Can we talk about early-mid70s West Coast post-psych/pop/rock/folk-rock/country-rock?

hypehat

Came across Arthur Gee-Whizz Band - City Cowboy (Thanks scott seward!) on the What are you listening to? 2011 thread.

What an incredible album with a great cover as well.

― Non-Stop Erotic Calculus (bmus), Wednesday, May 4, 2011 4:55 AM (5 months ago) Bookmark

^this is terrific

hypehat

― buzza, Friday, 7 October 2011 03:31 (2 days ago) Bookmark

yes?

BBChron, linked by tylerw earlier on this thread, has started re-posting motherlode of mostly West Coast country rock, lots of the best and/or most popular at top of this page; see a bit more variety, like Kinks, at bottom (with Ritchie Furay Band, for inst, in the middle). He's good about describing, incl candor re tape quality (he tries to optimize, not just slap 'em up there)
http://bbchron.blogspot.com/

Alao, I may not have mentioned this guy before, gradually re-posting (see left rail for link to re-posts). Here's one I haven't seen before: New Riders of the Purple Sage live, w Garcia, Lesh & Hart.
http://smadacounty.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-riders-of-purple-sage-1969-09-18.html

Who are the Mellow Mafia? is that just the name for LA studio cats?
― JaXoN (JasonD), Friday, October 22, 2004 4:25 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Just saw this referred to as "Avocado Mafia".

Speaking of Chris Darrow, as I did upthread in '09, here's another Darrow reissue: Artist Proof, from 1972. Out on Drag City 1/22/2013, so I won't say much yet (so far so good, though)

1. Beware Of Time 3:00
2. Lovers Sleep Abed Tonight 2:57
3. Shawnee Moon 3:32
4. Move On Down The Line 2:47
5. Song For Steven 2:42
6. Cocaine Lil 1:39
7. Alligator Man 2:22
8. Keep On Trying 2:50
9. New Zoot 2:26
10. The Show Must Go On 2:48
11. The Sky Is Not Blue Today 3:51
12. We Can Both Learn To Say
I Love You 2:42
Bonus Tracks
13. Beware Of Time 2:54*
14. Song For Steven 2:28**
15. Keep On Trying 2:15**
16. Move On Down The Line 1:54 †
17. The Sky Is Not Blue Today 2:23 †
* Pre-album studio demo
** Home demo
† Demo for publishing, Sergio Mendes studio
Chris Darrow Guitar, Electric Guitar,
Mandolin, Fiddle, Dobro, Slide Guitar,
Marimba, Kalimba, Triangle, Vocals
Ed Black Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar
Loren Newkirk Piano, Accordion, Organ
Arnie Moore Bass
Mickey McGee Drums, Steel Drums
Steve Cahill Guitar, Autoharp, Vocals
John Ware Congas, Percussive Textures
John Stewart Rhythm Guitar on
“Alligator Man”
(Courtesy Warner Brothers Records)
Background Singers
Claudia Lennear
Jennifer Warren
(Courtesy Warner Brothers Records)
Russel Brooker
Earl Shackleford

No, sorry - I am only really familiar with Big Star and Neil Young. I have also heard Judee Sill and the Incredible String Band - but really my knowledge is only kind of surface level so I won't be able to take part. Sorry posters.

i love that chris darrow record.
it is almost as good as his s/t record.

S[eaking of New Riders, here's a show preview I wrote last summer ("swamp grooveologists" 'cause the rhythm section and one of the geezers are also in a "swamp groove" band, blanking on the name)
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Jerry Garcia and singer/picker David Nelson’s pre-Dead cosmic country reveries evolved into New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Nelson, with Garcia’s steel guitar successor, Buddy Cage, reformed New Riders in 2005, recruiting Hot Tuna guitarist Michael Falzarano, plus two swamp grooveologists, bassist Ronnie Penque and drummer Johnny Markowski. NRPS roll deft jams and tight tunes, many recently written with Garcia collaborator Robert Hunter, who keeps Riders swirling around a “Barracuda Moon,” and curtly invokes the “difference between a bad loan/And a debt.” Naturally, expect NRPS classics, including their aromatic outlaw hit, “Panama Red.”

Kinda long-ass, and no Rusty, I never thot you might be Neil's bro, but this doesn't happen every day:

LEGENDARY COUNTRY ROCK BAND POCO TO RELEASE FIRST STUDIO ALBUM SINCE 2002
All Fired Up Displays Evolution of Band While Staying True to Classic Sound

Nashville, TN—For 45 years, Poco has been making music in the realm of the classic country rock sound that they helped found in the late ‘60’s, one that inspired other acts to follow suit – bands such as The Eagles, Firefall, The Little River Band and Pure Prairie League. But to persist across six decades, you need to have a rabid fan base that considers your music to be a soundtrack to their lives, or continue to evolve and refine your sound while staying true to your roots. Poco does both and it’s why their new studio album -- their first in eleven years -- All Fired Up (official release date March 5), is a celebration of longevity and unparalleled songwriting.

