Tim Rose – Love, A Kind Of Hate Story (1970)

A nearly forgotten singer/songwriter of the ’60s, Tim Rose’s early work bore a strong resemblance to another Tim working in Greenwich Village around 1966-1967 — Tim Hardin. Rose also favored a throaty blues folk-rock style with pop production flourishes, though he looked to outside material more, wasn’t quite in Hardin’s league as a singer or songwriter, and had a much harsher, even gravelly vocal tone. Before beginning a solo career, Rose had sung with Cass Elliott in the folk trio the Big Three a few years before she joined the Mamas and the Papas. Signed by Columbia in 1966, his 1967 debut album (which actually included a few previously released singles) is considered by far his most significant work.

Two of the tracks were particularly noteworthy: his slow arrangement of “Hey Joe” inspired Jimi Hendrix’s version and “Morning Dew,” Rose’s best original composition, became something of a standard, covered by the Jeff Beck Group, the Grateful Dead, Clannad, and others. Years later, though, it was debated as to whether Rose wrote the song, or whether folksinger Bonnie Dobson penned the original version. Some non-LP singles he recorded around this time have unfortunately never been reissued, and although he made several other albums up through the mid-’70s, none matched the acclaim of the first one.

An influence on Nick Cave and others, Rose died on September 24, 2002. A posthumous album called Snowed In, which contains material Rose was working on in the last year of his life, was released in 2003 by Cherry Red Records. (by Richie Unterberger)

And here´s his 3rd album:

A middling album, produced by Shel Talmy, and a little heavier on the “rock” in folk-rock than Rose’s 1960s recordings were. In fact, the backing band is Rumplestiltskin, a Talmy-formed supergroup of session players including Herbie Flowers on bass, Alan Parker on guitar, and Clem Cattini on drums. Rose sounds like a minor-league Joe Cocker on “Ode to an Old Ball,” but gets into more original, moody melodies on “I Know These Two People,” with its harpsichord, and “Sympathy.” “Dim Light a Burning” has some of the same riff-driven urgency found on one of Rose’s most famous tracks, “Morning Dew.” Still, in all, it’s the work of a secondary, though not mediocre, rock and folk-rock singer-songwriter. (by Richie Unterberger)

Personnel:
Clem Cattini (drums)
Tina Charles (background vocals)
Bass – Herbie Flowers (bass)
Alan Hawkshaw (keyboards)
Alan Parker (guitar)
Tim Rose (vocals, guitar)

Alternate UK edition:

Tracklist:
01. I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You (B.Gibb/R.Gibb/M.Gibb) 2.29
02. Dimlight (Rose) 3.17
03. Where Do You Go To My Lovely (Sarstead) 6.17
04. You Can’t Stop Yourself (Rose) 2.52
05. Sad Song (Clinton) 4.44
06. Georgia By Morning (Cadd/Mudie) 4.16
07. Ode To An Old Ball (Rose) 3.37
08. Sympathy (Kaffinetti/Ashton/Gould/Field) 2.42
09. I Know These Two People (Rose) 3.29
10. Jamie Sue (Rose) 3.56

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Promo poster:

Single from Japan:

More from Tim Rose in this blog:

Aigues Vibes – Water Of Seasons (1981)

Named for a French town whose name in turn refers to “prosperous fountain/source”, Aigues Vives was formed in 1971 in the part of Germany close to the Belgian border.

Initially, they were influenced mostly by the progressive rock of their day, but several purges and reformations cast them as a mostly acoustic folk group with plenty of progressive touches.

Not particularly German sounding, they nonetheless do bear some comparison to early Hoelderlin, Broselmaschine, or even Emtidi.

It was the third incarnation that finally committed a recording to posterity. Water of Seasons is an entrancing and trippy yet rooted disc that appeals across a broad spectrum of prog folk, psychedelic, and German progressive fans. It was released in a limited edition of 1000 copies and commands a healthy price among collectors.

After yet another lineup change, the group integrated a rock backing with medieval sounding folk in a homegrown cassette Dwarfs Casting Long Shadows, meant to presage a second LP that never materialized.

In 2004, both LP and cassette were packaged together by Garden of Delights into the CD Water of Seasons, which remains available and worthy of a wider audience. (progarchives.com)

The idea of a German group being into any of the following is in itself not particularly noteworthy: early 70s British progressive rock, French and Irish folk songs, Anglo folk rock, to name a few. But an obscure band passing through these distinct stylistic phases from 1971, yet only releasing product in 1981, that IS interesting! More so because the result is worth hearing.

By the time of the original LP that contained the first 8 cuts here, the group was in Phase 3, in which they were exploring folk rock, but had retained their psych origins, sounding not unlike HOELDERLIN meets SPIROGYRA if you will, by way of BROSELMASCHINE but without a trace of OUGENWEIDE. This is understated and largely acoustic prog folk with a mysterious almost misty mood. This is well shown in the longest track, “Heroes”, and in which Paul Possart excels on the strings, part violin and part fiddle, imaginatively straddling the line between symphonic and earthy. Hendrikje Horn’s flutes are less prominent but also set the atmosphere to match the plaintive multitracked vocals and the wistful melodies. They also take a more active role on other songs and instrumentals. Luckily the voices in English are good. Roland Enders’ lead guitar adds some electricity without stepping out of line.

Other highlights include the hypnotic “Night” and “Flying Fortress” which could be an outtake from a much earlier Moody Blues album thanks to the swirling flute. The album suffers from a bit of sameness of tempo and mood, but the original closer “Planet of Dreamers” has a delightful chorus and some delicate and powerful lead guitar. While the lyrics admittedly were a decade past their prime thematically, this anachronistic quality is one of the appeals of the group.

