David Patton – David Patton (1971)
Artist: David Patton
Title: David Patton
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Wooden Nickel
Contributed By Eliot W.
David Patton made two countrified albums for Chicago-based Wooden Nickel, the successor to Bill Traut’s Dunwich label of the 1966-67 era. Distributed by RCA, Wooden Nickel was owned by Traut and Jim Golden and Jerry Weintraub and it lasted from 1971 to 1977.
But for all intents and purposes, it stopped real operations when their star group, Styx, left for A&M in 1975. Patton’s first self-titled album was produced by James Lee Golden and had such players as Larry Carlton, Larry Brown, Tom Hensley, Bill Perry, and Buddy Emmons. (Eliot W.)
Listening to David Patton…. makes me hungry to hear Alex Harvey and his “Delta Dawn” from the same era…. oh what a rich vein David taps into…. that side-saddle position that took such singers out of the rhine-stone shine into a slightly risqué outlaw stance…. yet holding on, hanging on actually, to all the trappings that Nashville had to offer? (most clearly demonstrated by the likes of “I’d Rather Be At The Grand Old Opry”), a track that takes us out to Nam where our trooper is dodging bullets and raindrops yearning to back home in the home of ‘Country’……a great track.
For starters David has one fine set of singing chops…. and secondly he is ably backed throughout, by players who can really sweetly play over the tortured songs on offer here and the torture is fully placed where it belongs….. woman trouble presaged by the passage of Time. So piano, guitar, banjo, drumming first rate and a world-weary voice years removed from Jim Reeves, (though both celebrate the same lonliness) …. aha…. one way question the occasional use of saccharine strings…. obligatory of course…. just ask Jesse Winchester.
One of the niggles, which may be one of the albums strengths, is David has not found his own style…. veering as he does from Glen Campbell sound-alike to Doug Kershaw sound-alikes’ and all stopping off points in-between.
Many a fine singer has been swallowed by the Nashville machine…. was David Patton? ……. just not sure how Nashville, Wooden Nickel or Dunwich were….. but RCA as distributor….. hmmm…just what is David doing these days?
The album is a sweet mixture of rumpity bumpity shoogling slightly upbeat tunes and wandering, meandering melancholy ballads……listening to it makes me think of “Paint Your Wagon”…. now go light up your pipe to that one.
The album closes off with a couple of tunes that sum up this album: one a reflective pointer to a future, where our intrepid David will be a fit and able match for HER……and a yucka chucka boom beat rear-view glance to “That Girl”…aha…just about time for David to tightened his belt, button up his denim shirt and git on that horse and head off to anywhere else?
Recommended to lovers of soft country Americana with one hand firmly hanging onto Nashville? (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- You Are Gone
- The T. V.A.
- The Devil In Me
- Lincoln Freed Me Today
- I’d Rather Be At The Grand Ole Opry
- Bourgeoise Woman
- Winter’s Comin’ On
- Only Yesterday
- Back To Atlanta
- Sweet Little Baby I Care
- That Girl
David Patton – Buckeye (1972)
Artist: David Patton
Title: Buckeye
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Wooden Nickel
Contributed by Eliot W.
David Patton’s second album, “Buckeye,” featured many of the same session musicians as the first album, continuing in the same mellow but funky vein, a sound that’s not so far off from Joe South or a rootsier David Gates. (Eliot W.)
David kicks off with a slightly higher range on show on “Her”…. now just how tight did he hitch that belt? ……before launching into a brillo-pad breeze of a Ralph Stanley hip hip hooray race home on a train, with his horse firmly locked in the goods wagon? on “Hear That Whistle Blow”….. what a wheeze of a start to Buckey, the second David Patton album on show here in the redtelephone.
The strings wrap their golden syrup round “Lookin’ Good” while “Goodbye to Goodbye” is a throwaway, worth hearing…. some pretty chirpy guitar picking on show kick the strings into the stands, and David takes us out with a pretty standard outro.
In “Swamp River Queen” David shows he’s not left Doug Kershaw etal with his discarded socks at the last Motel Room……makes me want to seek out some serious Redbone music? The track has some real good harmonica…shook a shaking going on…. and David is joined by some distant vocal accompaniment….
“Dakota” boasts some electric guitar licks…. and David is in danger of being outdone by his musical buddies choogling along on this little tune.