Still led by singer and songwriter Rusty Young, the addition of two more excellent songwriters in bassist Jack Sundrud and keyboardist Michael Webb as well as drummer George Lawrence over the past decade, helped to re-shape Poco for another generation.

“The music has evolved over the years,” said Young. “Different band members bring different voices to the sound and in many ways keep the music fresh. History shows that Poco has always had great musicians in the band and it's no different today. We're growing musically, challenging ourselves and moving ahead to create the best music we've ever made.”

All Fired Up, which was self-produced and recorded at several studios including Sixteen Tons in Nashville, the home studios of Sundrud and Webb, Wildwood Lodge in Missouri and Sound Emporium in Nashville, shows a band that has no problem celebrating its storied past while enjoying every minute of the present. And Young explains the diversity of the material that also manages to stay cohesive.

“Most of the songs were written in the last year or so,” he says. “It took me two years to get 'Regret' to the point I was happy with it and ’A Little Rain' is a song we've been doing in concert for the last three years. Jack's 'Hard Country' is a concert favorite we've been playing for a number of years too. The title track was a song that was written just for the CD. We wanted to give a nod to the classic Poco sound that everyone loves from the early days and we think 'All Fired Up' nails it. Michael (Webb) has Bobby Keys playing sax on one of his songs, 'That's What Rock 'n Roll Will Do,’ which is very cool. Jack's 'Hard Country' is destined to be a Poco classic. I'm especially excited about a song called 'Rockin' Horse' for a couple of reasons. I think it's unlike anything I've written before, and Poco IS a Rockin' horse!”

There is also the tongue-in-cheek “Neil Young,” which talks about Rusty not being Neil’s brother. “I don't think Neil has heard it yet,” Young joked. “I would hope he'd get a kick out of it and I wonder how many times people have asked him about his brother Rusty.”

Young is also celebrating his induction into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St. Louis alongside other steel players that helped influence him. In addition, Young is in Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of Greats” along with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. In addition Poco boasts a Grammy nomination for ‘Instrumental of the Year’ and fans can find the band’s memorabilia on display at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Poco, which has never stopped touring over the years despite lineup changes, will tour a bit more vigorously in support of All Fired Up. “We're anxious to show everyone that we're excited about the future for Poco and we're fired up and ready to go,” said Young. “We're hoping to reintroduce Poco to the fans that may have drifted away over the years, and to remind them of why they were fans in the first place. And it would of course be great if the CD captures new fans. We're always trying to attract new Poconuts.”

Of course, it’s inevitable that the longer a band stays together, the more it often has to change in order to adapt and stick around—and also has to love what they do. That’s the takeaway from a poignant narrative written by Lawrence for the album. “There is no manual for a 45 year old rock band,” he said.

“Long time Poco fans will find plenty of nods to the earlier sound, while new-found fans will hear the new energy and direction,” said Sundrud. “All Fired Up is aptly titled, relevant to the band's musical roots and blazing a new trail into the future. The songs are rocking, thought-provoking, fun and most of all, pure Poco.”

To sample the tracks from All Fired Up, please visit
http://www.rickalter.com/afu.prerelease.html

About Poco

Pioneers of the country-rock sound that soared out of California in the late sixties and early seventies, Poco was founded by Richie Furay, Jim Messina, and Rusty Young, a trio whose lifetime musical journey began while working on the Buffalo Springfield’s final album, The Last Time Around. With the addition of George Grantham and Randy Meisner, the initial Poco lineup was set. Renowned music critic Robert Hilburn of The Los Angeles Times proclaimed the band as “the next big thing”, and Rolling Stone went so far as to call them “a country-tuned Derek and The Dominos,” giving the band’s 1969 debut, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, a perfect rating. After that, the band went through several personnel changes including the departure of Jim Messina and Richie Furay, as well as when bassist Randy Meisner left to join The Eagles.

Poco went on to chart several times with hits like “Crazy Love” and “Heart of the Night” (both from the critically acclaimed Legend album), as well as “Rose of Cimarron,” “Good Feeling To Know” and “You’d Better Think Twice.” In 1989, the band brought back Messina, Furay and Meisner to record Legacy, which spawned a few more of the band’s Top 40 hits, “Call It Love” and “Nothing To Hide.” Poco’s new milennium releases – 2002’s Running Horse, 2005’s Bareback At Big Sky. the 2004 live CD/DVD Keeping The Legend Alive and now 2013’s All Fired Up – are among the best of their career. With 45 years, more than 25 albums and thousands of fans behind them, Poco was, is and forever will be the defining voice of country/rock.

For more information, please visit www.poconut.org

West Coast post-psych/pop/rock/folk-rock/country-rock buzza is my fav buzza

"Solo" coz mostly poat-Monkees; he will have a band, though no new material, apperently(maybe a live album after this?)