The 4 bonus tracks were from Phase IV of the group, in which more electronic elements were introduced, but at the same time a certain medieval bardic quality could be discerned, especially in “The Knight Errant”, which is bolstered by Eva Küllmer’s accompaniment on vocals, and “The Sailor”. The bonuses were meant to be part of a second album that was aborted when the group disbanded in 1983, and were wisely included by Garden of Lights along with a superb booklet and history. A swig of fresh water for prog folk fans. (by Keneth Levine

Personnel:
Karl Beck (bass, guitar, vocals)
Richard Bellinghausen (drums, percussion)
Roland Enders (vocals, guitar, mandolin)
Hendrikje Horn (flute, vocals, percussion)
Franz Kremer (flute, guitar, banjo, vocals)
Eva Küllmer (flute, saxophone, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals)
Paul Possart (violin, vocals)
Michael Wolff (guitar, keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. The Accident (Enders/Schumann) 5.56
02. Heroes (Beck/Enders/Wolff) 7.56
03. Dent du Geánt (Enders) 2.33
04. Night (Beck) 4.04
05. Flying Fortress (Enders/Wolff) 5.10
06. Water Of Seasons (Krmer/Beck) 2.48
07. Mediterranean Journey (Enders) 5.45
08. Planet Of Dreamers (Enders) 5.50
+
bonus tracks from unreleased second LP):
09. The Knight Errant (Enders/Beck) 4.05
10. E Pericoloso Sporgersi (Enders) 4.03
11. The Sailor (Enders/Beck) 3.24
12. The Forest Queen (Enders/Beck) 3.10

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Melanie – As I See It Now (1975)

Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk (February 3, 1947 – January 23, 2024), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, was an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for the 1971–72 global hit “Brand New Key”, plus her 1970 version of “Ruby Tuesday”, which was originally written and recorded by the Rolling Stones, her composition “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma”, and her 1970 international breakthrough hit “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” (inspired by her experience of performing at the 1969 Woodstock music festival).

At the time of her death in 2024, Melanie had been working on a cover album entitled Second Hand Smoke.

Melanie married record producer Peter Schekeryk in 1968. They had three children: daughter Leilah born on October 3, 1973; daughter Jeordie on March 27, 1975; and son Beau Jarred on September 11, 1980. Leilah and Jeordie, when aged 7 and 6, released a cover of “There’s No One Quite Like Grandma” that charted in Canada, reaching No. 27. Peter died in 2010. Melanie was a vegetarian in the early 1970s; she also practiced fasting.

Melanie identified herself politically as a libertarian, stating: “I’m a total Libertarian, and I am not a Democrat, a Socialist, or a Republican.” For a time, at the beginning of her career, Melanie was a follower of Meher Baba and this influenced some of her songs (such as “Love to Lose Again” and “Candles in the Rain”). She stated that, in 2006, she underwent a life-altering experience with Mata Amritanandamayi or Amma (“Mother”) as she is also known, or as the “hugging saint” from India, which inspired Melanie to write “Motherhood of Love”.

Melanie resided in the Nashville, Tennessee area. She died on January 23, 2024, at the age of 76. (wikipedia)

And here´s her 13th soloalbum:

Nine months after Madrugada’s commercial failure, Melanie braved the waters again with As I See It Now, a rather limp try at country-folk credibility. “Yankee Man” (originally “Yankee Lady”) by Jesse Winchester is spoiled by wincingly cute lyrics, whichever way the pronouns are switched. Melanie’s misdirected cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” is an absolute slog to get through — along with most of As I See It Now, it’s ruined by staid production. Listener fatigue sets in well before side two, which is when the album finally picks up.

Skip the tooth-rotting “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” and left are three striking Melanie originals; “Autumn Lady,” “Chart Song,” and the title track. “Chart Song” is an astrology-tinged poem to Melanie’s daughter; unsentimental, succinct, and proof of her ongoing melodic knack. It’s just a pity there’s such a glut of midtempo filler to get through first. (by Charles Donovan)

The CD version contains the entire contents of the vinyl; plus an enjoyable bonus track. Furthermore: Melanie’s rendician of the song “Don’t Think Twice: It’s Alright” is unlike any other version I’d ever heard! Whenever I hear that song by a diferent singer: I can’t help wondering how many versions of it are out there altogether!

Definitely sheer audible ecstasy all the way! Care to speculate? Anyhow: I love every single song on this album; as I’ve loved them on my record for years! Furthermore: Now that I’m fortunate enough to own it: No amount of money on earth could persuade me to part with it! Furthermore: I’d highly recommend it to any “Serious” Melanie Fan. It’s definitely an accurate demonstration of Melanie’s many talents and versatility; as well as her many diverse styles of singing! If you’re a serious collector of rare and hard-to-find albums: You’d better grab this one while its still obtainable! (by Ronnie G. Kitzmiller)

Personnel:
Gene Bianco (harp)
Richard Davis (bass)
Steve Feldman (piano, percussion, background vocals)
Frank Franco (guitar, slide-guitar, xylophone, percussion)
Barry Harwood (guitar, pedal-steel guitar, banjo, background vocals)
John Shane Keister (piano)
Sy Mann (piano)
George Marge (woodwind)
John Mulkey (bass, background vocals)
George Ricci (cello)
Melanie Safka (vocals, guitar)
Toots Thielemans (harmonica)
Harry Wimmer (cello)
Roy Yeager (drums, percussion)
+
Mike Heron (synthesizer, guitar, background vocals on 11.)
Ron Frangipane (piano on 11.)
Robin Williamson (kalimba on 11.)
+
basckground vocals:
Clifton Nivison – Susie Watson-Taylor

Tracklist:
01. Yankee Man (Winchester) 4.10
02. You’re Not A Bad Ghost, Just An Old Song (Safka) 2.19
03. Record Machine (Safka) 2.59
04. Eyes Of Man (Safka) 3.27
05. Stars Up There (Safka) 1.24
06. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Dylan) 5.57
07. Sweet Misery (Safka) 3.13
08. Monongahela River (Safka) 2.47
09. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (Donaldson/Kahn) 2.30
10. Autumn Lady (Safka) 3.20
11. Chart Song (Safka) 4.18
12. As I See It Now (Safka) 3.22
+
13. La Bamba (Traditional) 2.50

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More from Melanie in this blog:

The official website:

A message from Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred
Dear Ones,
This is the hardest post for us to write, and there are so many things we want to say, first, and there’s no easy way except to say it… Mom passed, peacefully, out of this world and into the next on January, 23rd, 2024.
We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much! She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that.
Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars.
We ask tonight, Wednesday January 24th, at 10pm central time, each of you lights a candle in honor of Melanie. Raise, raise them high, high up again. Illuminate the darkness, and let us all be connected in remembrance of the extraordinary woman who was wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so very many people.
We are planning a Celebration of Life for Mom and it will be open to all of you who want to come and celebrate her. The details will be announced as soon as they are in place. We look forward to seeing you there.
At this time please allow us, her family, privacy as we grieve for her, remember her, and figure out how to navigate this crazy world without her.
Thank you all for your love – you meant so very much to her.
Love and Peace,
Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred

(taken from facebook)

Cyril Havermans – Cyril (1973)

Cyril Havermans is a Dutch musician, best known for being in the progressive rock band Focus.