However, don’t worry, David is back on top….. voice sounding at his expressive best on “Like Tonight” and they double whammy together on “Los Angeles Leavin’”….a pretty radio friendly tune and the strings grab the tune and give it extra texture and depth.
“Fool’s Hall of Fame”…is snuck in two from the end…. perhaps that’s the best place for it? and “People in Dallas Got Hair” closes off David’s second platter…another attempt by David and band to try gain a heavier edge.
What next for David?
Buckeye, like David’s other offering will not disappoint those seeking out easy on the ear country tunes, however such tunes that will not bend one’s mind or take us to pastures new? (REVIEWED BY AYE AFLOAT)
Track Listing
- Her
- Hear That Whistle Blow
- Lookin’ Good
- Goodbye To Goodbye
- Swamp River Queen
- Dakota
- Like Tonight
- Los Angeles Leavin’
- Fool’s Hall Of Fame
- People In Dallas Got Hair
Love Sculpture – Forms & Feelings (1969)
Artist: Love Sculpture
Title: Forms & Feelings
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Parrot
Second and last album by Welsh power trio Love Sculpture led by the immensely talented guitarist Dave Edmunds, who also sings and plays piano, with bassist John Williams and drummer Bob Jones. On this album the band moves away from the Blues-Rock direction, which dominated the debut, moving into the Psychedelic and Progressive genres.
Dominated by the immense success of their single, which presented an instrumental version of Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” and was a worldwide hit, the band recorded two more arrangements of classical pieces: Gustav Holst’s “Mars” and Georges Bizet’s “Farandole”, all exceptional showcases for Edmunds’ spectacular guitar playing. The album turned out to be a classic and in retrospective still serves as a great document of the era. Guitar freaks rejoice! (Jazzis RYM)
Track Listing
- In The Land Of The Few
- Seagull
- Nobody’s Talking
- Why (How Now)
- Farandole
- Sabre Dance [Single Version]
- You Can’t Catch Me
- People People
- Mars
- Sabre Dance
- Think Of Love
Repairs – Already A Household Word (1971)
Artist: Repairs
Title: Already A Household Word
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Rare Earth
Can’t tell you much about this six piece, other than they were apparently from Connecticut (at least that’s where their album was released). The line-up featured multi-instrumentalist Mike Foley, drummer Ace Holleran, guitarist Jim Honeycutt, singer Sukie Honeycutt, multi-instrumentalist Peter McCann, and guitarist Larry Treadwell.
In addition to being released by Motown’s Rare Earth subsidiary, their debut album Already A Household Word was interesting for teaming the group with Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham.
Showcasing a largely original collection of material (Joni Mitchell’s “Michael From Mountains” being the lone cover), Peter McCann served as the prime writer, he was responsible for nine of the fourteen tracks.
The majority of McCann’s songs reflected a country-rock (“Lonesome Sorrow”), or folky feel (“Tired Of Feeling”), but he showed himself capable of far more interesting material – witness the cool Free Design-styled “There She Was”. (Bad Cat)
Track Listing
- O Lonesome Sorrow
- Measures
- Sleepwalkin’ Child
- There She Was
- Circle Won’t Take Me Around
- Thinking It Over
- Walkin’ Down My Road
- Michael From Mountains
- Celebration
- Tired Of Waiting
- Paper Goodbye
- Americoround
- Bummer World
- Fanciful Funny Man
Repairs – Repairs (1972)
Artist: Repairs
Title: Repairs
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Mowest
Repairs were a Connecticut group consisting of Peter McCann (vocals-keyboards-guitars-string arrangements), Sukie Honeycutt (vocals-keyboards-percussion), Larry Treadwell (vocals-keyboards-guitars-accordion-harmonica-percussion), Mike Foley (vocals-bass-guitar) and T.Ace Holleran (drums-percussion) with addional instrumentation by Bob Bonefant, Barry Marshall, Michael Kaman (woodwind-horns) and David McCann (fiddle).
This is actually Repairs second album, produced by ex Rolling Stones producer Andrew Oldham. Oldham also produced the group’s first album, “Already A Household Word” in 1971 (see above post). The album is an exceptional collection of originals covering a variety of genres including folk, rock and progressive efforts with alternate male and female lead vocals.