MICHAEL NESMITH’S “NEZ SOLO” SPRING 2013 TOUR
TO CROSS U.S. MARCH 23–APRIL 17

In first U.S solo tour since 1992, Monkees and First National Band veteran
to perform songs from 50 years of writing and recording.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Michael Nesmith will launch the month-long Nez Solo Spring 2013 Tour on March 21 outside of Nashville as Nez’s Solo Spring 2013 Tour prepares to take him to the metro areas of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Nesmith’s kick-off show at the Franklin Theater sold out an hour after tickets were available.

Nez’s Solo Spring 2013 Tour followed an invitation from a British promoter/agent to play the British Isles last year. The solo tour sold out immediately after it was announced, causing American concert promoters to take notice and make offers for the Nez Solo Spring Tour.

“The songs I’ll play are a touch chronological and a touch thematic. I picked my favorites to play, the ones I have come to love over the years, and the ones that are most requested by fans of my solo work,” Nesmith says.

The focus of the show will be on his latter-day song writing and recordings, but Nesmith did select one song he wrote for the Monkees’ — “Papa Gene’s Blues” — as the opening of the concert. “I hope Monkees fans are not disappointed but my solo recorded music is extensive and the songs that were part of the Monkees era comprise only a tiny part of it.”

Fans of Nesmith’s ground-breaking First National Band and later work will find much to look forward to, including “Joanne,” “Silver Moon,” “Propinquity,” “Grand Ennui” and “Thanx for the Ride.” This last song will include specially programmed software so the original pedal steel solo by Red Rhodes plays along with Nesmith and the band as they play the song live. Also look for songs from the albums And the Hits Just Keep On Coming, Photon Wing and Infinite Rider, as well as Elephant Parts, Tropical Campfires, The Prison and Rays — approximately 90 to 100 minutes of live Nez music in all.

In the Nez Solo Spring Tour the songs will be presented with short introductions that include a cinematic setting. According to Nesmith, “The songs live in my mind like mini-movies— vignettes — that associate themselves with the emotions of the song. I want the audience to share that.”

Michael Nesmith tours may be few and far between, but he greatly enjoys the onstage connection. “I have found nothing like a live performance in any other expression of the arts,” he says. “When it is done right, it is a most joyful and happy event — like a good meal, a fine conversation or a lover’s kiss.”

“A word sung is worth a thousand pictures,” he concludes.

Nesmith is a musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman and philanthropist, well known for his start as the singing, wool-capped, Gretsch guitar-slinging co-star of the Monkees television series (1966-68).

His songs were recorded not only by the Monkees (“Papa Gene’s Blues,” “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “Mary, Mary,” and “Listen to the Band” among others) but also by Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys (“Different Drum”), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (“Some of Shelley’s Blues”) the Butterfield Blues Band and Run-DMC (“Mary Mary”).

He executive-produced the movies Repo Man (1984), Timerider, and Tapeheads and founded Pacific Arts, a record, film and video production house and book publisher. He was the first and only winner of the Grammy Award for Video of the Year for his 1981 long-form video Elephant Parts. He is also the inventor and founder of Videoranch3D, for which he holds a patent.

In addition to the regular concert tickets there will be a very limited number of tickets sold for after show receptions where Nesmith will sign autographs, talk with fans, and pose for pictures with them.

NEZ SOLO SPRING 2013 TOUR
Thurs., March 21 FRANKLIN, TN Franklin Theater – SOLD OUT
Sun., March 24 AGOURA HILLS, CA Canyon Club
Tues., March 26 SANTA CRUZ, CA Rio Theater
Wed., March 27 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Palace of Fine Arts
Fri., March 29 PORTLAND, OR Aladdin Theater
Sat., March 30 SEATTLE, WA Neptune Theater
Wed., April 3 BOULDER, CO Boulder Theater
Fri., April 5 ST. PAUL, MN Fitzgerald Theater (Sue McLean & Assoc.?)
Sat., April 6 CHICAGO, IL Old Town School of Folk Music – SOLD OUT
Sun., April 7 FERNDALE, MI The Magic Bag - SOLD OUT
Tues., April 9 MUNHALL, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Holmstead
Thurs., April 11 NORTHAMPTON, MA Iron Horse - SOLD OUT
Fri., April 12 RAHWAY, NJ Union County Performing Arts Center
Sat., April 13 SOMERVILLE, MA Somerville Theater
Mon., April 15 PHILADELPHIA, PA World Café Live - SOLD OUT
Tues., April 16 NEW YORK, NY Town Hall
Wed., April 17 WASHINGTON, DC Birchmere

oh man i wanna go

rad, going

Show review and video in this too:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-review-michael-nesmith-monkees-solo-tour-canyon-club-20130325,0,3065721.story