Cyril Havermans (birth name Cyriel Havermans) was the bassist and vocalist for a number of Dutch pop bands in the 1960s, using the stage name Carel Hagemans: Peter and the Beats (1965–66), The Heralds (1966–67), Special Concept (renamed to Spatial Concept) (1967–68), and Big Wheel (1968–1969). In 1969 he began to perform as Cyriel Havermans in live concerts in the Netherlands with members of the nascent Focus (Thijs van Leer, Martijn Dresden, and Hans Cleuver) as his backing band.

His tenure as bassist with the progressive rock band Focus lasted from late 1970 until September 1971 during which time he played many live concerts with the group and recorded Focus II (aka “Moving Waves”). In 1971 this LP won the Edison award, the Dutch equivalent to the Grammy, for best album of the year. According to Melody Maker magazine, it reached No. 2 in the UK charts in 1973, and spawned “Hocus Pocus”, a top ten hit single in the US, UK, and many other territories worldwide. Aside from Cyriel’s plaintive, wordless wailing on “Pupillae” from the Focus II LP’s sidelong “Eruption” suite, his vocal talents found no other outlet on this mostly instrumental album.

He left the band to pursue a solo career playing melodic, acoustic guitar music with English lyrics. At this time Cyril dropped the ‘e’ from his first name. An eponymous album was released in 1973 with musical support from his old Focus bandmates Jan Akkerman, Thijs van Leer, and Pierre van der Linden. A second album, Mind Wave, followed in 1974, and Cyril’s group was sometimes featured as an opening act for Focus’ European concerts in 1975. He was a guest musician on Lucifer’s “Margriet” album, released in 1977.

In 1983 he replaced André Reijnen as bassist in the oft-reunited Brainbox. In 2007 he played bass in the Group Three Pianos with brothers Paul and Tim Krempel. That same year Cyril sang and played bass guitar with ex-Brainbox members Kaz Lux and Rudy de Queljoe at the Blues and Roots Festival in Oosterhout, Netherlands, and June 2011 he guested with rhythm & blues band Cold Shot for a gig in Breda. In September 2012 he and Kaz Lux performed as a duo, also in Breda. In October 2016 he was interviewed and sang and played blues tunes on acoustic guitar on the BredaNu television show, On Stage. (wikipedia)

Cyril is the first solo album by Dutch singer-songwriter Cyril Havermans. It was recorded in 1973 after Havermans left Dutch progressive rock band Focus. The parting was amicable and came about partly as a result of Havermans’ desire to include more vocal content (Focus are primarily an instrumental band). His erstwhile band-mates contribute much instrumentation to the album.

The songs are, for the most part, short acoustic guitar driven numbers and bear little resemblance to Focus material (Havermans did not write for the band). The lyrics are in English, apart from the traditional song “The Humpbacked Flute Player”. (wikipedia)

Cyril Havermans is a Dutch musician who began his career in various small groups in the 1960s, being remembered mainly for being part of Brainbox and later the legendary Focus, even recording Moving Waves, when he left to pursue a solo career.
Here I post his first and penultimate disc, which features all the members of Focus at the time, as well as other guests. It’s 10 short tracks of mostly acoustic folk rock, far from the great compositions of his former band, but still very well performed and arranged. The touches of the geniuses Akkerman and Thijs van Leer give several songs a more progressive feel, with passages of flute, organ, guitar and percussion.
A beautiful and interesting record not just for Focus fans, but progressive folk as a whole. Recommended! (http://rocknrollperolas.blogspot.com)

This album was never released on CD.

Personnel:
Jan Akkerman (guitar)
John D’Andrea (piano)
Chuck Domanico (bass)
Cyril Havermans (vocals, guitar, bass)
Thijs van Leer (keyboards, flute)
Pierre van der Linden (drums)
Emil Richards (percussion)
+
background vocals:
Jackie Ward – Andrea Willis – Maxine Willard

Tracklist:
01. A Long Line Of Goodbyes 2.02
02. A Charm Of Love Can Be 2.45
03. Theme For An Imaginary Lady 4.25
04. Ev’ry Day (Just For You) 2.35
05. Share Those Dreams 2.53
06. Get Yourself By 2.04
07. The Humpbacked Flute Player 3.12
08. Lady Sad Song 3.26
09. There’s A Pain 2.33
10. Broken Dreams 2.34

All songs written Cyril Havermans
except 07.: Traditional

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Dave Mason – Live In Pasendena (1981)

David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock musicians, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and Cass Elliot.

One of Mason’s best known songs is “Feelin’ Alright”, recorded by Traffic in 1968 and later by many other performers, including Joe Cocker, whose version of the song was a hit in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote “Hole in My Shoe”, a psychedelic pop song that became a hit in its own right. “We Just Disagree”, Mason’s 1977 solo U.S. hit, written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of U.S. classic hits and adult contemporary radio playlists.

In 2004, Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Traffic. Within the same year, Mason started a new electric guitar company with business partner and industrial designer Ravi Sawhney. (wikipedia)

And here is an extremely rare live recording of Dave Mason … most of the songs are played “unplugged” …

There have been many releases of this show, but this recording from the radio station “The Source” is the only one that contains the entire concert.

In addition to familiar Mason songs, we also hear songs like “Stand By Me” (Ben E. King), “Dust My Blues” (Elmore James), “All Shook Up” (Elvis Presley) and “Bring It On Home To Me” (Sam Cooke)

And Jim Krueger is a real great guitar player !

