Hugh Montenegro – Dawn Of Dylan (1971)

Artist: Hugh Montenegro
Title: Dawn Of Dylan
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: GWP

Imagine a rock & roll version of the Ray Coniff Singers put together by the composer of the soundtrack to the film Hurry Sundown, covering the ten tunes by Bob Dylan which the public found his most recognizable at this point in time.

That’s the product of the man who had a number one hit with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the tune from the 1968 Clint Eastwood film. The singers and musicians are not listed; only the producer, arranger, conductor, album coordinator, and engineers.

Great art it is not, but as a piece of pop history it is pretty intriguing. “Lay Lady Lay” is ridiculous, but they do it all straight-faced. This isn’t Patty Duke attempting to sing on her Valley of the Dolls album, nor is it Mrs. Miller being a total farce, but it inadvertently comes off just as whimsical.

Songs like “The Times They Are a Changin’” call for grit and a rough edge, and what they have here is the complete opposite. If Montenegro was going to be this bold why didn’t he include “Masters of War”? Or take it a step further and follow this album up with an early-’70s tribute to Black Sabbath?

A lone flower adorns the front and back cover, and it looks like one of those Pickwick budget deals, but the shame of it is “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly” was a monster hit with unique and thought provoking sounds. There is none of that here.

The name Hugo Montenegro splashed on this cover makes it appear like the listener is going to get stunning original re-creations of Bob Dylan’s music.

Now had they given “The Mighty Quinn” and “Like a Rolling Stone” that deep, dark, mysterious music which burst out of the Clint Eastwood film instead of this second rate attempt to cop Ray Conniff’s riffs, this would be a masterpiece.

Liz Damon’s Orient Express does it much better on “1900 Yesterday,” and they don’t prostitute Bob Dylan’s name in the process to try to sell some records. Could’ve have been much more, but it isn’t. (Allmusic)

Track Listing

1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. The Times They Are A-Changn’
3. Blowin’ In The Wind
4. She Belongs To Me
5. Lay Lady Lay
6. It Ain’t Me Babe
7. The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)
8. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
9. Mr. Tambourine Man
10. My Back Pages

The Anita Kerr Singers – All You Need Is Love (1967)

Artist: The Anita Kerr Singers
Title: All You Need Is Love
Year: 1967
Format: LP
Label: Warner Brothers

The multi-talented, Nashville-based Anita Kerr had been a studio arranger and behind-the-scenes mover and shaker in Music City USA for nearly two decades when she signed with Warner Brothers in the mid-’60s. Her fourth LP bore the optimistic title All You Need Is Love (1967).

In addition to remaking the Beatles’ Summer of Love anthem, Kerr (soprano/soloist) leads her ensemble — which also consists of B. J. Baker (alto), Gene Merlino (tenor), and Bob Tebow (bass) — through an assortment of contemporaneous light rock and pop. Some of the re-arrangements work better than others in a choral setting.

For instance, the Bee Gees’ languid “Holiday” is exquisite and moody with Kerr’s voice hovering over the ensemble for an ethereal listening experience that is particularly recommended for those who like the original.

The Addrisi Brothers-penned “Never My Love” bears the same harmonic earmarks and complexities as the Association’s hit version with the buoyancy of Kerr’s gliding vocals. From the Bacharach/David songbook comes arguably the most endearing inclusion of them all, Kerr’s interpretation of “The Look of Love.”

It retains all of the mystique and subtle charm of Dusty Springfield or Dame Shirley Bassey without becoming too instrumentally watered down or vocally tarted up. While not quite on par with the previously mentioned tunes, for the remake of “How Can I Be Sure?,”

Kerr and company match the minor-chord noir, yet can’t seem to believably pull off the blue-eyed soul ingrained within the Rascals’ formidable grooves.

And to the same point, Kerr perhaps would have been better served having shelved the utilitarian choral reading of “(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman.

Clearly, Aretha she ain’t! And for her next album Sounds (1968), the Anita Kerr Singers returned to delivering selections that are uniformly better suited to the combo’s strengths. (Allmusic)

Track Listing

1. All You Need Is Love
2. Holiday
3. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
4. Never My Love
5. Stay
6. How Can I Be Sure
7. Autumn Afternoon
8. No Salt On Her Tail
9. The Look Of Love
10. In The Morning
11. I Make A Fool Of Myself
12. Last Waltz

Dave Antrell – Dave Antrell (1970)

Artist: Dave Antrell
Title: Dave Antrell
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Amaret

Dave Antrell. This is his contribution. Singer, songwriter, musician. A giant for the ’70s. Like the great contributors of the ’60s – Dylan, McKuen, Webb, Lennon & McCartney – Antrell also is more than just a singer and a songwriter, Antrell is a philosophy.

In a world disturbed, dave antrell’s songs ring with optimism; a rare poet painting pictures of love and hope. Sometimes they’re of lost love (“Sunset”), and sometimes of happier moments (“Straight From a Rainbow”). The songs are Antrell’s contributions; he is the vehicle. Antrell’s voice is a rare blend. It combines the driving joy of a Bobby Sherman and the haunting strains of a Paul Simon.

It’s upbeat and bright (“Takin’ No Chances”), soft and tender (“Karen”), thoughtful and reflective (“For Isaiah 2:4″). Dave Antrell is an entertainer of the ’70s. A beautiful person with a brilliant message. One that rings with meaning. It is Dave Antrell’s message. And, his contribution. (album liner notes)

Track Listing

1. Straight From A Rainbow
2. Her World Of Sweet Pretend
3. Midnight Sunshine
4. Karen
5. Lost A Dream
6. Lost A Dream (See The People Going Down)
7. The Clock Strikes Twelve
8. For Isaiah 2:4
9. Children Of The Sun
10. Sunset
11. I’m Taking No Chances