Sid Selvidge (father of the Hold Steady guitarist) did an album in the 70's that's now being re-issued by Omnivore. Worth it?

https://soundcloud.com/omnivore-recordings/ive-got-a-secret-didnt-we

Maybe. This latest ep of Beale Street Caravan has some excerpts, and backstory re the album---Selvedge was a co-founder and producer of longruning BST, which usually has a bluesier headliner than, er, Jake Bugg (who starts strong, anyway). Selvedge turns out to have a graceful, fluid folk-blues vocal style, a bit like prime time Jesse Winchester to my ears: http://bealestreetcaravan.com/listen/shows/2014-02-26

On the other hand (come to think of it, one of the later tracks he likes, "Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt," was also covered by Winchester--not saying they sound just alike; JW is closer to Lyle Loveless) http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Sid+Selvidge

None of which has anything to do with the subjects of this thread, but worth mentioning somewhere.

I've been on a serious buzz with this stuff lately, as the weather has suited it - I've been cycling up nearby small mountains late in the evening and looking west and over the water as the sun sets, and also watching early 70's downer desert films like Vanishing Point and reading about some of the cult/dropout/back to the land stuff like The Farm (whose founder just died) and The Source Family.

I've been looking for more recent stuff that fits too - after being slightly indifferent to it for a while I fell hard for The Ornament by Gold Leaves (the album, not the song - this is an album genre), it has that wistful but zonked feel and there aren't really any harmonies but the man can sing.

i just came to post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KklBhatssU

and the abridged version of the thread cut out the unicorns mentions, so i thought i had something new to add. oh well, it's still pretty sweet in this vein.

https://41.media.tumblr.com/e9e3e9c33e44e4d7723b515b5bd83cf4/tumblr_mmp14dDbe71s3w3ano1_1280.jpg

thank u

John York -> disappeared

hmmmm

idgi where are Poco's 1, 2, 3, and 4

Because no connection to anyone else on the chart? Poco #5 provides Tim Schmit to the Eagles, which seems to be the only connection.

Richie Furay was in Buffalo Springfield

Yeah, pretty sad to go to all that trouble, and then leave out Poco (Homer: "D'oh!") Oh well, we can make our own edit(s).
Posted this on Rolling Country last night:
Charles EstenVerified account ‏@CharlesEsten
So honored to sing the beautiful "The Rivers Between Us Are Deep" by our friend, Hall of Fame songwriter @JDSouther & Erik Kaz. #ThanksWatty
Watty, Souther's character, was Rayna's mom's secret musical lover, may have gotten her killed by jealous dad or "dad," since on Nashville the immortal series, musical biologicals are not uncommon. Blah-blah, but note the co-write with Eric Kaz, once known as Eric Justin Kaz. Never as well-known as Souther, I guess, but he's written or co-written a bunch of hits, ones most relevant to this thread are "Love Has No Pride," and several others recorded by Raitt and Ronstadt, maybe especially the former. He released several solo LPs before and after teaming up with Pure Prairie League's Craig Fuller in American Flyer, they also did a duo album. Think he was not considered such a good singer, but he can write good melodramatic vehicles, especially for denim divas. Anybody heard him on records?

That's so crazy. I've been trying to construct a chronological playlist of those interconnecting acts and I'm clearly falling waaaaay short.

Meissner and messina also in poco fwiw

Altho i guess messina isnt on there, i dont see him

Pete Frame's pre-internet family trees were heroic. I don't see Longbranch Pennywhistle or Shiloh on there--Henley's and Frey's pre-Eagles bands--but then I'd never heard of either till a year ago.

the longbranch pennywhistle album is actually more cohesive than most eagles albums. it feels fairly organic. it doesn't have memorable songs though. neither did the shiloh album.

I'm always amused that there's a Longbranch song in Vanishing Point.

Altho i guess messina isnt on there, i dont see him

― Οὖτις, Sunday, March 8, 2015 6:55 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he's in Buffalo Springfield #2. (and was a session player and/or producer in Buffalo Springfield #1 as well)

"Re-Fried Burritos" lol

That last reminds me: as long as we're digging that deep, I got an album by Burrito Deluxe back in '07. Walter Egan of F.Mac etc. ("Magnet and Steel") involvement played lead, sang and contributed some songs; also I think their Richard Bell played keyboards for Janis Joplin; guests incl. Sneaky Pete, the only first-generation Burrito here, but also a lot of A-list Nashville session cats, like Cindy Cashdollar, Dan Dugmore, and singer Joy Lynn White (who made some good records of her own). Seemed like it was pretty decent, but was also a promo; dunno if I'd rec. buying it, esp. not having heard it since '07.
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/disciplesoftruth/disciplesoftruth.html#details
This tells about previous line-ups of Burrito Deluxe (somebody else owned the original name), involving for inst. Garth Hudson, but haven't heard any of that:
http://www.burritobrother.com/fbb12.htm This site tries to track the whole torturous Burrito sagga er saga, though I stopped listening between the departure of Parsons and the arrival of Egan---oh, except for when they hired Byron Berline and some other members of Country Gazette, then everybody else left, and Byron's guys *were* the Burritos, for a while, cool enough.