Recorded live at Perkins Palace, Pasadena, August 01, 1981
(Airdate: December 12, 1981)

Personnel:
Jimmy Haslip (bass)
Rick Jaeger (drums)
Jim Krueger (guitar, background vocals)
Dave Mason (guitar, vocals)
Tony Selvage (violin)

Tracklist:
01. The Source Intro (by George Taylor Morris) / Only You Know And I Know (Mason) 4.58
02. Band introduction 0.39
03. Just A Song (Mason) 2.41
04. Stand By Me (King/Glick) 3.09
05. Sad And Deep As You (Mason) 4.44
06. Dust My Blues (James) 3.23
07. We Just Disagree (Krueger) 2.45
08. Let It Go, Let It Flow (Mason) 3.38
09. Feelin’ Alright (Mason) 5.35
10. All Shook Up (Blackwell/Presley) 1.55
11. Maybe (Mason) 2.58
12. Every Woman (Mason) 2.48
13. The Words (Mason) 3.11
14. Bring It On Home To Me (Cooke) 4.01
15. Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave (incorrectly listed as “Different Ways” on disc) (Mason) 4.15
16. World In Changes (Mason) 3.06
17. Can’t Stop Worrying, Can’t Stop Loving (Mason) 3.01
18.All Along The Watchtower (Dylan) + Outro 8.30
+
19. Live in Pasadena (uncut version, part 1) 44.41
20. Live in Pasadena (uncut version, part 2) 23.05

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I got this recording as an MC during the 80s:

More from Dave Mason in this blog:

The official website:

Bert Sommer – Inside (1969)

Bert William Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990) was an American folk singer, songwriter and actor. He appeared in the musical Hair and at the Woodstock Festival, and released several albums as a singer-songwriter.

Sommer grew up in Queens, New York, learned piano and guitar, and began writing songs when in his teens. He attended Woodlands High School. He became friendly with other young musicians and songwriters in the area, including Michael Brown and Leslie West, and wrote several songs for West’s band, the Vagrants, including their single “Beside the Sea”, co-written with producer Felix Pappalardi and his wife Gail.

In 1967, Sommer joined Michael Brown’s band, The Left Banke, as lead singer, replacing Steve Martin and co-writing their single “And Suddenly” with Brown, but the group soon fell apart following legal threats by Martin’s lawyers. Sommer also wrote “Brink of Death”, recorded by the band Childe Harold. Soon afterwards, he was recruited as a cast member of the musical Hair, soon being promoted to the role of Woof. His “frizzed-out Afro” hair and eyes featured on the playbill for Hair in 1969.

He was signed by Capitol Records, and in June 1969 released his first album, The Road to Travel, produced by Artie Kornfeld as were his next two albums. Kornfeld’s involvement with the Woodstock Festival led to Sommer being invited to perform there. He was the third act to perform on the opening Friday, August 15, 1969. He sang ten songs, including “Jennifer”, a song inspired by his fellow Hair performer, Jennifer Warnes, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”, after which he received the festival’s first standing ovation. However, because he was signed to a rival record label, a recording of his performance was not made publicly available until 2009.

Sommer’s second album, Inside Bert Sommer, was released in May 1970 on the Eleuthera label, a subsidiary of Buddah Records, and featured the single “We’re All Playing in the Same Band”, which reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1970.

Sommer continued to perform in and around New York, often opening the bill for major acts such as Ike and Tina Turner and the Byrds. A third album, Bert Sommer, was released on Buddah in 1971 but, like Sommer’s other albums, was commercially unsuccessful. Sommer spent some time in a rehabilitation facility in the early 1970s, and then formed a trio, Sommer, Landis & Roberts, with Gary Roberts (also known as Johnny Rabb) and Rob Landis.

While Sommer continued to write songs, he returned to acting. After being encouraged to audition by music producer Artie Ripp, he appeared as “Flatbush” of Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow in 1976, but did not reprise the role in the second season. In 1977, his fourth album, also titled Bert Sommer, produced in Los Angeles by Ron Dante, was released by Capitol Records, but was again unsuccessful and he was dropped by the label.

He returned to Albany in the early 1980s and continued to perform with Johnny Rabb in a band, The Fabulous Newports. He also continued to record demos in the hope of getting a record deal; one track, “You”, was featured in the films The Patriot and Stella. His last performance was in Troy on June 11, 1990, with Rabb.

Sommer died in Troy, New York on July 23, 1990, after a long battle with a respiratory illness. (by wikipedia)

“Inside” was his second solo album, released not long after his appearance at the Woodstock festival – his performance did not make the film, although his performance of Paul Simon’s ‘America’ was hugely appreciated and this is the only track on the album not written wholly, or in part, by Bert. The album is not a normal singer/songwriter album, as it has significantly varied genres. This variety is the USP of the album, although it may have restricted the commercial impact the album had. (Press release)

Bert Sommer’s second album was the work of a singer/songwriter with too much talent to dismiss as inconsequential, yet not enough talent or originality to qualify as a notable overlooked performer. His voice is the kind that will not be to every listener’s taste, as it’s so high and shaky at times that it can be mistaken for female singing. At others, however, he’s rather reminiscent of the Guess Who’s Burton Cummings, though certainly not as ballsy; sometimes he sounds a bit like Paul Simon (whose “America” he unwisely covers here).

Though Sommer’s songs have a Baroque prettiness, there’s also a peculiar undercurrent of melancholy to many of them, as if he’s trying to cheer himself up through musical means. Never is this more apparent than in what’s by far the record’s strangest song, “I’ve Got to Try/Zip Zap,” a first-person lament of a junkie trying to rise out of his personal ashes, though you get the feeling that this is one struggle not destined to succeed. A bit too ornately pop to fit into the early singer/songwriter movement, the record’s also way too serious to fall into the sunshine pop camp. Those who’ve been made aware of Sommer via his Left Banke connections will be interested in the presence of his own version of “The Grand Pianist,” also included around the same time on the sole album by the Michael Brown-produced Montage (on which Brown had a strong songwriting and instrumental role). (by Richie Unterberger)

Personnel:
Jimmy Calvert (guitar)
Ron Frangipane (keyboards)
Joe Mack (bass)
Hugh McCracken (guitar)
Specs Powell (drums, percussion)
Bert Sommer (vocals, guitar)

Tracklist:
01. Smile (Sommer) 3.04
02. It’s A Beautiful Day (Sommer) 3.00
03. Eleuthera (Sommer) 2.18
04. The Grand Pianist (Brown) 2.22
05. Uncle Charlie (Sommer) 2.27
06. I’ve Got To Try / Zip Zap Medley (Sullivan) 4.56
07. America (Simon) 3.19
08. Mama, If You’re Able (Sommer) 2.09
09. Friends (Sommer) 3.17
10. On The Other Side (Sommer) 4.35
11. Here In The Timeless Life (Sommer) 2.42
12. We’re All Playing In The Same Band (Sommer) 3.21

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More from Bert Sommer in this blog:
The official website:

Yusuf (Cat Stevens) – Glastonbury (2023)

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he only performed music which met strict religious standards, he returned to making secular music in 2006.He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014

After making a successful run at the British charts in the late ’60s, Cat Stevens left behind the pop-oriented style of his early days and became one of the most celebrated folk-rock singer/songwriters of the era. It was all thanks to landmark albums like 1970’s Tea for the Tillerman and its 1971 follow-up, Teaser and the Firecat.

