It's called both Back To and Return To on the internet, but whichever way you go you arrive at one hell of an album. FoamFeatured© antecedently, it's the album Rick Nelson cut in '78 after Intakes. It was inexplicably shelved by Epic, after they'd ignored Intakes. So it never got a cover (the one above is a new one by me) nor possibly a track order.
I can't find musicians' credits, but it was produced by Al Kooper, so he's probably playing. There's a touch of funk, a hint of country, and it's a beautiful piece of work. Nelson always had impeccable taste, which is evident in his song choices (no originals here). It's very close in feel and effect to Lowell George's Thanks I'll Eat It Here, from the year before, which Nelson must have been listening to. If you love that album, and of course you do, you'll love this, too.
I can only guess that the suits were thinking of Nelson as a brand, not an artist. Worrying about "demographics" and other fictions only marketing people worry about. Look how he looks! With that voice and these songs it took a lot of work not to make a million bucks out of this one, but everybody lost - the definition of an Epic fail. He should have been with Warners.
an Epic fail . . . Which we still mite like ta hear...
ReplyDelete(...We can wait while you craft your Phil Spector tribute...)
The Koop! Still searching in vain for DLs of his Kapusta Kristmas ElPees...!:
https://www.discogs.com/search/?q=Kapusta+Kristmas&type=all
@UncleB -- I don't have the very first volume, but here
Deleteare the other four:
https://mega.nz/folder/msgXEaLD#xJks5bynrvOh9-CyLW5xSQ
Many thank yous unto you.
DeleteAwesome sauce!
DeleteMooch-ass grassy-ass, C.D.! (For these Al El Pees)
(Warning: Diatribe Alert System in effect...)
I usta have 'em all... A few fried HDs ago...
They (All?) have “made the rounds” over the years, but not lately. Not that I can find, anyway. (No longer can we rely on old stand-bys like “Dr. Forrest’s Cheese Factory” or Cookie's “Bedazzled!” . . . ) (?)
“The Legendary Kapusta Kristmas Album” was the first of six (?).
Oh, and, they aren’t necessarily “Xmas” music, just oddities compilation LPs which were given away by Al K. each year around the holidays . . . Think "Celebrities at Their Worst," et al.
A brief (POPSIKE) description of the Kooper "Kapusta Kristmas" stuff...:
“Al Kooper compiled and pressed (this LP series) on his own for distribution to his friends during the holidays. There are about 6 of these that he made (correct me if I'm wrong on that number) but the first is by far the hardest to come by. As few as 100 were pressed. (Later editions were pressed in the low hundreds.)
The records are made up of 'found sounds' that Kooper had collected over the years -- studio outtakes, studio banter, recordings of the famous and semi-famous in their not-so-shining moments, crazy answering machine messages, musical jams, etc. A true sound collage of all manner of obscurantia.
From Kooper's notes on the back (of “The Legendary Kapusta Kristmas Album”):
'This record is meant as a goof and is a gift to my friends. Any unauthorized use (reproduction or broadcast) would get us both in trouble with the government. Just take it out once a year and take the album out too and listen to it. Put it back and stay out of trouble . . . Love, Allie.'
Dedicated to Ronnie Van Zant & Dean Kilpatrick.
Kooper discovered and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd for his own Sounds of the South label in the early '70s. Van Zant, of course, was the vocalist for Skynyrd and Kilpatrick was a roadie for the band. Both died in the infamous plane crash. (I've no idea as to why Steve Gaines or Cassie Gaines are omitted from the dedication.)”
Phil Spector?
ReplyDeleteNumber One With A Bullet.
He-ere's Rick!
Double Homicide: He murdered Lana Clarkson and "The Long and Winding Road".
DeleteExcellent.
DeleteThanks, Dude.
DeleteBeautiful work on the cover. Makes me proud to be one of the 4 (or 5) guys 'round here.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was to replace one I was never pleased with. I have a tendency to over-work - sometimes, like the header to the blog, it works, but mostly it's better to know when to stop.
DeleteAccording to the sessionography notes on Rick's Legacy boxset, the musicians were
ReplyDeleteguitars - Keith Allison, Jeff Baxter, Don Preston, John Beland
bass - Bob Glaub
keys - Michael McDonald, Al Kooper, Dr John
drums - Rick Schlosser
percussion - Bobby Lakind
Not all played every session, e.g Beland replaced Allison and Dr John replaced McDonald
Thanks, Sam!
DeleteOzzie and Harriet would be proud.
ReplyDeleteDid you get that sack of soup greens I mailed you?
DeleteJust the other day for the first time heard ("thanks"? T.?) Harriet Nelson tearin' it up at Master Recorders with James Burton & co. on "Just Because."
DeleteCan be found on their "SEPIA" (no joke!) label CD:
https://www.discogs.com/Ozzie-And-Harriet-With-Ricky-Nelson-Ozzie-And-Harriet/release/15873790
Huh?! Soup Greens?! I want some too!:
Delete("Pebbles" pick "Like A Rolling Stone" is the sleeper what's a keeper!):
https://www.discogs.com/Soup-Greens-Thats-Too-Bad/master/689854
Nelson definetly played to his own inner ear. '78 was when country was really starting to take over the airwaves, and while he was formerly thought of as being a country/pop artist, he moves away from that genre. Looking forward to listening to this.
ReplyDeleteLink January 18, 2021 at 1:44 PM
DeleteGotta be a hick/To not love Rick
ReplyDeleteIn the rarities department he did an album called Memphis Sessions where he even tackled some Buddy Holly, early Elvis & Stones material.
ReplyDeletepmac will not have enjoyed his stab at Louisiana Man.
FoamFeatured™ Antecedently, Clar. As has been just about everything. I know for a fact that pmac likes Pat Boone's version of I'm A Man the most.
DeleteNah. I actually prefer Boone's version of that classic NO standard, Hey Pock A Way. "Litlle bitty boy, with a heart of steel.
DeleteHe can't move it now
But his sisters sure will."
Hey Pocky A-Way.
DeleteTalkin' 'bout hey now (hey now)...
Didn't the Boonester cut "Sissy Strut" . . . ?
DeleteOn his "'Chicken Strut' - and other cleaned-up for church Southernisms" album, ca. 196Z...
Shut the front door.
eh, las bas
DeleteOR...
Delete"Ay La Bah" when it's the super duper '55 model Dolly Cooper version...
(Other side, a rockin' version of "My Man" ... some years before Irma Thomas had a crack at it...)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI give.. Can't find link..
ReplyDeleteLink January 18, 2021 at 1:44 PM. Nudge your cursor over the hyphen in "he-ere's"
DeleteCheese........ Blintz gets a "gimme"!
DeleteI got the original you posted before but it you've remastered it since then of course I need to have it again. The more compression you can add the better so it will "pop" on my $5 ear buds I got down at the convenience store.
ReplyDelete