The first link(from Walternative, a Walter Egan fan site) has more info about the album they sent me, Disciples of Truth; the second has info about previous Burrito Deluxe line-ups.

That's before Walter Egan & The Burritos, who have toured, but don't know of any albums.

As I said upthread, first heard JD Souther a few years ago, when he toured behind a cool li'l Nashville cats album with jazzy tendencies---even moreso live, with some of his Eagles contributions revealing latent Steelyness I hadn't noticed before, maybe because I tried to avoid the Eagles whenever possible, for most of the 70s. But given this belated revelation, and that Scott Seward heartily endorsed Souther Hillman Furay (also upthread, probly), think I'll check these:
http://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20151208/5a/b0/05/4e/1a7748c6c523208b1fb21e6d_180x180.jpg
http://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20151208/c9/3a/4c/ba/6530dbc3287101dbc333277f_180x180.jpg
http://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20151208/35/a5/83/8d/9a47028111dbab82b0c7a13d_180x180.jpg

D SOUTHER’S FIRST AND SECOND SOLO ALBUMS,
JOHN DAVID SOUTHER AND BLACK ROSE,
PLUS ONLY ’80S ALBUM, HOME BY DAWN,
RECEIVE EXPANDED EDITION REISSUES
FROM OMNIVORE RECORDINGS
John David Souther out on January 8,
while Black Rose and Home by Dawn hit streets on February 12.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — John David Souther, better known as JD Souther, is a singer-songwriter and actor best known as writer of hit songs by the likes of the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. While his own albums failed to gain the commercial traction of those of his songwriting clients, they’ve long been viewed as cult classics, prototypes of the Americana movement. Omnivore Recordings will launch a JD Souther expanded reissue initiative after the first of the year, with the debut album — John David Souther — set for January 8, 2016 release while Black Rose and Souther’s sole ’80s album, Home by Dawn, will return to stores on February 12, 2016.
Before he was co-writing #1 Eagles hits like “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight” with Glenn Frey and Don Henley, Souther formed Longbranch/Pennywhistle with Frey when they were roommates. Their downstairs neighbor was a fellow by the name of Jackson Browne, who took Souther to audition for his boss, David Geffen, who had recently formed the Asylum Records label. After hearing two songs, Geffen told Souther to “go make a record.” And that’s exactly what he did.
John David Souther arrived in 1971, and was immediately a critical success and established Souther as a, if not the songwriter to watch. (He would be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame 42 years later.)
Co-produced by Souther and Fred Catero (who had recently finished Santana’s Abraxas), John David Souther featured 10 originals — all stunning, and many of which would be covered by artists like Bonnie Raitt (“Run Like a Thief”) and his old friends the Eagles, who released “How Long” as the first single from their 2007 comeback and multi-platinum smash, Long Road Out of Eden.
For its January 8, 2016 expanded re-release of Souther’s debut, Omnivore has added seven previously unissued bonus tracks. John David Souther was, and is, the perfect introduction to the singer and performer behind the songs.
After his impressive debut, Souther worked with Chris Hillman (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers) and Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco) in the short-lived Souther/Hillman/Furay Band, which yielded two more Asylum LPs, The SHF Band and Trouble in Paradise. During that time, his songwriting reputation grew, as friends and colleagues took his material to commercial heights. To date his writing has been recorded by other artists as diverse as Hugh Masekela, Tricia Yearwood, Raul Malo, Bernadette Peters, Brooks and Dunn, Glen Campbell, Taiwanese girl group S.H.E., Michael Bublé, India Irie, and his longtime friend and collaborator Don Henley.
Five years after John David Souther, Black Rose appeared. Beautifully helmed by Peter Asher, the album was not only full of incredible songs, but a who’s who of musicians including Lowell George (Little Feat), Joe Walsh, Waddy Wachtel, Jim Keltner, Andrew Gold, Russ Kunkel, Donald Byrd, and Stanley Clarke — with David Crosby, Art Garfunkel, Don Henley and Glenn Frey adding their voices. In addition to the lush production and instrumentation, Souther’s ten songs were again exceptional. Linda Ronstadt had previously recorded “Faithless Love” on her breakthrough Heart Like a Wheel album, and would tackle “Simple Man, Simple Dream” in 1977 — even basing that year’s album title and her 2014 memoir Simple Dreams on the song. (For the record, Ronstadt has recorded 10 Souther tracks, a relationship that began with his production on her 1973 album Don’t Cry Now, also named for a Souther composition. That album includes “I Can Almost See It” — presented as a bonus track here in Souther’s demo version.)
This expanded edition of Black Rose, due out February 12, 2016, is made even more impressive by the addition of seven bonus tracks including six previously unissued live performances and demos — the other taken from the only solo album from the Little Feat leader, Thanks I’ll Eat It Here.
“Black Rose was an ambitious undertaking, and it took a long time,” Souther states in the new liner notes. “I wanted to use more of my musical influences, and I had to dig a bit deeper. But when we were finished, I was almost as pleased with it as if it had sold a million copies. Almost.”
Now is the time for those million copies to bloom.
After hitting the Top 10 twice with “You’re Only Lonely” and his duet with James Taylor, “Her Town Too,” Souther released his only album of the 1980s — Home by Dawn, produced by David Malloy (Eddie Rabbitt, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire).
As Souther took distinctive creative turns with each release, Home by Dawn emerged at the beginning of the new wave of country music. In fact, legendary producer/engineer, and David’s father, Jim Malloy (Townes Van Zandt, Eddy Arnold, Sammi Smith) told Souther, “You were about 15 minutes ahead of your time!” That timing was confirmed when Dixie Chicks covered “I’ll Take Care of You” on their 12x platinum-awarded Wide Open Spaces in 1998.
Home by Dawn has steadily earned a reputation as the groundbreaking and important statement it was, and continues to be. From rock to roots-rock to rockabilly, that release took Souther in a direction reflecting his Texas upbringing.
For its Omnivore reissue, the album’s original nine songs are joined by four bonus tracks — a demo of “I’ll Take Care of You,” two outtakes from the original sessions and his Urban Cowboy duet with Linda Ronstadt, “Hearts Against the Wind.”
Home by Dawn has proven to be an important and influential album released before its time. Now is the perfect time to discover, or rediscover it.
All three reissues feature expanded artwork, and new liner notes by Scott Schinder, based on recent interviews with Souther.
John David Souther track listing:
The Fast One 