His earthy voice, introspective lyrics, and themes of spirituality struck a chord with audiences around the world, turning songs like “Wild World,” “Father and Son,” and “Peace Train” into anthems for a generation seeking comfort from the turbulent 1960s. As his popularity peaked in the front half of the ’70s, Stevens began to chafe at the effects of his stardom, and after a near-death experience in 1976, he began a religious conversion to Islam. By 1978, he had formally changed his name to Yusuf Islam and retired from popular music. Over the next several decades, he remained focused on his family and devoted himself to humanitarian aid, charitable causes, and educational efforts.

His musical pursuits eventually began to re-emerge in the 1990s with a series of Muslim children’s albums, and in 2006 he returned to Western pop with the album An Other Cup, released under the name Yusuf. Still a devout Muslim, he found a balance between his faith and honoring the work he’d previously made as Cat Stevens. The ensuing decade was marked by continued charitable work, a return to touring, and the release of more pop-oriented Yusuf albums like 2014’s bluesy Tell ‘Em I’m Gone and 2017’s Grammy-nominated The Laughing Apple. (by William Ruhland)

On the surface, Yusuf/Cat Stevens might seem an unlikely booking for the Sunday ‘legends’ slot. He’s an artist who changed his name and stopped making mainstream music entirely in 1979 as a result of his conversion to Islam, and didn’t resume performing secular material until 2006. His profile in the intervening years was confined to the news, where he regularly appeared as a spokesperson on matters pertaining to the Muslim community.

In the interim, his vast-selling 70s albums receded a little into history and now, bafflingly for anyone who remembers their respective profiles in the early 70s, the work of Nick Drake is probably better known and certainly more regularly referenced as an influence today than Yusuf’s oeuvre.

The Yusuf tour band (top l-r) Lucas Imbiriba, Stefan Fuhr, Valentin Pellet, Luke Smith, Ben Abarbanel-Wolff, Friedrich Milz (bottom l-r) Liz Lubega, Izzy Chase, Kwame Yeboah:

But that simply means his legends slot is an opportunity for Yusuf to remind the audience of just how many remarkable songs he was responsible for – not only the singer-songwriter material that made him a global superstar as the decades turned, but the smart, occasionally slightly strange pop that was his stock in trade prior to that. I Love My Dog – which he performs as a medley with Here Comes My Baby – remains a deeply odd song, one that compares his affections for his inamorata unfavourably with those he feels for his faithful hound.

He seems slightly taken aback by the reaction – “Wow, thank you! Incredible. Woah!” – but perhaps he shouldn’t be. It’s followed by The First Cut Is the Deepest, which is as indelible and beautiful a song as anyone wrote in the ’60s. And as if to prove the point, he subsequently covers the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun: The First Cut Is the Deepest sounds just as good.

And the later singer-songwriter material – Moonshadow; Oh Very Young; Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard; a closing double-punch of Wild World and Father and Son – fits the moment perfectly. It floats through the thick afternoon air, constantly on the precipice of a thunderstorm – a perfectly soothing balm for Sunday’s sore heads and exhaustion.

Even Morning Has Broken, the old hymn that his 1971 reworking, managed to turn into a ubiquitous part of ’70s children’s lives (no assembly was complete without one of the trendier, slightly longer-haired teachers strapping on an acoustic guitar and favouring the pupils with a shaky rendition), has long since shaken off its associations with musty school halls. At Glastonbury it feels sweet and moving, cutting through your hangover fog with its wide-eyed innocence.

The audience lap it all up, as they lapped up Dolly Parton or Barry Gibb in previous years – albeit with more of them in a recumbent position than there were when Jive Talkin’ or 9 to Five were blaring out from the stage. Yusuf leaves with a humble “God bless you” to huge cheers: an understated kind of triumph, but a triumph nonetheless. (Alexis Petridis)

Thanks to Eddiethecat for sharing the HDTV broadcast at Dime.

Recorded live at the Glastonbury Festival. Pyramid Stage, Worthy Farm, Pilton, UK; June 25, 2023. Very good audio (ripped from HDTV broadcast).

Personnel:
Stefan Fuhr (bass)
Friedrich Milz (trombone)
Valentin Pellet (trumpet)
Luke Smith (keyboards)
Cagt Yusuf Stevens (vocals, guitar)
Ben Abarbanel-Wolff (saxophone)
Kwame Yeboah (drums, keyboards)
+
background vocals:
Liz Lubega – Izzy Chase

Tracklist:
01. Intro 3.57
02. The Wind (Stevens) 2:00
03. Moonshadow (Stevens) 2.54
04. I Love My Dog / Here Comes My Baby (Stevens) 2.17
05. The First Cut Is The Deepest (Stevens) 3.11
06. Matthew & Son (Stevens) 2.36
07. Where Do The Children Play? (Stevens) 3.54
08. Oh Very Young (Stevens) 2.57
09. Hard Headed Woman (Stevens) 4.15
10. Sitting (Stevens) 3.40
11. Tea For The Tillerman (Stevens) 1.51
12. (Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard (Stevens) 3.23
13. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (Stevens) 3.28
14. Morning Has Broken (Traditional) 3.45
15. Take The World Apart (Yusuf) 3.48
16. Here Comes The Sun (Harrison) 4.11
17. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Benjamin/Caldwell/Marcus) 4.36
18. Highness (Yusuf) 4.44
19. Peace Train (Stevens) 4.22
20. Pagan Run (Yusuf) 4.50
21. Wild World (Stevens) 4.14
22. Father And Son (Stevens) / Outro 4.20

*
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More from Cat Stevens in this blog:

The official website:

Neil Young – Same (1969)

Neil Percival Young OC (November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining the folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the beginning of his solo career, often with backing by the band Crazy Horse, he has released critically acclaimed albums such as Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969), After the Gold Rush (1970), Harvest (1972), On the Beach (1974), and Rust Never Sleeps (1979). He was also a part-time member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with whom he recorded the chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu.

His guitar work, deeply personal lyrics and signature high tenor singing voice define his long career. Young also plays piano and harmonica on many albums, which frequently combine folk, rock, country and other musical genres. His often distorted electric guitar playing, especially with Crazy Horse, earned him the nickname “Godfather of Grunge” and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam. More recently he has been backed by Promise of the Real.