Oldham’s production makes for a well polished recording (you’re sure to enjoy this one!!!) After leaving the Mowest label, the group recorded a third album, “Live” on the independent Kuckuck label in 1974. (Max Collodie)
Track Listing
- Songwriter
- Preacher
- Time
- Circus Song
- Off My Mind
- Travis Pickin’ C
- Lord Of The Mountains
- Confessions
- Fiddler
- Nowhere
- Fine & Gentle Lady
- Timeline
Newbury Park – Newbury Park (1970)
Artist: Newbury Park
Title: Newbury Park
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Cream
Every so often, you come across an album that just kinda stops you in your tracks. Not because it’s great music or anything, but because there on the front cover, staring right at you, is an absolute total sixties BABE. One that you just KNOW you’re destined to meet, provided you could somehow muster up a word or two while in her presence.
I mean, let’s be honest, you didn’t REALLY like the Shocking Blue THAT much, did you? But yet you bought every album you found because that smokin’ hot chick with the deadly eyeliner called to you from every album cover, practically begging you to take her home (in Dutch, probably, but you somehow understood). And hey, for $5.98, you didn’t have to listen to it, you just propped it up on your dresser and used it when necessary.
Likewise those two babes in the Love Generation who looked like they’d rather be sauntering around the Playboy mansion in sheer pink teddies than singing, i’m sure their photo on the cover of every album didn’t hurt sales. And when we discovered that Ruth Copeland and Gal Costa actually put out some GREAT records, well, that was just a bonus. I mean, i had ‘em for three YEARS before I ever bothered to listen to ‘em.
Now, i’m not about to tell you that Newbury Park’s album is great. It’s good sunshine pop, full of breezy melodies and sumptuous girl-on-girl, er, i mean girl and boy harmonies. Or so i’ve been told. I still haven’t gotten past that cover.
Speaking personally, and this is just my own opinion of course, but that right there is my 60′s dream come true.
Two of the most AMAZING hotties in folk pop history, the perfect pair of hippie chicks. and if i were alive back then, i’d have gone to EVERY ONE of their concerts, even if they sang nothing but old sea shanties.
I don’t know what’s BEST about this photo the sexy come-hither look of the slightly-sluttier version of Michelle Phillips, the impossibly perky, gravity-defying shirt on the button-cute brunette, or the fact that these mega-babes are actually hanging out with two guys I KNOW I can take.
I mean, LOOK at those guys! They HAVE to be the girls’ brothers, right? There’s no way in H*#@ a love goddess in tight striped pants would EVER hang out with Kevin Costner’s dad, right? Where’s my time machine, for God sake?
Should you ever go so far as to actually PLAY this album (while staring at the cover), you’ll find some very pleasant gentle soft pop and breezy summer shine grooves. But again, there’s four band members on the cover and one instrument, an acoustic guitar, so what were you expecting, speed metal? “Afternoon Sky” is a great calliope circus ride of soft pop, while “I Wanna Come Home” is a slightly drunken-sounding Mamas and Papas clone that tells the story of a soldier writing home to Mom.
And Newbury Park’s cover of the Lemon Pipers‘ “Green Tambourine” is breezy soft pop heaven with four-part harmonies replacing the original sitar. It’s all deliriously happy, swinging sunshine pop bliss, just the kind of stuff you’d probably play if you were trying to get into a hot young brunette’s tight-fitting striped bellbottoms and you happened to look like Kevin Costner’s dad with a bad comb-over. Hey, don’t laugh, it looked like it worked.
Now, i’m not trying to reduce Newbury Park’s album to just another slab of T&A, okay, maybe I am, but look, this stuff’s just as good as any other soft pop coed harmony pop outfit, the Green Lyte Sunday, for example, or the Love Generation, or the Free Design, for that matter. But if you got two hot babes in your band, it’s just Smart Marketing 101 that you take advantage of it.