Run Like a Thief 

Jesus in 3/4 Time 

Kite Woman 

Some People Call It Music 

White Wing 

It’s the Same 

How Long 

Out to Sea 

Lullaby 

Bonus Tracks: 

Kite Woman (Alternate Version) 

Jesus in 3/4 Time (Demo) 

The Fast One (Demo) 

Run Like a Thief (Demo) 

How Long (Demo) 

One in the Middle (Demo) 

Silver Blue (Demo)


Black Rose Track Listing:
Banging My Head Against the Moon 

If You Have Crying Eyes 

Your Turn Now 

Faithless Love 

Baby Come Home 

Simple Man, Simple Dream 

Silver Blue 

Midnight Prowl 

Doors Swing Open 

Black Rose 

Bonus Tracks: 

Faithless Love (Live) 

Songs of Love (Band Demo) 

Can Almost See It (Demo) 

Cheek to Cheek – Lowell George 

Border Town (Solo Demo) 

Texas Nights and Mexican Moons (instrumental piano demo) 

Songs of Love (Solo Demo)


Home by Dawn Track Listing:
Home by Dawn 

Go Ahead and Rain
Say You Will
I’ll Take Care of You
All for You
Night
Don’t Know What I’m Gonna Do
Bad News
All I Want
Bonus Tracks:
Hearts Against the Wind –
Linda Ronstadt/JD Souther
I’ll Take Care of You (Demo)
Little Girl Blue
Girls All Over the World 

# # #
Watch (and feel free to post) the JD Souther trailer:
http://youtu.be/takuJJCJPZI

(Oh yeah, and speaking of Eagles-related news, Henley's Cass County not only actually doesn't suck, it's pretty good!)

TAKE A WILD RIDE DOWN LITTLE KNOWN
BACKROADS OF EARLY AMERICANA ON
WAYFARING STRANGERS: COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC
ON MARCH 18
The acclaimed archival record label Numero Group unearths nineteen fascinating twangy obscurities from 1968-1980.

CHICAGO, Ill. — Spurred by superstars like the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, country-rock became, in the words of music historian Peter Doggett, “the dominant American rock style of the 1970s.” But for every Eagles mega-success, there was a big-label bust like American Flyer. And for every one-hit wonder like the Amazing Rhythm Aces, there were one-shot never-weres such as Angel Oak and Deerfield. These acts, whose albums are hard to find for even the most dedicated thrift-store bin hunters, now get their belated time in the spotlight on Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music compilation, due out on Numero Group on March 18, 2016.