Young directed (or co-directed) films using the pseudonym “Bernard Shakey”, including Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Human Highway (1982), Greendale (2003), CSNY/Déjà Vu (2008), and Harvest Time (2022). He also contributed to the soundtracks of the films Philadelphia (1993) and Dead Man (1995).

Young has received several Grammy and Juno Awards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice: in 1995 as a solo artist and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. In 2000, Rolling Stone named Young No. 34 on their list of the 100 greatest musical artists. According to Acclaimed Music, he is the seventh most celebrated artist in popular music history. 21 of his albums and singles have been certified Gold and Platinum in U.S. by RIAA certification. Young was awarded the Order of Manitoba in 2006[2] and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009: (wikipedia)

Neil Young is the debut studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young following his departure from Buffalo Springfield in 1968, issued on Reprise Records, catalogue number RS 6317. The album was first released on November 12th 1968 in the so-called ‘CSG mix’. It was then partially remixed and re-released in late summer 1969,[2] but at no time has the album ever charted on the Billboard 200.

The first release of the album used the Haeco-CSG encoding system. This technology was intended to make stereo records compatible with mono record players, but had the unfortunate side effect of degrading the sound. Young was unhappy with the first release. “The first mix was awful”, he was reported as saying in Cash Box of September 6, 1969. “I was trying to bury my voice, because I didn’t like the way it sounded”.

The album was therefore partially remixed and re-released without Haeco-CSG processing. Most of the songs from the original album were re-released as-is, only without the Haeco-CSG processing. Only three were remixed, which were replaced on the master tapes: “If I Could Have Her Tonight”,[3] “Here We Are in the Years”, and “What Did You Do to My Life?”.[4] The words “Neil Young” were added to the top of the album cover after what was left of the original stock had been used up, so copies of both mixes exist in the original sleeve. Copies of the original mix on vinyl are now rare and much sought-after by Neil Young fans who believe that the remix diminished the songs, especially “Here We Are in the Years”.

Neil Young was remastered and released on HDCD-encoded compact discs and digital download on July 14, 2009, as part of the Neil Young Archives Original Release Series. It was released on audiophile vinyl in December 2009, both individually and as part of a box-set of Neil’s first four LPs available via his official website. This box set was limited to 1000 copies. The remaster was also released on CD, individually and as Disc 1 of a 4-CD box set Official Release Series Discs 1-4, released in the US in 2009 and Europe in 2012. High resolution digital files of both the CSG and non-CSG albums are available to subscribers on the Neil Young Archives website.

Rolling Stone wrote “in many ways, a delightful reprise of that Springfield sound done a new way”. (wikipedia)

On his songs for Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young had demonstrated an eclecticism that ranged from the rock of “Mr. Soul” to the complicated, multi-part arrangement of “Broken Arrow.” On his debut solo album, he continued to work with composer/arranger Jack Nitzsche, with whom he had made “Expecting to Fly” on the Buffalo Springfield Again album, and together the two recorded a restrained effort on which the folk-rock instrumentation, most of which was by Young, overdubbing himself, was augmented by discreet string parts. The country & western elements that had tinged the Springfield’s sound were also present, notably on the leadoff track, “The Emperor of Wyoming,” an instrumental that recalled the Springfield song “A Child’s Claim to Fame.”

Still unsure of his voice, Young sang in a becalmed high tenor that could be haunting as often as it was listless and whining. He was at his least appealing on the nine-and-a-half-minute closing track, “The Last Trip to Tulsa,” on which he accompanied himself with acoustic guitar, singing an impressionistic set of lyrics seemingly derived from Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited. But double-tracking and the addition of a female backup chorus improved the singing elsewhere, and on “The Loner,” the album’s most memorable track, Young displayed some of the noisy electric guitar work that would characterize his recordings with Crazy Horse and reminded listeners of his ability to turn a phrase. Still, Neil Young made for an uneven, low-key introduction to Young’s solo career, and when released it was a commercial flop, his only album not to make the charts. (Several months after the album’s release, Young remixed it to bring out his vocals more and added some overdubs. This second version replaced the first in the U.S. from then on, though the original mix remained available overseas.)  (by William Ruhlmann)

Personnel:
Ry Cooder (guitar)
George Grantham (drums)
Earl Palmer (drums)
Carol Kaye (bass)
Jim Messina (bass)
Jack Nitzsche (piano)
Neil Young (vocals, guitar, keynboards, synthesizer, harpsichord)
+
background vocals:
Merry Clayton – Brenda Holloway – Patrice Holloway – Gloria Richetta Jones – Sherlie Matthews –  Gracia Nitzsche
+
unidentified: trumpet, trombone, tenor saxophone, French horn, clarinet, timpani, strings

Tracklist:
01. The Emperor Of Wyoming 2.18
02. The Loner 3.52
03. If I Could Have Her Tonight 2.20
04. I’ve Been Waiting For You 2.31
05. The Old Laughing Lady 5.56
06. String Quartet from Whiskey Boot Hill  1.06
07. Here We Are In The Years 3.17
08. What Did You Do To My Life? 2.27
09. I’ve Loved Her So Long 2.46
10. The Last Trip To Tulsa 9.27
+
11. Sugar Mountain (live) 5.35

All songs written by Neil Young
except 06. written by Jack Nitzsche

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More from Neil Young in this blog:

The official website:

Wayne Roland Brown – Same (1975)

New Zealand raised, Nashville based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and one-time opal miner Wayne Roland Brown has recorded 15 albums and had his share of hits and misses.

Wayne Roland Brown is the epitome of the travelling minstrel, educating people about different cultural and musical expressions in a career that has taken him to 34 countries over the past 40 years. Along the way he collected and learned to play a vast number of musical instruments, worked with some of the industry’s best musicians and producers and only narrowly escaped the fame that he once eagerly pursued.

Brown grew up in a number of central North Island towns, leaving New Zealand for a time as a youngster to live in Canada after his father died. When he returned in his late teens, writing and performing music had become a passion.

Brown was half of the duo Harper & Brown, played clubs with fellow songwriter Reece Kirk, and was in demand as a solo act. His first recording was with Harper & Brown for the single ‘Dream No.47’ b/w ‘Sermon (In Rememberance of the Nameless)’ recorded for Tala Records in a studio above an electronics shop in Levin, and released in 1972. Rob Harper played bass, fiddle and harmonies and Brown sang and let rip on his guitar and wah-wah pedal, which he’d recently acquired.

