Singer-Songwriter Disowns Over-Produced First Album Dept.
"Dey ruined it wit' strings!" Thus lamented surly gobshite Van Morrison of Astral Weeks, and, in a slightly different accent, Arthur Lee of Forever Changes. They were wrong, of course. We know that because we know better.
But what of today's Coronavinyl Cornucopia™? Were the first albums by Randy Newman, James Taylor and Townes Van Zandt victims of heavy-handedness at the mixing desk? Would they have benefited from a lighter touch? A more intimate setting? Is an orchestral context fundamentally unsympathetic to the introspection of the lone minstrel? Why am I asking you? You're not even reading this garbage - you're down in the comments panhandling for a link, ya nogood lousy bum!
For what it's worth, just sayin', my five cents, IMHO, other opinions are available, the answer is a great resounding NUGATORY. Arrangements such as these are very much of their time, beautifully done, and not the kind of thing we will ever hear again. Unless we listen to this again.
As a bonus, you get the notorious "first" Jimmy Webb album, which is a
bunch of demos orchestrated by the cheap grifters at Epic without his approval or input. Whether it
causes you as much grief as it did him is up to you, buddy. I say it's groovy, but then I'm not as sophisticated as you. And your oh-so-smart college friends. Too good for your old pal, eh?
Using your skill and judgement, simply answer the following question to free these recordings from their radioactive chamber on the Van Allen Belt:
ReplyDelete- What have I got in my hand?
Again, for those of you having trouble locating your reading glasses:
- WHAT HAVE I GOT IN MY HAND?
Hmmm..... Don't want to go vulgar, so I'll say, disinfectant?!?
ReplyDeleteLysol
ReplyDeleteNails
ReplyDeleteIt's a long shot I know, but is it a packet of pickled onion Monster Munch ?? I Had a pack recently,First time since about 1985. I didn't think they still made them, they weren't as big as I remember,But back then i would of had smaller hands so that could be why.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Dave. (Slightly disappointed savory snack enthusiast)
Donald Trump, shrunk down to the actual size of his brain.
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Darn ... I thought that you had a bird in the hand
ReplyDeleteAnd her bush in your moosh
Is that the Tayloe album that Apple issued? Was hard to find. And, Newman's rookie release was just ignored by most and many people believe 12 Songs was his first album. Great selections there, Farq.
ReplyDeleteThanks, pmac! Say - you know when your wife moans my name when you're makin' love to her? Don't get mad - be flattered!
DeleteLol.... That was probably the 6' Wanna Be Native American.
DeleteThe actual answer is your weiner of course. Everyone else was just being polite and didn't want to state the obvious. This is a very fine Coronavinyl Cornucopia™ and I'm a big fan of the orchestral pop arrangements of the day; can't get enough of them as long as their tasteful and the songs are actually good.
ReplyDeleteThank you, sir. The Randy one is a particular favourite. Love the bonkers-stylee arrangements - also to be heard on Peggy Lee's unimprovable version of 'Is That All There Is?' Unimprovable, that is, until Cristina and August Darnell took a blow-torch to it.
ReplyDeleteMy absolute numero uno bonkers arrangements sixties production album is Song Cycle. There are sounds on that album you just can't hear anywhere else. There's a brilliant (and long) "making of" story somewhere on the net. Truly a one-off masterpiece. It's not featured here because everyone concerned with it is proud of their achievement, as they should be.
DeleteThe Randy Newman is an oddity. It's true to his roots (his father being movie soundtrack genius Alfred E. Neuman of course), but is as pmac says often ignored, in favor of the stripped-down (hence more "authentic") second album. Which sounds a tad too basic for my tastes. And where I can forgive VDP's fey warbling I've never warmed to Newman's adenoidal head voice.
Yup, Song Cycle is up-there bonkers alright - and don't forget VDP is co-producer on Randy's first...
ReplyDeleteUnusually for this site, I actually have all of these titles on CD. The over the top arrangements on Randy's album are I think directly attributable to VDP who co-produced. Agree totally about Song Cycle. A unique masterpiece that not even the artist could get near again.
ReplyDeleteBack in the nineties I attended a Jimmy Webb concert/song writing seminar. At the end of the show I dutifully lined up to get a couple of CDs signed by the artist. He was still so incensed by Sony's release of the Webb Sings Webb album that he refused (politely) to autograph my copy of same...
I wonder if anyone's had the chutzpah to ask Van Morrison to sign one of the many reissues of his Bang contract termination recordings? Or Dylan the "Dylan" album?
Delete