Cosmic American Music was the name Gram Parsons coined to describe the blend of rock, country and soul that he played in the Byrds, the Flying Burritos Brothers and on his own solo albums. Although widely acknowledged as the “Father of country-rock,” Parsons hated the term “country-rock.” As he once said, “We are playing roots music . . . It’s a form of love music, a binding type of music between people.” Cosmic American Music’s eclectic lineup of unknown performers might not have strictly followed Parsons’ musical path but they did share the heartfelt spirit behind his Cosmic American Music.
The nineteen songs on this collection, recorded between 1968-1980, come from albums that were privately pressed, released on tiny labels like Sugarbush and Hobbit or, worse, entrusted to scam artists. It was a world away from today, when CDs can be created in a bedroom, uploaded it to the Internet and discovered by like-minded fans. The indie acts on Cosmic American Music had to sell their albums at bar gigs, street corners, college bookstores and, in the case of one Dan Pavlides, on the road while hitchhiking.

Every act here has its own fascinating story. There are bands like Jimmy Carter and the Dallas Country Green and the Black Canyon Gang, composed of farm and ranch hands who just liked making music. Others, such as Mistress Mary and Mike & Pam Martin, harbored dreams of record deals only to see them dashed when their demo albums were ignored. Sandy Harless’s tale is particularly heartbreaking. After financing his album through his fish breeding business, he got duped by a sham record label. Then there is a case of the mysterious Kathy Heideman, a San Jose session vocalist who recorded an album of songs written by one Dia Joyce; however, not even the experts at Numero Group could dig up info on her.
One thing that all of this acts unfortunately have in common is that their albums flopped. Many wound up never recording again. The disappointment hit Kenny Knight so hard that he tossed his master tapes in a dumpster. As the one-time Southern California singer-songwriter F.J. McMahon reflects: “My concept of record albums and musicians was, you came out with an album and went on T.V. and you had some money and you lived off it and you made another album. I had no concept of you make an album and it goes nowhere, which it did. It was a harpoon to the heart for a long time.”

Black Canyon Gang
It’s not that the musicians found on Cosmic American Music lacked talent. The tunes by Plain Jane’s “You Can’t Make It Alone” and Doug Firebaugh’s “Alabama Railroad Town” wouldn’t sound out of place on a record by Firefall or some other major label ’70s country-rock group. Ethel-Ann Powell’s politically tinged “Gentle One” impresses as a beguiling folk-rocker. Mistress Mary’s “And I Didn’t Want You” projects a raw Lucinda Williams-like quality and the Houston outlaw country outfit Deerfield achieves a Flying Burritos Brothers feel on “Me Lovin’ You.” Strands of Nick Lowe’s twangy pub rock sound surface in Jeff Cowell’s rollicking “Not Down This Low,” while White Cloud’s “All Cried Out” suggests a laidback Buffalo Springfield track.
White Cloud also is one of the few groups with a band-member of some small renown. Frontman Thomas Jefferson Kaye was a music biz vet who had success as a Brill Building songwriter and also helmed albums by Loudon Wainwright III, Gene Clark and Dr. John. The North Carolina band Arrogance, represented here with the revved-up twang rocker “To See Her Smile,” was co-founded by Don Dixon, who later co-produced R.E.M. and made several critically acclaimed solo albums.
Cosmic American Music contains some unexpected guest appearances as well. Pure Prairie League’s John David Call contributed his pedal steel prowess to Sandy Harless’ “I Knew Her Well,” and White Cloud’s 1972 cut “All Cried Out” features the picking of Eric Weissberg, who did the breakout Deliverance soundtrack the same year. And that distinctive guitar playing that weaves through Mistress Mary’s “And I Didn’t Want You” is the handiwork of then-Byrd Clarence White.
Cosmic American Music marks the fifth compilation in the Numero Group’s Wayfaring Strangers series, following the critically praised titles Ladies From the Canyon, Guitar Soli, Lonesome Heroes and Darkscorch Canticles. Since starting in 2003, the Chicago-based archival record label has quickly achieved acclaim for their extraordinary reissue releases. They received a 2009 Grammy nomination for their Light: On the South Side compilation, while Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology garnered two Grammy nominations: Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album.
Track Listing:
1. Jimmy Carter and Dallas County Green: Travelin’
2. Mistress Mary: And I Didn’t Want You
3. Plain Jane: You Can’t Make It Alone
4. Dan Pavlides: Lily of the Valley
5. Angel Oak: I Saw Her Cry
6. Kathy Heideman: Sleep a Million Years
7. Deerfield: Me Lovin’ You
8. Arrogance: To See Her Smile
9. Jeff Cowell: Not Down This Low
10. Kenny Knight: Baby’s Back
11. The Black Canyon Gang: Lonesome City
12. Allan Wachs: Mountain Roads
13. Mike And Pam Martin: Lonely Entertainer
14. Bill Madison: Buffalo Skinners
15. White Cloud: All Cried Out
16. Ethel-Ann Powell: Gentle One
17. Sandy Harless: I Knew Her Well
18. F.J. McMahon: The Spirit of the Golden Juice
19. Doug Firebaugh: Alabama Railroad Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bZGspbgOgE

that new wayfaring strangers comp is fannnntastic. you'd think the bottom of the barrel would be scraped by this point, but it is pretty much all killer no filler.