Brown was always keen to experiment and learn different instruments, adding a sitar to his performances early on.

While studying law at Victoria University he began to do pub gigs around Wellington with fellow songwriter Reece Kirk. One day Edd Morris from Strange Records turned up, and being suitably impressed he booked time at EMI studios. Brown worked with sound engineer Michael Grafton-Green, who’d recently arrived from Abbey Road Studios in London along with a new 8-track tape machine and desk. They managed to record, mix and complete the master acetate for what became Wayne Roland Brown’s first album in six hours. It included originals, Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’ and two versions of Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’, one an eerie rendition with Brown playing church organ and the other a sparser take. “I used to open and close my concerts with that song so I did the same on the album. Everyone was stoned in those days so I guess it was just part of the deal,” he says.

Brown was always keen to experiment and learn different instruments, adding a sitar to his performances early on. His philosophy was that if nobody told him he couldn’t do it, he’d just give it a go. Sometimes the result was embarrassing, but mostly, he says it worked.

Signed to Pye, his contract was taken up by RCA when Pye wound down its activities in New Zealand in 1975. Brown repackaged his first two recordings as the double album Chairs, Shoes And Songs Of Comfort and began selling them at his gigs.

Contracted to RCA for two more albums, the songwriter continued to explore different styles. The albums Stealer Of Hearts and Fools And Pretenders were released in New Zealand and Australia in time for his move across the ditch. He picked up work in pubs, clubs and strip joints – “whatever kept bread on the table and the rent paid” – and was the opening act for Brian Cadd, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs and other top Australian artists.

His folksy, storytelling style and diversity on so many instruments endeared him to the Australian Arts Council, opening the doors for a relationship that would last 25 years.

“They’d put me on a plane with a pilot, 18 to 20 musical instruments and a small sound system and we’d fly to remote communities and schools, including the opal towns.”

Being stranded by torrential rain at Lightning Ridge in the outback of northwestern New South Wales was a life changing experience. “I got to know the miners, drank beer with them at the pub and bowling club and listened to their stories. One of them gave me a rough opal, which I took back to Sydney. After having it cut I made a lot of money.” Brown was hooked and began making regular trips back to Lightning Ridge, investing in opal and gemstone mining.

If his albums weren’t selling in the record stores he was certainly making up for that at live venues, always making enough to pay for the next recording venture. Then his career got a real boost when one of his songs caught the attention of a country music star Crystal Gayle. The track ‘Our Love Is On The Faultline’ from his Fools And Pretenders album, written by his New Zealand friend Reece Kirk, became a No.1 hit for Gayle on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Soon after that he went to Nashville and was signed to Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’s Rondor Music. When he got a telegram from the publishing company informing him his song ‘True Love’ had been accepted by Seals & Crofts he thought he might be on a roll.

“It was a great version but then they had some management issues and it was dropped. As I learned in the music industry things can change very quickly. While six other artists covered the song, Seals & Crofts could have made it huge.” He renamed the track ‘Romancing’ and included it on his Flight Of Fancy album.

Another near miss came with the song ‘Essential Sensual’ used in the movie Cocktail, which starred Tom Cruise as a performing bartender. While viewers got to hear more of Wayne Roland Brown’s composition than any other song, it never made it to the soundtrack CD.

“There was a problem with my management in the US and the owners of the copyright would not negotiate a percentage. In the end I actually made more money from the movie than The Beach Boys did out of their song ‘Kokomo’, which was on the soundtrack.”

The album sold over 8 million copies worldwide and could have been another career changer for the New Zealand songwriter, who remains philosophical. “It’s called the music ‘business’ for a reason.”

In 1982 Wayne Roland Brown returned to New Zealand to record Trick of the Light at Glyn Tucker’s Mandrill Studios. The polished pop songs were either Reece Kirk originals or collaborations, designed with radio play in mind. His rhythm section featured Frank Gibson Jr on drums and Bruce Lynch as bass player and arranger.

With the 1980s dance craze and the focus on extended mixes, Brown did a little genre bending with his song ‘Let It Burn’, which looked for a time like it might gain serious chart action. It was spinning on DJ turntables at nightclubs around Australia and the US, but industry infighting soon put paid to that.

“It was released on the Powderworks label through RCA in Australia, which invested a huge amount of money in a video but then there was a fallout between the A&R guys about who was going to get the credit and I got caught in the middle.” The video was never released.

Around this time Brown was experimenting with gospel sounds, which took him back to his roots.

Around this time Brown was experimenting with gospel sounds, which took him back to his roots. He’d come from quite a religious family, his father had been a pastor, and it seemed a natural thing to do. He was contracted by an Australian gospel recording company and while relatively pleased with the sessions it is not an album he recalls with any satisfaction. “They never paid me, the bastards.”

His follow up album Flight of Fancy was a compilation of previously recorded but unreleased material, including the first outing for ‘Essential Sensual’, six years after the movie Cocktail. Many of the songs were recorded in Nashville with multi-platinum award winning producer Bill Halverson.

Brown continued to explore the gospel roots of popular music on the songs ‘Free at Last’ and ‘I Believe’. For a sense of authenticity, he called on the Nashville Episcopalian Choir. “This wonderful wailing black southern Baptist choir turned up in two buses; there were 26 of them and 24 had personal managers.”

They all squeezed into Ronnie Milsap’s studio, formerly owned by Roy Orbison, who recorded most of his hits there. “The singing was one most memorable sessions I’ve ever done.”

The 1996 album Capricorn is a more laid back, tropical affair, celebrating 20 years in Queensland. Brown played many of the instruments himself to achieve a cruisy Cuban flavour. The sessions featured top US players: Jim Horn from the Hollywood Horns, guitarist Larry Chaney and bass player Dave Pomeroy.

In One World, which was recorded over 10 days at his Nashville home, he returned to the roots he’d been exploring progressively over three decades, mixing it up across multicultural musical boundaries. “I was touring schools, introducing kids to world music to hopefully spark an interest in the different ways of hearing music of the world to bring some cultural understanding.”

Brown says he continues to collect instruments from around the world. “I can’t help myself. I just sit down with street musicians and learn about what they’re playing.” His favourites are two Arabic ouds (“Their influence on western music has been huge with all the quarter tones”) and he loves the sitar and the sarod from India because, “You have to rewire your brain to play them and listen to them.”

