sad Boy (Chris Hillman) - 4:03
9. Release Me Girl (Gene Clark, Thomas Jefferson Kaye) - 4:00
10.Bye Bye Baby (Bob Hippard, Roger McGuinn) - 4:01
City 1980
11.Who Taught the Night (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:06
12.One More Chance (Jacques Levy, Roger McGuinn) - 4:11
13.Won't Let You Down (Gene Clark) - 3:59
14.Street Talk (Chris Hillman, John Sambataro) - 2:50
15.City (Camilla McGuinn, Roger McGuinn) - 4:40
Disc 2 City 1980
1. Skate Date (Camilla McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:05
2. Givin' Herself Away (Lynn Tobola, Tom Kimmel) - 3:52
3. Deeper In (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 2:43
4. Painted Fire (Gene Clark) - 2:53
5. Let Me Down Easy (Chri Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 4:02 McGuinn Hillman (Mean Streets) 1980
6. Mean Streets (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 2:57
7. Entertainment (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:27
8. Soul Shoes (Graham Parker) - 3:16
9. Between You and Me (Graham Parker) - 3:01
10.Angel (Chris Hillman, Douglas Foxworthy) - 3:23
11.Love Me Tonight (Robbie Seidman) - 3:18
12.King for a Night (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:34
13.A Secret Side of You (Will McFarlane) - 3:44
14.Ain't No Money (Rodney Crowell) - 3:35
15.Turn Your Radio On (Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn) - 3:06 Bonus Tracks
16.Making Movies (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman) - 3:00
17.Surrender To Me (Rick Vito) - 2:30
18.Little Girl (Unknown) - 4:10
19.I Love Her (Camilla McGuinn, Roger McGuinn) - 2:54
A typical Arlo Guthrie mix of contemporary folk songs and unexpected material from the past, with a little Bob Dylan and dad Woody Guthrie added for good measure. Guthrie's cover of Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In" is superb, as is his slide guitar take on Hoyt Axton's "Lightning Bar Blues." Also worth noting are renditions of Woody's sad ballad, "1913 Massacre," Axton's "Somebody Turned on the Light," and Guthrie's own "Days Are Short." And then there is his definitive cover of "The City of New Orleans," Steve Goodman's ode to the vanishing railroads of middle America. "New Orleans" was Guthrie's only real hit single, and its "Good morning, America, how are ya?" chorus echoed from AM radios throughout the land, making the song a folk music standard.
by Jim Newsom
Tracks
1. Anytime (Herbert Lawson) - 1:47
2. The City Of New Orleans (Steve Goodman) - 4:35
3. Lightning Bar Blues (Hoyt Axton) - 2:52
4. Shackles And Chains (Jimmy Davis) - 2:57
5. 1913 Massacre (Woody Guthrie) - 4:19
6. Somebody Turned On The Light (Hoyt Axton) - 3:18
7. Ukulele Lady (Gus Kahn, Richard Whiting) - 3:24
8. When The Ship Comes In (Bob Dylan) - 4:27
9. Mapleview (20%) Rag (Arlo Guthrie) - 2:08
10.Days Are Short (Arlo Guthrie) - 4:17
11.Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves) - 3:59
1976′s Slippin’ Away sits alongside 1998′s outstanding Like A Hurricane as the peak of Chris Hillman’s solo output. Joyous opener ‘Step On Out’ was later covered by the Oak Ridge Boys. Hillman cites ‘Falling Again’ as a favourite, while the catchy as hell ‘Take It On The Run’ should have been a country rock AM radio perennial.
The epic and haunting Stephen Stills song ‘Witching Hour’ had been in the Manassas repertoire, but that band’s version was not released until the 2009 collection Pieces. The laidback ‘Blue Morning’ is another stunner.
Throughout the album, Hillman sounds like a confident vocalist, even though he confesses in the sleeve notes that this wasn’t the case. Flying Burrito Brothers number ‘Down In The Churchyard’ is reworked here in an almost reggae-country style.
In a more traditional Burritos vein is ‘Midnight Again’, while Hillman returns to his bluegrass roots with album closer ‘Take Me In Your Lifeboat’. He’s aided throughout by a star-studded selection of guests, including Steve Cropper, Bernie Leadon, Timothy B. Schmit, Jim Gordon, Lee Sklar and Herb Pedersen.
by Jim Henderson
Tracks
1. Step on Out (Chris Hillman, Peter Knobler) - 3:15
2. Slippin' Away - 3:27
3. Falling Again - 4:04
4. Take It on the Run - 3:25
5. Blue Morning - 3:51
6. Witching Hour (Stephen Stills) - 4:23
7. Down in the Churchyard (Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons) - 4:02
8. Love Is the Sweetest Amnesty (Danny Douma) - 3:43
9. Midnight Again - 3:35
10.(Take Me in Your) Lifeboat - 2:45
All songs by Chris Hillman except where stated