But lemme just reiterate, Newbury Park is MORE than just T and A, even when the T is as mesmerizing as it is on the brunette, rest assured all you sunshine pop Fading Yellow Soft Sounds for Gentle People lovers will find a bounty of beautiful new tunes on this record
These ladies DESERVE to be taken seriously as musicians, and as talented vocalists who, together, create a sound that’s as smooth and breezy as a summer’s day in 1968. Now ladies, please, give me a call sometime, okay? (Prairie Prince Minsky)
Track Listing
- My God And I
- I Will Take You There
- I Wanna Come Home
- Green Tambourine
- Hey Little One
- Zip A Dee Doo Dah
- My Own 1889
- When I Am Young
- You Only Know Me
- Afternoon Sky
- Love Now
- Zig Zag People
The Vogues – Meet The Vogues (1965)
Artist: The Vogues
Title: Meet The Vogues
Year: 1965
Format: LP
Label: CO & CE
This debut contains “You’re The One” which is easily forgot to everyone except the diehard oldies stations listeners. The rest of this LP is mostly covers of other people’s hits like Tom Jones, Len Barry, and the Temptations among the better ones.
But this LP contains a prize inside (oh like Cracker Jack?) THE WORST GUITAR SOLO IN ALL OF EARLY ROCK N ROLL!!! I won’t tell you on which track cuz it’ll spoil it for you but when you hear it you’ll laugh and say “Kupa99 was right!!!” A garage rock rusty staple! Not to be sneezed at! Note: “Make It Easy On Yourself ” is worth the price of admission. (Kupa99 RYM)
Track Listing
- You’re The One
- Hang On Sloopy
- Make It Easy On Yourself
- Catch Us If You Can
- Baby Don’t Go You
- Were On My Mind
- 1-2-3
- Ain’t That Just Like Me
- My Girl
- It’s Not Unusual
- Nothing To Offer You
- Lovers Concerto
The Vogues – Five O’Clock World (1966)
Artist: The Vogues
Title: Five O’Clock World
Year: 1966
Format: LP
Label: CO & CE
Who knew “5 O’ Clock World” was in these’s guys’ future? Wait, the liner notes said it came out as a single before this LP was released?!?!? What a money making scam! Wait till the second LP to release the hit song on the second album! Note: Not as Rock and Raunchy as the first album, more on the pop side. (Kupa99 RYM)
Track Listing
- Five O’ Clock World
- Goodnight My Love
- Sunday And Me
- Everyone’s Gone To The Moon
- Let’s Hang On
- A Thousand Miles Away
- One More Sunrise
- Over And Over Again
- Make The World Go Away
- Run Baby Run
- My Troubles Are Not At End
- Humpty Dumpty
The Tokens – December 5th (1971)
Artist: The Tokens
Title: December 5th
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: B.T. Puppy
Here’s a strange one that’s very high on collector’s lists that hardly ever shows up, and is probably just as rare as their other B. T. Puppy release, “Intercourse” and almost as rare as the Bow Street Runners‘ “self-titled” album released on the label in 1970 (see October 2, 2010 post).
An interesting, albeit uneven collection of singles, b-sides and outtakes, a few of them probably from the “It’s A Happening World” sessions (see February 20, 2010 post). There’s some vintage Tokens vocal harmonies on such tunes as “Don’t Cry Sing Along With The Music“, “I Could See Me Dancin’ With You” and “Oh To Get Away” plus a throwback to the early sound of the band, “Havin’ Fun” which sounds like it could have been a follow-up to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight“
But what makes this collection essential is the trio of cuts on side two, especially the African rhythms of “Beach Party” and the strange “Dirty Old Beach” with it’s raunchy beat and lyric including a strange moog middle section. The last of these three is the Brute Force (Stephen Friedland) original “Take A Good Hard Look“, an organ driven garage/frat-rock masterpiece which is furthest from anything the Tokens ever recorded (this might have been destined for Brute’s album “Extemporaneous” ).
Other interesting cuts are “Brick Castle” which has a “Chicago” style brass arrangement, “Magic Love” which has a similar brass arrangement but sounds more like Frankie Valle than a Tokens track, “Bye Bye Maureen & (Bye Bye Roberta)” a tribute to the Beach Boys and the album’s opener “Swing” that has sort of a bossa nova groove and like “Havin’ Fun” is a throwback to their early days. As mentioned before, a very interesting but uneven collection. (Jack Dominilla)
Track Listing
- Swing
- Don’t Cry, Sing Along With The Music
- I Could See Me Dancin’ With You
- Magic Love
- Goodbye Maureen & (Bye Bye Roberta)
- Havin’ Fun
- Beach Party
- Dirty Old Beach
- Take A Good Hard Look
- Brick Castle
- Oh To Get Away