On the Songs For All Seasons CD, he goes even further on the track ‘Meditation’, exploring throat singing, Tibetan prayer gongs, and mixing in Gregorian prayer chants, church bells, didgeridoos and clap sticks.

“I think they’re all trying to achieve the same place of meditation and contemplation and they just happen to be instruments from different cultural backgrounds. I like finding a commonality between seemingly disparate things and perhaps weaving them together into a new fabric.”

Having experimented with the sounds of the world on several projects, Brown began to reflect again on his involvement with the people of Lightning Ridge. His time as an opal miner, polisher and cutter, and the generosity of several legendary characters from Lightning Ridge enabled him to set up his own business, Gondwanaland Opals.

On his album, Lightning Ridge And The Ballad Of Johny Jones he delivers his own brand of country flavoured folk songs, celebrating the rare and precious Australian gem and life in the opal fields.

He wanted to produce an album the locals would listen to and thought it would help if it was about them. The title track, ‘Ballad of Johny Jones’, is the true story of the miner who took him under his wing. Jones, a short, strong man, had got himself into trouble with the police as a teenager and went on the run, joining Jimmy Sharman’s crew of boxers. Sharman would put up a tent outside pubs in remote townships, starting in the early 1900s, and challenge anyone to knock down one of his boxers in three rounds “to win a hundred quid”. Johnny Jones became one of those boxers until he couldn’t take it anymore. He became an enforcer on the Melbourne wharves and after getting into trouble headed to Queenstown to the Quilpy opal fields.

“A lot of the people who go to the opal fields are escaping something, but within four years he’d made a lot of money,” says Brown. When he retired a few years back he and his wife set up a karaoke business and asked Brown to write a song they could use in karaoke bars.

Wayne Roland Brown says the opal business is like the music business. “For everyone that makes it there are many who don’t. It’s a hard life and I’m attracted to it and still go there a month or two a year and some of the miners still come and visit me in the US.”

So what has he learned from this diverse musical journey and how has it changed him? “When I was younger I guess I wanted to be independent, make music, meet girls, travel, learn about different kinds of music and eat great food. That hasn’t changed much.”

What has stuck with him is how similar human musical expression is, regardless of culture. “We’re all looking for another language to express ourselves and music is that other place of being. There’s never been a culture that hasn’t got some kind of music.” (audioculture.co.nz)

And here´s his first solo album:

It’s kind of a crazy album … a mixture of well known classics of rock music … in new and really appealing versions and original compositions, which of course don’t have the level of these classics … but still sound very intense and authentic.

He has probably been one of those unknown pearls of the time.

Enjoy this trip in the past …

Personnel:
Wayne Brown (vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, sitar, flute, saxophone, harmonica)
Mike Lepetit (keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. Entry (Brown) 0.54
02. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan) 3.03
03. Eleanor Rigby (Lennon/McCartney) 3.38
04. Malaguena (Lucuona) 2.08
05. Knocking On Heaven’s Door (Dylan) 4.12
06. Waterworks Blues (Brown) 2.11
07. Woodstock (Mitchell) 4.22
08. Song For Susan (Brown) 1.33
09. The Breath (Brown) 2.09
10. Flugel Humphrey Dickenspiel – Zap (Brown) 3.38
11. Living Is Not Easy (Brown) 4.19
12. Saettan (Traditional) 4.05
13. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan) 5.09
+
14. Troubled Young Man (Tarleton/Brown) 3.44

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Melanie – Paled by Dimmer Light (2004)

Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk (born February 3, 1947), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for the 1971–72 global hit “Brand New Key”,” plus her 1970 version of “Ruby Tuesday” which was originally written and recorded by the Rolling Stones, her composition “What Have They Done to My Song Ma”, and her 1970 international breakthrough hit “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” (inspired by her experience of performing at the 1969 Woodstock music festival). (wikipedia)

No talent who came out of Woodstock and who continued actively performing more than a quarter century later remained as closely associated with the 1960s and “flower power” than Melanie. (by Bruce Eder)

In 2004 Melanie succeeded with “Paled by dimmer light”, which was released Europe-wide, probably the best CD in more than 10 years. This CD contains some new songs and some songs from the “Crazy Love” CD, which was withheld from a wide audience. (Michael Friede)

I read a lot of praise for this album,it’s now obvious why,stunning!
Starting off with the beautiful ELEMENTS,onto TO BE THE ONE,also something special,then the sublime AND WE FALL. You’d think come THE BALLAD OF CRAZY LOVE this album might start becoming less impressive,not so,it still remains top notch. And it it goes from one magical track to another,then we get to I TRIED TO DIE YOUNG which blew me away first time i heard it and i still consider it to be one of her best ever songs,the lyrics are stunning and the music fits it brilliantly. We get nicely to the likes of YOU CALL YOURSELF A WRITER and a cracking cover of U2’s I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR,which might not please some fans of the original,but many others will love it i’m sure. And onto the final track DESERTS OF BLUE,a nice guitar track by her son BEAU,clearly a very talented man,he finishes off a stunning album perfectly. Don’t be in two minds,this one is a must have for fans of a woman who does not fear a changing voice but embraces it and delivers something special with her more mature vocals. (BAZ316)

Personnel:
Melanie Safka (vocals, guitar)
Beau Jarred Schekeryk (guitar, background vocals)
+
a bunch of unknown studio musicians
+
Rick McComas (piano on 12.)
+
background vocals on 06.:
Chrissy Leary – Jess Leary – Laura Darling – Melissa Mathes

Alternate frontcover:

Tracklist:
01. Elements (Safka) 2.41
02. To Be The One (Schekeryk/Safka) 4.03
03. And We Fall (Safka) 3.53
04. Jamming Alone () 4.03
05. The Ballad Of Crazy Love (Safka) 4.32
06. Smile () 4.46
07. Nothing Is Real (Schekeryk/Safka) 3.25
08. Make It Work For Me (Safka) 3.32
09. Extraordinary (Safka) 4.57
10. I Tried To Die Young (Safka) 4.31
11. You Call Yourself A Writer (Safka) 3.54
12. Lover Of My Friend (Schekeryk/Safka) 3.42
13. They Can Find You In Your Dreams (Safka) 3.33
14. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Clayton/Evens/Mullen/Hewson) 4.06
15. Deserts Of Blue (Instrumental) (Schekeryk) 6.23

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More from Melanie:

The now deleted official website:
A fan website from Germany