I will check that Cosmic American Music out, thanks for the encouragement. Haven't heard the most recent prev. releases in the Wayfaring Strangers series, but the first two, Ladies From The Canyon and Guitar Soli are certainly worth hearing.
As for the John David Souther expanded reissues mentioned above, the self-titled debut has at least a couple decent tracks as is, and maybe some still-promising raw material, but funny that he says he consciously avoided making records like those of his friends, cos it certainly keeps coming back to the scrawny early Eagles-y template, especially vocally, and the hired help don't get much to do. Though the bonus solo demos are actually kind of better, minus the flimsy filigree, and he digs at his close-mic acoustic guitar (got mab hands).
Black Rose sounds better from the get-go, with some supple, percussive rhythm guitar on "Banging My Head Against The Moon," where he's even got a certain wryness in the warning of the latest shift from self-pity to prowliness. And the overall flower-shirted imagery gets a break from terser phrasing, like the opening of track 2 "If you've got crying eyes/Bring 'em along." That one makes good use of Linda Ronstadt, who starts firing up the chorus, and gets a heated response from JDS--no way is he gonna let his ol' lady steal this---one of several songs he def outsings Don, Glenn, and his imitative debut self. He opens the live solo performance of "Faithless Love" by admitting he can't top her version, but this 'un turns out pretty well. The studio version's okay too, brings its own breathing room, compared to the production of some other tracks.

Speaking of the production, it can seem too subdued, but, although "Silver Blue" goes on a bit, does have some of the same breathing room/ spare clarity as "Faithless Love, " at least in the way it spotlights Souther's voice and Stanley Clarke's double bass.

Joe Walsh and Waddy Wachtel are back in there somewhere, and yes I hear you, Croz and Garfunkel, Don and Glenn, not too terribly much though, and did I mention prowlienss yes, reminding me that "Midnight Prowl" is the car tape bait, bringing Lowell George and Donald Byrd into one for the fans of Little Feat and Steely Dan. "Doors Swing Open" starts like it's going to be a relatively wimpy follow-up, but, although it doesn't ever swing, it does build its own kind of momentum. Then the title track has plenty yachty verve, the bonus "Border Town" gossips and tsk-tsks naughty events, with a pre-Mellen hippity strum.
Overall it's not that great, but several keepers even for non-specialists.

not mab hands, MAN HANDS.

Well alright! Souther describes Home By Dawn as an 80s rockabilly album, which it really isn't---past the opening title track, which is a coked-up married-guy-rompabilly scenario, not too far from Glen's "Party Town," "The Heat Is On" lyrically, music more like Kenny's "Footloose"---but the 80s-salute-the-50s bit usually works out in more or differently appealing ways: lyrics are mostly reassuring--- representing a truly steady boyfriend, who has largely outgrown elaborately sentimental/horndawg self-involvement tendencies of the 70s reissues--and musically, the rompabilly is quickly followed by the Everlys-esque soulful jangle-glide "Go Ahead and Rain," the urgently calling-Buddy-Holly (with dang near motorik or anyway speedy rhythm guitar)"Say You Will", which is also a real good duet with Ronstadt. Then the released version of more like a standard 80s-soundtrack piano ballad, "I'll Take Care of You," unpretentious but seems like it really needs Ronstadt--'til the demo, just him and the piano, works out fine. "Night" and another one (blanking on the title) could still be good for the Bangles and vice-versa (ditto "Go Ahead and Rain"), "Bad News Travels Fast" is propelled by his thin, tuneful voice at its strongest, also Mellenchords at their sternest.
Best bonus tracks are "Little Girl Blue, " which here seems like Souther-as-Holly at apex, but is actually Rodgers & Hart (Joplin did it her way; JDS might've learned something from that), and the original"Pretty Girls All Over The World," which is droll and prowly, also with the jazzy tinge of his more recent albums, and brings us back to the 50s just enough, as it grows a slight Elvoid quiver in the vocals, and a doo-wop shuffle in the backing.
The sound is def Big 80s (especially re the drums, always played by JDS) but dialed back just a bit in discreet remastering, and there are no synths, no sax, no shoulderpads (well maybe a couple).
This reissue demanded and rewarded my attention much more consistently than the first two.

"Mellenchords at their sternest": like the durr, durr in "Jack and Diane, " epitome-wise.

this has been destroying me lately: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley%27s_Barn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ClS5_wyt-c&list=RD7ClS5_wyt-c

that new wayfaring strangers comp is fannnntastic. you'd think the bottom of the barrel would be scraped by this point, but it is pretty much all killer no filler.

― tylerw, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 7:56 AM (2 weeks ago)

yes

Anybody know any current stuff that mines this vein successfully? I was listening to the album The Ornament by Gold Leaves and a lot of it nails the weary grandeur, the sense of looking west past the canyon over the ocean as the sun sets.